Business week ahead, April 22-26

KEY EVENT: The state Labor Department on Tuesday releases March unemployment rates for Nassau, Suffolk and Long Island as a whole. In February, the Long Island jobless rate was 3.7 percent, the 11th straight month unemployment has been less than 4 percent.

MONDAY: March existing-home sales from the National Association of Realtors. Earnings: Kleenex maker Kimberly-Clark, Whirlpool.

TUESDAY: The Commerce Department releases March new-home sales and the Federal Housing Finance Agency releases February single-family home prices. Earnings: Bridgehampton bank company Bridge Bancorp, Coca-Cola, eBay, Twitter, Verizon.

WEDNESDAY: Earnings from AT&T, Boeing, Caterpillar, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Facebook and Microsoft.

THURSDAY: Jobless benefits claims for the week ended April 20 from the U.S. Labor Department. Also, the Commerce Department releases March durable goods orders, an update on the manufacture of long-lived expensive items such as cars, aircraft and computers. Earnings: 3M, Amazon, Intel, Mattel, Starbucks, UPS.

FRIDAY: The most anticipated national report of the week: the first estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product. Considered the best gauge of U.S. economic health, the GDP report might indicate whether the economy is slowing or regaining steam. In the fourth quarter, GDP was weaker than expected. Earnings: Chevron, Exxon Mobil.