The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to a still-high 712,000.
Data collection has become pivotal on Wall Street as algorithms and high-speed trading overtake the traditional picking of stocks.
Moderna is just behind Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in seeking to begin vaccinations in the U.S. in December.
The Labor Department’s report Wednesday said jobless claims climbed from 748,000 the week before.
Investors were encouraged by the latest vaccine progress and news that the transition of power in the U.S. will finally begin.
Yellen, who is widely admired in the financial world, would be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department.
Mnuchin said that he is requesting that the Fed return to Treasury the unused funds appropriated by Congress for operation of the programs.
It’s the first increase in five weeks and a sign that the resurgent viral outbreak is likely slowing the economy.
Retail sales growth slowed even as retailers offered early holiday discounts online and in stores.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Congress “may need to do more” to cushion the blow from the pandemic.
