Export orders were on the rise in October in China, suggesting a strengthening recovery and an opportunity to cut back on stimulus spending. The manufacturing measure grew at its fastest rate in the past year and a half, according to the HSBC (NYSE: HBC) purchasing managers' index. It increased to a seasonally adjusted 55.4 from 55 in September.

If you're looking for a reason behind the gain, it's all in the flow of capital. In addition to the government's economic stimulus package, $1.27 trillion in new loans were written to help deliver the country from the global financial crisis.

On Friday June 5, the U.S. Labor Department will release the unemployment numbers for May. Here are some guesstimates from leading economists:

• The median of 59 estimates will show that unemployment is at 9.2%, the highest since 1983.
• The jobless rate may reach 10% by the end of the year.
• Estimates are that payrolls fell by 521,000 in May after declining by 539,000 in April.
• The median of 60 estimates showed the job losses peaked at 741,000 in January.
• The economy has lost 5.7 million jobs since December 2007.