Rising food costs and higher rents offset a drop in gas prices last month, leaving consumer inflation all but flat in October. The consumer price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.1 percent, after sharp 0.6 percent gains in the previous two months driven by a spike in gas prices that has since receded.
The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to a near four-year low of 7.8 percent in September, even as more Americans come back into the labor force to resume the hunt for work.
The U.S. economy grew at a sluggish 1.3 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, held back by the severe drought that reduced farm production in the Midwest. The growth rate was lowered from a previous estimate of 1.7 percent, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped in August to the highest level in more than two years, adding momentum to the housing recovery. Sales rose 7.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.82 million, the National Association of Realtors said.
Quantitative easing is when the Fed buys securities in the hope of driving down interest rates -- ideally spurring more borrowing and spending. And this time, the Fed says it'll do it until the economy is back on track. But there are side effects to Dr. Bernanke's medicine.
The U.S. current account trade deficit narrowed in the April-June period, pushed lower by an increase in American exports and cheaper oil imports. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the deficit in the current account decreased 12.1 percent to $117.4 billion in the second quarter.
More expensive gas drove up consumer prices in August by the most in three years. But outside of energy costs, inflation was tame. The CPI rose a seasonally adjusted 0.6% last month, the first increase since March and higher gas prices accounted for 80% of the increase.
The stock market staged a huge rally after investors got the aggressive economic help they wanted from the Fed. The Dow finished up more than 200 points at 13,540, its highest level since December 2007, the start of the Great Recession.
A unlimited bond-buying plan from the European Central Bank continued to buoy financial markets on Friday while worse-than-expected U.S. jobs data lifted expectations that the Federal Reserve will back another monetary stimulus.
This week, the GOP is considering a bold plan to transform the U.S. economy: a return to the gold standard. Most economists are highly skeptical about what it would do to the economy. But how it would impact the average taxpayer? Here's a look at what it means -- and how it would affect you.
The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, suggesting the labor market is healing too slowly to make much of a dent in the unemployment rate.
Forget flags and fireworks: When it comes to things that really hold America together, few things beat the little scraps of green and black paper that we keep in our pockets. They pay for our necessities and feed our dreams, but how much do you really know about them?
A gauge of future U.S. economic activity improved in July on a drop in new claims for jobless benefits and an increase in housing permits, although the reading still pointed to sluggish growth ahead.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits edged up slightly last week but remained at a level consistent with modest gains in hiring.
U.S. factories made more cars, computers and airplanes last month, a hopeful sign that manufacturing is recovering after a weak spring. Industrial production increased 0.6 percent in July from June, the fourth straight monthly increase, the Fed reports.
U.S. consumer prices were unchanged in July from June, as a small drop in energy costs offset slightly higher food prices. The consumer price index hasn't changed since March, evidence that the weak economy is keeping inflation in check.
It's been a day of milestones for the stock market. Stronger corporate earnings reports and expectations that central banks will act to support the economy powered the Standard & Poor's 500 index past 1,400 for the first time in three months.
U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs in July, a hopeful sign after three months of sluggish hiring. But the numbers were not enough to drive down the the unemployment rate, which rose to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in June.
The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of just 1.5 percent from April through June, as Americans cut back sharply on spending. The slowdown in growth adds to worries that the economy could be stalling three years after the recession ended.
Sanford "Sandy" Weill, the tycoon most who built financial conglomerate Citigroup into a massive U.S. commercial and investment bank, said it is time to split up the biggest banks.
U.S. consumer prices were flat in June as the cost of gasoline dropped, offering some relief for cash-strapped Americans and scope for the Federal Reserve to ease monetary policy further to help the faltering recovery.
U.S. savers have trillions of dollars in money market mutual funds due to their perceived safety. But in recent years, they've been earning their investors less than 0.1% a year -- and they may not even be a safe as you thought. Here's why it's time to pull your money out.
U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is struggling three years after the recession ended. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2%.
Since the housing crash, millions of Americans have lost their homes, many of them victims of improper foreclosures. Now, those unfairly evicted homeowners are getting compensation. But don't be concerned that they're getting more than they deserve.
Oil prices hovered around 8-month lows near $80 a barrel Thursday after the U.S. central bank balked at implementing vigorous stimulus measures to boost waning economic growth and U.S. crude stockpiles rose unexpectedly.
The recession was brutal to the typical American family: On average, household net worth fell by 39% between 2007 and 2010. But reporter Chuck Saletta's family bucked that trend with these four simple strategies.
It's official. Money-wise, you're right back where you were 20 years ago. But if that news makes you want to cry -- or yawn -- hold on a moment: There are some interesting details behind the headline numbers.
A steep drop in gasoline costs drove down a measure of U.S. wholesale prices in May by 1%, the most since July 2009. But outside the food and energy categories, prices increased moderately.
Consumer spending edged up by a modest 0.3% in April but personal income growth was the slowest in five months, raising concerns about the ability of Americans to keep spending in the future.
U.S. employers created only 69,000 jobs in May, the fewest in a year, and the unemployment rate ticked up. The dismal jobs data will fan fears that the economy is sputtering. But it could lead the Fed to take further steps to help it.