April’s jobs report further illustrates that the American economy continues to roar ahead, lifting up American workers and bringing prosperity to communities across the Nation.
CNBC: Jobs Surge in April, Unemployment Rate Falls to the Lowest Since 1969
“The U.S. jobs machine kept humming along in April, adding a robust 263,000 new hires while the unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, the lowest in a generation, according to a Labor Department report Friday. Nonfarm payroll growth easily beat Wall Street expectations of 190,000 and a 3.8% jobless rate… Unemployment was last this low in December 1969 when it hit 3.5%. At a time when many economists see a tight labor market, big job growth continues as the economic expansion is just a few months away from being the longest in history.”
CNN: Trump’s Approval Rating on the Economy Hits a New High
“President Donald Trump hits a new high on his economic approval ratings in a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS, reaching 56% of Americans saying he’s doing a good job on the economy. The result comes on the heels of the announcement that the US economy grew at a much better rate than expected in the first quarter, and Trump’s performance on the economy becomes one of his prime selling points for next year’s general election.”
MARKETWATCH: Productivity Soars 3.6% in First Quarter, Drives Fastest Yearly Gain Since 2010
“The productivity of American workers soared in the first quarter and pushed the increase over the past year to the highest level since 2010, a potentially great sign for the U.S. economy. The productivity of American workers increased at a 3.6% annual pace from January through March, the government said Thursday. That’s the biggest gain since the fall of 2014.”
CNBC: U.S. Economy grows by 3.2% in the first quarter, topping expectations
“The U.S. economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the first quarter and posted its best growth to start a year in four years. First-quarter gross domestic product expanded by 3.2%, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Friday in its initial read of the economy for that period. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected growth of 2.5%. It was the first time since 2015 that first-quarter GDP topped 3%.”
REUTERS: U.S. Consumer Spending Roars Back, But Inflation Tame
“U.S. consumer spending increased by the most in more than 9-1/2 years in March as households stepped up purchases of motor vehicles, but price pressures remained muted, with a key inflation measure posting its smallest annual gain in 14 months.”
GALLUP: Americans Feel Generally Positive About Their Own Finances
“At the start of 2019, Americans’ optimism about their personal finances reached levels not seen in more than 16 years, as 69% expected they would be financially better off in a year…A majority of Americans, 56%, rate their current financial situation as ‘excellent’ (12%) or ‘good’ (44%), while 29% rate it as ‘only fair’ and 15% as ‘poor.’ This overall positive rating has increased 10 percentage points since 2015 and is currently the highest since 2002 though it is statistically unchanged since last year. Likewise, the 57% of Americans who now say their overall financial situation is getting better has risen 10 points since 2016 and is at its highest numerical point since 2002.”
MARKETWATCH: Torrent of Job Offers, Bigger Salaries Offer More Proof U.S. Labor Market Is Still Red-Hot
“Americans still think plenty of jobs are available and companies are offering better pay as they compete for a shrinking pool of available labor, new study by the New York Federal Reserve shows. The Fed study is the latest proof the jobs market continues to sizzle. … One-quarter of the respondents (25.7%) said they expected to receive at least one job offer in the next four months — the highest level since the survey began in 2014.”
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Workers, Retirees Are Feeling Better About Retirement Finances
“With the U.S. economy strong and stocks near record levels, retirees’ and workers’ confidence in having enough money for retirement rose over the past year to new highs, according to a long-running survey released Tuesday. According to the annual survey by the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute, 82% of polled retirees are optimistic about their ability to live comfortably in retirement, up from 75% last year.”
WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Boom: Hispanics Lead Housing, Income Surge, Poverty at Record Low
“Latinos are finding their economic legs under the Trump administration, leading the surge in home ownership and income growth and record low poverty rates, according to two comprehensive new surveys. … The reports detailed Hispanic housing and economic trends and found most signs better under Trump.”
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: U.S. Steel to Invest $1.2 Billion at Pennsylvania Mills
“United States Steel Corp. outlined plans Thursday for the biggest upgrade of its steelmaking operations in decades by investing more than a $1 billion in its plants near Pittsburgh. The centerpiece project aims to reduce the cost and the time to produce sheet steel at the company’s mill in Braddock, Pa.”
