Small Business News You Can Use (4/17)

U.S. retail sales rose more than expected in March, while a key reading on manufacturing in the New York region showed a dramatic slowdown. Homebuilder sentiment ebbed in April for the first time in seven months as prospective buyers remained hesitant to pull the trigger, the National Association of Home Builders said on Monday. U.S. business inventories rose in February and sales increased solidly, according to a government report that showed no signs of an unwanted piling up of unsold goods. Optimism about the economy is growing, but don't look for proof in the labor market, according to a new survey of small businesses.