WASHINGTON — Hiring jumped last month as U.S. employers added a robust 225,000 jobs, bolstering an economy that faces threats from China’s viral outbreak, an ongoing trade war and struggles at Boeing. The Labor Department also said Friday that a half-million people streamed into the job market in January, though...
US Adds 145,000 Jobs; Unemployment Holds at 3.5%
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added 145,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%, signaling that the job market remains strong at the start of 2020 even if hiring and wage gains have slowed somewhat more than a decade into an economic expansion. Friday’s snapshot from the...
US Long-Term Mortgage Rates Ease; 30-Year Loan at 3.72%
WASHINGTON — U.S. long-term mortgage rates declined slightly this week, remaining close to the historically low levels where they have hovered for the past two months. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage eased to 3.72% from 3.74% last week. The benchmark rate...
Fed Leaves Low Rates Alone and Sees No Moves in Near Future
WASHINGTON — Chairman Jerome Powell made clear Wednesday that the Federal Reserve is prepared to keep its benchmark interest rate very low through at least next year — and possibly longer. Fueling that expectation is the growing belief of Fed officials that inflation will remain tame even as the economy...
Wages Surge as US Adds a Robust 250,000 Jobs in October
WASHINGTON — U.S. businesses ramped up hiring in October, and wages rose by the largest year-over-year amount in nearly a decade, a combination that is pulling a rising share of Americans into the job market. In the final major economic report before Tuesday's congressional elections, the government said Friday that...
Are You Getting a Raise? US Wages Climb Fastest Since 2009.
WASHINGTON — The pace of hiring in the United States quickened in August, and wages grew at their fastest pace in nine years — evidence that employers remain confident despite the Trump administration's ongoing conflicts with its trading partners. The economy added a strong 201,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate...
Business-Friendly Fresno Is a Must. Not An Option
There is spin. There is illusionary anecdotal information. And there are the unvarnished numbers. The unvarnished numbers say that Fresno is the eighth-worst city in America (out of 182) to look for a job. WalletHub assembled the rankings based on 26 indicators of job-market strength. Local job-market conditions accounted for...
Business-Friendly Fresno Is a Must. Not An Option
There is spin. There is illusionary anecdotal information. And there are the unvarnished numbers. The unvarnished numbers say that Fresno is the eighth-worst city in America (out of 182) to look for a job. WalletHub assembled the rankings based on 26 indicators of job-market strength. Local job-market conditions accounted for...