U.S. retail sales jump in June in sign of consumer health
Measures of consumer confidence remain historically high and June’s retail sales figures suggest that consumer spending, which drives two-thirds of the economy, remains strong.
Economy
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U.S. consumers increased spending 0.4% in May
The Commerce Department said Friday that incomes rose 0.5% in May and inflation remained tame, increasing just 1.5% in the past year.
Latest estimate shows economy grew at solid rate in first quarter
The U.S. economy grew at a healthy 3.1% rate in the first three months of this year, but signs are mounting that growth has slowed sharply in the current quarter.
American consumers step up retail spending
The latest retail report suggests that American consumers are still spending at a healthy pace, even as the stimulus from tax cuts fades.
Holcomb administration pushes $1 billion tax hike for unemployment fund
The proposed 17% increase would bring the premiums paid by companies to a level recommended by the federal government, which is meant to prepare the unemployment fund for the next recession.
U.S. employers add just 75,000 jobs; unemployment rate stays 3.6%
The tepid job growth, along with rising pressures on the economy, makes it more likely that the Federal Reserve will cut rates in the coming months.
GDP revised down slightly for first quarter, to still-solid 3.1% rate
The U.S. economy grew at a solid rate in the first three months of the year, but much of that gain was based on temporary factors that likely will fade, leaving growth much slower in the current quarter.
U.S. consumer confidence hits highest level since November
American consumers felt more confident this month, shrugging off a rocky stock market and heightened trade tensions between the United States and China.
U.S. adds 263K jobs as unemployment rate hits 49-year low
Friday's jobs report from the Labor Department showed that solid economic growth is still encouraging strong hiring nearly a decade into the economy's recovery from the Great Recession.
U.S. productivity shows biggest quarterly rise in four years
With the strong gain in the first quarter, productivity over the past year has grown by 2.4%, the best four-quarter gain since a 2.7% rise in 2010.
Consumer spending sees biggest monthly rise since 2009
The March gain was a marked improvement after three months of lackluster readings in the key segment of the economy.
U.S. economy defies expectations with 3.2% growth in first quarter
The advance in the gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, marked the strongest first quarter growth rate since 2015.
U.S. claims for unemployment aid hit lowest level since 1969
The Labor Department on Thursday said claims for jobless aid fell by 5,000 last week, to 192,000, lowest since September 1969.
Community foundation’s new mission: helping the marginalized thrive
The Central Indiana Community Foundation’s new five-year plan focuses on making Indianapolis a more inclusive city, a goal it hopes to achieve partly by training 5,000 community leaders and residents about institutional racism.
Hiring rebounds as U.S. employers add 196,000 March jobs
The employment figures reported Friday by the government suggest that February’s anemic job growth figure was merely a temporary blip and that businesses are confident the economy remains on a firm footing.
Applications for U.S. unemployment aid fall to 49-year low
Applications are a proxy for layoffs, so the drop to such a low number indicates that companies are cutting very few workers.
U.S. consumer spending misses forecasts as inflation eases
The spending figures, which reflected weaker sales of new autos, signal first-quarter growth faces additional headwinds, though surveys show consumers remain generally upbeat.
U.S. economic growth for Q4 revised down to 2.2 percent
Consumer spending, business investment, government spending and housing all came in lower than first thought.
Trump says tariffs will stay until China complies with deal
The president’s comments dim hopes that round-the-clock trade negotiations between the world’s two biggest economies could lead to them removing the roughly $360 billion in tariffs they’ve imposed on each other’s imports.
Hot U.S. job market coaxing people in from sidelines
A surprisingly strong burst of job growth over the past year has led many economists to wonder: Where are all the workers coming from?