U.S. Natural Disaster Risks Climb
ThinkstockNatural disasters in the United States, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires, are becoming more common and more costly, both in dollar terms and in terms of lives lost. And while 2013 did…
Economy
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Newest first · Page 313Are Obamacare and Red Tape Making Small Businesses Hire Fewer Workers?
ThinkstockAfter the recession we came out of, and with the massive excess in capacity we have at large multinational companies, the small business component of the economy is where the major gains likely will have…
Is 7% Unemployment Really An Improvement?
ThinkstockYesterday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate had dropped to 7% for the first time in five years, based on November numbers. American employers added 203, 000 jobs. But, by…
Consumer Sentiment Takes a Huge Santa Jump Higher in December
ThinkstockThe Reuters/University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment report rose to 82.5 for the preliminary December report, from a final November reading of 75.1. Dow Jones was calling for only 76.5, and Bloomberg had the consensus…
Ten Cities Where Poverty Is Soaring
ThinkstockDespite signs of economic recovery, the number of U.S. residents living in poverty remains stubbornly high. An average of 15.7% of the U.S. population lived below the poverty line during the three-year period of…
Nearly Half of Younger Southern Europeans Underemployed
ThinkstockThe data about unemployment in Europe has been grim since before the recession. However, while the jobless rate has improved throughout much of the world, in the economically weakest nations in Europe the rates…
Why Unemployment and Payrolls Could Wreck Stocks on Friday
Jon OggThis Friday will bring the Employment Situation report from the U.S. Labor Department. Ben Bernanke and team at the Federal Reserve have only had to worry about their employment target, since inflation has…
Eight States With the Highest Minimum Wages
ThinkstockThe White House recently announced President Barack Obama’s support for a Senate bill that would increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. While it remains to be seen whether the bill will…
Manufacturing Now in Sixth Consecutive Month of Growth
ThinkstockThe Institute for Supply Management (ISM) has reported that November was yet another gain for its reading on manufacturing. The index rose to 57.3% in the November Manufacturing ISM Report on Business, versus 56.4%…
Modest PMI Growth in China and the Eurozone in November
ThinkstockGlobal financial information services company Markit has released final November Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data. Overall, growth in economic activity was modest, aside from declines seen in France, Spain and Russia. The HSBC China…
Countries Where People Suffer the Least
nationsonline.orgPeople who “suffer” the least are concentrated in a few areas, according to a new poll from Gallup. These countries have a number of circumstances that are common among their populations as well. The…
Why Americans Can’t Lose Weight
ThinkstockBy most measures, close to a third of Americans are overweight if the scientific BMI measurement is used. Some smaller portion are “morbidly obese”, at the far end of the yardstick of those who…
S & P Raises Outlook On Spain–The Details
ThinkstockSpain, one of the most badly damaged economies in Europe got a break as S&P raised its outlook on the nation’s sovereign paper to “stable” from “negative. The debt will keep its ‘BBB-/A-3’ grade. Spain…
Consumer Sentiment Shows Signs of Life in Time for Black Friday
ThinkstockFollowing the better news earlier Wednesday morning from the U.S. Labor Department on new claims for unemployment benefits, the latest reading on consumer sentiment from the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey adds a little…
New Jobless Claims, Durable Goods Orders Both Lower
Ed Brown, via Wikimedia CommonsA veritable blizzard of economic data is set for release Wednesday, just in time to give everyone something to chew over before the Thanksgiving holiday. First out are the advance…