U.S. retail sales jumped by the most since September 2017 as gains in motor vehicles and gasoline stations boosted sales, signaling consumers are giving the economy greater support. The value of overall sales in March rose 1.6 percent after an unrevised 0.2 percent decrease the prior month, according to Commerce Department figures released Thursday. That exceeded all forecasts in Bloomberg’s survey calling for a 1 percent gain. A separate report Thursday from the Labor Department showed filings for unemployment benefits fell last week to a fresh a 49-year low. With first-quarter gross domestic product figures due ... (full story)