WASHINGTON — Americans’ confidence in the economy fell slightly in September from August, as many became less optimistic about hiring and pay increases over the next six months. The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said Tuesday that ...

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit expanded in November to its widest point in seven months, driven by a surge in imports that outpaced only modest growth in exports. The Commerce Department report Friday suggests trade will drag on economic ...

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WASHINGTON — At first glance, a batch of U.S. economic data released Thursday looked dispiriting. Companies slashed orders for factory goods. The government cut its most recent growth estimate. And fewer people signed contracts to buy homes. Yet a peek ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits plunged 26,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 359,000, a hopeful sign for the job market. It’s the lowest level of weekly applications in nine weeks. The Labor Department said Thursday ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. service companies expanded at a faster pace in August than July, helped by stronger hiring. The growth at firms that employ roughly 90 percent of the work force suggests the economy is slowly improving. The Institute for ...

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a tepid 1.7 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, suggesting growth will stay weak in the second half of the year. Slightly stronger consumer spending and greater exports were the main reasons ...

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Signs that U.S. manufacturing is faltering emerged from a report Friday that orders for long-lasting factory goods, excluding the volatile transportation category, fell in July for the fourth time in five months. Overall orders for durable goods ...

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WASHINGTON — The world’s top central bankers have said they’re willing to rescue the economies of Europe and the United States. This week we’ll find out if they are ready to act. The Federal Reserve wraps up its two-day policy ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. consumers spent no more in May than in April after seeing almost no gain in their pay. The lack of growth in consumer spending and wages suggests that a faltering job market is slowing the economy. The ...

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WASHINGTON — The sluggish job market is weighing on the U.S. economy three years after the Great Recession ended and it doesn’t look to be getting much better any time soon. A measure of the number of people applying for ...

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