job growth

Stocks End Week With Sixth Straight Day of Gains

A burst of hiring in February pushed stocks higher on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 67.58 points, or 0.5 percent, to 14,397.07, surpassing its previous record close Tuesday and logged a sixth straight increase Friday.

Retailers Report Slower Sales Growth in Sept

Americans slowed down their spending in September as they took a pause after wrapping up their back-to-school buying, according to monthly reports from major retailers released Thursday.

Unemployment Aid Applications Rise to 386,000

More Americans sought unemployment aid last week, suggesting hiring remains sluggish. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly unemployment benefit applications rose 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 386,000.

U.S. Stock Futures Head Higher as Economists See Growth Ahead

Stock futures are rising with a new survey suggesting that economists are a bit more optimistic about housing and employment. The National Association for Business Economists' forecasters expect modest growth for the rest of 2012, with the pace picking up in 2013.

America's Next Great Carmaker: Toyota?

Perhaps the most surprising recent news in the auto industry last week was this little gem. In large part owing to President Obama's negotiation of a free trade agreement with South Korea earlier this year, Toyota will be expanding exports of U.S.-built vehicles to Korea for sale.

Retail Launches Its Own Job Growth Policy Campaign

With the 2012 election season looming, the retail sector is getting vocally political for the first time. The National Retail Federation has launched "Retail Means Jobs," a year-long, $10 million advocacy campaign designed to push for retail-friendly policies in Washington.

GOP Wins Budget Battle, but May Lose Political War

The Republicans are winning this year's budget battle: Discretionary spending will decrease. But this is hardly the time for the GOP to take a victory lap: Next, the GOP will have to lower unemployment and improve the average American's daily life -- two areas where the party has historically come up short.

Can the Tea Party Platform Reduce Unemployment?

The U.S. set the forces of globalization in motion, and now more than ever, it's clear we're suffering the consequences: high unemployment, stagnant or declining incomes, and rising costs for goods. Can the policies of the surging Tea Party provide solutions, or will they just make matters worse?

Can U.S. Services Growth Outweigh High Oil Prices?

The U.S. services sector is growing strong, providing additional evidence that the U.S. economy is recovering and might not need more stimulus funding. But that's contingent upon oil staying below $120 per barrel.

Manufacturing Is Building Hopes for the Economy

The U.S. manufacturing sector is a sight for sore eyes: After more than a year of expansion, it's still growing, as American factories continue to churn out the equipment, machines and products that emerging-market nations need to develop their infrastructures.

January's Jobs Report: What It Means for You

While unemployment is shrinking, jobs still aren't being created at a pace that will really help the economy. How does that situation affect your situation? Here's some insight -- and advice -- that can help you through until the job market is healthy once again.

Where the Signs Point to a Strengthening U.S. Economy

If you glanced at just one or two headlines from last week's reports on the U.S. economy, you might have concluded that things haven't changed that much. In fact, digging deeper reveals that business conditions are improving. Even the puzzling payroll report has hopeful indicators.

What's Really Ailing Employment: Lack of Demand

Many people blame America's high unemployment rate on a mismatch between workers' skills and the fields with open jobs. But jobs are scarce across all sectors. That means effective policies are needed to stimulate demand and rebuild economic output.