Retail sales in the U.S. unexpectedly increased in the month of November, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday.
The Commerce Department said retail sales rose by 0.3 percent in November after slipping by a downwardly revised 0.2 percent.
Economists had expected retail sales to edge down by 0.1 percent, matching the dip originally reported for the previous month.
Excluding sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales inched up by 0.2 percent in November after coming in unchanged in October. Ex-auto sales were expected to slip by 0.1 percent.
The Labor Department also released a report on Thursday showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly decreased in the week ended December 9th.
The report said initial jobless claims fell to 202,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 221,000.
Economists had expected jobless claims to come in unchanged compared to the 220,000 originally reported for the previous week.
The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also slipped to 213,250, a decrease of 7,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 221,000.
A separate report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed U.S. import prices fell by less than expected in the month of November.
The Labor Department said import prices decreased by 0.4 percent in November following a revised 0.6 percent decline in October.
Economists had expected import prices to slide by 0.8 percent, matching the drop originally reported for the previous month.
Meanwhile, the report said export prices fell by 0.9 percent in November, matching the downwardly revised decrease in October.
Economists had expected export prices to tumble by 1.0 percent compared to the 1.1 percent slump originally reported for the previous month.
At 10 am ET, the Commerce Department is scheduled to release its report on business inventories in the month of October. Business inventories are expected to come in unchanged in October after climbing by 0.4 percent in September.