China to keep "appropriate" investment growth in 2012-planner

2011-12-18T02:00:12Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will keep "appropriate" investment growth in 2012 to help underpin the economy amid the global downturn, the country's top economic planner said in comments published on Sunday.

"The key to maintain steady and relatively fast economic growth is expanding domestic demand," the

Philippine economic growth slows on lower spending

2011-11-28T09:30:29Z

The Philippines said Monday economic growth slowed to 3.2 percent in the third quarter for one of the worst performances in Southeast Asia, as tighter controls on government spending acted as a drag.

Economic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga said the economic woes in the Reuters) - Fresh from defeat over their latest economic stimulus plan, Democrats in the Senate pushed ahead on Friday with another proposal to create jobs -- a $60 billion infusion to rebuild aging infrastructure.

The effort was already defeated once by Republicans, when they blocked it as part of a $447 billion job creation plan unveiled last month by

Competing fiscal plans blocked in divided Senate

2011-10-20T20:30:46Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans and Democrats rejected each other's economic stimulus bills on Thursday, underscoring their inability to craft a bipartisan solution on job creation before next year's elections.

All 47 Senate Republicans, joined by two of Reuters) - Senate Republicans blocked a popular piece of President Barack Obama's stimulus plan -- one to raise taxes on millionaires to create or protect 400,000 jobs for teachers and firefighters.

The vote was 50-50 on Thursday evening, 10 short of the 60 votes needed to clear a Republican procedural roadblock...

Obama seeks to put onus on Republicans over jobs

2011-10-15T03:30:06Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Republicans on Saturday to stop picking "ideological fights" and focus instead on job creation efforts as he pressed Congress to begin voting next week piece by piece on his defeated jobs package.

Wi...

Chinese exporters hurting as EU crisis deepens

2011-10-09T17:30:18Z

Wu Wenlong, a belt maker in China, has seen European orders slump 50 percent as the region's debt crisis hits demand for Chinese exports and threatens to tip major economies back into recession.

While Zhejiang L.F. Gifts and Decoration Co. Ltd. has not yet laid off workers at its small factory in the eastern province of Zhejiang, Wu said the outlook for the belt market was bleak.

"It looks unlikely that overs...

Starbucks launches job creation campaign

2011-10-03T20:30:18Z

Coffee chain Starbucks on Monday told US customers their country needs them -- to help create jobs.

The chain, omnipresent in many US cities, announced the launch of a donation drive, with proceeds being used to back loans for small job-creating businesses.

"Small businesses are the backbone of America, employing more than half of all private sector workers -- but this critical jobs engine has stalled,"...

Obama presses Republicans for jobs bill support

2011-10-01T03:31:51Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Republican lawmakers on Saturday to spell out exactly what they can and cannot support in his $447 billion plan to create jobs, saying it was "time for Congress to get its act together."

Obama, whose re-election chances in November 2012 are clouded by high unemployment and...

Sandoval chooses reality over principle

2011-10-01T02:30:36Z

"Unfortunately, this bill does nothing to help end the uncertainty that is crippling job creation and hurting small businesses. Instead it puts taxpayers on the hook for even more bailouts."

— House Speaker John Boehner, 9/23/10, after passage of the Small Business Jobs Act¥¥¥One year later, this measure that does nothing and puts taxpayers on the hook has provided President Barack Obama's recently proposed jobs bill puts Gov. Brian Sandoval in a bit of a pickle.The $447 billion package, which has been likened to a mini-stimulus, includes significant funding for cash-strapped states; much of it is targeted for Nevada's economic trouble spots: unemployme...

Obama links education reform to economic recovery

2011-09-24T03:31:35Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Young people in the United States are falling behind their overseas peers in reading, math and science, President Barack Obama said on Saturday, calling education reform an essential part of economic recovery.

In his weekly radio a...

Obama seeks to suspend unemployment interest again

2011-09-19T11:30:29Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama once again suggested suspending the interest charged on loans to U.S. states for covering jobless benefits as part of the tax and deficit plan he unveiled on Monday.

The move would extend a break the states received from the 2009 federal stimulus plan.

In his ...

