ThinkstockThe American auto industry nearly collapsed during the recession as car sales plummeted and companies struggled to stay afloat. Since then, U.S. car and light truck sales have steadily increased, reaching 1.6 million in…
ThinkstockThe U.S. real estate market has been on the mend for several years. While many Americans witnessed the values of their homes drop precipitously during the recession, markets have been rebounding, with prices in…
The United States economy grew 1.9% in 2013, down from the 2.8% growth rate in 2012. GDP growth of all but two states was positive last year, although economic growth at the state level varied…
The United States economy grew 1.9% in 2013, down from the 2.8% growth rate in 2012, as growth in the world’s largest economy remained inconsistent. The largest contributors to the national economy were nondurable…
ThinkstockEven as home-flipping activity has generally declined in the past year, it continues to be quite widespread in parts of the country. In some counties, home flippers still buy large numbers of properties to…
While home flipping activity in the U.S. has declined over the past year, in many markets the practice is still quite popular and provides high returns. Home flippers generally buy a home, renovate and…
courtesy of The Coca-Cola CompanySuccessful companies frequently depend on just one product for a large share of their sales. That’s true for some of the most iconic brands, including Coca-Cola, Marlboro, Jack Daniels, and…
ThinkstockWith the stock market reaching new heights daily, companies’ profit margins at multi-decade highs, and falling unemployment, many Americans may be wondering when they will start to see the benefits of the U.S. economic…
ThinkstockFor the third consecutive year, total spending on public elementary and secondary education fell nationwide, according to a recent release from the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending per student totaled $10,608, roughly the same as the year before. Due…
ThinkstockThe percentage of American workers in unions remained effectively unchanged last year. This marks a departure from the nation’s long-term trend. In the past 30 years, union membership has dropped from 20.1% of the workforce…
courtesy of StarbucksRevenue per employee is one measure of a company’s productivity. Some companies generate significant revenue per employee that runs into the millions of dollars. Others generate only a fraction of that. While…
Wikimedia CommonsSome of America’s most well-known companies went through big changes before becoming the dominant corporations they are today. The origin of one of today’s most famous beauty products company is door-to-door book distribution. A semiconductor…
ThinkstockThe United States is currently engulfed in one of the worst droughts in recent memory. More than 30% of the country experienced at least moderate drought as of last week’s data. In seven states…
ThinkstockWorld news does not always fully capture people’s level of happiness. Last year, Gallup found a majority of people in the world experienced positive emotions. Of course, in some countries and regions people were…
ThinkstockThe United States of America — the land of opportunity — has the fourth most uneven income distribution in the developed world. Chile has the most unequal distribution of income, while Iceland tops the list…