(Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits rose in the latest week, but the level still suggested a gradual cooling of the labor market remains intact. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 232,000 for the week ended Aug. 17, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters...

U.S. private sector activity likely expanded more than expected this month, driven by growth in the services sector that outweighed the deepening contraction in manufacturing, according to preliminary Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) surveys released by S&P Global on Thursday. The flash Composite PMI index slightly declined from 54.3 in July to 54.1 in August, yet it exceeded expectations of a...

(Reuters) - Kansas City Fed Bank President Jeff Schmid, one of the U.S. central bank's more hawkish policymakers, said on Thursday he was taking a closer look at the dynamics behind the rise in the unemployment rate and would let data guide him on whether to support a rate cut next month. We've got some data sets to come in...

(Reuters) - U.S. existing home sales rose more than expected in July, reversing four consecutive monthly declines, as improving supply and declining mortgage rates offered hope that activity could rebound in the months ahead. Home sales rose 1.3% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.95 million units, the National Association of Realtors said on Thursday. Economists polled...