The tech sector is fueling a job boom that stands in stark contrast to the malaise of the general job market. Competition for cloud computing engineers, security experts, and mobile developers as well as sales professionals in the technology industry has gotten so fierce that companies are going to greater lengths to woo prospective employees.
Since 2003, the United States Postal Service has reduced its energy use by 26 percent. Energy efficiency improvements at the USPS's 33,000 buildings have saved enough energy to meet the power needs of 90,000 households for a year. In 2011, alone, the USPS saved $22 million with its 1 trillion BTU reduction in energy use.
The Dow Jones industrial average, powered higher all year by optimism that the economic recovery is finally for real, crossed 13,000 today for the first time since May 2008 -- a number with symbolic power that couldn't be dismissed.
The housing market in many US cities is performing better than recent national data would suggest, leading some analysts and real estate brokers to express cautious optimism about the prospects for a recovery.
A rebound in manufacturing surprised investors Friday, and strong Nike sales indicated consumers were still shopping, which sent the Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 170 points to end the week with its best gain in two years.
A wide range of retailers today reported sales figures for July that beat Wall Street estimates, including Target, J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Saks. Costco reported an impressive 10% increase in sales.
Existing home sales grew in August at the fastest annual pace since March and increased plans for new buildings drawn up by architects indicate a future surge in non-residential construction.
Retail sales bounced back in May after a dismal April as sunnier weather encouraged shoppers to buy clothes and shoes, raising hope that Britain may yet avoid a longer slump.
U.S. auto sales remained an economic bright spot in May, with Chrysler reporting US sales up 30 percent. Meanwhile, a monthly survey of consumer confidence showed American sentiment at its highest level in four-and-a-half years, partly because gasoline prices have dropped.
U.S. retailers are extending deals into Cyber Monday and beyond to try to sustain a 13 percent gain in Thanksgiving weekend sales.
A quarter of a century ago, Washington DC had a fearsome reputation for crack abuse and rampant gun violence - it was the "murder capital" of the US. But now, once-blighted neighborhoods close to the centre of the capital are thriving.
The Freecycle Network at Freecycle.org is a grassroots gifting network that — thanks to the sour economy and a growing commitment to the environment — has transformed into a global movement of millions who are offering and taking all manner of stuff.
Banks are slashing the asking prices of homes with delinquent loans to their lowest levels in at least seven years, making it easier for homeowners to get out from under troubled mortgages and more appealing for homebuyers to snap up properties at a discount.
Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rose to their highest level in more than two years - up 2.4 percent - in July, an industry group said on Wednesday, suggesting the housing market recovery was gaining traction.
Sometimes you have to dig for good news. And this is surely true in the real estate sector. There are some nuggets of good news buried in the latest housing data. Here are three encouraging trends.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, an index of 30 blue-chip U.S. stocks, finished 2011 with a gain of 5.5 percent, the third consecutive year that the bellwether index has finished in positive territory.
It's capitalism with a conscience. Nordstrom recently opened a test store where all profits go to charity. Starbucks has three coffee shops where a big chunk of the money made helps the needy. In the past few years, dozens of America's biggest brands have embraced social generosity.
Orders by U.S. companies for core capital goods like machinery, considered a proxy for business investment, rose 1.7 percent in October, the best showing since a 2.3 percent rise in May, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.
The economy is improving more than professional forecasters anticipated. It isn't only the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics that is issuing surprisingly good news about the U.S. economy these days… It's also auto dealers, real estate agents, the Federal Reserve and corporate America's 96-year-old Conference Board.
There have been anecdotal hints for months that employers are facing new pressure to raise workers' wages as the job market has heated up. And Friday's report is the first piece of real evidence in the official government data that it's happening.
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