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U.S. filings for unemployment benefits rose by more than anticipated from a 48-year low while continuing to signal a tight job market, Labor Department figures showed March 8.

The strength of oil consumption took analysts by surprise last year, and played a big role in crude’s recovery to a three-year high in January.

Companies in the U.S. added more workers in February than expected, underscoring continued strengthening in the labor market, according to data released March 7 from the ADP Research Institute.

The U.S. trade deficit widened more than forecast in January to a post-recession high, adding to figures cited by President Donald Trump as evidence of American weakness while he brings the nation to the brink of a trade war.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration isn’t trying to provoke a global trade fight with the steel and aluminum tariffs announced last week.

President Trump suggested March 5 he may end steel tariffs on Mexico and Canada if they give him better trade terms while re-negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.

U.S. service industries expanded in February near the fastest pace in at least a decade, signaling the economy is on track for steady growth this quarter, according to a survey from the Institute for Supply Management on March 5.

The steel tariffs that President Donald Trump plans to impose would deal a major blow to U.S. factories, according to an official with an industry group.

The next U.S. recession could drag on longer than the last one that stretched 18 months. That’s the assessment of former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

Americans’ sentiment remained close to a 17-year high on rosier views of personal finances and the buying climate, as workers enjoy more take-home pay after the recent tax-cut legislation, according to the weekly Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index released March 1.