5 Charts: Proof That America is Getting Back on Its Feet

People are moving again, as measured by requests for directions from Apple Maps. -- the New York Times

As more states ease lockdown orders, Americans are starting to eat out, book flights and buy houses again. The return of these activities, mirrored in other countries, is stoking optimism in the markets.

Air travel is picking up, although it remains far below its peak.

Some trips include hotels, as occupancy rates are improving.

People are dining out, cautiously.

Big-ticket purchases like houses are picking up.

But there’s reason for caution. A “second wave” of infections could spook consumers. Look at Georgia, one of the first states to reopen: Jobless claims there remain high, suggesting “the economy might not fully recover until consumers feel safe,” Politico notes.

• National data scheduled for release on Thursday is expected to show that two million Americans filed for unemployment last week — down from previous weeks, but historically awful.

- - written by Andrew Ross Sorkin in Connecticut and Michael J. de la Merced and Jason Karaian in London.

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