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Consumer confidence rose in October to a seven-year high as employment opportunities and declining gasoline prices boosted Americans’ spirits.

Consumer spending in the U.S. unexpectedly dropped in September as incomes rose at the slowest pace of the year, indicating the economy will have difficulty sustaining a pickup in growth into the end of the year.

The economy in the U.S. expanded more than forecast in the third quarter, capping its strongest six months in more than a decade, as gains in government spending and a shrinking trade deficit made up for a slowdown in household purchases.

Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits over the past month than at any time in more than 14 years, a sign the strengthening U.S. economy is buoying the labor market.

Blueberries from Chile, Peru and Brazil may soon be heading toward U.S. tables via Savannah, Georgia, opening another shipping market in the city’s emergence as a major trade hub.

Confidence among U.S. consumers rose in October to a seven-year high as gasoline prices dropped and the job market improved.

Orders for durable goods dropped unexpectedly in September, falling for a second month, on waning demand for machinery and computers that signals companies are reluctant to invest in updating equipment.

After years of ending the holiday shopping season with too much merchandise stacked in their warehouses, U.S. retailers face the opposite this year: They may not have enough.

TNT Express NV reported a quarterly loss as restructuring measures and a provision to cover potential costs from an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behavior in France bit into the Dutch logistics company’s earnings.

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes rose less than forecast in September, showing housing will take time to gain momentum.