The economic news in recent weeks suggests that the recovery has hit a rough patch, but at least one forward-looking review of the macro trend says the rearview mirror may be misleading, as the economists see moderately improving conditions in the second half of this year.
US exports hit a record high in March, returning to levels not seen since before the global financial crisis. Meanwhile, jobs openings rose by the most since 2008 and retail sales grew for tenth straight month.
Manufacturing grew in December at the fastest pace in six months, the latest sign that the US economy gained momentum at the end of last year. Manufacturing has expanded for more than two years. Factories were one of the first areas of the economy to start growing after the recession officially ended in June 2009.
The US stock markets rose more than 3 percent in late morning trading today after hearing the latest U.S. economic data on unemployment claims. The government reported that weekly initial jobless claims fell to their lowest level in four months
The world economy is gaining strength as global private sector activity hit a one-year high in February, building on the gains of previous months. Momentum is growing in both service and manufacturing industries, with strong improvement in the United States leading the way, according to a new report by JPMorgan.
General Motors earned its largest profit ever in 2011, two years after it nearly collapsed. Strong sales in the United States and China helped the automaker turn a profit of $7.6 billion, beating its old record of $6.7 billion set during the pickup and SUV boom of 1997. GM said 47,500 blue-collar workers in the United States will get $7,000 profit-sharing checks in March.
The unemployment rate fell for the fifth straight month after a surge of January hiring, a promising shift in the nation's outlook for job growth. The Labor Department says employers added 243,000 jobs in January, the most in nine months
After a four-year run during which states had to close budget gaps of historic proportions, the term "surplus" is finally making a modest comeback in capitals. According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, at least 45 states saw their revenues increase over the past year. Enough economic vital signs are headed in the right direction that the mood in most states is encouraging, and some legislatures will start reversing the most painful of their recent cuts as soon as this year.
American consumers spent enough in December to lift sales to a record level for 2011. It marked the largest annual increase in consumer spending in more than a decade.
Two-thirds of Americans are optimistic that they will be better off financially next year than they are now, according to a new poll. Also, fewer Americans are experiencing daily worry or stress, and their emotional heath, self-measured by how much they remember smiling, laughing and enjoyment of recent days, is now higher than it has been in any month since tracking began in January 2008.
Lower trade deficits boosted optimism in the U.S. economic growth this week. American businesses sold a record number of goods and services in Europe, China and other foreign markets in February, while imports declined.
Manufacturing unexpectedly expanded in September, exceeding even the most optimistic forecasts in a Bloomberg survey. Sustained strength in motor vehicle sales and a rebound in demand for home construction materials provided a major lift for American factories, which outperformed their counterparts in Europe and Asia, according to the Institute for Supply Management's factory index.
Consumer confidence jumped to its highest level in seven months in September as Americans were more optimistic about the job market and income prospects. The index spiked to 70.3 this month from an upwardly revised 61.3 in August.
Brazil has become one of globalization's success stories. A rigorous battle against corruption and poverty has ushered in new freedoms, growth, and increasing equality, winning the country respect around the world. (Der Spiegel)
Unemployment in the United Kingdom fell to 8.1 per cent in the March-May quarter, down from 8.3 per cent in the previous three months. The number of people with jobs increased by 181,000, the biggest quarterly gain in two years.
Residential construction, remodeling, moving, gardening and furniture buying add up to about 20 percent of the country's gross domestic product — which is why the upward momentum in housing, which continues to gain steam, is such a powerful boost to the economy.
A clutch of data pointed to growing momentum in the economy during the first quarter, with jobless claims trending lower and factory activity and homes sales both on the rise.
US employers stepped up hiring in February, adding a greater-than-expected 236,000 workers to their payrolls and helping to push the jobless rate to a four year-low in a bright signal on the economy's health.
The economy added 165,000 jobs in April, surprising economists and easing fears of an imminent collapse in the recovery. Also, an optimistic report released last week showed the number of Americans filing unemployment claims fell last week to the lowest level since January 2008.
If you know anyone looking for a job, you might want to tell them to go see a start-up. Eighty seven percent of technology startups plan to hire new employees this year, according to an interactive report by Silicon Valley Bank, which serves high growth tech companies across the United States. In the US, that number is 14 percent higher than four years ago.
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