Macro Briefing: 23 February 2021

* Fed and Treasury officials say US jobless rate is near 10%–well above official rate
* Price tag for severe weather blowback in Texas: $50 billion
* US factories struggling to keep up with snap-back in consumer demand
* Bond yields rise ahead of Fed Chairman Powell’s testimony in Congress
* Eurozone core consumer inflation rebounds to 5-year high in January
* UK unemployment rate at 5-year high in 2020’s fourth quarter
* US Leading Economic Index rose in January, pointing to firmer growth outlook
* Texas manufacturing sector growth accelerates in February
* US economic activity strengthened in January via Chicago Fed Nat’l Activity Index: