WASHINGTON - The number of new unemployment claims jumped more than expected last week, as companies continue to cut jobs at a furious pace and more Americans turn to an extended benefits program. ...more

January 22, 2009

Signs grew that the economy could turn even weaker in 2009, as an index of December manufacturing activity sank to its lowest point in 28 years. Every corner of the sector was down, from bakeries to cigarette-makers to aluminum smelters. ...more

January 3, 2009

New claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to a 16-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, providing more evidence of a rapidly weakening job market expected to get even worse next year. ...more

November 20, 2008

WASHINGTON - The number of newly laid-off individuals seeking unemployment benefits has jumped to a level not seen since just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ...more

November 13, 2008

Factory orders dropped by more than three times as much as analysts expected in September as the U.S. manufacturing sector continues to suffer from the economic downturn. ...more

November 5, 2008

Pending U.S. home sales fell more than expected in July as the housing market's struggles continued, an industry group said Tuesday. ...more

September 10, 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

Pending home sales unexpectedly rose in April to the highest reading since October, an industry group said Monday, but experts say the large proportion of distressed property sales will continue to weigh down prices. ...more

June 10, 2008

Dark clouds continue to hang over the economy: The manufacturing sector shrank for the fourth consecutive month, construction spending has been falling for more than two years, future orders are down and prices are skyrocketing. ...more

June 3, 2008

The Labor Department reported Friday that companies are still adding to their ranks - albeit at a slower pace - even with deepening troubles in the housing and credit markets.

Employers added a net 94,000 new jobs to their payrolls last month. That was down from a surprisingly strong gain of 170,000 jobs in October but was still sufficient to prevent the unemployment rate from rising. The jobless rate has held steady at 4.7 percent for three months in a row. ...more

December 7, 2007