New US home sales rose 0.3 percent in April as prices continued to fall. Separately, durable goods orders rose 0.8%, while continuing jobless claims hit a new record for 17th consecutive week.
Jobless
US workers collecting benefits for more than one week in the week ended May 16th, rose by 110,000 to a record 6,788,000. It was the 17th consecutive week in which that figure set a new record.
New claims for jobless benefits dropped by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 623,000 in the week ended May 23rd, the Labor Department said Thursday.
New Houses
Sales of new one-family houses in April 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 352,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is 0.3 percent above the revised March rate of 351,000, but is 34.0 percent (±11.0%) below the April 2008 estimate of 533,000.
The median sales price of new houses sold in April 2009 was $209,700; the average sales price was $254,000. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of April was 297,000. This represents a supply of 10.1 months at the current sales rate.
New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods - - which are expected to last at least three years -- in April increased $3.0 billion or 1.9 percent to $161.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This was the second increase in the last three months and followed a 2.1 percent March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new orders also increased 1.0 percent.
Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, down nine consecutive months, decreased $0.3 billion or 0.2 percent to $174.2 billion. This was the longest streak of consecutive monthly decreases since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.9 percent March decrease.
Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down seven consecutive months, decreased $8.9 billion or 1.2 percent to $748.9 billion. This followed a 1.7 percent March decrease.
Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, down four consecutive months, decreased $2.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $327.0 billion. This followed a 1.7 percent March decrease.
Capital Goods Industries
Nondefense
Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April decreased $1.0 billion or 2.0 percent to $49.5 billion.
Defense
Defense new orders for capital goods in April increased $2.0 billion or 23.2 percent to $10.8 billion.
