The cost of living in the United States, excluding food and fuel, rose 0.2% in March for a third month, signaling inflation is starting to firm.

Starts of new homes climbed 2% to a 926,000 annualized rate from a revised 908,000 in February that was the weakest in more than a year, figures from the Commerce Department showed April 16.

Fewer than 300,000 American workers filed applications for unemployment benefits for the sixth consecutive week, pointing to labor-market strength even as hiring cooled last month.

The United States keeps pumping oil at a near-record pace in spite of the collapse in prices over the past year and cutbacks in drilling.

Factory output barely climbed in March, marked by a rebound in auto making as other industries retreated, indicating a strong dollar and cheap oil are hurting American manufacturing.

Sales at U.S. retailers rose less than forecast in March after being depressed by harsh winter weather, signaling consumers are intent on not overextending themselves.

Retail gasoline prices declined for a second time since a March peak in the Lundberg Survey as U.S. refineries ran at the highest seasonal rates in a decade.

Consumer confidence increased last week to an almost eight-year high as Americans viewed the U.S. economy in a more favorable light and said it was better time to spend.

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits over the past four weeks than at any time in almost 15 years, signaling underlying strength in the labor market even as hiring cooled last month.