WASHINGTON  — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell to a seasonally adjusted 340,000 last week, driving down the four-week average to its lowest level in five years. The drop is a positive sign ahead of Friday’s report on ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 157,000 jobs in January, and hiring was much stronger at the end of 2012 than previously thought, providing reassurance that the job market held steady even as economic growth stalled. The Labor Department report Friday ...

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WASHINGTON — Jobless Americans are paying millions in unnecessary fees to collect unemployment benefits because of state policies encouraging them to get the money through bank-issued payment cards, according to a new report from a consumer group. People are using ...

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WASHINGTON — Unemployment rates fell in less than half of U.S. states last month, as steady but slow hiring is making only gradual improvement in the job market. The Labor Department said Friday that rates fell in 22 states in ...

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WASHINGTON — A survey of U.S. chief executives shows a sharp drop in the number of large companies that plan to add jobs or hire more workers. The Business Roundtable said Wednesday that only 29 percent of its member CEOs ...

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WASHINGTON  — The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage held steady this week, staying slightly above the lowest level on record. Low mortgage rates have aided a modest housing recovery. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 96,000 jobs in August, a tepid figure that points to the economy’s persistent weakness and slowing prospects for the unemployed. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent in July. But that was ...

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Maryland home builders expect a sluggish 2012 as joblessness and low consumer confidence have delayed a housing market recovery until at least 2013, according to experts at a forecast event held by the Home Builders Association of Maryland. “We’ve had ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in nearly three years, boosting hopes that companies will step up hiring this year as the economy strengthens. Applications sank by a seasonally ...

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