Strong retail sales growth in September reinforces consumer resilience in the United States, although labor data suggests a slight slowdown in the employment market.
In September, the retail sales in the United States grew by 0.4% compared to the previous month, exceeding market expectationsas reported by the Department of Commerce. This increase is notable in a context where analysts, consulted by Reuters, had anticipated growth of 0.3%. In contrast, the August figure remained at a modest 0.1% after a review that left it unchanged.
An even stronger signal came from underlying retail sales, which exclude volatile categories such as building materials, vehicles, gas stations and food services.
This indicator advanced 0.7% in September, well above the 0.3% that analysts expected. Even when including food services, although excluding vehicles and their parts, the growth was 0.5%, also higher than the 0.1% forecast.
Labor market data
Regarding the labor market, the number of people who requested unemployment benefits last week was 241,000, below expectations.
Economists expected 260,000 claims, a figure that was also revised upward for the previous week, reaching 260,000 instead of 258,000. The four-week moving average, which offers a more stable view of the employment trend, rose slightly to 236,250. In addition, the number of people who continue to receive benefits after their first week of subsidies rose to 1,867 million.
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These data reflect a mixed economic outlook: while consumption remains solid, the labor market shows signs of a slight slowdown.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
