The business week ahead

Heads up: Key reports on the U.S. economy are due out this week, from the federal budget deficit on Monday to housing starts on Friday. Others include the Commerce Department's reports on retail sales for April and business inventories for March, both Tuesday; the consumer price index for April on Wednesday; and industrial production figures for April on Thursday.

Tuesday: The state Employment Security Department releases jobs data for April. The March jobless rate rose sharply, to 4.9 percent; April's numbers should provide evidence whether that was a blip or the start of a slowdown.

Wednesday: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will address more than 100 chief executives during the company's annual CEO Summit at its Redmond headquarters.

Thursday: Nordstrom will discuss its first-quarter financial results in a 1:30 p.m. conference call that will be webcast at www.nordstrom.com, Investor Relations section. ... Puget Sound Energy customers can comment to state regulators on the utility's proposed acquisition by an Australian-Canadian consortium, as well as its request to increase electricity and natural-gas rates. The public meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Bellevue Community College, Room 130 B, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Bellevue.