Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for March 12

02:49 PM EDT, 03/12/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Initial jobless claims decreased by 1,000 to 213,000 in the week ended March 7, lowering the four-week moving average by 4,000 to 212,000, a second straight decrease.

Insured claims fell by 21,000 to 1.850 million in the week ended Feb. 28.

Natural gas stocks fell by 38 billion cubic feet to 1.848 trillion cubic feet in the week ended March 6, up 8.3% from a year earlier but 0.9% lower than the seasonal average for the current week over the previous five years.

Housing starts rose by 7.2% to a 1.487 million annual rate in January, lifted by a gain in multi-family starts that offset a decline in single-family starts.

Building permits fell by 5.4% to a 1.376 million rate in January. Both single-family and multi-family permits decline. Homes permitted but not started decreased by 3.4%, suggesting starts could fall in the coming months.

The number of homes under construction declined but completions rose in the month, which should add to supply of homes for sale in the near term. Completions are still 7.5% below their year-ago level.

The international trade deficit narrowed to $54.46 billion in January from $72.90 billion, as exports rose and imports declined.

The Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDP nowcast estimate for Q1 was revised up to 2.7% from 2.1% in the previous estimate. The next update is scheduled for Friday.

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