Latest U.S. economic numbers paint an interesting picture. Weekly jobless claims hit 236k for the period ending December 6—overshooting forecasts of 220k and climbing from last week's revised 192k figure. Meanwhile, September's trade gap narrowed significantly to $52.8 billion, crushing expectations of $63.3 billion. Previous months saw revisions too, with August's deficit adjusted from $59.6B to $59.3B. Labor market softening while trade balance improves? Markets are definitely taking notes on this mix.