U.S. consumer sentiment improved in April following another round of fiscal stimulus and as job growth accelerated. At the same time, inflation expectations surged to the highest in nine years.

The Federal Reserve is seeing both labor and material shortages mounting across several sectors of the U.S. economy, which may have consumers paying even more for everything from fuel to new homes.

The number of applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest since the pandemic began, indicating the labor market continues to thaw as governments lift restrictions on business and activity picks up.

U.S. consumer confidence rose in March to a one-year high as Americans grew more upbeat about the economy and labor market, a sign that household spending may pick up more broadly in the coming months.