WASHINGTON— Consumer spending grew in July by 0.8 percent, the largest amount in five months. That followed a decline in June and helped ease fears that the U.S. economy is on the verge of another recession. Americans bought more cars ...

Tagged with: commerce department consumer spending economists Economy federal reserve hurricane irene jobs Recession Retail wall street

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a meager 1 percent annual pace this spring, a slower rate than previously estimated. The downward revision will likely increase fears that the economy is at risk of another recession. Fewer exports and ...

Tagged with: commerce commerce department Economy manufactured goods Recession spending stock market U.S. economy wall street washington world war ii

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans who bought new homes fell for the third straight month in July, putting sales on track to finish this year as the worst on records dating back half a century. Sales of new homes ...

Tagged with: commerce department Decision Economics economists Economy home sales housing housing market National Association of Home Builders new-home sales records washington

RICHMOND, Va. — Telecommunications companies in 16 states will share more than $103 million in federal funding to help expand broadband Internet access to those areas of rural America that haven’t been reached by the high-speed service or are underserved, ...

Tagged with: americans commerce department richmond telecommunications u.s. department of agriculture

WASHINGTON — U.S. builders broke ground on fewer single-family houses in July, leaving home construction at depressed levels. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that builders began work on a seasonally adjusted 604,000 homes last month, a 1.5 percent decrease from ...

Tagged with: apartments commerce department construction economics home building home construction homebuilders housing market new homes

WASHINGTON — U.S. automakers rebounded in July to boost factory production by the most since the Japan crisis. But builders broke ground on fewer single-family houses, leaving home construction at depressed levels. The mixed data suggest the economy remains fragile ...

Tagged with: automakers cars commerce department Energy federal reserve homes housing japan Manufacturing mining

WASHINGTON — Consumers spent more on autos, furniture, clothing and gas in July, pushing up retail sales by the largest amount in four months. The gain signaled that Americans are a little more confident in the economy and could helped dispel ...

Tagged with: back-to-school clothing commerce department consumer dow jones furniture gas Retail spending

WASHINGTON — U.S. wholesale companies added more autos, machinery and computers to their stockpiles in June, pushing inventories up for the 18th consecutive month. Sales at the wholesale level rose 0.6 percent in June, the Commerce department said Wednesday. That ...

Tagged with: businesses commerce commerce department computers Economy federal reserve Insight Economics inventories machinery Recession sales stockpiles wholesale

WASHINGTON — U.S. businesses cut back on orders for airplanes, autos and heavy machinery in June, lowering demand for factory goods for the second time in three months. The Commerce Department says orders to U.S. factories fell 0.8 percent in ...

Tagged with: air travel autos commerce commerce department demand Economy energy prices factories factory orders heavy machinery Manufacturing Recession u.s. businesses

WASHINGTON— Americans cut their spending in June for the first time in nearly two years after seeing their incomes grow by the smallest amount in nine months. The latest data offered a troubling sign for an economy that is adding ...

Tagged with: commerce department consumer confidence consumers decrease Economy Recession spending