Economy

Hiring was a huge letdown in April, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by a much less than expected 266,000 and the unemployment rate rose to 6.1% amid an escalating shortage of available workers. Dow Jones estimates had been for 1 million new jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.8%. Many economists had been expecting an even

Labor Secretary Martin Walsh said Friday that the Covid-19 pandemic is still weighing on jobs but projected optimism about recovery of the U.S. economy as vaccinations continue, saying that “we are starting to see the confidence come back.” Walsh’s comments on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” came shortly after the Labor Department released a disappointing

A help wanted sign is posted at a taco stand in Solana Beach, California. Mike Blake | Reuters The largest business lobbying group in America on Friday blamed a $300-per-week federal jobless benefit for enticing Americans to stay at home and April’s far-weaker-than-expected jobs report. “The disappointing jobs report makes it clear that paying people

Server Adrian Almanza brings entrees to a table at Satay Thai Bistro and Bar, in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 28, 2021. Bridget Bennett | Reuters Job growth in April could top 1 million, though many positions also may have gone unfilled. Economists expect to see job creation in each of the next several months of

The U.S. employment picture improved sharply last week, with first-time claims for unemployment insurance dipping below 500,000 for the first time since the pandemic crisis. Initial claims totaled 498,000 for the week ended March 1, against the Dow Jones estimate of 527,000. That was down from the previous week’s total of 590,000, which saw a

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a listening session on broadband internet at the New Hampshire Electric Co-op in Plymouth, New Hampshire, April 23, 2021, as she travels to the state to promote the administration’s economic plans. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images As the White House attempts to sell President Joe Biden‘s multi-trillion-dollar

Bartenders wearing protective masks assist customers sitting at the bar at Blooms Tavern in New York, U.S., on Monday, May 3, 2021. Nina Westervelt | Bloomberg | Getty Images Private job growth accelerated in April but fell a bit short of Wall Street expectations, according to a report Wednesday from payroll processing firm ADP. Companies

Cars line up to pick up food boxes at the Athens County Fairgrounds in Athens, Ohio, on Dec. 19, 2020. BRAD LEE | AFP | Getty Images The U.S. economy is on the mend. But the unequal — or K-shaped — nature of the recovery persists. Economic activity is on pace to return to pre-pandemic

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen conceded Tuesday that interest rates may have to rise to keep a lid on the burgeoning growth of the U.S. economy brought on in part by trillions in government stimulus spending. “It may be that interest rates will have to rise

In this article BRK.A Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting in Los Angeles, California. May 1, 2021. Gerard Miller | CNBC Warren Buffett is seeing inflation among Berkshire Hathaway‘s collection of businesses as the economic recovery from the pandemic kicks into high gear. “We are seeing very substantial inflation,” the Berkshire chairman and CEO

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that he has in the past met with homeless Americans and that doing so reminds him of those he works for as a government official. Powell said he has not yet met with members of the homeless encampment near the Fed’s building in Washington. He added that he

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday declined to let up on its easy-money policy despite an economy that it acknowledged is accelerating. As expected, the U.S. central bank decided to keep short-term interest rates anchored near zero as it buys at least $120 billion of bonds each month. The latter part of policy is a two-pronged

A Wawa store hiring sign in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Stephanie Dhue | CNBC The economy could add more than 1 million jobs in April, economists say. Hiring seems to have strengthened as businesses reopen, leading some economists to make big predictions for the number of jobs added during the month. The April employment report is

L-R: Dorris Bowden, Jane Darwell and Henry Fonda on the set of the film The Grapes of Wrath directed by John Ford based on John Steinbeck novel by the same tittle. Sunset Boulevard | Corbis Historical | Getty Images The anticipated economic boom following the coronavirus pandemic has been likened to the “Roaring ’20s” by

Economic activity boomed to start 2021, as widespread vaccinations and more fuel from government spending helped get the U.S. closer to where it was before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced in the economy, jumped 6.4% for the first three months

A sale pending sign is posted in front of a home for sale in San Anselmo, California. Justin Sullivan | California Pending home sales, a measure of signed contracts on existing homes, rose 1.9% in March compared with April, according to the National Association of Realtors. Forecasters had expected a 5% gain. Pending sales were

A “For Sale” sign outside a house in West Palm Beach, Florida, April 7, 2021. Marco Bello | Bloomberg | Getty Images Home price gains continue to outpace expectations, as tight supply and strong demand lead to bidding wars. Nationally, prices in February rose 12% year over year, up from 11.2% in January, according to

Robin Azougi 1st R, a licensed real estate salesperson with Douglas Elliman Real Estate, talks with prospective buyers at a house for sale in Floral Park, Nassau County, New York, on Sept. 6, 2020. Wang Ying | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Lower mortgage rates are not prompting homeowners or potential homebuyers to contact