Canada's PM decries US jobs plan as 'protectionist'

2011-09-16T16:30:16Z

Canada's prime minister objected on Friday to US President Barack Obama's $447 billion dollar jobs plan, calling a "buy American" provision of his stimulus proposal "protectionist."

"We are very concerned that once again they are looking at stimulus spending that has protectionist elements,"

Obama says jobs plan could create 1.9 million jobs

2011-09-16T03:30:16Z

US President Barack Obama said his jobs plan could boost growth by 2.0 percent and shave one percent off the unemployment rate, for the first time citing estimates of the bill's impact.

The White House has been wary of making predictions for the American Jobs Act in the knowledge that its forecasts for Obama's 2009 stimulus plan turned out to be too ro...

Labor secretary: Obama's jobs plan would boost LV

2011-09-16T02:32:57Z

President Barack Obama's jobs plan would have a significant positive effect on Southern Nevada's economy by putting construction laborers back to work, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said Monday in Las Vegas.

Solis met with the Sun's...

Obama Stuck with High Unemployment

2011-09-15T10:30:24Z

The president’s job creation plan is up against some tough numbers.

Even if Congress agrees to a new economic stimulus plan, President Obama is likely to enter the final six months of his reelection campaign next year with an unemployment rate close to the current 9% level -- or possibly even higher.

SEE A...

Factbox: Did stimulus create jobs? CBO says yes

2011-09-12T18:30:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Texas Governor Rick Perry, front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, on Monday said the economic stimulus program implemented by President Barack Obama created "zero" jobs.

Not so, according to information from...

Obama tries to sell jobs plan to Congress, voters

2011-09-12T07:30:24Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama was set Monday to step up his campaign to win support for a $447 billion jobs plan he hopes will salvage the struggling American economy as well as boost his 2012 re-election prospects.

Obama was due at a 10:40 a.m. EDT appearance in the

And so it seems as if God has sent Kate Marshall to test me.

Marshall is the state's twice-elected treasurer running for Congress in the 2nd District as a Democrat, although she's actually running like a Tea Party Republican.

The district comprises

Analysis: Obama jobs plan reinvigorates growth outlook

2011-09-08T22:00:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's jobs package could lift economic growth by one to three percentage points in 2012, add well over one million jobs and lower the unemployment rate by at least half a percentage point, judging by early estimates.

It might not exactly deliver the "jolt" Obama claimed in his speec...

Geithner urges global action to boost growth

2011-09-08T08:30:29Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday called on global finance chiefs to boost growth, but said a repeat of the massive coordinated fiscal stimulus efforts of 2009 was no longer possible.

In an opinion piece written for the Financial Times, Geithner said the

Analysis: Markets have hope but Obama speech may change little

2011-09-08T05:30:17Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After learning the economy added no new jobs in August, investors say they are ready for bold ideas from Washington to put people to work.

The problem is, few are convinced that politicians can deliver, particularly with the 2012 election barely a year off and acrimony among Democrats and Reuters) - President Barack Obama, facing waning confidence among Americans in his economic stewardship, plans to lay out a $300 billion job-creation package on Thursday, CNN reported, citing Democratic sources.

The proposed new spe...

Analysis: Obama urged to lay out bold approach on jobs

2011-08-30T19:30:28Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic allies to President Barack Obama are rallying around a mantra that they say should guide his strategy on job creation: "Go bold."

As Obama puts the finishing touches on a speech next week on his ideas for reviving the jobs market and the economy, he is facing rising pressure from Reuters) - U.S. state and local governments may have to pay for some of the billions of dollars in costs from Hurricane Irene after slashing disaster spending in recent years to shore up bleeding budgets.

That bill will arrive as state and local government r...

Biden say U.S. needs more stimulus, business mad at S&P

2011-08-26T08:00:19Z

ON BOARD AIR FORCE TWO (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden said on Friday the U.S. economy needed more stimulus to get it moving, putting in a plug for government intervention shortly before the White House unveils new proposals to boost job growth.

At the end of a tr...

Contours of Obama jobs package coming into focus

2011-08-24T22:30:09Z

VINEYARD HAVEN, Massachusetts (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is finalizing a jobs package that could include a program to refurbish school buildings nationwide and tax breaks to encourage firms to hire workers.

