WASHINGTON — In a long-awaited surge of hiring, companies added 243,000 jobs in January — across the economy, up and down the pay scale and far more than just about anyone expected. Unemployment fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Conceding his earlier housing programs have fallen short, President Barack Obama on Wednesday proposed a vast expansion of government assistance to homeowners, aiming to make lower lending rates a possibility for millions of borrowers who have not been able to get out from under burdensome mortgages.
NEW YORK — It looks like Americans are starting to doubt that the economy in 2012 will be that much better than it was last year. Consumer confidence fell in January after two straight months of big gains as Americans became more worried about their incomes, rising gas prices and overall business conditions, a private research group reported.
OKLAHOMA CITY — A year after Republicans swept into office across the country, many have trained their sights on what has long been a fiscal conservative’s dream: the steep reduction or even outright elimination of state income taxes.
WASHINGTON — What gives? Some of Mitt Romney’s rivals are waging a fierce attack that you’d never think would come from the mouths of Republicans who claim Ronald Reagan as their hero. They’re blasting the GOP front-runner for aggressive, wealth-creating business tactics.
Political gridlock, strained family budgets, financial crises throughout the euro-zone, mediocre U.S. employment and economic growth… all of these things and more that exemplified 2011 are likely to continue into 2012. And all of this despite the perception among many economists that 2011 ended on a strong note that may possibly continue into 2012.
WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week after three weeks of decline.
WASHINGTON — The outlook for the job market is looking brighter.