Economy

Eliminating tariffs imposed on goods during the worst of the trade war would help ease inflation in the U.S., former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew told CNBC on Tuesday. But there’s currently “no political space” to do so, he said on CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia.” “I think that the United States and China have deep differences.

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates rose decisively again for most of last week, causing a massive drop in mortgage demand, but on Friday everything changed with the news of the Covid omicron variant. Last week the average rate on the 30-year mortgage with conforming loan balance ($548,250 or less) increased to

The U.S. economy created far fewer jobs than expected in November, in a sign that hiring started to slow even ahead of the new Covid threat, the Labor Department reported Friday. Nonfarm payrolls increased by just 210,000 for the month, though the unemployment rate fell sharply to 4.2% from 4.6%, even though the labor force

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose last week but held at levels consistent with how the job market looked before the Covid-19 pandemic devastated the U.S. employment picture, the Labor Department reported Thursday. First-time filings for the week ended Nov. 27 totaled 222,000, less than the 240,000 Wall Street expected. That was higher than the

A worker moves boxes of goods to be scanned and sent to delivery trucks during operations on Cyber Monday at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, November 29, 2021. Mike Segar | Reuters Job growth is expected to have been strong in November, and employers likely continued to boost wages to attract and retain

Companies added jobs at a robust pace in November despite worries about rising inflation and the threat that the pandemic could slow growth into the winter months, according to a report Wednesday from payroll processing firm ADP. Private hiring increased by 534,000 for the month, better than the Dow Jones estimate of 506,000 in a

A customer carries her purchases during Black Friday shopping at Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont of Greater Chicago Area, Illinois, the United States, on Nov. 26, 2021. Joel Lerner | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Strong consumer demand sparked a wave of CEO optimism about the economy over the next six months, the

Recruiters speak with potential applicants during a job fair in Leesburg, Virginia, on Oct. 21, 2021. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS | AFP | Getty Images Claims for unemployment benefits dipped to their lowest point in more than 50 years the week before Thanksgiving — a remarkable rebound from the nosebleed levels earlier in the Covid-19 pandemic. The

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Home prices are still considerably higher than they were a year ago, when the pandemic caused a massive run on housing, but the gains are finally starting to ease up. Home prices rose 19.5% in September year over year, down from a 19.8% annual gain in August, according

A single family home is shown for sale and in escrow in San Marcos, California. Mike Blake | Reuters Buyers came roaring back to the housing market in October, even as mortgage rates rose. Signed contracts on existing homes, so-called pending sales, jumped 7.5% from September, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were

In this article ETSY KR MAT CVS U.S. President Joe Biden announces the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of a coordinated effort with other major economies to help ease rising gas prices as he delivers remarks on the economy and “lowering prices,” during a speech

Residential single family homes construction by KB Home are shown under construction in the community of Valley Center, California, U.S. June 3, 2021. Mike Blake | Reuters Not since Americans came home from World War II has inflation percolated through the U.S. economy like it is now, and it could continue to do so for

A real estate sign advertising a home “Under Contract” is pictured in Vienna, Virginia, outside of Washington. Larry Downing | Reuters An unusual surge in home buying, just as the market enters the historically slow holiday season, is driving mortgage demand higher. Total mortgage application volume rose 1.8% last week compared with the previous week,

A customer’s groceries are rung up at a store in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Critical supply chains are choked off. Demand soars. Prices surge and everyone starts freaking out about inflation and wonder how long it will last. Is it 1945? 1916?

The ranks of those submitting jobless claims tumbled to their lowest level in more than 52 years last week, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. New filings totaled 199,000, a number not seen since Nov. 15, 1969, when claims totaled 197,000. The report easily beat Dow Jones estimates of 260,000 and was well below the previous

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell attends the House Financial Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 30, 2021. Al Drago | Reuters Expect more tough talk from the Federal Reserve, as it may consider winding down its bond program sooner than expected. Based on comments from a number of Fed officials, market

The Pie Shop in Washington, D.C. CNBC As Americans sit down at their Thanksgiving tables, many of the items in front of them will be more expensive than they were last year. Pies in particular. And climate change is a contributing factor. Inflation is hitting every sector of the economy, and food products are not

Customers stand in line to check out at a grocery store in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images After lying dormant for years, inflation is once again chipping away at American wallets, and it has become a chief concern for the White House. In