WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to its lowest level since April 2008, extending a downward trend that shows the job market strengthening. First-time applications for unemployment benefits fell 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 364,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the third straight weekly drop. Read full article > >

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Unemployment applications drop to lowest since April ‘08 as job market continues to strengthen

WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to its lowest level since April 2008, extending a downward trend that shows the job market strengthening. First-time applications for unemployment benefits fell 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 364,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the third straight weekly drop. Read full article > >

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Unemployment applications drop to lowest since April ‘08 as job market continues to strengthen

WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up slightly last week after two months of steady declines. But the increase isn’t enough to reverse the downward trend. The four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, fell to its lowest level since April. The decline in the average signals that companies are laying off fewer workers. Read full article > >

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Slightly more people sought unemployment benefits last week after 2 months of steady declines

The nation’s poverty rate spiked to 15.1 percent in 2010, the highest level since 1993, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday, providing vivid new evidence about the nation’s inability to escape the lingering effects of the recession. About 46.2 million Americans lived in poverty last year, marking an increase of 2.6 million over 2009 and the fourth consecutive annual increase in poverty. Read full article > >

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U.S. poverty rate reaches 15.1 percent

WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose back above 400,000 last week. Still, the four-week average, a more reliable gauge of the job market, fell to the lowest level since mid-April. The report suggests that the economy is creating jobs but not nearly enough to lower the high unemployment rate. Weekly applications rose 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 408,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the highest level in four weeks. Applications have been above 400,000 for 18 of the past 19 weeks. Read full article > >

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Weekly applications rose back above 400K, but four-week average dropped for 7th straight week

Purchases of new U.S. homes unexpectedly declined in February to the slowest pace on record and prices dropped to the lowest level since December 2003, adding to evidence the industry is floundering.

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U.S. new-home sales unexpectedly fall to lowest on record

Television news coverage of foreign events this year is at the highest level since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, putting strains on journalists covering foreign news.

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Rush of Events Gives Foreign News a Top Priority

The level of home construction plummeted in February from a month earlier to its lowest level since April 2009, and the trend is not likely to improve anytime soon, according to federal data.

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Level of U.S. home construction drops sharply

The UK’s trade deficit in goods and services widened in December to its highest level since August 2005, figures show.

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Increase seen in UK trade deficit

Investors overcame uneasiness stemming from the unrest in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East to push U.S. markets to two-year highs Tuesday. The Dow added 148 points, or 1.3 percent, to close at 12,040, its highest level since June 19, 2008. The…

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U.S. Markets Close at Two-Year High

American financial markets across the board rallied Wednesday, finishing at multi-year highs. Led by jumps in JPMorgan Chase stock, the Dow added 83 points to close at its highest level since September 2008. The S&P 500 added 11 points and the…

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Stocks Finish at Multi-Year Highs

German business confidence has hit its highest level since reunification, a closely-watched survey says.

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German business confidence jumps

Business confidence among UK firms has fallen to its lowest level since the depth of the recession, a survey suggests.

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Business confidence slides again

Scotland’s unemployment rate reaches its highest level since 1996, according to findings by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

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Report highlights Scots jobless

German business confidence shows an unexpected rise in August to its highest level since June 2007.

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German business confidence rises