Economic indicators

Global confidence improved significantly in the third quarter of the year among accountants.

The unemployment rate declined to 7.9 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

The jobs report showed signs of economic recovery despite the COVID-19 pandemic, although the number of accounting and bookkeeping jobs declined.

The Internal Revenue Service projects that lower levels of employment in the U.S. could persist for years, showcasing the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

The American Institute of CPAs reported Thursday that its Personal Financial Satisfaction Index declined 55 percent in the second quarter of the year, a level not seen since 2015, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to ravage consumer finances.

This year is expected to be the worst for the global economy since World War II, according to a new survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants.

The unemployment rate fell to 11.1 percent, as employees returned to work despite the ongoing spread of COVID-19.