The package, to be unveiled in early September, is Obama's chance to convince skeptical voters he can bring do...

What Americans expect

2011-08-24T02:30:32Z

Obama, Congress should use balanced approach to help create jobs

The American people are fed up with the politically toxic atmosphere in Washington. They want lawmakers to find common ground on economic strategies that will help create jobs. They don't want filibusters or grandstanding politicians who refuse to compromise, and they don't want to wait until after the 2012 general election to see action, not with the national unemployment rate hovering ...

Some states' woes to stretch to next year: economist

2011-08-17T11:30:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For some states, the budget crises spurred by the 2007-09 recession will extend well into the next fiscal year, a senior economist from Moody's Investors Services said on Wednesday.

Fiscal 2012 began for most states last month. Because all except Vermont must balance their b...

Obama vows new ideas to boost jobs, slams Congress

2011-08-11T15:30:14Z

HOLLAND, Michigan (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sought to reassert economic leadership on Thursday by pledging to deliver new ideas every week to create jobs, and he slammed Congress for "bickering" that hurts economic recovery.

In a passionate speech to auto industry workers aimed at deflecting public ang...

Obama heads to Michigan to tout jobs plan

2011-08-11T12:30:29Z

US President Barack Obama takes his fight against high unemployment on the road Thursday, highlighting a Michigan firm that makes batteries for hybrid vehicles to tout his green energy jobs plan.

Obama will also attend two lucrative fundraisers in New York as he returns to filling his campaign coffers following a month-long showdown with Reuters) - The "Race to the Top" program extends the reach of the federal government too far into states' public schools operations, a leading Republican senator said on Wednesday.

The Obama administration

Reading, writing, rollbacks as stimulus ends

2011-07-05T10:00:13Z

RACINE, Wisconsin (Reuters) - The public school system in this city hugging the shore of Lake Michigan is running low on money and options for educating its 21,000 students as federal stimulus cash dries up.

Anticipating this summer's end to the $10 million boost it received from the stimulus, Racine Unified ...

Pennsylvania governor signs on-time budget

2011-06-30T22:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed a $27.15 billion state budget on Thursday night which reduces spending three percent from the current fiscal year and includes severe cuts to higher and basic education.

Corbett, a Republican whose party also ...

Senate Democrats seek new economic stimulus

2011-06-22T10:00:26Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday called on Vice President Joe Biden to include new economic stimulus spending in deficit-reduction talks as a way of lowering the 9.1 percent jobless rate that is hobbling the economic recovery.

Senate Maj...

Government layoffs slow U.S. cities' recoveries: report

2011-06-21T21:30:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The layoffs of thousands of government workers may threaten the already slow-motion economic recovery in many U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Brookings Institution.

"Job grow...

Obama lands in Puerto Rico

2011-06-14T13:30:32Z

Barack Obama landed in Puerto Rico Tuesday, winning a rapturous welcome on the first official visit to the island by a sitting US president since John F. Kennedy's fondly remembered trip in 1961.

Obama stepped off Air Fo...

Obama jobs-creation panel suggests modest steps

2011-06-13T12:00:13Z

DURHAM, North Carolina (Reuters) - With few tools left to heal the economy, President Barack Obama pledged on Monday to act on job-boosting ideas from a panel of top executives whose modest proposals fell short of a quick fix for stubbornly high unemplo...

Debt crisis and IMF to dominate Obama, Merkel talks

2011-06-07T02:00:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will air their differences over fiscal policy, the Eurozone crisis and the war in Canada remains at the forefront of economic growth and job c...

Canada Conservatives replay budget after ballot win

2011-06-06T18:30:38Z

Canada's finance minister reintroduced a budget rejected by opposition parties two months ago with only minor tweaks, and revised upward this year's deficit projection.

But with a Conservative majority in parliament now, its approval this time is assured.

"On election day, Canadians expressed their support for the government's economic record and its plan to ensure Canada remains at the forefront of economic growth and job creation,...

Obama praises Germany ahead of Merkel visit

2011-06-05T16:00:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama praised Germany's environment policies and success at taming unemployment in an interview released on Sunday ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Washingto...

