WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 19,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 326,000, the fewest since January 2008. The decline shows the job market continues to strengthen. The Labor Department said Thursday that the ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell 22,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 344,000, evidence that the job market may be picking up. The four-week average of applications dropped 6,750 to 355,000, the Labor Department said ...

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WASHINGTON — A jump in sales of previously occupied homes and further gains in home construction suggest the U.S. housing recovery is gaining momentum. The pair of reports Wednesday follows other signs of steady progress in the housing market after ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. builders broke ground on more single-family homes and apartments in June, helping the battered construction industry gain a little life after a dismal spring. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that builders began work on a seasonally adjusted ...

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit surged in May to the highest level in more than two and a half years, driven upward by a big increase in oil imports. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the deficit increased 15.1 ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits was mostly unchanged last week, evidence that the weak economy is struggling to generate jobs. Unemployment benefit applications ticked down 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 428,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. ...

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WASHINGTON — Businesses cut back on their orders for heavy machinery, computers, autos and airplanes in April, reducing demand for long-lasting manufactured goods by the largest amount in six months. Orders for durable goods fell 3.6 percent, and a key ...

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WASHINGTON — Builders began work last year on the second fewest number of homes in more than half a century, as the weak economy kept people from buying houses. Builders broke ground on a total of 587,600 homes in 2010, ...

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WASHINGTON — A surge in demand for commercial aircraft lifted orders for big-ticket manufactured goods in September, but business spending weakened on products that signal expansion plans. The Commerce Department says orders for durable goods rose 3.3 percent last month. ...

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