NEW YORK — Economists are increasingly confident that some pillars of the U.S. economy will improve this year, but they still remain cautious in their expectations on the overall pace of economic growth. The National Association for Business Economics said ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell to the lowest point in almost four years last week, the latest signal that the job market is steadily improving. Weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped 13,000 to a seasonally ...

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WASHINGTON — Monthly U.S. exports to Europe grew in December, a hopeful sign after a steep decline the previous month. But, some economists remain concerned that the region’s debt crisis will still weigh on the U.S. economy this year. The ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment aid neared a four-year low last week, a positive sign that strong hiring could continue in the coming months. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell 15,000 ...

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ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Martin O’Malley called for tax hikes Wednesday in his State of the State address, urging lawmakers to weigh those “tough choices, the costs and the trade-offs” against the jobs he hopes to support through increased spending on ...

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NEWARK, Del. — Though the overall economy may be stuck with a stubborn case of anemia, the craft beer industry is clearly in vigorous health, growing by 12 percent last year, according to the Brewers Association trade group. In northern ...

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year, the fastest growth in 2011. Americans spent more on cars and trucks, and companies restocked their shelves at the strongest ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 377,000, up from a nearly four-year low the previous week. But the longer-term trend is pointing to a healthier job market. Applications have trended ...

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LOS ANGELES — A new economic forecast calls for the U.S. economy to make some modest growth strides this year, but not quite enough to significantly reduce the number of jobless Americans looking for work. About two-thirds of the economists ...

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WASHINGTON — The final weeks of 2011 were among the economy’s strongest as Americans shopped and traveled more, ending the year with a shot of optimism for 2012. That’s the bright picture the Federal Reserve sketched in a survey released ...

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