Canada's 2010-2011 budget deficit narrows

2011-05-27T15:30:21Z

Canada's deficit for the year ended March 31 will be much lower than originally forecast, at Can$34.4 billion, due to a drop in government spending and higher tax revenues, the finance department announced Friday.

The figure is down from Can$40.5 billion reported in March and from Can$47 billion the previous fiscal year.

Revenues were up Can$12.9 billion dollars or 5.9 percent while program expenses fell Can$1.0 billion or 0.4 perce...

Education grants made available for nine states

2011-05-25T10:00:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nine states will be eligible to compete for education grants of up to $50 million through President Barack Obama's "Race to the Top" program, the federal government said on Wednesday.

The sta...

Stimulus money recipients owe billions in taxes: government

2011-05-24T14:00:11Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Contractors and businesses that received money through the 2009 federal economic stimulus plan owe billions in unpaid taxes to the U.S. government, a federal auditor said on Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office said that as of Sep...

South Korea ruling party mulls policy shift amid crisis

2011-05-08T21:00:06Z

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's ruling party will block further tax cuts for companies and individuals and instead boost financial support for the poor, a newly appointed party leader said Monday, as the crisis-hit government strives to boost its popularity.

The conservative AUSTIN, Tex (Reuters) - The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a budget that makes cuts to education and health care, but not as deep as the cuts in the budget that the Texas House has already approved.

The Republ...

EU not ruling out new Greek debt measures

2011-04-23T12:30:12Z

The European Union has not ruled out new measures to ease Greece's intractable debt problem, the European Commission's chief representative in Athens said in an interview published on Saturday.

"The analysis of the Greek debt will be made by the EU, ...

For Obama, re-electionturf is tricky in Nevada

2011-04-23T02:30:11Z

RENO - At a town hall Thursday, when an earnest college student pleaded with President Barack Obama to help higher education stave off serious budget cuts, Obama launched into what could be a pat answer in almost any other state.

He touted the $787 billion stimulus, which included a substantial amount of money to help states with their budget deficits.

"For two years, we were able to prevent som...

Tories unveil deficit-busting election platform

2011-04-08T17:30:23Z

Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday unveiled his Conservatives' election platform, promising to eliminate the federal deficit by 2014 -- one year ahead of schedule.

"Our deficit has already fallen by one quarter. This coming year, it will fall by another quarter," Harper told a Conservative rally. "Our platform makes clear that a re...

Missouri Senate seeks jobless benefits compromise

2011-04-07T15:30:12Z

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - The Missouri Senate moved a step forward on Thursday toward a compromise that would restore unemployment benefits to about 10,000 people.

The Senate reached an agreement to cut the state's commitment to jobless benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks, b...

So be it? Not so fast

2011-03-29T03:00:24Z

Republicans try to force their harmful economic plan through Congress

House Speaker John Boehner this week complained that Democrats were "rooting" for a government shutdown. The Ohio Republican said that Democrats were willing "to shut down the government rather than cut spending."Boehner's disingenuous comments are the latest by the House's Republican leaders trying to sway public ...

House sees far smaller transport bill than Obama

2011-03-22T17:30:10Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Republicans looking to hold down federal spending are considering a transportation budget blueprint that would, at a minimum, be less than half the size of the plan advanced by the White House.

I...

Canada to unveil budget on Tuesday

2011-03-20T07:30:11Z

Canada's government is to unveil a budget on Tuesday promising to slash a record deficit in half, as opposition parties sabre rattle for an election to set a new economic course.

The budget itself is expected to be soporific with no big tax cuts or new spending announcements.

Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already hinted it would not include "de...

States and cities face more rating cuts: Moody's

2011-03-16T21:30:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. states, cities, towns and other issuers of municipal debt likely will suffer more credit downgrades than upgrades in 2011, with the overall outlook negative for the third straight year, Moody's Investors Service said on Thursday.

Reasons for the gloomy prediction include ...

Senator close to "rebranding" Build America Bonds

2011-03-11T08:00:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator Ron Wyden told a White House meeting he is ready to propose a new version of the Build America Bonds program...

Jobs outlook in public sector grows dimmer

2011-03-04T13:30:17Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The jobs outlook is growing dimmer and dimmer for the public sector.

