New glimmers of hope emerged in economic figures released Wednesday: •The Commerce Department said orders for durable goods, manufactured products expected to last at least three years, increased 3.4 percent in February, much better than the 2 percent economists had expected. It was the strongest one-month gain in 14 months. ...more

March 26, 2009

If you felt financially squeezed in the last few months of 2008, you weren't the only one. On Friday, the Commerce Department announced that the economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace in the final quarter, the worst showing in a quarter-century. ...more

January 31, 2009

Soaring unemployment, rampant business closings and a crushing mortgage crisis have dampened any hopes of an economic turnaround in 2009. ...more

December 29, 2008

Four grim economic reports released by the government Wednesday added up to a bleak overall picture of the slowing economy. ...more

November 27, 2008

U.S. factories saw a surprisingly hefty increase in their orders for big-ticket products in July, reflecting continued strength in export sales and a boost to business investment from the government's tax stimulus package. ...more

August 28, 2008

Orders to U.S. factories turned in the weakest performance in three months in May, reflecting slumping demand for autos, heavy machinery and steel. ...more

July 3, 2008

Orders to U.S. factories jumped in November by the largest amount in four months. The increase was driven by higher petroleum prices and was not viewed as a sign of any newfound strength in manufacturing. ...more

January 4, 2008