CNBC Economy

Visa's total U.S. payments volume fell at a much slower pace in May from the previous month, indicating that consumer spending was picking up as the government starts to ease coronavirus-induced lockdowns.

U.S. manufacturing activity eased off an 11-year low in May, though the recovery from the Covid-19 crisis could take years because of high unemployment.

It's not as if the coronavirus pandemic has gone away, but after a sharp pullback, homebuyers are now piling back into the housing market much faster than expected.

Consumer confidence unexpectedly improved in May as the U.S. economy slowly restarted, according to data from the Conference Board.

The unemployment rate is at its highest since the Great Depression. The current situation differs from that of the early 20th century in a few ways that may prevent the U.S. from entering another depression.

In perhaps one of the brightest economic readings since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, sales of newly built homes rose nearly 1% in April compared with March, according to the U.S. Census. While that may not seem like a lot, they were expected to fall 22%.

Home prices were still gaining steam in March, as the country began shutting down in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

So far, state reopenings have not helped stem the rise in unemployment, which is expected to show another big jump in the month of May.

House Democrats passed a bill last week to extend the enhanced $600 per week unemployment benefit through January.

States across the country began reopening parts of their economies as early as April 24. Guidelines for reopening differ widely but a key difference lies in which sector can open first and the speed of the process. However, experts warn that a preemptive reopening can do more harm than good by potentially creating a second wave of infections, which would lead to more closures and increased economic hardship.

The economic fallout from the coronavirus hit the housing market hard in April.

Frustrations are mounting on Main Street due to a lack of guidance from the Small Business Administration on PPP loan forgiveness, a new survey shows.

The total, while still well above anything the nation had seen in pre-coronavirus America, represents the seventh straight week of a declining pace following the record peak of 6.9 million in late March.

The meeting, which ended April 29, concluded with the central bank's policymaking arm holding steady on interest rates and pondering future measures ahead.

More help will be needed from the Federal Reserve and Congress to get the U.S. economy through its current slump, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan told CNBC.

As states reopen, the focus has turned to whether smaller companies can find enough business to survive, preventing a wave of failures.

If mortgage demand is an indicator, buyers are coming back to the housing market far faster than anticipated, despite coronavirus shutdowns and job losses.

The CBO also projects 26 million more unemployed Americans than there were at the end of 2019.

Dimon detailed the steps his firm has taken to support customers and employees since the crisis began two months ago.

U.S. homebuilding dropped to a five-year low in April, underlining fears that the novel coronavirus crisis would lead to the deepest economic contraction in the second quarter since the Great Depression.