Week 16 of the 2020 U.S. Economic Calendar highlights the housing starts, unemployment numbers, manufacturing data, and small business optimism.
Dr. Anthony Fauci relayed his cautiously-optimistic view that some cities in the U.S. could start relaxing stay-in-place measures by mid-May. These statements came over the weekend as new COVID-19 cases continue to plateau in New York City and elsewhere.
Despite his optimism, the United States surpassed Italy for the globe’s highest confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 infections on Saturday. A week prior, the country became the top hot-spot in confirmed cases.
Here are your key economic updates for the week ahead, April 13 – April 17:
Monday, April 13
- No major announcements scheduled
Tuesday, April 14
- Small Business Optimism Index will be released
Wednesday, April 15
- MBA will release mortgage purchase applications index
- Retail Sales for March will be published – Consensus is a 3.0% decrease.
- Empire State Manufacturing Survey
- Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization
- April NAHB Homebuilder Survey – consensus is a reading of 59, down from 72. A number above 50 indicates homebuilders are optimistic.
- Federal Reserve Beige Book – informal survey of the broader economy
Thursday, April 16
- Weekly unemployment claims – Consensus is 5.00 million new claims versus 6.648 actual last week.
- Housing Starts
- Philadelphia Federal Reserve Manufacturing Survey
Friday, April 17
- State employment and unemployment for March
