Economy

San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly said Wednesday she backs raising interest rates aggressively until inflation comes down to a reasonable level. Those moves likely would entail multiple 50 basis point hikes at coming meetings, then a possible rest to see how the central bank policy tightening is combining with other factors to impact

Most of the U.S. has been seeing just “slight or modest” economic growth over the past two months or so, according to a Federal Reserve report released Wednesday. While all 12 Fed districts reported continued growth, the central bank’s periodic “Beige Book” indicated that four of the regions showed “that the pace of growth had

A ‘help wanted’ sign is displayed in a Manhattan store on May 6, 2022 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Job creation at companies decelerated to the slowest pace of the pandemic-era recovery in May, payroll processing firm ADP reported Thursday. Private sector employment rose by just 128,000 for the month, falling

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard said Thursday that it’s unlikely the central bank will be taking a break from its current rate-hiking cycle anytime soon. Though she stressed that Fed policymakers will remain data-dependent, Brainard said the most likely path will be that the increases will continue until inflation is tamed. “Right now, it’s

The U.S. economy added 390,000 jobs in May, better than expected despite fears of an economic slowdown and a roaring pace of inflation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. At the same time, the unemployment rate held at 3.6%, just above the lowest level since December 1969. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester said Friday that she doesn’t see ample evidence that inflation has peaked and thus is on board with a series of aggressive interest rate increases ahead. “I think the Fed has shown that we’re in the process of recalibrating our policy to get inflation back down to our 2%

High gas prices at stations in Garden Grove, California, on Monday, March 7, 2022. Jeff Gritchen | Medianews Group | Getty Images California’s state average for a gallon of gas has surged above $6, making fuel in the Golden State the most expensive across the U.S. The average price at the pump in California hit

A woman pushes a shopping cart through the grocery aisle at Target in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 16, 2022, as Americans brace for summer sticker shock as inflation continues to grow. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images Consumers kept spending in April, with retail sales rising about in line with Wall Street expectations despite

A sign of a home for sale is pictured in Alhambra, California on May 4, 2022. Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images Mortgage rates actually fell slightly last week, but the damage has already been done to housing affordability. Both refinance and purchase loan demand dropped, pulling total mortgage application volume down 11%

A woman rides an electric bike past a gas station as current gasoline prices continues to climb close to record setting territory in Encinitas, California, May 9, 2022. Mike Blake | Reuters U.S. households are now spending the equivalent of $5,000 a year on gasoline, up from $2,800 a year ago, according to Yardeni Research.

Corporate executives are taking a dim view of their prospects, with a majority now expecting a recession ahead, according to a closely watched business survey released Wednesday. The Conference Board measure of CEO sentiment showed that 57% of respondents expect inflation to come down “over the next few years” but the economy to sustain a

Contractors work on concrete slabs in the Cielo at Sand Creek by Century Communities housing development in Antioch, California, on Thursday, March 31, 2022. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Builder sentiment in the market for single-family homes fell sharply in May, as mortgage rates shot higher and building material costs showed no

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell emphasized his resolve to get inflation down, saying Tuesday he won’t hesitate to back interest rate increases until prices start falling back toward a healthy level. “If that involves moving past broadly understood levels of neutral we won’t hesitate to do that,” the central bank leader told the Wall Street

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point as the most aggressive step yet in its battle against generational highs in inflation. Along with the move higher in rates, the central bank indicated it will begin reducing asset holdings on its $9 trillion balance sheet. The Fed had

People work at the Rivian Automotive electric vehicle factory in Normal, Illinois, April 11, 2022. Kamil Krzaczynski | Reuters Worker productivity fell to start 2022 at its fastest pace in nearly 75 years while labor costs soared as the U.S. struggled with surging Covid cases, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. Nonfarm productivity, a

Lumber at the site of a house under construction in the Cielo at Sand Creek by Century Communities housing development in Antioch, California, U.S., on Thursday, March 31, 2022. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Bank regulators on Thursday proposed the first sweeping changes in more than 25 years to a controversial law

A worker grinds a weld on a safe that is being manufactured at Liberty Safe Company on March 22, 2022 in Payson, Utah. George Frey | Getty Images The Covid pandemic sent more than 8 million workers to the sidelines at one point, including many folks who decided it was the right time to retire

Shoppers inside a grocery store in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday, May 2, 2022.  David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images April’s consumer price index report is expected to show inflation has already reached a peak — a development that some investors say could temporarily soothe markets. But economists say, even with a