President Barack Obama's chief economic advisers said Sunday that putting Americans back to work is the first order of business in working the country out of the deepest economic downturn in six decades. Only then can they start tackling the soaring federal debt. ...more

December 13, 2009

Signs of a strengthening global recovery emerged Friday, with consumers boosting retail sales, companies restoring stockpiles and China's exports mounting a comeback. ...more

December 12, 2009

Retail sales rose more than expected in November, boosting hopes that the all-important consumer sector will support the fragile recovery. ...more

December 11, 2009

New weekend shopping figures on Wednesday offered more evidence confirming stores' modest start to the holiday shopping season. Online sales were stronger. ...more

December 3, 2009

President Obama was crystal clear last spring when he said a new tax credit called Making Work Pay would boost the spending power of 120 million families and save or create 500,000 jobs. ...more

November 23, 2009

When the sprawling residential-commercial development project that was to be known as Serenova was still on the drawing board, one of the people involved in the project suggested that the center of economic activity in the county was even then shifting from West Pasco to Central and East Pasco. The U.S. 19 corridor would become economically "blighted" and have to be redeveloped, this person suggested. Serenova never got built and the 6,500 acres it would have occupied ended up in the hands of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The U.S. 19 prediction, alas, is still looking viable. ...more

November 14, 2009

October sales reports from major retailers ranging from Target Corp. to Macy's Inc. are expected to offer more evidence of a spending recovery when they're released Thursday. ...more

November 5, 2009

With the recession apparently over, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday held a key interest rate at a record low and again pledged to keep it there for an "extended period" to foster the fragile economic recovery. ...more

November 5, 2009

Fueled by government stimulus, the economy grew last quarter for the first time in more than a year. The question now is, can the recovery last? ...more

October 30, 2009

The Federal Reserve delivered a vote of confidence in the economy Wednesday, saying it would slow the pace of an emergency rescue program as the recession appears to be ending. ...more

August 13, 2009