WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits plummeted last week to 352,000, the fewest since April 2008. The decline added to evidence that the job market is strengthening. Applications fell 50,000, the biggest drop in the seasonally adjusted ...

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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 ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell further last week, ending the year on a three-month run of declines that point to stronger hiring in 2012. Weekly applications dropped by 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 372,000 last ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week after three weeks of decline. Even with the gain, applications remained at a level consistent with modest hiring. And the broader trend over the past month suggests job ...

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WASHINGTON — The outlook for the job market is looking brighter. Far fewer people are seeking unemployment benefits than just three months ago — a sign that layoffs are falling sharply. The number of people applying for benefits fell last ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level since May 2008, a hopeful sign that layoffs are declining and hiring is picking up. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications fell by ...

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WASHINGTON — Two-thirds of chief executives of the largest U.S. companies don’t plan to hire in the next six months, mainly because of sluggish growth in the United States and financial turmoil in Europe. The Business Roundtable says that about ...

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WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve on Tuesday portrayed the U.S. economy as slightly healthier and held off on any new steps to boost the economy. Hiring is picking up and consumers are spending more despite slower growth globally, the Fed ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans spent more on autos, furniture and clothing at the start of the crucial holiday shopping season, boosting retail sales for a sixth straight month. Retail sales rose 0.2 percent in November, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That’s ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans’ wealth last summer suffered its biggest quarterly loss in more than two years as stocks, pension funds and home values lost value. At the same time, corporations increased their cash stockpiles to record levels. Household net worth ...

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