News
Unemployment hits 4.4%: US loses another 92,000 jobs in February
2+ hour, 22+ min ago (637+ words) Hiring deteriorated from January, when companies, nonprofits and government agencies added a healthy 126,000 jobs, the Labor Department reported Friday. Economists had expected 60,000 new jobs in February. The surprisingly weak employment picture in February adds to the economic uncertainty over the…...
China sets a lower economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% for 2026 as challenges loom
17+ hour, 41+ min ago (783+ words) Premier Li Qiang announced a target of 4.5% to 5% annual growth in his report presented to the opening session of this year's meeting of the National People's Congress. That compares to actual 5% growth last year and a target of about 5% in…...
Soaring cost of food and other staples squeezes Iranians as threat of US attack looms
1+ week, 2+ day ago (757+ words) Everybody is under pressure: merchants, civil servants, laborers," said Ebrahim Momeni, a 52-year-old retired civil servant. The weaker class of people is being crushed." Iran's economy has struggled for years because of international sanctions and mismanagement. The pressure has accelerated…...
Economic Roundtable: Spring 2026 Speaker Series brought to MOV, Marietta College
1+ mon, 4+ day ago (244+ words) The Economic Roundtable (ERT) of the Ohio Valley will continue its 2025-26 programming with the Spring 2026 Speaker Series, bringing nationally recognized leaders in economics, public policy, and environmental regulation to the Mid-Ohio Valley for a series of luncheons and business Q…...
Americans’ confidence in the U.S. economy falls sharply in January to lowest level since 2014
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (427+ words) The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index cratered 9.7 points to 84.5 in January, falling below even the lowest readings during the COVID-19 pandemic. A measure of Americans" short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market…...
Stocks dip slightly as investors return from Christmas holiday in light trading
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (263+ words) The S&P 500 index was down 0.1% as of 2:30 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.1%. Institutional investors are largely closed out of their positions for the year. The S&P 500 has climbed nearly…...
European Central Bank leaves rates unchanged with economy showing signs of modest growth
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (412+ words) Bank President Christine Lagarde said that while the economy had remained "resilient," there was too much uncertainty over trade and international conflicts to give any hints about future moves. "We reconfirmed that we are in a good place" with interest…...
Fed’s preferred inflation gauge stayed elevated in September as spending weakened
3+ mon, 1+ day ago (325+ words) Compared with a year ago, overall prices rose 2.8%, up slightly from 2.7% in August. Core prices also rose 2.8% from a year earlier, a small decline from the previous month's figure of 2.9%. "It hasn't really shown any sign of slowing down," Sharif…...
U.S. stocks rise for a fifth straight day to close out a volatile month
3+ mon, 1+ week ago (404+ words) Stocks swooned in mid-month as investors worried that stocks boosted by the frenzy around artificial intelligence such as Nvidia had gotten too expensive. Nvidia lost 1.8% Friday and closed the month with a double-digit loss. Oracle fell 23% in November while Palantir…...
U.S. inflation stays elevated but prices rose less than feared last month
4+ mon, 1+ week ago (809+ words) Consumer prices increased 3% in September from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Friday, the highest since January and up from 2.9% in August. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices also rose 3%, down from 3.1% in the previous month....