America Is Open For Business

The U.S. economy has added an average of 202,000 jobs each month so far this year, as the unemployment rate remains at a 17-year low, economic growth is accelerating, business and consumer confidence is booming, and wages are rising.

CNBC: The Manufacturing Sector Has Been on Fire Since Trump Was Elected — March Was Another Strong Month for Manufacturing Jobs

“The manufacturing industry led job gains for the month of March, adding to the sector’s streak of solid employment numbers over the past year under President Donald Trump. Manufacturing sector added 22,000 jobs in March bringing its 12-month gain to 232,000 jobs, the Labor Department said on Friday. Much of last month’s gains — as well as the yearly uptick — came from durable goods manufacturing, the Labor Department said.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: US Economic Growth in Q4 Revised up to 2.9 Percent Rate

“The U.S. economy grew at a solid 2.9 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year, a sharp upward revision that caps three quarters of the fastest growth in more than a decade.… The gross domestic product, the country’s total output of goods and services, grew at a faster clip than its previous estimate of 2.5 percent, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. That 2.9 percent fourth quarter advance followed gains of 3.1 percent in the second quarter and 3.2 percent in the third quarter. It’s the strongest nine-month stretch of growth in a dozen years, since the economy expanded at rates of 3.7 percent, 3.5 percent and 4.3 percent from the third quarter of 2004 through the first quarter of 2005.”

WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Number of People Getting Unemployment Benefits Falls to 44-Year Low

“The total number of people receiving unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in 44 years in March, the Department of Labor reported Thursday in more good news about the economy. Altogether, 1.8 million people got unemployment insurance benefits toward the end of March, the smallest such seasonally-adjusted number since the end of December 1973, when the workforce was much smaller and there were fewer people to be laid off.”

BLOOMBERG: Share of U.S. Small Businesses Raising Pay Hits 17-Year High

“Small-business owners in the U.S. are becoming more aggressive with their pay packages as the tight job market makes it difficult to attract talent. The National Federation of Independent Business said Thursday a net 33 percent of small firms raised compensation in March, the largest share since November 2000, as hiring plans picked up. ‘Small businesses are telling us that they’re optimistic, hiring and willing to raise wages to find the right employees for the businesses,’ Juanita Duggan, president and chief executive of the NFIB, said in a release.”

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Lower-Income Americans Drive Consumer Sentiment to 14-Year High

“America’s low-income earners boosted consumer sentiment to a 14-year high this month, while confidence among the nation’s highest earning workers fell. The University of Michigan on Thursday said its consumer-sentiment index was 101.4 in March, down from an initial 102.0 reading for the month. The original and updated figure for March are both the highest levels since 2004. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected the final reading to remain at 102.0.”

GALLUP: U.S. Investor Optimism Stable and Strong

“U.S. investor optimism remains strong and solid in the first quarter of 2018, as the Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index pushes into its fifth straight quarter at the highest levels seen in 17 years. With majorities of investors upbeat about both their personal finances and the overall national economic outlook, the index stands at +139, about where it was in 2017’s third quarter (+138) and fourth quarter (+140). The index is 13 points higher than a year ago and 99 points higher than two years ago. Prior to 2017, the index had not been as high as the current score since September 2000.”

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