Jobless Rates Fall in Swing States
The unemployment rate fell in 37 states and Washington, D.C., last month, most notably in several swing states that will likely prove critical in the November election.
Vital Signs: Leading Indicators Slip
The Conference Board’s index of Leading Economic Indicators -- designed to show where the economy is headed in coming months -- slipped 0.1% in April, after rising 0.3% in March.
Wiping Out $90,000 in Student Loans in 7 Months
Faced with $90,000 in student debt from his days at Harvard Business School, one man vowed to eliminate every penny within a year. He did it with help from a second job and a flask.
Vital Signs: Strong Industrial Production
The Federal Reserve’s Industrial Production Index -- which measures the output of factories, mines and utilities -- rose 1.1% from March.
Vital Signs: Cautious Consumers
Retail sales barely grew from the previous month and slowed to a year-over-year increase of 6.4%.
Vital Signs: Tumbling Gas Prices
The average price of a gallon of regular gas stood at $3.754 on Monday, down more than 3 cents from a week ago and more than 20 cents from a year ago, government figures show.
Vital Signs: Exports Remain Strong
Economists say U.S. manufacturers are being helped by a weak dollar and low wage growth at home, making their goods cheaper relative to global rivals’ products.
Vital Signs: Easing Unemployment Claims
The four-week moving average of initial jobless claims declined by 5,250 to 379,000 last week.
Vital Signs: Wholesale Restocking Slows
The value of inventories climbed 0.3% from February and 8.4% from a year ago to $480.4 billion.
Vital Signs: Price of Oil Tumbling
The cost of a barrel of crude oil fell 93 cents to $97.01 on Tuesday.
Vital Signs: Consumer Borrowing Surges
Consumer credit -- including debt on credit cards, car loans and student loans but not mortgages -- rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 10.2% in March, the biggest jump in more than a decade, the Federal Reserve said.
Vital Signs: Consumer Borrowing Surges
Consumer credit -- including debt on credit cards, car loans and student loans but not mortgages -- rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 10.2% in March, the biggest jump in more than a decade, the Federal Reserve said.
