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...
Trump Thanks Farmers for Backing Him Through China Trade War
AUSTIN, Texas — President Donald Trump thanked farmers Sunday for supporting him through a trade war with China as he promoted a new North American trade agreement and a separate one with China that he said will massively benefit farmers. “We did it,” Trump said, recalling his campaign promises to...
US New-Home Sales Rose 1.3% in November
WASHINGTON — U.S. sales of newly built homes increased 1.3% in November from the prior month, a sign that low mortgage rates are pushing up purchases as well as prices. The Commerce Department said Monday that new single-family houses sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 719,000 last month....
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...
Hopes Rise That Lifting Tariffs Could Allow US-China Accord
BEIJING — Prospects appear to have brightened for a preliminary breakthrough in the U.S.-China trade war after the two sides agreed to reduce some punitive tariffs on each other's goods as part of an initial agreement. A Chinese spokesman announced the development Thursday as talks on ending the trade war...
US Travel Industry to Chinese Tourists: What Trade War?
WASHINGTON — Washington, D.C., has dangled hotel discounts tied to the Chinese Lunar New Year. Arizona has promoted its outdoor attractions to draw visitors during another popular Chinese holiday. San Francisco has expanded its social media presence on Chinese apps to market year-round travel to millennial tourists. Across the country,...
US Durable Goods Orders Fall 1.1% in September
WASHINGTON — Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods tumbled in September by the largest amount in four months while a closely watched category that tracks business investment fell for a second month. The declines underscored the troubles manufacturing is having in the face of a global slowdown and...
A Divided Fed Cuts Key Interest Rate for 2nd time This Year
WASHINGTON — A sharply divided Federal Reserve cut its key benchmark interest rate for a second time this year while saying Wednesday that it's prepared to continue doing what it deems necessary to sustain the U.S. economic expansion. The Fed's move will reduce its benchmark rate by an additional quarter-point...
US Retail Sales Rise Moderately as Auto-Buying Jumps
WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales rose moderately in August, driven higher by a jump in auto buying and healthy online sales, evidence that consumers are still spending enough to support growth. The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales increased 0.4% last month, down from a strong 0.8% in July....
US Stocks Move Higher as China Eases Trade Tensions
Stocks rose broadly on Wall Street in afternoon trading Wednesday as investors welcomed China's move to exempt some U.S. products from a recent round of tariffs. Technology, health care and communication services stocks powered much of the gains for the benchmark S&P 500 index, which has been essentially flat for...