U.S. Economy

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The U.S. Recovery
Unemployed in America
Wall Street
Bankrupt USA
Bush Tax Cuts
Financial Reform Fight
New $100 Bill
Unemployed in America : Opinion Brief
President Obama talks up his jobs plan at the construction site of a new Intel plant in Arizona: The U.S. economy unexpectedly gained a whopping 243,000 jobs in January.

The 'unequivocally strong' January jobs report

Posted on February 3, 2012, at 11:19 AM

Employers go on an unexpected hiring spree in January, pushing the unemployment rate to its lowest point in three years. But is all the news good?

11 Comments
The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief
Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf during Senate hearings last year: The CBO has released grim new predictions for the U.S. economy.

Is D.C.'s deficit obsession undermining the economic recovery?

Posted on February 1, 2012, at 10:51 AM

A new report forecasts sky-high deficits for years without immediate, tough cuts — but alternative approaches are just as troubling

9 Comments
Unemployed in America : The List
Temporary construction on Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park: In December, the construction industry added jobs for the first time since 2006.

The 'heartening' December jobs report: 5 takeaways

Posted on January 6, 2012, at 11:52 AM

The feds announce that 200,000 jobs were added to the economy last month, surpassing forecasts and adding momentum to the economic recovery

9 Comments
The U.S. Recovery : Burning Question
Traders on the floor of the NYSE: Our currency economic crisis has some troubling historic parallels with the "Long Depression" that began afflicting America in the 1870s.

Are we at the beginning of a 25-year recession?

Posted on December 15, 2011, at 10:39 AM

The world economy faced a similar slump in the 19th Century. And it wasn't pretty

29 Comments
Bankrupt USA : The List
Cassandra Martin, age 6, lies on a bed in a Texas shelter in 2009: Thanks to the recession, 1 in 45 American children is now homeless.

America's 'bleak' child homelessness problem

Posted on December 14, 2011, at 1:56 PM

A new report finds that a stunning 1 in 45 kids doesn't have a permanent roof over his head

12 Comments
The U.S. Recovery : Best Column
If there was no paper money, says Matthew Yglesias at Slate, then the Fed could slash interest rates below zero, and Americans would have no choice but to spend money or see the value of their savings go down.

Could killing cash save the economy?

Posted on December 13, 2011, at 12:35 PM

Scrapping paper money would allow the Fed to slash interest rates below zero and jumpstart economic growth, argues Matthew Yglesias at Slate

13 Comments
Unemployed in America : The List
Job seekers at a San Francisco hiring event: The new unemployment rate, 8.6 percent, is the lowest since March, 2009.

The 'happy holidays' jobs report: 5 takeaways

Posted on December 2, 2011, at 12:54 PM

The feds announce that 120,000 new jobs were added in November, while the unemployment rate dropped sharply to 8.6 percent. A 'Christmas miracle'?

Wall Street : Opinion Brief
Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson reportedly gave top hedge fund managers a secret tip about the trouble at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ahead of the 2008 meltdown.

Hank Paulson's 'astonishing' insider tip to Wall Street

Posted on November 30, 2011, at 11:10 AM

Bloomberg reports that as Treasury secretary, Paulson gave a potentially lucrative heads-up to hedge fund managers. Should we be outraged?

21 Comments
The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief
A customer carries shopping bags on Black Friday: The first day of the holiday shopping season saw record numbers of shoppers and sales.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday's record sales: A good omen?

Posted on November 29, 2011, at 2:31 PM

The holiday shopping season is off to a booming start. But do stampedes of bargain-hungry Americans really prove the economy is back on track?

Wall Street : By the numbers
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says that newly revealed details about the Fed's bank bailout were kept secret to prevent a stigma against banks that took part.

The Federal Reserve's 'breathtaking' $7.7 trillion bank bailout

Posted on November 28, 2011, at 6:02 PM

A new report on the 2008 financial crisis reveals some shocking numbers that dramatically exceed the $700 billion TARP bailout

25 Comments
Unemployed in America : The List
In October, the private sector added 104,000 jobs, while the government lost 24,000, meaning the U.S. economy, on balance, added 80,000 jobs last month.

The 'glimmer of hope' October jobs report: 5 takeaways

Posted on November 4, 2011, at 12:45 PM

The U.S. economy adds fewer jobs than expected, but there are still auspicious signs

Wall Street : Winners and Losers
Former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine may come out of MF Global's bankruptcy with a $12.1 million severance package, but he can say almost certainly say goodbye to a political comeback.

MF Global's 'spectacular' collapse: Winners and losers

Posted on November 2, 2011, at 2:02 PM

The brokerage firm files for Chapter 11 in one of the biggest bankruptcies in U.S. history. But not everyone is particularly upset

Wall Street : The List
Former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine heads the brokerage firm MF Global, which filed for bankruptcy on Monday, and is still scrambling to find $700 million in missing customer money.

MF Global: Where is the bankrupt firm's missing $700 million?

Posted on November 1, 2011, at 4:06 PM

Jon Corzine's brokerage house files for bankruptcy — after the feds discover loads of cash missing from customers' accounts

11 Comments
Bankrupt USA : In-depth briefing
Liberals, Occupy Wall Streeters, and President Obama have all called for millionaires to pay more in taxes.

Taxing the rich: A guide to the controversy

Posted on October 28, 2011, at 11:34 AM

The wealthiest Americans are flourishing, while the middle class falters. Are the rich paying their fair share?

33 Comments
The U.S. Recovery : Opinion Brief
A couple considers purchasing a car at a Chrysler dealership in Florida: Increased vehicle sales were one factor that helped boost the U.S. economy grow at a 2.5 percent pace in the third quarter.

The economy's 'surprising' growth: 'Is the recovery back on track?'

Posted on October 28, 2011, at 9:22 AM

In a rare bit of good news, the feds announce that the U.S. economy grew at a 2.5 percent rate in the third quarter. Time to talk about green shoots again?

14 Comments
The U.S. Recovery : By the numbers
A zombie flashmob: Zombies have inspired movies, Halloween costumes, and even Occupy Wall Street garb, and in the process, they've given a boost to the near-dead economy.

America's $5 billion zombie industry: By the numbers

Posted on October 27, 2011, at 1:09 PM

As zombies invade nearly all aspects of the arts and commerce, the undead are helping to keep the U.S. economy alive

11 Comments
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