Taking the pulse of the US economy: What the latest data tells us

A batch of data on Thursday showed the US jobs market and the broader economy continue to rebound, but with a few hiccups.

From the labour market recovery to the prospects for future growth, there was plenty of data on Thursday to take the pulse of the world’s largest economy as it continues to recover from COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. First, the jobs market. The United States Department of Labor said the number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits with states last week ticked down ever so slightly to 411,000. That is 7,000 less than the previous week, when they rose unexpectedly.