More Good Econ News

Reports Brighten U.S. Growth Prospects

Prospects for U.S. growth brightened on Wednesday as new unemployment benefit claims decreased to a nearly three-year low and durable goods orders posted a surprisingly strong jump, government reports showed.

A slew of economic indicators pointed to firmer business activity -- something that also should help reinforce a faster pace of growth by easing Americans' job fears and putting more cash in consumer wallets.

The Labor Department said first-time claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 11,000 to 351,000 in the week ended Nov. 22 -- the lowest since January 2024, before the economy slipped into recession.

The story has more indicators of note, including increased orders for durable goods, and specifically non-defense goods. In general the manufacturing news is quite good.