archive

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Two-Way

Retail Sales Posted Solid Gain In February

March 13, 2012 They were up 1.1 percent from January. Higher gas prices were one reason, but excluding gasoline sales were still up 0.8 percent.

Summary

Friday, March 09, 2012

The Two-Way

Unemployment Rate Likely Held Steady At 8.3 Percent, Economists Say

Will more signs such as this be showing up? (Nov. 30, 2011 file photo from San Rafael, Calif.)

March 9, 2012 The much-anticipated February jobs and unemployment report is due at 8:30 a.m. ET. At 8.3 percent, the jobless rate would be about 1 percentage point lower than a year ago.

Summary

Thursday, March 08, 2012

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Rose By 8,000 Last Week

March 8, 2012 At 362,000, the number of claims remains near a four-year low, however.

Summary

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

The Two-Way

Rough Day On Wall Street; Dow Has Sharpest Drop Of Year

March 6, 2012 The index dropped just more than 200 points, about 1.6 percent, on concerns about weak economic growth around the world.

Summary

Thursday, March 01, 2012

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Ticked Down Again, Consumer Spending Edged Up

March 1, 2012 There were 2,000 fewer first-time claims for unemployment last week than in the week before. Meanwhile, consumer spending rose 0.2 percent in January from December.

Summary

Friday, February 24, 2012

The Two-Way

New Home Sales Dipped In January

A sign of the times at a new housing development in Danville, Calif., last year.

February 24, 2012 But they were still up from a year earlier. And late-2011 estimates have been revised upward. So the news appears to add to signs that the housing sector is stabilizing.

Summary

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Stay At Four-Year Low

February 23, 2012 Economists thought there might have been a slight increase. Instead, it's another sign of a healthier labor market.

Summary

Friday, February 10, 2012

The Two-Way

Deal With Banks Isn't Only Way For Homeowners To Get Help, HUD Chief Says

For sale signs on a foreclosed house in Glendale, Calif., last September.

February 10, 2012 There's been some skepticism about how much help the $25 billion package will give hard-hit homeowners. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan says there are other remedies for those who were devastated.

Summary

ListenPlaylist

Thursday, February 09, 2012

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Drop By 15,000

February 9, 2012 At 358,000, first-time claims for unemployment insurance were the lowest they've been since March 2008. The report is the latest of several recent signs that the labor market is gaining some strength.

Summary

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Two-Way

Fed: Economy Is 'Expanding Moderately,' But No Change In Rates

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke during his news conference this afternoon.

January 25, 2012 The central bank also says it likely won't be switching gears and nudging interest rates higher until at least 2014. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke concedes its longer-term forecasts are "a best guess."

Summary

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Jump Up By 24,000

January 12, 2012 The number of people filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance rose to 399,000 from the week before. Some of the increase was because of post-holiday layoffs.

Summary

Friday, January 06, 2012

The Two-Way

Jobless Rate Dips To 8.5 Percent, 200,000 Jobs Added To Payrolls

January 6, 2012 The unemployment rate is near a three-year low and there were 1.9 million private-sector jobs added to payrolls last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says.

Summary

The Two-Way

Coming Up: December Jobs And Unemployment Report

January 6, 2012 The most-anticipated story of the morning seems to be the December jobs and unemployment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is due for release at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Summary

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Two-Way

Sales Of Existing Homes Rose In November; Previous Years Revised Down

A "sold" sign outside a home in Pasadena, Calif., in September 2009. New data show fewer such sales that year.

December 21, 2011 While it says sales of existing homes rose 4 percent in November from October, the National Association of Realtors also reported today that there were about 2.9 million fewer homes sold from the start of 2007 through the end of 2010 than thought.

Summary

Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Drop To Lowest Level In More Than Three Years

December 15, 2011 The decline was not expected. It brings claims down closer to a level associated with an improving labor market.

Summary

NPR thanks our sponsors

Become an NPR Sponsor

Podcast + RSS Feeds

Podcast RSS

  • economy