By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers borrowed less for a record ninth straight month in October, according to the Federal Reserve. It was another sign that consumer spending will remain weak, making it harder for the ...

Tagged with: consumer spending credit economy Fed Federal Reserve

By TOM RAUM Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The road from recession to recovery is rarely smooth, straight or short. It comes with detours, forks and even dead ends. And sometimes surprises. While each American recession is different, most ...

Tagged with: Bernanke consumer spending Geithner housing market Obama recession recovery Wall Street

By ASHLEY M. HEHER AP Retail Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Shoppers spent only slightly more in stores this Black Friday than they did last year, according to data released Saturday by a national research firm. Preliminary sales data from ShopperTrak ...

Tagged with: black friday consumer spending Thanksgiving

By JEANNINE AVERSA and MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — In a hopeful sign for the economy, the number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits fell below 500,000 last week for the first time since ...

Tagged with: cash for clunkers Commerce Department consumer spending Fed Federal Reserve home sales jobless claims jobs Labor Department recession unemployment

By JEANNINE AVERSA AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The economy is growing modestly, with consumers too wary about spending to invigorate the recovery. That’s the picture that emerged from reports Tuesday on the economy and the confidence of consumers, ...

Tagged with: Commerce Department consumer spending growth

By EMILY FREDRIX AP Business Writer Economists expect the joblessness that has weighed down the nation’s economic recovery will start to slowly abate in 2010, but they predict consumers will continue to keep a tight rein on spending, according to ...

Tagged with: Commerce Department consumer spending GDP hiring jobs NABE National Association for Business Economics unemployment

By ALEX KENNEDY Associated Press Writer SINGAPORE (AP) — Stubbornly high joblessness threatens to trigger loan defaults and drag on consumption next year, hobbling a U.S. economy struggling to rebound from recession, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Wednesday. Zoellick ...

Tagged with: Central Bank consumer spending gross domestic product jobs stimulus unemployment

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories rebounded in September, helped by strength in autos, heavy machinery and military aircraft. The fifth increase in six months bolsters hopes that a revival in manufacturing will ...

Tagged with: Commerce Department consumer spending economy

By Martin Crutsinger AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer spending plunged in September by the largest amount in nine months, reflecting the end of the government’s Cash for Clunkers auto sales program. Incomes, the fuel for future spending, were ...

Tagged with: cash for clunkers Commerce Department consumer spending economy recession recovery unemployment

BY Jeannine Aversa AP Economics Writer Washington — Fueled by government stimulus, the economy grew last quarter for the first time in more than a year. The question now is, can the recovery last? Federal support for spending on cars ...

Tagged with: cash for clunkers Commerce Department consumer spending economy National Association for Business Economics