Best retail sales since 2017 brighten U.S. growth outlook

Anchor Admin

April 14, 2019

Retail sales in the U.S. jumped by the most since September 2017 and first-time filings for unemployment benefits dropped to a fresh 49-year low, as a strong labor market gives American consumers the wherewithal to keep the economy chugging along.

The value of overall sales in March rose 1.6%, boosted by gains in motor vehicles and gasoline stations, after an unrevised 0.2% decrease the prior month, according to Commerce Department figures released Thursday, April 18. That exceeded all forecasts in Bloomberg’s survey calling for a 1% gain.

Read more at Crain’s Cleveland Business