Federal employment data released on Friday shows that state and local governments are shedding thousands of jobs even as Republican political leaders say more layoffs are on the way.

In February, state and local governments wiped 30,000 jobs off their payrolls, mostly in education, the Labor Dep...

Egypt plans stimulus package after blow to growth

2011-02-22T11:30:11Z

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt is planning a stimulus package after its economy was badly hurt by political turmoil, Finance Minister Samir Radwan said on Tuesday.

He estimated that the political unrest that led to the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak would reduce growth t...

White House, Republicans in new stimulus spat

2011-02-17T20:30:27Z

The White House and its Republican foes opened a new skirmish over President Barack Obama's 800-billion-dollar stimulus plan Thursday, on the second anniversary of the bill's enactment.

Vice President Joe Biden, who was charged with ensuring the massive infrastructure spending and tax cutting bill was no...

McCain urges U.S. to restore Colombia trade benefits

2011-02-17T12:00:13Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator John McCain on Thursday urged President Barack Obama to help broker a deal that would restore valuable trade benefits for Colombia, a stalwart U.S. friend still reeling from recent seve...

Japan Inc's profit surges: survey

2011-02-14T20:30:15Z

Pretax profits of publicly traded Japanese firms jumped in the nine months to December, thanks to robust demand in emerging markets and the US economic recovery, a survey showed Tuesday.

Collectively, 1,542 listed Japanese companies logged an 81 percent year-on-year increase in pre-tax profit during the period, the Nikkei said.

Overall sales grew -- by nearly eight percent -- for the first time since 2007, before the global fi...

House Republicans seek deep cuts in spending

2011-02-11T19:00:08Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the House of Representatives unveiled on Friday a plan for deep cuts in federal spending that sets up a showdown with President...

Florida governor to propose tax cuts in budget plan

2011-02-06T22:30:09Z

TALLAHASSEE (Reuters) - New Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Tea Party-favorite, on Monday will propose tax cuts, a pension system overhaul and reductions to health and education programs in a budget plan facing a $3.6 billion revenue gap.

Scott, a Republican and former health care executive who spent nearly $80 million campaig...

Counties to government: Careful when cutting deficit

2011-02-03T12:00:12Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and leaders in Congress are racing to cut spending and bring down the $1.5 trillion federal deficit, but in letters sent to them on Thursday, counties across the country had a single warning: do not slash funding for our programs.

Like U.S. cities and states, counti...

Australia's floods bill climbs, takes toll on PM

2011-01-28T07:00:13Z

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's floods disaster piled more pressure on government finances and the prime minister on Friday, after the hardest-hit state of Queensland cut its economic growth rate by more than half and confirmed a sharp ...

Australia's floods bill climbs and takes toll on PM

2011-01-27T23:30:10Z

Citi starts U.S. healthcare IT on positive note

2011-01-27T04:00:06Z

(Reuters) - Citigroup started coverage of U.S. healthcare technology providers on a positive note, saying the industry represents one of the best long-term growth opportunities across sectors, supported by strong fundamentals and increased spending by hospitals.

According to ...

Texas House eyes $156.4 billion budget, down 16.6 percent

2011-01-19T10:00:31Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Texas's next two-year budget would shrink 16.6 percent to $156.4 billion under a House proposal unveiled on Wednesday by the Legislative Budget Board.

Under the proposal, the two-year budget that starts on September 1 would be reduced by ...

Bank of Canada maintains key lending rate at 1.0 percent

2011-01-18T12:30:28Z

The central bank on Tuesday maintained its key lending rate at 1.0 percent, amid a faster-than-expected global economic recovery.

"The global economic recovery is proceeding at a somewhat faster pace than the bank had anticipated, although risks remain elevated," the Bank of Canada said in a statement.

Private demand in the United States has "pick...

Federal money kept states from cutting Medicaid: survey

2011-01-11T11:30:23Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Public healthcare programs for those with low incomes and for children stayed steady or expanded in almost all U.S. states in 2010, mostly due to extraordinary federal assistance, the Kaiser Family Foundation said on Tuesday.

Kaiser's survey found that 48 stat...

