NEW YORK — Americans breathed a bit easier about the economy in July, as a better outlook on short-term hiring and lower gas prices offset lingering worries about poor income growth. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence ...

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The price of oil hovered near $90 a barrel on Monday, holding onto most of the previous week’s gains, as expectations remain elevated that the European Central Bank would act to prevent Spain’s financial woes from deepening. By early afternoon ...

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BANGKOK — Oil extended gains Friday in Asia after the European Central Bank chief promised to do what it takes to keep the euro currency union intact and China stepped up stimulus efforts to counter its slowdown. Benchmark crude for ...

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LONDON — A disappointing U.S. retail sales report weighed on stock markets Monday but helped the euro clamber off two-year lows against the dollar. The U.S. Commerce Department reported that retail sales fell 0.5 percent in June from the previous ...

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CAMARILLO — The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has dropped about 7 cents over the past three weeks. The Lundberg Survey of fuel prices puts the average price for a gallon of regular at $3.41. Analyst Trilby ...

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NEW YORK — The price of oil is falling on more signs of trouble for the economy. U.S. employers added just 80,000 jobs in June — a disappointing number that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. service companies grew in June at the slowest pace in nearly two and a half years, more evidence that the economy has weakened. But those same firms boosted hiring last month, supporting other data that show job ...

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NEW YORK — Retailers could be sweating it out this summer. Shoppers, worried about jobs and the economy, pulled back on spending in June, slowing sales for most retailers to the weakest pace since 2009. And that could leave merchants ...

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DETROIT — From mini cars to monster pickups, sales of vehicles charged higher in June and eased concerns that Americans would be turned off by slower hiring and other scary headlines. Automakers reported big gains over June of last year. ...

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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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