U.S. employers posted fewer job openings in December and hiring slowed, adding to evidence that the job market weakened that month.

Tagged with: december Economy job openings jobs

U.S. homebuilders’ confidence bounced back strongly this month, a sign that construction and industry hiring may pick up in coming months. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday climbed to 58. That was up from ...

Tagged with: confidence december Development homebuilders National Association of Home Builders wells fargo

HAGERSTOWN — The nation’s second-oldest almanac is predicting heavy snowstorms this winter in the mid-Atlantic region based on the size of a developing El Nino temperature pattern in the Pacific Ocean. The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown reports the 2013 Hagers-Town Town ...

Tagged with: december News snow weather

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 ...

Tagged with: capital goods commerce department december economic recovery heavy machinery Manufacturing washington

WASHINGTON — The nation added 200,000 jobs in December in a burst of hiring that drove the unemployment rate to its lowest in almost three years. The figures raised hopes that the economy might finally be healthy enough to power ...

Tagged with: december Economy hiring job market jobs labor Labor Department Unemployment unemployment rate

NEW YORK — The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, expects winter holiday sales to rise 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion this year. That would be smaller than 2010’s 5.2 percent increase, but it’s higher than the average ...

Tagged with: back-to-school december Economy holiday season international council of shopping centers national retail federation november Retail Unemployment

NEW YORK — Fixed mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest levels this year, giving Americans more incentive to buy homes or refinance their loans. Freddie Mac says the average rate on the 30-year loan fell to 4.63 percent from ...

Tagged with: december fixed mortgage freddie mac mortgage mortgage rates Real Estate refinance treasury note

Legg Mason Inc. said Thursday that its assets under management in January matched the December figure. The Baltimore-based investment manager reported managed assets of $671.8 billion as of Jan. 31, flat compared with assets reported at the end of December. ...

Tagged with: assets Baltimore december fixed-income january Legg Mason Legg Mason Inc.

WASHINGTON — Americans spent at the fastest pace in three years in 2010, boosted by a strong finish in December. Consumer spending rose 0.7 percent in December, the sixth straight monthly increase, the Commerce Department reported Monday. Households saw their ...

Tagged with: commerce department consumer december economists Economy Retail sales social security tax spending

WASHINGTON — Americans spent at the fastest pace in three years in 2010, boosted by a strong finish in December. Consumer spending rose 0.7 percent in December, the sixth straight monthly increase, the Commerce Department reported Monday. Households saw their ...

Tagged with: commerce department consumer spending consumers december incomes increase Recession spending washington