New year, old worry for state budgets

2011-01-03T14:30:23Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislators in U.S. states who are returning to work this month or entering office for the first time expect to spend much of the new year pinching pennies.

According to a survey released on Monday by the National Conference of State Legislat...

China raises interest rates amid inflation worries

2010-12-25T08:00:05Z

China raises key interest rates again after inflation hit 28-month high last month

China increased interest rates Saturday for the second time in little more than two months as the government steps up its fight against rising inflation that could threaten political stability.

Those worries about inflation in the world's second-biggest economy meant the move by The US President Barack Obama told supporters as he began his Christmas vacation in Hawaii Thursday that they had helped him forge "real and meaningful" change in the lives of Americans.

Obama, who left Washington for his native state late Wednesday, also directed backers to a website, offering a district-by-district breakdow...

Stopgap spending measure clears Congress

2010-12-21T17:00:28Z

Congress clears stopgap funding bill to keep the federal government open into March

Congress cleared a stopgap funding bill Tuesday to keep the federal government open into March, a temporary truce until Republicans and President Barack Obama rejoin the battle over the budget next year.

The bill was passed by the Hous...

New govs take office amid historic budget crisis

2010-12-20T11:00:32Z

For new governors, campaign promises give way to hard budget decisions as they head to office

Twenty-six new governors will take office amid the worst budget climate for states in a generation.

Many of them are promising not to raise taxes, even though states face a cumulative budget shortfall of $140 billion next year.

State lawmakers across the country have been cutting budgets for the past few years because of the poor economy. So when new governors...

Stimulus money is financing senator's housing project

2010-12-17T02:30:22Z

Schneider draws on government expertise to broker complex deal

In 2004, Mike Schneider, a state senator with a long career in real estate development, began purchasing land in west Henderson, not far from Nevada State College.

He paid $885,000 for the first parcel and two years later boug...

Japan to cut corporate tax to stimulate economy

2010-12-13T18:30:13Z

Japan to cut corporate tax rate by 5 percentage points to stimulate economy

Japan's government announced it would cut the country's hefty corporate tax rate by 5 percentage points, in a bid to stimulate the economy and help Japanese businesses stay competitive.

The step announced late Monday is aimed at promoting investment, employment and salary increases at home so that Japan can exit deflation, Relationship between Vice President Biden, Rep. Issa: key to cooperation or partisanship

For an early idea of how the Democratic White House and emboldened House Republicans will get along next year, keep an eye on Vice President Joe Biden and California congressman

China raises bank reserve levels to curb lending

2010-12-10T02:32:42Z

China raises bank reserve levels in move to curb lending amid anti-inflation efforts

China has ordered its banks to hold more money in reserves in a new move to curb surging lending amid efforts to cool inflation.

The order Friday was the third reserve increase in five weeks and came as Beijing tries to restore normal conditions following a flood of stimulus ...

Tax deal should help economy, analysts say

2010-12-07T14:30:30Z

White House-GOP tax-cut deal should boost economic growth and create jobs, analysts say

The tax deal struck by President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans essentially gives Americans a pay raise — pumping money into the economy almost ...

Obama to meet with Democratic leaders

2010-12-06T12:00:20Z

Obama, Biden plan meeting with Democratic leaders over tax cuts, jobless benefits

Officials say President Barack Obama is about to meet with House and Senate Democratic leaders to firm up their strategy before negotiating with Republicans over extending tax cuts and jobless benefits.

Democratic officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the timing of the session Tuesday afternoon was...

So how would you kick-start the economy?

2010-12-06T00:30:33Z

Prescriptions for economic recovery take varied forms

The Associated Press asked people around the country to share their ideas on jump-starting the economy. Some responses:

More stimulus: Carolyn Morrison is a Wake County, N.C., school board member wh...

American voices on making the economy move

2010-12-06T00:30:30Z

From corporate offices to the cafe, Americans speak their minds on making the economy move

It seems Washington is all ears these days.

President Barack Obama says he'll take a great idea to fix the economy anywhere he hears it. The Republican leaders in Congress can't say enough how determined they are to "listen to the American people."

OK. Here goes.

We want less ...

