LANSING, Mich. — In a good sign for a resurging General Motors, University of Michigan economists are forecasting a climb in motor vehicle sales over the next two years that should help bolster automakers’ fortunes. But don’t look for a ...

Tagged with: auto industry economic Economy general motors gm jobs new york NYSE rebound Recession Stocks trading Unemployment wall street

WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits barely rose last week, offering some hope that the job market may be improving. But claims need to fall further to bring down the 9.6 percent unemployment rate. Initial claims ...

Tagged with: Business Congress Economy hiring jobless Labor Department Recession u.s. house of representatives Unemployment washington

RICHMOND — A revised Virginia plan to restore the Chesapeake Bay is headed to the federal government by month’s end despite mixed reviews of whether it improves on the first proposal that was universally panned by environmentalists. A group of ...

Tagged with: Barack Obama chesapeake bay chesapeake bay foundation Environment environmental protection agency EPA federal government Gov. Bob McDonnell green Recession richmond science virginia

U.S. homebuilders battered by the worst summer for home sales in a decade are already looking ahead to spring, saying they feel somewhat more optimistic about the prospect for an uptick in sales. The National Association of Home Builders said ...

Tagged with: Baltimore construction Development Economy home sales maryland National Association of Home Builders Real Estate Recession

Third-quarter earnings reports from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Saks Fifth Avenue show the far different streets their customers are living on. Wal-Mart’s third-quarter sales in the U.S. got squeezed as its financially strapped customers dealt with dire economic straits. Saks’ ...

Tagged with: consumers Economy middle class Recession retailers saks sales stock market Wal-mart wall street wealthy

It’s never a question whether Bob Leffler’s annual holiday party will go on or not. “I’d rather cut something else out than not say ‘thank you’” to the media representatives with whom his company — The Leffler Agency — works, ...

Tagged with: Baltimore economic Economy holiday maryland Maryland Department of Labor Recession Unemployment

WASHINGTON — A surge in auto purchases helped lift retail sales in October by the largest amount in seven months. But excluding autos, retail sales rose more modestly. October marked the fourth straight increase in retail sales after declines in ...

Tagged with: auto commerce department demand Economy gdp purchases Recession sales stock market Unemployment united states

WASHINGTON — The post office had an even larger loss than expected last year — $8.5 billion. The agency said Friday it was in the red for 2010. Earlier estimates had put the loss at $6 billion to $7 billion. ...

Tagged with: budget employment jobs postal service Recession

Baltimore officials are evaluating sites for a new indoor sports and concert arena. The city had planned to tear down the aging 1st Mariner Arena and build a new one at the same site. But that project stalled in 2008, ...

Tagged with: arena Baltimore baltimore convention center concert developer First Mariner Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Recession Sports

Ben Mook wrote in Wednesday’s paper about M&T Bank’s growth spurt in the region — an expansion that includes three instances where the Buffalo, N.Y.-based bank took over small banks at the behest of federal regulators. The latest acquisition occurred ...

Tagged with: Banks M&T Bank Recession