downturn

The holidays are a time to give, but the current economy is really hurting charities. Still, just because money's tight doesn't mean you have to give up on giving: There are several new ways to be generous without opening your wallet -- and some even save you money when you donate.

A rocky economy could adversely affect newborns, according to new research published in the journal Epidemiology. And the impacts on their health and well-being could last a lifetime.

As the eurozone sovereign debt crisis continues, focus is shifting to Italy as the next potential victim. But for worries closer to home, consider this: $37 billion in U.S. government benefits designed to help people through the downturn will expire by the end of 2011, leaving a hole twice that size in the economy.

The conventional wisdom is that young people today expect they'll change employers repeatedly, and thus don't really care about pensions. But it turns out the conventional wisdom is wrong. With 401(k)s looking less secure, a defined-benefit plan is a real lure for younger workers.

Corporate America took a tightfisted approach to its future last year, leading to an overall 3.5% decline in research and development spending at major industry titans, the first such drop in over a decade, according to a Booz & Co. survey cited by The Wall Street Journal.

What will the stimulus really cost? The Congressional Budget Office estimates $814 billion. That's less than the office's estimate of $862 billion in January, but more than the original estimate of $787 billion.

Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics says jobs in education are projected to grow by 13% through 2018, obtaining work in the teaching field can still be difficult, depending on the state in which you live. Many states, including Michigan, New York and California have been forced to cut state and...

In a disappointing start to the federal government's new fiscal year, the nation posted a higher-than-expected $176.4 billion budget deficit for October, the Treasury Department announced Thursday, as bank bailout and stimulus spending kept outlays at a high level, while the recession decreased...

The weekly blizzard of economic statistics makes it tough to figure out what is really going on. But with a near-record number of people unemployed or underemployed, productivity at very high levels, and pay rising for the people who still have jobs, one conclusion seems to jump out: Companies are...

It's getting ugly in the toy aisle this holiday season -- and it could stay ugly into next year. Mattel Corp. (MAT) just reported its third-quarter sales, and profits were down. The company blamed the lack of popular movie-based toys, tight inventory management among retailers, and the weak...