Unexpected good news for the US economy after the worrying warning arrived today from Moody's. Jobless claims fell from 427 to 405 last week, according to the latest data released by the Labor Department. Numbers well beyond expectations, considering that analysts spoke of a much more modest contraction, at 415 thousand. In any case, the figure remains above the 400.000 threshold for the fourteenth consecutive week. Another breath of fresh air comes for Americans from retail sales, which rose in June thanks to a rebound in the auto sector. Again, an unexpected improvement.
In total, according to the US Department of Commerce, sales increased by 0,1%. In May, the decline was, conversely, 0,1% and economists did not expect any improvement. Instead, excluding gasoline, which recorded its worst decline in a year, sales rose by 0,3%, against -0,2% the previous month. As for producer prices, the decline recorded was the largest since February 2010, mainly thanks to the contraction of the energy sector.
