Economic News Of Note: U.S. Imports Of Aluminum Rise
- According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. imports of unwrought aluminum increased to 281,114 tons. That figure does not include imports from Canada. The United States also imported 279,281 tons from Canada.
- The National Federation of Independent Business’s Small Business Optimism Index rose to 104.8 in April, near its record high. The survey found more small employers plan to make capital expenditures over the coming months.
- According to the U.S. Labor Department, 211,000 individuals filed for federal unemployment benefits for the first time during the week that ended May 5. That number was unchanged from the week before. The four-week moving average of first-time claims fell to their lowest level since December 1969. The number of individuals who continued to receive jobless benefits increased, however, to 1.79 million for the week that ended April 28 from 1.76 million the week before. The four-week moving average of continuing claims fell to 1.812 million and is now at its lowest level since December 1973. In other employment news: a record 6 million jobs were open in the United States in March.
- In other economic news: S. import prices increased 0.3 percent in April while export prices increased 0.6 percent; the U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.2 from March 2018 to April 2018 and 2.5 percent between April 2017 and April 2018; the U.S. Producer Price Index rose 0.1 percent for the month of April and was up 2.6 percent year-over-year; and real average hourly earnings for all U.S. employees were unchanged from March to April.