U.S. Jobless Claims Hit 13-Month Low, Retail Sales Surge Explore what’s moving the global economy in the new season of the Stephanomics podcast. Subscribe via Apple Podcast , Spotify or Pocket Cast . The U.S. economy’s comeback is firing on all cylinders with employment, retail spending and manufacturing exhibiting strong gains. Thursday’s barrage of economic data showed that some parts of the economy, like retail sales, have returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Applications for unemployment benefits, while still elevated, hit the lowest in 13 months. The rebound in demand reflected a wave of business reopenings last month, increased vaccination rates and a fresh round of stimulus checks to households. In addition, the bounce back follows a harsh winter and surge in Covid-19 cases in many parts of the U.S. that curbed activity. “We think the momentum continues into the second quarter” as the economy continues to reopen and […]