U.S. consumer confidence index takes big monthly fall
A business research group said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 90.4 in November, down from 99.1 in October. The index is at its lowest level since September 2014.
Economy
Articles
Business survey finds companies expecting to boost hiring
A survey of 500 chief financial officers at U.S. companies released Tuesday found them optimistic about the American economy, with more than half of them expecting to hire additional employees next year.
IU panel pessimistic about 2016 economy
Real output growth in 2016 will average about 2.5 percent, which will be a little better than this year, but only equal to 2014, according to the forecast from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.
U.S. paycheck increases remain on sluggish pace
In the past 12 months, pay and benefits have risen just 2 percent. That's below the 3.5 percent to 4 percent typical of a healthy economy.
Consumer spending records weakest gain in 8 months
Much of the September slowdown reflected a fall in energy prices, which resulted in a 1.2 percent drop in spending on nondurable goods such as gasoline.
U.S. economy grew at 1.5 percent rate in fourth quarter
The U.S. economy slowed sharply in the summer, reflecting a cutback in businesses' stockpiling of goods, which offset solid consumer spending.
Forecast for 2016: Strategist says slow economic growth ahead
If the U.S. economy were a compact car, it would be running on just three of four cylinders. That was the central message of a Fifth Third Bank expert at IBJ's 2016 Economic Forecast on Wednesday.
Some executives already bracing for next recession
While many CEOs are planning for the next fiscal year, a cohort of local executives is planning for the next fiscal downturn. Group members have their eyes on 2019, forecast by some economists to be the year the next economic contraction arrives.
Sluggish wages, job growth expected to slow holiday shopping
Stores are also grappling with shoppers’ shift away from clothing and other traditional merchandise and more toward experiences like spas and concert tickets.
UPDATE: U.S. hiring slows sharply as global economy weakens
U.S. hiring showed a strong downturn in September, and job gains for July and August were lower than previously thought, a sour note for a labor market that had been steadily improving.
State unemployment rate slides to eight-year low
Indiana’s unemployment rate dropped to its lowest point since 2007 in August despite the loss of 5,500 private-sector jobs, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development announced Friday.
U.S. unemployment rate falls amid modest job gains
Hiring in August was the slowest in five months. U.S. stocks opened lower Friday after the report left investors uncertain about the outlook for interest rate policy.
U.S. productivity up 3.3 percent in spring, labor costs fall
Labor costs fell at a 1.4-percent rate in the second quarter, indicating that wages are not rising even as unemployment declines.
U.S. consumer spending up moderate 0.3 percent in July
U.S. consumers increased their spending by a moderate amount in July, while income growth was propelled by the largest jump in wages and salaries in eight months.
Report: Economy did better in 2nd quarter than first estimated
The economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in the April-June quarter, more than a percentage point greater than the 2.3 percent originally estimated last month, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
S&P takes significant hit amid global stock rout
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell into a correction Monday for the first time since 2011 in one of the most volatile trading days ever, as a rout in global equity markets deepened.
Market plunge driven by fearful investors fizzles in U.S.
A wave of fear triggered by instability in China initially doused U.S. stocks on Monday morning, but then quickly receded by noon.
Unemployment rate holds steady as U.S. adds 215K jobs
Employers added 215,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate held at a seven-year low of 5.3 percent, possible signs of further progress in the U.S. labor market that’s keeping the Federal Reserve on the path toward raising interest rates as soon as next month.
U.S. cuts estimates for economic growth over past three years
The U.S. economy grew more slowly over the past three years than the government had previously estimated, held back by more frugal consumers and steeper spending cuts by state and local governments.
State unemployment rate drops to seven-year low
The state’s unemployment rate fell to 4.9 percent in June, sinking below 5 percent for the first time since February 2008, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said Tuesday morning.