An index that tracks signed contracts to purchase existing homes rebounded in December, as buyers snapped up properties at deep discounts, especially in the South and Midwest. ...more

February 4, 2009

The nation's unemployment rate zoomed to a five-year high of 6.1 percent in August as employers slashed 84,000 jobs, dramatic proof of the mounting damage a deeply troubled economy is inflicting on workers and businesses alike. ...more

September 6, 2008

A private sector measure of the economy's health showed the largest drop in a year, and even though new jobless claims fell for the second straight week, they remain near the highest levels since 2002. The reports are the latest evidence that the languishing American economy remains stuck in low gear. ...more

August 22, 2008

Retail sales delivered the weakest performance in five months in July as shoppers shunned autos while they paid more for gas. ...more

August 14, 2008

U.S. manufacturing grew in June and a measure of prices jumped to a 29-year high, underscoring the Federal Reserve's concern that economic growth will be accompanied by faster inflation. ...more

July 2, 2008

Consumers battered by a slumping housing market and a credit crunch slowed the growth in spending to the smallest amount in four months. In another sign of weakness, construction activity fell by a larger-than-expected amount. ...more

December 1, 2007

American consumers hold the key to whether the unexpected drop in August's employment signals either a continuation of a gentle slowdown or a tumble into outright recession for the U.S. economy. ...more

September 8, 2007