Amen choruses, singing from varied choirs

2010-12-04T06:00:13Z

Prescriptions for economic recovery take varied forms

The Associated Press asked people around the country to share their ideas on jump-starting the economy. Some responses:

More stimulus: Carolyn Morrison is a Wake County, N.C., school board member wh...

Negotiators shape possible tax-cut deal

2010-12-03T19:30:29Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A framework for a possible deal between the White House and congressional leaders to extend expiring tax cuts for millions of Americans is slowly being put together behind closed doors, aides said on Friday.

Negotiators are working on a potential deal that could temporarily renew all these tax b...

US unemployment surges to 9.8 percent

2010-12-03T18:30:26Z

The US jobless rate surged to 9.8 percent in November, a hammer blow to the economic recovery and to President Barack Obama's hopes for a quick end to high unemployment.

The world's largest economy created many fewer jobs than expected and the unemployment rate rose from 9.6 percent to its highest level since April, the Labor Department reported.

A measly 39,000 j...

Canada extends stimulus spending deadline six months

2010-12-03T11:27:34Z

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Thursday announced a six-month extension of stimulus spending, as the economy flounders.

Harper said a March deadline for wrapping up 23,000 public infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, parks, transit and recreational facilities would be extended "by one full construction season, to October 31, 2011."

This will allow up to 10 percent of projects that were delayed an...

White House pushes tax credits, jobless benefits

2010-12-02T12:30:18Z

White House calls for Congress to extend tax credits and jobless benefits amid tax cut talks

The White House is pressing Congress to extend jobless benefits and tax credits for middle- and low-income people, a package of economic assistance totaling about $150 billion for one year.

The White House campaign comes amid negotiations with Congress over extending 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for all taxpayer...

Report: States face more financial stress

2010-12-01T00:31:30Z

State lawmakers likely to face difficult spending decisions despite recession's end

Legislatures around the country may have to make more spending cuts over the next couple of years because of dwindling help from the federal government and a slow recovery in tax revenue, according to a new report.

States will spend about $43 billion in economic stimulus funds during the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. After that, they'll probably have to get by with...

Saving the future?

2010-11-30T02:30:58Z

GOP's answer for state deficits is rhetoric — and the federal government

As the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has been one of his party's key spokesmen this past year. Barbour, who is considering a run for president in 2012, has ma...

Japan ruling party works to pass stimulus plan

2010-11-25T23:30:10Z

Japan ruling party works to keep focus on economy, pass $61 billion stimulus plan

Japan's beleaguered ruling party worked on Friday to pass a new $61 billion stimulus package that aims to create jobs and revive the country's faltering economic recovery.

The new stimulus includes a wide range of measures, including aid for small business and regional economies, but P...

The Advantages of the One-Time Home Buyer Credit

2010-11-29T14:38:22Z

...

Stimulus gave large jobs boost in Q3: CBO

2010-11-24T09:30:40Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The massive U.S. stimulus package, widely viewed by voters to be ineffective, put 1.4 million to 3.6 million people to work between July and September, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday.

The Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, left, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, center, and Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, right, bow after the upper house of parliament, controlled by opposition parties, rejected an extra budget to fund a new $61 billion stimulus package that aims to create jobs and revive the country's faltering eco...

GOP's Big Bet

2010-11-06T08:01:48Z

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2010, file photo Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele speaks during an election night gathering hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington. Many economists agree the economic stimulus, with i...

Elections Stimulus

2010-10-27T14:20:23Z

In this photo taken Oct. 13, 2010, Wanda and Donn Headley of Strasburg, Colo., share lunch at a Denver cafe just down the street from a museum where President Barack Obama signed the stimulus package into law last year. The Headley's hoped the stimulus package would revive the economy and their ...

Japan BOJ Meeting

2010-08-30T02:30:09Z

Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa arrives at Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo to meet with Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan Monday, Aug. 30, 2010. Japan's central bank further eased monetary policy earlier Monday in response to a str...

People Jay Leno Gulf Coast

2010-08-20T13:45:24Z

FILE - In this May 10, 2009 file photo, comedian Jay Leno performs during the Jay Leno Comedy Stimulus Plan show at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Kohl, File)

News on Economic Stimulus

Drop in US jobless claims raises hopes for economy