Economy

Job growth rose far more than expected in January despite surging omicron cases that seemingly sent millions of workers to the sidelines, the Labor Department reported Friday. Nonfarm payrolls surged by 467,000 for the month, while the unemployment rate edged higher to 4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Dow Jones estimate was

A Now Hiring sign hangs near the entrance to a Winn-Dixie Supermarket on September 21, 2021 in Hallandale, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images The January jobs report showed some signs of optimism for the U.S. labor recovery, particularly for Black workers, who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. U.S. payrolls added 467,000 jobs

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (L) and Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell (R) testify during a hearing before Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill November 30, 2021 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong | Getty Images When President Joe Biden nominated former Fed Chair Janet Yellen to run the Treasury Department,

A job seeker receives information from a recruiter during a job fair in Miami on Dec. 16, 2021. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images Long-term unemployment fell significantly in January, continuing a downward trajectory from its pandemic-era peak after having plateaued in recent months. The number of Americans out of work for at least six

America’s suburbs are sprawling again. Last year, single family housing starts rose to 1.123 million, the highest since 2006, according to the National Association of Home Builders, however, options for prospective homebuyers remain lean. Experts say the problems of America’s housing market relate to past policy decisions. In particular, they say restrictive zoning codes are

A real estate agent stands in the doorway as Giovani and Nicole Quiroz of Brooklyn, New York visit an open house in West Hempstead, New York. Raychel Brightman | Newsday LLC | Newsday | Getty Images Mortgage rates continued to surge higher last week, and that brought borrowers out of the woodwork, looking to refinance.

Companies cut jobs in January for the first time in more than a year as the spread of the Covid omicron variant appeared to hit hiring, payroll processing firm ADP reported Wednesday. Private payrolls fell by 301,000 for the month, well below the Dow Jones estimate for growth of 200,000 and a marked plunge from

Free food is handed out by the Brooklyn community organization PASWO during a weekly food distribution on December 08, 2021 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Spurred by a massive inventory rebuild and a consumers flush with cash, the U.S. economy last year grew at its fastest pace since 1984. Don’t expect

A woman walks past a “Now Hiring” sign in front of a store on January 13, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images Job openings totaled nearly 11 million in December while the Great Resignation cooled off, according to Labor Department data Tuesday. Reflecting a tightening labor market, vacancies rose to

The seal for the International Monetary Fund is seen near the World Bank headquarters (R) in Washington, DC on January 10, 2022. Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its global growth forecast for this year as rising Covid-19 cases, supply chain disruptions and higher inflation hamper economic recovery.

A gauge the Federal Reserve prefers to measure inflation rose 4.9% from a year ago, the biggest gain going back to September 1983, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The core personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy was slightly more than the 4.8% Dow Jones estimate and ahead of the 4.7% pace in

A home for sale in Susanville, CA. Gary Coronado | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images Rising interest rates are causing big headaches for mortgage lenders, especially those who depend most on refinance business. Demand is simply drying up. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($647,200 or less)

The U.S. economy grew at a much better-than-expected pace to end 2021 from sizeable boosts in inventories and consumer spending, and despite signs that the acceleration likely tailed off toward the end of the year. Gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced during the October-through-December period, increased at a 6.9% annualized

Facing both turbulent financial markets and raging inflation, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday indicated it could soon raise interest rates for the first time in more than three years. In a move that came as little surprise, the Fed’s policymaking group said a quarter-percentage point increase to its benchmark short-term borrowing rate is likely forthcoming.

A “For Sale” sign is seen outside a home in New York. Shannon Stapleton | Reuters Even as the housing market entered its traditionally slower season in November, home prices showed big gains from a year ago. Prices rose 18.8% year over year on the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index. Yet that was

U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during his re-nominations hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S., January 11, 2022. Graeme Jennings | Reuters The Federal Reserve is expected to say this week it is moving forward with interest rate hikes and considering other policy

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the CARES Act, at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, U.S., September 28, 2021. Kevin Dietsch | Reuters The CNBC Fed Survey shows market expectations have turned aggressive for Federal Reserve policy tightening this year and

Jobless claims took an unexpected turn higher last week in a potential sign that the wintertime omicron surge was hitting the employment picture. Initial filings for the week ended Jan. 15 totaled 286,000, well above the Dow Jones estimate of 225,000 and a substantial gain from the previous week’s 231,000. The total was the highest