BALTIMORE — U.S. companies added 202,000 jobs in December, led by robust hiring in construction, trade, transportation and utilities, according to a private survey. Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that the bulk of the hiring was among smaller and mid-sized businesses with fewer than 500 employees. Hiring in November was...
Thanksgiving Dinner Is a Better Value Than Fast Food
There might be no better bargain on American dining tables than the Thanksgiving feast. In fact, it can cost less person — and likely is healthier — than typical fast-food fare. Listen to this article: Feed 10 With Leftovers for $4.89 a Person According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s...
School Bond Backers Have Some Selling to Do, Poll Shows
California voters have resoundingly approved tens of billions of dollars in state school construction bonds over the last two decades. But a new survey suggests that voters have yet to similarly warm up to the latest and heftiest proposal to come before them: a $15 billion state bond for public schools, community colleges...
CA College Students Shell Out $2K a Month for Housing, Books, Food Alone
The price of college has become a hot-button issue at both the state and national level, but data has been scarce about how much, beyond tuition, California students actually spend on the housing, food, textbooks and other non-tuition items that they also need to earn a degree. On Thursday, a state survey offered some...
Survey Says: Huge Support for Central Unified's Potential $120 Million Bond Measure
It looks like Central Unified School District voters would be willing to hike their own property taxes if it means improving the quality of their Fresno-area schools, including replacing portable classrooms with permanent buildings and renovating school libraries. A survey last month of 404 voters showed that 69% would be...
Survey: US Services Sector Expands at Faster Pace in August
WASHINGTON — U.S. services expanded at a stronger pace in August, driven by an uptick in business activity and new orders. The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, said Thursday that its non-manufacturing index rose to 56.4 from 53.7 in July after two months of cooler growth....
74% of Economists in Survey Expect 2021 Recession
WASHINGTON — A strong majority, 74%, of U.S. business economists appear sufficiently concerned about the risks of some of President Donald Trump’s economic policies that they expect a recession in the U.S. by the end of 2021. The economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics, in a report released Monday,...
Poll: Many Feeling Vulnerable Despite Economic Gains
WASHINGTON — Americans are generally satisfied with their personal finances, but many lack confidence in their ability to afford retirement, an emergency expense or even their daily living costs. Roughly two-thirds, 67%, describe their financial situation as generally good, up slightly from 62% who said so at the start of...
Poll: US Opposition to Immigration is Declining
SANTA ANA — A growing number of Americans say immigration levels should remain the same or increase, according to a major U.S. survey, a shift that comes as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement. At the same time, the latest data from the General Social Survey — a...
Poll: Majority of Republicans Support Legal Marijuana
LOS ANGELES — A growing majority of Americans, including Republicans, say marijuana should be legal, underscoring a national shift as more states embrace cannabis for medical or recreational use. Support for legal marijuana hit 61 percent in 2018, up from 57 percent two years ago, according to the General Social...