US Economy - Page 17

Economy News

Reuters - The Bush administration is considering T. Timothy Ryan, a former top financial regulator who is now with JPMorgan Chase, to become Treasury's point person on international affairs, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Reuters - The Bush administration is considering T. Timothy Ryan, a former top financial regulator who is now with JPMorgan Chase, to become Treasury's point person on international affairs, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

AP - The high prices farmers are getting for their corn remain steady, and soybean prices have risen, the Agriculture Department said Friday. More Info...  

Economy News

AP - The number of newly laid off workers filing for unemployment benefits edged up slightly last week but was at a level that signaled a solid labor market.

Reuters - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose slightly last week, but wholesalers trimmed inventories in December, setting the stage for future growth, data on Thursday showed.

Reuters - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose a slightly less-than-expected 3,000 last week, a government report showed on Thursday, but remained at levels indicative of a healthy job market.

Economy News

AFP - The dollar traded mixed after a stronger-than-expected report on US labor productivity, as traders looked ahead to a eurozone interest rate decision and a G7 finance chief meeting.

AFP - The dollar traded mixed after a stronger-than-expected report on US labor productivity, as traders looked ahead to a eurozone interest rate decision and a G7 finance chief meeting.

AP - Workers stepped up their efficiency in the final three months of 2006, yet productivity still turned in the weakest yearly performance in almost a decade. More Info...  

AP - Consumers increased their borrowing at a more modest pace in December as credit card debt increased at the slowest rate in nine months. More Info...  

AP - The Bush administration proposed upgrading fuel economy standards for passenger cars on Wednesday, starting a process that will bring close scrutiny from automakers, environmental groups and key members of Congress. More Info...  

Reuters - U.S. business productivity rose at a much stronger-than-expected 3.0 percent annual pace in the fourth quarter while unit labor costs moderated, in good news for the inflation-wary Federal Reserve.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were set for a higher start on Wednesday after a better-than- expected set of productivity data raised confidence over the strength of the US economy. The 3 per cent rise in the fourth quarter exceeded economists estimates. More Info...  

Economy News Reuters - China's central bank has pledged to strengthen efforts to effectively manage the amount of cash in the financial system, according to the summary of a meeting held earlier this week that was published on Wednesday. More Info...  

Reuters - China's central bank has pledged to strengthen efforts to effectively manage the amount of cash in the financial system, according to the summary of a meeting held earlier this week that was published on Wednesday. More Info...  

Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson repeated on Tuesday that he considered the value of Japan's yen currency was fairly set and indicated he will make that point to disgruntled European colleagues this week.

AFP - Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the US economy faces a growing rich-poor gap that is "a major challenge for economists and policymakers," and urged more training and education for the those in the lowest ranks.

Reuters - While the housing downturn has depressed once-thriving real estate markets around the nation, far-flung suburbs of major cities have suffered the most abrupt market correction.

Economy News

AP - Weakness in the manufacturing sector, especially the auto industry, may be dampening the nation's economic prospects, but the bigger services sector appears to be more than making up for it.

AP - Weakness in the manufacturing sector, especially the auto industry, may be dampening the nation's economic prospects, but the bigger services sector appears to be more than making up for it.