Economy : NPR

Better Than Nothing? GDP Revised From Slight Drop To Slight Gain

February 28, 2013 • The economy barely grew in the fourth quarter of 2012, the government now says. But that's better than what it thought before — that the economy had contracted. Meanwhile, the number of people applying for jobless benefits fell last week.

Home Sales, Consumer Confidence And Bernanke All On Positive Side

February 26, 2013 • But the Federal Reserve chairman warns Congress that the "sharp, front-loaded spending cuts" that would come with the so-called sequester could hurt the economy. He recommends "policies that reduce the federal deficit more gradually in the near term but more substantially in the longer run."

Seeking A 'Field Of Dreams' For A Rising Drone Industry

Joe Kummer, president of Propulsive Wing in Elbridge, N.Y., is rooting for having a drone test site in upstate New York. He says it could save him trips to the West Coast to try out new drone prototypes. Ryan Delaney/WRVO hide caption

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Ryan Delaney/WRVO

All Tech Considered

Seeking A 'Field Of Dreams' For A Rising Drone Industry

WRVO

February 26, 2013 • Drone developers in upstate New York and other regions are striving to be named official testing sites for drones as the FAA creates regulations for their use.

Seeking A 'Field Of Dreams' For A Rising Drone Industry

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Existing Home Sales Rise Again; 'Seller's Market Is Developing,' Realtors Say

A "for sale" sign in San Francisco last summer. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Existing Home Sales Rise Again; 'Seller's Market Is Developing,' Realtors Say

February 21, 2013 • Sales were up more than 9 percent from a year ago. Realtors report that across much of the nation, would-be buyers are beginning to outpace the supply of homes.

Inflation Was In Check Last Month; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week

Gasoline prices at a station in Encinitas, Calif., earlier this week. Mike Blake/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Mike Blake/Reuters /Landov

The Two-Way

Inflation Was In Check Last Month; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week

February 21, 2013 • Consumer prices were flat in January. But since then, gas prices have risen sharply. So upcoming inflation reports may not be as positive.

Single-Family Housing Starts Edged Up In January

Going up: A construction worker at a housing development in San Mateo, Calif., in June 2012. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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The Two-Way

Single-Family Housing Starts Edged Up In January

February 20, 2013 • The housing sector has been among the economy's bright spots. The news about single-family homes is a sign that trend will continue.

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Fell By 27,000 Last Week

February 14, 2013 • The decline looks like another sign that the labor market is slowly, steadily, improving.

What Nations Were The Most Forward-Looking In 2012?

The Future Orientation index shows a strong correlation between Internet activity and its gross domestic product. Countries in blue are deemed forward-looking. Suzy Moat and Tobias Preis hide caption

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Suzy Moat and Tobias Preis

The Two-Way

What Nations Were The Most Forward-Looking In 2012?

February 7, 2013 • Germany was the world's most future-oriented country in 2012, followed by Switzerland and Japan, according to the "Future Orientation Index," which is based on Google searches. Scientists say the index is "strongly correlated" to economic health.

The Two-Way

366,000 New Claims For Jobless Benefits, Down Only Slightly

February 7, 2013 • The pace of claims for unemployment insurance changed little. That could be a sign that employers are hiring and firing at about the same rate as they did in 2012.

Though Jobless Rate Stays Stuck, Job Growth Looks Much Stronger

Job seekers came to the ThistleDown Racino and Horseshoe Casino in Warrensvile Hts., Ohio, last month. Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer /Landov hide caption

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Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer /Landov

The Two-Way

Though Jobless Rate Stays Stuck, Job Growth Looks Much Stronger

February 1, 2013 • The jobless rate was 7.9 percent vs. 7.8 percent in December. But new data show job growth has been better than first thought and ended 2012 on a strong note. Overall, it's estimated that several hundred thousand more jobs were created in 2011 and 2012 than previously thought.

Growth In Incomes, Spending Slowed In 2012; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week

Consumer spending rose in 2012, but not by as much as the year before. In December, these shoppers were out and about in Glendale, Calif. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Growth In Incomes, Spending Slowed In 2012; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week

January 31, 2013 • The year ended on a strong note, with personal incomes up 2.6 percent in December alone. But over all of 2012, growth in both incomes and spending was less than the increases in 2011. The week's big economic news comes Friday when we'll hear how many jobs were created in January.

192,000 Jobs Added To Payrolls This Month, Report Signals

Looking for work: In Birmingham, Ala., last summer, Jessica McQueen (left) and Ashley Abramson were among those filling out applications at a jobs fair. Joe Songer /Birmingham News /Landov hide caption

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Joe Songer /Birmingham News /Landov

January 29, 2013 • Though there have been other signs to indicate that the economy is on the upswing, many Americans aren't feeling all that good about how things are going.The private Conference Board reports that its widely watched consumer confidence index fell to 58.6 in January from 66.7 in December.

Home Prices Continue To Rise; Housing Is Now Economic 'Bright Spot'

A sign of the times in Boca Raton, Fla. (November 2012 file photo.) Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Home Prices Continue To Rise; Housing Is Now Economic 'Bright Spot'

January 29, 2013 • In nearly all major cities across the nation, prices rose at a faster pace in November than they had in October, the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices report shows. It's another sign that the housing sector has recovered from its bust.

Economy

The Two-Way

Better Than Nothing? GDP Revised From Slight Drop To Slight Gain

The Two-Way

Home Sales, Consumer Confidence And Bernanke All On Positive Side

All Tech Considered

Seeking A 'Field Of Dreams' For A Rising Drone Industry

WRVO

Seeking A 'Field Of Dreams' For A Rising Drone Industry

The Two-Way

Existing Home Sales Rise Again; 'Seller's Market Is Developing,' Realtors Say

The Two-Way

Inflation Was In Check Last Month; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week

The Two-Way

Single-Family Housing Starts Edged Up In January

The Two-Way

Jobless Claims Fell By 27,000 Last Week

The Two-Way

What Nations Were The Most Forward-Looking In 2012?

The Two-Way

366,000 New Claims For Jobless Benefits, Down Only Slightly

The Two-Way

Though Jobless Rate Stays Stuck, Job Growth Looks Much Stronger

The Two-Way

Growth In Incomes, Spending Slowed In 2012; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week

The Two-Way

192,000 Jobs Added To Payrolls This Month, Report Signals

The Two-Way

Economy Shrank At 0.1 Percent Annual Rate In Fourth Quarter

The Two-Way

Consumer Confidence Drops; All Of 2012's Gains Gone

The Two-Way

Home Prices Continue To Rise; Housing Is Now Economic 'Bright Spot'