U.S. Economic News
October 2, 2020
U.S. Economic Indicators
The U.S. economy gained 661,000 jobs in September, slightly below expectations. The unemployment rate declined 0.5 percentage points to 7.9% while the labor force participation rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 61.4%. BLS Report
The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index rose 6.3 points to 80.4 in the final September reading but is down 12.8 points from September of last year. The Index of Consumer Expectations rose 7.1 points to 75.6, while the Current Economic Conditions Index increased 4.9 points to 87.8. University of Michigan
New factory orders for manufactured goods rose 0.7% in August following a 6.5% (revised) increase in July. New orders excluding transportation were up 0.7%, while new orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft rose 1.9%. Census Bureau Report