Bernanke: Job market remains weak despite gains
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: February 7, 2012
Tags: Ben Bernanke, congressional budget office, deficit, Economy, fed, Federal Hill, federal reserve, inflation, interest rates, jobs, john cornyn, pat toomey, senate, tax cuts, unemployent rate
WASHINGTON — Ben Bernanke says the job market isn’t as strong as the steadily declining unemployment rate might suggest.
Responding to questions at a Senate hearing Tuesday, he noted that the unemployment rate doesn’t capture the plight of millions of people who have stopped looking for work or part-timers who can’t find full-time jobs.
His cautious view [...]
Factory orders up 1.1 percent in December
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: February 3, 2012
Tags: business investment, capital goods, commerce department, december, economic recovery, heavy machinery, Manufacturing, u.s. factories, washington
WASHINGTON — Orders to U.S. factories rose in December, supported by a rebound in business investment in capital goods such as heavy machinery.
The results cap off another strong year for U.S. manufacturing. Combined with strong figures released Thursday on job growth in January, they signal the economic recovery is gathering strength.
Factory orders rose 1.1 percent [...]
Worker productivity growth slowed in 4Q
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: February 2, 2012
Tags: Economy, hours, labor costs, Labor Department, productivity, Recession, wages, workers
WASHINGTON — Workers were more efficient in the final three months of last year, although their gains in productivity slowed from the previous quarter. Slower productivity growth can be a good sign for hiring if economic growth picks up.
The Labor Department said Thursday that worker productivity rose at a 0.7 [...]
Consumer confidence falls in January
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 31, 2012
Tags: conference board, consumer, consumer confidence, consumer confidence index, consumer spending, Economy, gasoline prices, incomes, shoppers, unemployment rate
NEW YORK — It looks like Americans are starting to doubt that the economy in 2012 will be that much better than it was last year.
Consumer confidence fell in January after two straight months of big gains as Americans became more worried about their incomes, rising gas prices and overall business conditions, [...]
Incomes up strong 0.5 pct., consumer spending flat
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 30, 2012
Tags: american income, commerce department, consumer spending, Economy, hiring, income, incomes, inflation, jobs, MFR inc, tax, wage gains
WASHINGTON — Americans’ income rose in December by the most in nine months, a hopeful sign for the economy after a year of weak wage gains. But consumers didn’t spend any more than they had in November.
Americans ended up saving all their additional income.
Economists noted that income rose last month largely because of strong hiring. [...]
Economy grew modest 2.8 pct. in Q4, best in 2011
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 27, 2012
Tags: commerce department, consumer confidence, consumer spending, consumers, debt, Economy, europe, federal reserve, gdp, government spending cuts, gross domestic product, growth, incomes, outlook, Unemployment
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year, the fastest growth in 2011.
Americans spent more on cars and trucks, and companies restocked their shelves at the strongest pace in nearly two years. But growth in the October-December quarter — and [...]
Fed: Slightly lower growth, unemployment in 2012
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 25, 2012
Tags: federal reserve, inflation, interest rates, Recession, U.S. economy, Unemployment, unemployment rate
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve went further than ever Wednesday to assure consumers and businesses that they’ll be able to borrow cheaply well into the future.
The Fed pushed back the date for any likely increase in its benchmark interest rate by at least a year and a half, until late 2014 at the earliest.
Its new [...]
Forecasters see small pickup in growth for 2012
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 23, 2012
Tags: Congress, debt reduction, economic forecast, economists, Economy, gross domestic product, growth, national association of business economics, Retail, Salaries, Unemployment, wages
LOS ANGELES — A new economic forecast calls for the U.S. economy to make some modest growth strides this year, but not quite enough to significantly reduce the number of jobless Americans looking for work.
About two-thirds of the economists who participated in the latest National Association for Business Economics survey [...]
Rising factory output gives economy a lift
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 18, 2012
Tags: Economy, factories, factory production, machinery, Manufacturing, rdq economics, steris corp, u.s. factories, u.s. treasury, vehicles, washington
WASHINGTON — U.S. factories are roaring back from the depths of the recession, cranking out more machinery, vehicles and energy.
Factory production has surged 15 percent above its lows of 2½ years ago and is helping drive the economy’s recovery.
A jump in manufacturing output last month coincided with other data suggesting that the economy began 2012 [...]
Wholesale prices declined slightly in December
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: January 18, 2012
Tags: capital economics, companies, Energy, federal reserve, food, inflation, labor, Labor Department, producer price index, truck prices, washington, wholesale, wholesale prices
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell last month because companies paid less for food and energy, evidence that inflation remains tame.
The Labor Department said Wednesday that the producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach consumers, declined 0.1 percent in December. That follows a 0.3 percent rise the previous month and is [...]
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