Number of small businesses raising prices due to inflation hits 48-year high, NFIB says

The number of small businesses that raised prices in January amid high inflation rose to levels not seen since 1974, the National Federation of Independent Business said.

US job growth soars past expectations with 467,000 added, shaking off omicron surge

U.S. job growth blew past expectations in January, as the economy brushed off a record-breaking surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide that threatened to sideline millions of workers and kept many consumers at home.

Minimum wage in Los Angeles will soon increase to $16

Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that beginning July 1, the minimum wage will increase from $15 to $16.04 per hour.

Starbucks to raise menu prices to offset inflation

The Seattle-based coffee franchise had already raised prices — once in October 2021 and December 2021 — but inflation woes and labor issues have forced the company to hike prices once again.

National debt tops $30 trillion

Treasury Department data shows new milestone as government spending continues to soar

Valentine's Day 2022: Spending expected to near $24B

More than half of U.S. consumers are planning to celebrate Valentine's Day despite rising inflation.

Unemployment claims drop for the first time in a month

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims fell by 30,000 to 260,000 last week, slightly less than the 265,000 analysts were expecting.

Arizona Senate panel approves tax credit for working low-income families

The Earned Income Tax Credit proposal mirrors the federal credit, which provides refunds to the working poor. It sets the credit at 5% of the federal amount, and the average family would get $128 per year.

Federal Reserve plans to raise interest rates as soon as March

The Federal Reserve signaled Wednesday that it plans to begin raising its benchmark interest rate as soon as March, a key step in reversing its pandemic-era low-rate policies that have fueled hiring and growth but also escalated inflation.

Unemployment claims climb to 286,000, the most since October

Jobless claims rose for the third straight week — by 55,000 to 286,000, highest since mid-October, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Retail sales drop 1.9% in December following early holiday rush

Americans sharply cut their spending in December after a burst of early spending in the fall that helped bolster the holiday season.

Inflation surges in December to highest rate since 1982

Prices paid by U.S. consumers jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, the highest inflation rate since 1982 and the latest evidence that rising costs for food, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America's households.

Biden, Manchin at odds over $2T social spending bill, AP source says

According to a person familiar with the talks, President Joe Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin are said to be sharply divided over Democrats’ huge social and environmental bill.

bell hooks, acclaimed author, feminist, dies at 69

bell hooks, the author, educator and activist whose explorations of how race, gender, economics and politics intertwine made her among the most influential feminist thinkers of her time, has died.

Debt ceiling: Biden signs fast-track plan to prevent default

The Senate approved a bill that will clear the way for Congress to raise the debt ceiling with a simple-majority vote before the projected Dec. 15 deadline.

US consumer inflation rate up 6.8% in past year, highest since 1982

Prices for U.S. consumers jumped 6.8% in November compared with a year earlier, the highest annual inflation rate in 39 years.