The number of new home construction projects rose 2.2% in April from the month before, according to the Commerce Department. Permits for new single-family homes rose too.

Housing starts are still way down since this time last year, but the recent uptick in construction is telling us there’s a lot of demand for new homes.

Retail sales increased 0.4% in April from March when it was down 0.7%. It marked the first increase since January when unusually warm weather and a big jump in Social Security benefits likely spurred more spending.

April’s slight rebound further illustrates the difficulty the Federal Reserve has had in bringing inflation under control.

Compared to the prior year, sales were up 1.6% above April, 2022. Total sales, including food services, were $686.1 billion for April.