WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to a five-week high, evidence that the job market remains sluggish. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment aid rose 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted ...

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NEW YORK — A new survey shows economists are growing slightly more optimistic about recovery in the job and housing markets but expect other pillars of the economy to remain weak. The National Association for Business Economists says in a ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. employers pulled back on hiring in April for the second straight month, evidence of an economy still growing only sluggishly. The unemployment rate dipped, but only because more people gave up looking for work. The Labor Department ...

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WASHINGTON — Demand for U.S. factory goods dropped in March by the most in three years, driven lower by a sharp fall in volatile orders for commercial aircraft. Still, more recent data suggest the decline may be temporary. The Commerce ...

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WASHINGTON — A private survey shows U.S. businesses sharply reduced hiring in April, a cautionary sign two days before the government reports on monthly job growth. Payroll provider ADP said Wednesday that businesses added just 119,000 jobs last month, far ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. manufacturing grew last month at the fastest pace in 10 months. New orders, production and a measure of hiring all rose. The strength at U.S. factories suggests the economy is healthier than recent data had indicated. That’s ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans bought fewer previously owned homes in March, a reminder that the housing market remains weak. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that home sales fell 2.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits suggests hiring is slowing. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications dipped last week by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 386,000. But that was only after the department revised ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. service companies expanded at a healthy pace last month and stepped up hiring, more evidence that the economy is growing and adding jobs. The Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday that its index of non-manufacturing activity dropped ...

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WASHINGTON — Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. job market remains weak despite three months of strong hiring and that the Federal Reserve’s existing policies will help boost economic growth. Bernanke’s comments Monday to a group of economists in Arlington, ...

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