Economic Calendar - Top 5 Things to Watch This Week

Investing.com - The March U.S. jobs report will be the main event for financial markets in the
week ahead, as investors watch for further signals on the strength of the economy.

Besides the employment report, this week's calendar also features key U.S. retail sales figures as
well as the latest data on manufacturing activity.
The economic reports take on added significance amid recessionary warning signals from the U.S.
bond market, where 10-year Treasury yields fell below three-monthTreasury bill yields for the
first time since 2007 earlier this month.

Meanwhile, trade talks between the United States and China will also keep investors on their
toes this week, as Chinese Vice Premier Liu He comes to Washington to meet with U.S. Trade
Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.There are also Brexit
headlines to monitor as British Prime Minister Theresa May struggles to find a way to get her
withdrawal deal through parliament.Ahead of the coming week, Investing.com has compiled a
list of the five biggest events on the economic calendar that are most likely to affect the markets.
1. U.S. Jobs Report

The U.S. Labor Department will release the nonfarm payrolls report for March at 8:30AM ET
(12:30 GMT) on Friday.
The consensus forecast is that the data will show jobs growth of 175,000, after adding just 20,000
positions in February.The unemployment rate is seen at 3.8%, unchanged from a month earlier.
However, most of the focus will likely be on average hourly earnings figures, which are expected
to rise 3.4% from a year earlier, similar to the increase reported in February.
2. U.S. Retail Sales
The Commerce Department will release data on retail sales for February at 8:30AM ET (12:30
GMT) on Monday.
The consensus forecast is that the report will show retail sales inched up 0.3%, following a gain
of 0.2% in January and December’s shocking decline.
Excluding the automobile sector, sales are expected to rise 0.4%, after climbing 0.9% in the
preceding month.Consumer spending accounts for as much as 70% of U.S. economic growth.
3. ISM Manufacturing Survey

The U.S. Institute of Supply Management will release data on March manufacturing sector
activity at 10:00AM ET (14:00 GMT) on Monday.
Economists expect a reading of 54.2, unchanged from the month earlier.
Anything above 50.0 signals expansion, while readings below 50.0 indicate industry contraction.
Other top-tier economic data due this week includes durable goods orders, ADP (NASDAQ:ADP)
private sector payrolls, as well as the ISM survey on service sector activity.

A recent batch of underwhelming data stocked worries that the economy was fast losing
momentum after growth slowed in the fourth quarter.
4. U.S.-China Trade Talks

Chinese Vice Premier Lui He will travel to Washington to meet with U.S. Trade Representative
Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for further talks aimed at ending a
months-long trade war between the world's two largest economies.
The U.S. and China said they made progress in trade talks that concluded in Beijing last week,
with Washington calling them candid and constructive.

China's state news agency Xinhua said the two sides discussed "relevant agreement documents"
and made new progress in their talks, but did not elaborate in a brief report.

Reuters reported previously that the two sides were negotiating written pacts in six areas: forced
technology transfer and cyber theft, intellectual property rights, services, currency, agriculture
and non-tariff barriers to trade.
5. Brexit Stalemate
British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a new push by members of her Conservative Party
to lead Britain out of the European Union in the next few months, even if it means a potentially
damaging no-deal Brexit.

Conservative lawmakers urged May against a long extension of the Brexit process in a letter sent
after her exit deal was rejected for a third time by the House of Commons on Friday, a lawmaker
said.

On Monday, lawmakers will try to agree on an alternative to May's Brexit plan. The options that
have so far gathered most support involve closer ties to the EU and a second referendum.

May has less than two weeks to convince the 27 other EU countries that she can solve the
impasse. Otherwise she will have to ask the bloc for a long extension or take Britain out of the
EU on April 12 with no deal to soften the economic shock.