Continuing claims refers to unemployed workers that qualify for benefits under unemployment insurance. In order to be included in continuing claims, the person must have been covered by unemployment insurance and be currently receiving benefits. Data on unemployment claims is published by the Department of Labor on a weekly basis, allowing for frequent updates on the levels of unemployment.

Measures the output produced for each hour of labor worked. Non-farm Productivity is considered the most accurate gauge of overall business health, given farming data's small and volatile contribution to GDP. To businesses, higher productivity indicates efficient use of employees and capital. Given that labor costs make up more than two-thirds of the average businesses expenses, high productivity can allow a firm to fulfill consumer demand with less labor costs, boosting profitability. Thus trends in this report can precede investment spending and business growth. Also if prices for raw materials increase, improved productivity can save a firm from passing higher costs to the end consumer. Given such business effects, healthy productivity growth bodes well for the economy as a whole, signalling increased production capability and business growth.

Productivity is reported as output per hour per worker, categorized into industry figures.

On a Technical Note: The Non-Farm Productivity number is generated by comparing the number of hours worked (Employment Situation report) to Gross Domestic Product data.

The indicator reflects the quarterly changes in salaries and other income received by working population.

Construction Spending gauges the level of construction activity in the United States . The Construction Spending report looks at both residential and non-residential construction. The construction industry makes a significant contribution to the United States GDP in the form of investment expenditure as well as stimulus of industries related to building. Furthermore, since builders are unlikely to pour money into construction projects unless they feel the economy favors their investment, changes in business sentiment like this are usually quickly seen in construction figures. However, the report has little significance for market participants because of its untimely release. By the time the report is announced, other reports, such as Building Permits and Building Starts have already provided similar information.

The report headline is the percentage change from the previous month.

Technical notes: The construction industry is a major force to the United States economy, even without including non-construction businesses that are tied to building, such as finance, the furnishing industry, appliance industry and other manufacturing. Private Construction activity can be an effective indicator of business confidence.

Weekly report about natural gas storage change in the USA.