Economy

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies before the Senate Banking Committee, March 3, 2022, Capitol Hill.
Why the Fed Is Worried About the Strongest Job Market in Decades
And what it plans to do about it.
Featured
House construction site, Middleton, Mass., June 24, 2021.
Homebuilder Stock Slump Could Be Overdone
A swift rise in mortgage rates has spooked investors already worried about the highest inflation in decades.
Apr 4th, 2022
A 'now hiring' sign in Garnet Valley, Pa., May 10, 2021.
U.S. Adds 431K Jobs in March in Sign of Economic Health
The robust hiring streak reflects the economy’s resilience amid a continued pandemic and the highest inflation in 40 years.
Apr 1st, 2022
Top Headlines
Costco store in Lone Tree, Colo., March 29, 2022.
Retail Sales Rise as Consumers Show Resilience
May 17th, 2022
President Joe Biden speaks about his infrastructure agenda at the New Hampshire Port Authority, Portsmouth, N.H., April 19, 2022.
Six Months in, 4,300 Infrastructure Projects Underway
May 16th, 2022
Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve, Wednesday, May 4, 2022 in Washington. The Federal Reserve intensified its drive to curb the worst inflation in 40 years by raising its benchmark short-term interest rate by a sizable half-percentage point.
Powell: 'Soft' Economic Landing May Be Out of Fed's Control
May 13th, 2022
A customer pumps gas at an Exxon gas station, May 10, 2022, Miami.
Has Inflation Peaked?
May 11th, 2022
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Today in Manufacturing Podcast
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Today in Manufacturing Podcast
Today in Manufacturing has a new podcast brought to you by the editors of Industrial Media. In each episode, we discuss the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward.
Apr 22nd, 2022
Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve, Wednesday, May 4, 2022 in Washington. The Federal Reserve intensified its drive to curb the worst inflation in 40 years by raising its benchmark short-term interest rate by an sizable half-percentage point.
Fed Raises Key Rate by Half Point
And the central bank signaled further large rate hikes to come.
May 5th, 2022
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies before the Senate Banking Committee, March 3, 2022, Capitol Hill.
Fed to Fight Inflation with Fastest Rate Hikes in Decades
The moves will compound Americans' financial strains and likely weaken the economy.
May 3rd, 2022
I Stock 1337111964
Construction Spending Declines in March
An industry group suggests a recession could be around the corner.
May 2nd, 2022
A customer prepares to pump gasoline into his car at a Sam's Club in Gulfport, Miss., Feb. 19, 2022.
U.S. Economy Shrinks in Q1
But economists expect a return to growth for the rest of 2022.
Apr 28th, 2022
A 'now hiring' sign is posted in Garnet Valley, Pa., Monday, May 10, 2021. Applications for unemployment benefits inched down last week, Thursday, April 21, 2022, as the total number of Americans collecting aid fell to its lowest level in more than 50 years.
U.S. Economy Shrank by 1.4% in Q1 but Consumers Kept Spending
The weak showing does not mean a recession is likely.
Apr 28th, 2022
I Stock 597961424
Metalformers Report Steady Business Despite Supply Chain Challenges
Companies expect little change in business conditions over the next three months.
Apr 26th, 2022
A help wanted sign is displayed at a gas station in Mount Prospect, Ill., Tuesday, July 27, 2021. Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remain at historically low levels. Jobless claims fell by 5,000 to 166,000 for the week ending April 2, 2022 the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Jobless Claims Rise but Remain Near a Half-Century Low
Employers, who continue to struggle to attract and retain workers, are expected to keep layoffs to a minimum.
Apr 14th, 2022
In this Feb. 5, 2020, file photo workers sort through tomatoes after they are washed before being inspected and packed, in Florida City, Fla., The surging cost of energy pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier — another sign that inflationary pressure is widespread in the U.S. economy. The Labor Department said Wednesday, April 13, 2022 that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it reaches consumers — climbed at the fastest year-over-year pace in records going back to 2010 and rose 1.4% from February. Energy prices, which soared after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, were up 36.7% from March 2021.
Wholesale Prices Surge 11.2% in March
Higher energy costs are largely to blame.
Apr 13th, 2022
Fastenal Branch Adsf 61aa8a1be4f0e 61ae1efc5201c
Fastenal Beats Estimates, Posts Sizable Gains in All Categories
The company is offsetting higher employee costs with volume and price increases.
Apr 13th, 2022
President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 11, 2022.
Biden Waiving Ethanol Rule in Bid to Lower Gasoline Prices
Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol.
Apr 12th, 2022
Cash Volatility Economy I Stock 1130260211
Inflation's 8.5% Yearly Jump is Highest Since 1981
The latest evidence of accelerating prices will solidify expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates aggressively.
Apr 12th, 2022