U. S. Shoppers Keep Buying; Unemployment Drops After Storms

September saw a surprising boost in retail sales, rising 0. 4% compared to the previous month. This bump was even better than the experts' guesses. And guess what? People are buying way more stuff than just cars: those sales jumped 0. 5%. Even factors like inflation barely made a dent when you look at how it only rose 0. 2%. So, what's behind all this spending? Well, people are loving their time at bars and restaurants, with sales going up by 1%. Clothing stores are also seeing more customers, growing by 1. 5%. Even miscellaneous store retailers saw a 4% surge! But hey, not everything is skyrocketing. Gas stations and some electronics stores felt a pinch, with sales dipping.Even after those storms—you know the ones that caused major damage in the Southeast—unemployment claims dropped. They went from 260,000 to 241,000. Florida and North Carolina both saw fewer jobless claims after the storms hit. What about the Fed? They've been busy too, cutting interest rates recently. This move is expected to give the economy a little nudge. While they're keeping an eye on inflation, they're also watching how the job market is doing. You might remember that the storms messed with job numbers a bit, but things seem to be getting back on track. Over in Europe, the European Central Bank also made some moves. They cut their deposit rate, showing they're watching how things are going in the economy too.