Retail sales jumped 1.4 percent in April, the strongest showing in six months, as consumers returned to auto showrooms and shopping malls, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
Last month’s increase was better than the 0.8 percent gain many analysts had been expecting and represented a significant rebound from the lackluster March’s 0.4 percent increase.
The spending surge was led by a 2.5 percent jump in auto sales. but the strength was widespread with clothing stores posting their best increase in 2 1/2 years.
In a second report, the number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose by 4,000 to 340,000 last week, the highest level for jobless claims in a month. The four-week moving average for claims also rose by 2,000 to 324,000.
