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U.S. housing starts stumbled in July on an abrupt slowdown in apartment construction and a modest decline in single-family homebuilding that shows the industry will do little to spur the economy, Commerce Department data showed Aug. 16.

Sentiment among American homebuilders unexpectedly increased to a three-month high as builders saw greater prospects for industry demand despite elevated material costs and shortages of labor and lots, according to data Aug. 15 from the National Association of °®¶¹´«Ã½ Builders/Wells Fargo.

U.S. retail sales advanced in July by the most this year, with widespread gains from department stores to building materials outlets that signal a robust start to consumer spending in the third quarter, according to Commerce Department figures released Aug. 15.

Americans last week registered their strongest optimism in 16 years on more upbeat views about the state of the economy, their personal finances and the buying atmosphere, according to Bloomberg News Consumer Comfort data released Aug. 10

An unexpected decrease in U.S. wholesale prices in July, the first in nearly a year, signals inflation will remain tame, a Labor Department report showed Aug. 10 in Washington.

Worker productivity gains in the U.S. accelerated in the second quarter to a pace that’s still tepid by historical standards, a Labor Department report showed Aug. 9.

U.S. producers are seen pumping away, even with the price of West Texas Intermediate crude lingering below $50 a barrel, according to the latest government estimates.

A June surge in U.S. job openings to a record indicates demand for workers remained strong at the end of the second quarter, a Labor Department report showed Aug 8

America’s trade deficit narrowed to an eight-month low in June, helped by the biggest outflow of goods and services since the end of 2014, a positive signal for the economy entering the third quarter, Commerce Department data showed Aug. 4.

Americans last week started feeling much more confident about the economy, pushing the Bloomberg News Consumer Comfort Index to a seven-week high and partly reversing an early-summer slump, figures released Aug. 3 showed.