First, the good news. Initial unemployment claims, which were expected to come in at 305,000, came in at 280,000 good deal less than that. More people working might mean that, in time, wages will rise and families that have never seen their financial situations improve since the Great Recession, will begin to recover.
Then, the bad news. Housing starts, which were expected to decline modestly (by 5.2 percent, to be precise, and one wonders at the certainty behind that figure right of the decimal point) tanked at -14.4 percent.
Housing is essential, of course, to the overall economy. And construction jobs are critical, especially for men.
The overall picture remains one of uncertainty. At best.
