If you want a job you can find one. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week, to levels last seen in 1973.  The four-week moving average of claims, fell to 265,000 last week. The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of being unemployed declined to 2.17 million, the lowest level since mid-November 2000. (Reuters)

U.S. core consumer prices, which strips out food and energy costs, rose 0.1% last month. That was smallest increase since August. In the 12 months through March, the core CPI rose 2.2%. (Reuters)

Dick's Sporting Goods is a bidder for some of Sports Authority's assets being sold at a bankruptcy auction. Sports Authority's has 7 stores in Oregon, 6 on the Westside of the mountains and one in K-Falls. Dicks has 15 Oregon stores including the one in Bend. (Reuters)

Citigroup reported quarterly first-quarter profits that were down over 17%. Revenue was down about 12%.
Citigroup plans to cut costs by dismissing 70 traders and cutting 200 jobs in operations and technology. (Business Wire)

Join us the weekend for Financial Focus Radio when we will tackle the topic of how to prepare for the coming market downturn.

Oil is down 97 cents at $40.53 a barrel.

Gold is up $5 at $1231 a Troy ounce.

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Troy Reinhart.