After a near decade high last month, the trade deficit narrows in March
After a near decade high in February, the U.S. trade deficit fell in March, but mostly because of a spike in service imports from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The trade gap narrowed to $49 billion in March, falling $8.8 billion from $57.7 billion in February....
Unemployment Cracks 4 Percent as Labor Market Continues to Tighten
The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in 17 years in April as the economy’s record-shattering streak of adding jobs continued. Significant wage growth, however, remains elusive. The jobless rate crossed the 4 percent threshold and clocked in at 3.9, the...
Five Things to Watch For in Tuesday’s Case-Shiller Index Report
For homeowners, the report will likely be a sign that their net worth is increasing. But it may paint a bleak picture for buyers on a budget — especially in major cities.
Five Things to Watch in This Month’s Consumer Price Index
The Labor Department will release its consumer price index Wednesday, following a lackluster jobs report and the Federal Reserve’s decision to only raise interest rates three times this year. The median economist forecasts show CPI will be unchanged in March, which...
Puerto Ricans Encounter Lack of Affordable Housing in Orlando
House remains in Naguabo, Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria. Photo: Vanessa Colón Almenas When Miried González-Ramírez and her son left Puerto Rico for Florida in October, they left behind the dangers of the storm-ravaged island only to discover another problem:...
It’s Good to be a Homeowner Into 2018
The latest report on housing in big cities released for the start of 2018 showed a continued increase in United States home prices in January. Known as the 20-City Case-Shiller Indices, the report posted an increase from 6.3 percent in December 2017 to 6.4 percent in...
Home prices keep growing, despite higher interest rates and fewer property tax incentives
Home prices are continuing to boom nationwide. It’s a sign that the economy is doing well overall -- but it is also making the housing market less affordable for first-time home buyers. Nationally, home prices grew by 6.2 percent in January, according to new data...
Las Vegas has one of the fastest-growing housing markets in the U.S. Its school district wants teachers to move there before it’s too late.
When Gabriela Kula moved to Las Vegas last fall to teach eleventh-grade English, she wasn’t sure what to expect. It didn’t have the beaches of L.A., where she grew up, or the historic vibe of Boston, where she went to college. But it had one clear advantage: the cost...
Five Things to Watch in the International Trade Report
The U.S. Census Bureau will release its international trade report this Friday, in a year where tariffs have dominated the public conversation. After a near-decade high in January, the trade gap is expected to narrow slightly in February. While imports continue to...
How washing machine tariffs are helping South Carolina attract foreign investment
When Caterpillar closed its construction machinery plant in Newberry County in 2016, it had hardly vacated the premises before Samsung rushed in to build its first North American production facility. “The timing couldn’t have been more excellent,” said Misty West,...