U.S. pay, benefits posted biggest gain since 2008
An uptick in the employment cost index during 2014 could be a sign strong job gains are forcing companies to pay a bit more for workers.
An uptick in the employment cost index during 2014 could be a sign strong job gains are forcing companies to pay a bit more for workers.
The United States capped its best year for hiring in 15 years with a healthy gain in December, and the unemployment rate hit a six-year low. Average hourly pay slipped 5 cents.
More Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, but the number of applications continues to be at historically low levels that suggest solid economic growth will continue.
Suddenly robust economic growth, low unemployment and shrinking gas prices have improved the outlook of Americans, a study shows.
The appliance and electronics retailer has hired its fourth chief merchandising officer in about three years, snagging a veteran executive who will move on from a much smaller chain.
The number of people seeking jobless benefits has been at historically low levels for 14 of the past 15 weeks. That indicates companies are retaining workers and expecting economic growth to continue.
The sizzling rate gives credence to many analysts who think U.S. growth is finally set to accelerate. More people are working and have money to spend.
In December, Indiana saw its biggest monthly increase in private sector jobs in 15 years, as the national economy boosted hiring across the country.
The retreat of wholesale costs gives the Federal Reserve more leeway to keep interest rates at record lows in an effort to stimulate the economy.
The U.S. economy grew at a solid 3.9-percent annual rate in the July-September period, according to the latest estimate, possibly giving the country its strongest six months of growth in more than a decade.
After Tuesday's midterm elections, exit polling showed how little falling unemployment has resonated. Most voters said they cast their ballots out of fear for the economy.
Employers have now added at least 200,000 jobs for nine straight months, the longest such stretch since 1995.
Economists from Indiana University Kelley School of Business say they are cautiously optimistic that 2015 will be the strongest year the economy has seen yet in its long, slow recovery from the Great Recession.
A Fifth Third Bank expert told attendees at IBJ's 2015 Economic Forecast on Thursday that the business cycle is maturing but still has some oomph left in it.
The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid dropped to the lowest level in 14 years last week, the latest sign of a strengthening labor market that could help blunt worries about the impact of weak global growth.
Total U.S. business sales fell 0.4 percent in August after a 0.7-percent sales increase in July. It was the biggest monthly sales decline since a 1.1-percent drop in January.
A survey of Harvard Business School alumni released Monday reveals a series of trends that are widening income disparities and may be weakening the ability of the U.S. economy to grow in the long term.
Key manufacturers and suppliers have announced recent expansions, the stock market is at an all-time high, and consumers are more confident in the future, industry leaders say.
U.S. consumer spending edged down 0.1 percent last month after a 0.4-percent increase in June, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
The Congressional Budget Office says the U.S. economy will grow by just 1.5 percent this year — hurt by a poor first-quarter performance. This new assessment is considerably more pessimistic than the Obama administration’s.