Erin Abell left a job in finance to volunteer for John McCain’s presidential campaign in early 2008. She had hoped to return to the industry after the election, but by then Wall Street was on life support, and Abell had ...

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NEW YORK — A drop in the unemployment rate to a two-year low sent the Dow Jones industrial average to a new 2011 high Friday. The Labor Department said the unemployment rate fell to 8.8 percent, the lowest since March ...

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WASHINGTON — Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that layoffs are dropping and companies may be stepping up hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of people seeking benefits dipped by 6,000 to a ...

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WASHINGTON — Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that layoffs are dropping and companies may be stepping up hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of people seeking benefits dipped by 6,000 to a ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. companies have added jobs for 12 straight months, but the gains have been uneven. The latest government data suggest some states are recovering much faster than others from the recession, including a few that were hit the ...

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Thanks to hiring at the local government level and in the private sector, Maryland’s unemployment rate went from 7.2 percent in January to 7.1 percent in February, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Using figures adjusted for seasonal changes, ...

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WASHINGTON — Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, adding to evidence that layoffs are slowing and employers may be stepping up hiring. The number of people seeking benefits dropped by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 382,000 in the ...

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Lower unemployment and bankruptcies helped reduce the nation’s economic stress in January compared with a year earlier, according to The Associated Press’ monthly analysis. Still, the figures show the economy has yet to regain full health. Midwestern and Southeastern states ...

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NEW YORK — Oil prices climbed back above $100 per barrel Thursday after a crackdown on protesters in Bahrain increased concerns that unrest there threatens to spread to OPEC heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran. Prices are also rising as Japan ...

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WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, providing support for the view that there will be stronger job growth this year. Applications fell to a seasonally adjusted 385,000 last week, marking the third decline in the past ...

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