Economic indicators

Private-sector employment increased by 250,000 in December, on a seasonally adjusted basis, ADP estimated Thursday.

About 4,930,700 online job postings appeared on leading internet job boards in December, an increase of 229,700 from November.

Construction spending was up 0.8% in November, slightly above the expected 0.7% gain.

The overall economy grew for the 103rd straight time, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday.

The New York economy ended 2017 with a level better than the average for the year, and the future expectations soared to levels not seen in more than a decade.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business increased to 65.57 in December from 59.62 in November, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Friday.

The Midwest Economy Index reversed to positive 0.22 from a revised negative 0.11 in October, first reported negative 0.12, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Friday.

The Chicago Business Barometer rose to 67.6 in December, its highest since March 2011.

Initial jobless claims remained at 245,000 in the week ended Dec. 23, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Texas service sector activity “continued to increase in December,” according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index held at 24.4.

The consumer confidence index decreased to 122.1 in December from a revised 128.6 last month, The Conference Board reported Wednesday.

Pending home sales rose 0.2% to an index reading of 109.5 in November, from an unrevised 3.5% gain to 109.3 in October.

The number of people employed in Puerto Rico during November fell 1.8% from July.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, “expanded strongly in December.”

Service sector activity saw “continued growth in December.”

Manufacturing growth in the central Atlantic region was “moderate” in December.

Home prices rose 6.2% on an annual basis in October, not seasonally adjusted, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, released Tuesday.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region "continued at a solid pace, and optimism remained high" in December.

The pace of new single-family home sales increased by 17.5% to 733,000, the highest level since July 2007.

The University of Michigan's final December consumer sentiment index reading was 95.9.