Wed, 16 May 2012 14:53:00 -0400

Fed More Open To Helping The Economy If Needed

Minutes of the Federal Reserve's April 24-25 meeting released Wednesday stated that "several members" thought additional Fed support could be needed if the recovery lost momentum or if the risks to the economy became great enough.

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:20:00 -0400

Autos Help Speedup In Factory Production

Manufacturing rose 0.6 percent in April, erasing a 0.5 percent decline in March. Half of the April increase reflected a 3.9 percent jump in the production of motor vehicles and parts, the Federal Reserve said.

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:45:00 -0400

Housing Construction Up 2.6 Percent In April

Builders broke ground at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 717,000 homes last month. Construction rose for both single-family homes and apartments. Building permits, a gauge of future construction, fell 7 percent because of a sharp drop in applications to build apartments.

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:45:00 -0400

Is Housing Sector Getting Better? Increase In Starts May Signal It Is

There was a 2.6 percent increase in housing starts in April from March, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development say.

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 -0400

Debt Ceiling Debate Is Revived In Washington

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned on Tuesday that the U.S. will likely hit its debt limit sometime before the end of the year. At the same event in Washington, House Speaker John Boehner promised that any increase in the nation's debt ceiling would have to be accompanied by corresponding budget reductions. .

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 -0400

Portugal Looks Back On 1 Year Since Its Bailout

In Portugal, austerity has meant up to a 30 percent pay cut for civil servants. Unemployment is at more than 15 percent, and the economy continues to shrink. The European Union recently warned the Portuguese people may have to sacrifice even more.

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 -0400

Political Limbo May Further Erode Greece's Stability

Greece will hold new elections next month after leaders failed to form a government this week. The political uncertainty has raised fears that the heavily indebted country will be forced to exit the eurozone.

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:00:00 -0400

Greeks To Head Back To Ballot Box After Talks Fail

Greece will hold new elections after political leaders failed to agree on a governing coalition to run the economically-troubled country. In the meantime, a caretaker government will manage the country until the new vote can be held next month.

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:00:00 -0400

Hollande Talks Austerity With Merkel On First Day

Robert Siegel talks to Sylvie Kauffman, editorial director of the French daily Le Monde and Josef Joffe, editor of the German weekly, Die Zeit and senior fellow at Stanford University. They discuss Tuesday's meeting between Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel.

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Why So Many Ph.D.s Are On Food Stamps

The number of people with graduate degrees — master's degrees and Ph.D.s — applying for food stamps or other assistance more than tripled between 2007 and 2010. One reason: Cost-cutting universities are using nontenured faculty more and paying them far less.

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 -0400

Can The Government Help Young People Find Jobs?

The school year is winding down, and lots of young people are in the market for a summer job. But finding one in this economy can be hard, especially for teenagers. Host Michel Martin speaks with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis about what the Obama Administration is trying to do to help.

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:43:00 -0400

Homebuilders' Confidence Index At 5-Year High

An index that measures builders' sentiment rose to the highest level since May 2007, a sign that the housing market may continue to improve. Homebuilders reported improving sales and higher traffic from prospective buyers this month.

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:25:00 -0400

Consumer Prices, Consumer Spending Both Flat In April

Dropping gas prices helped hold inflation down. Meanwhile, April consumer spending may have been slowed because warm weather in March encouraged folks to get out their wallets then.

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:55:00 -0400

Retail Sales Slow; Consumer Prices Flat

Consumers barely increased their spending on retail goods in April. The 0.1 percent gain was affected by cheaper gas prices and possibly the mild winter, which may have encouraged consumers to make purchases in the previous two months. Consumer prices were unchanged last month.

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:18:00 -0400

Powered By Germany, Eurozone Avoids Recession

The economy of the 17 countries that use the euro narrowly avoided a recession in the first quarter despite a raging debt crisis that's raising the specter of an EU breakup. One analyst said: "The euro area might have dodged recession, but it is firing on only one cylinder."

United Way 211

United Way's 211/First Call For Help is a free and confidential information service ready to direct you to the health and human services you need in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Medina Counties.

Just dial 2-1-1. Professional staff are available to help you 24 hours a day, every day.

More resources

Save the Dream

The American dream of home ownership is disappearing during these times of crisis. In Ohio, rising unemployment, loss of business, and a bleak economic outlook also threaten that dream.

Help is available. Save the Dream provides information and highlights programs that Ohioians can use to help save the dream of owning a home.

More resources

Upcoming Events

ESOP Partners with Area Suburbs to Help Homeowners

More events

Funding for the coverage of economy and jobs topics comes from The Cleveland Foundation; Eaton Corporation Charitable Foundation; The George Gund Foundation; The George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation; The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation; The Nord Family Foundation; NACCO Industries, Inc.; and Parker Hannifin Foundation