Economy

Lunch meat maker Hormel orders up Skippy sandwich
Hormel Foods apparently has a hankering for a peanut butter and bacon sandwich. The company primarily known for Spam and other cured, smoked and deli ...
Health union alliance could threaten larger rival
Two health care unions are joining forces in a move that could threaten a powerful rival's dominance and fuel a new round of labor tensions.
Retailers report higher December sales
A last-minute surge in spending saved the holiday shopping season. Major retailers including Costco, Gap and Nordstrom on Thursday reported ...
It's 'cash only' now for tourists at the Vatican
It's "cash only" now for tourists at the Vatican wanting to pay for museum tickets, souvenirs and other services after Italy's central bank decided ...
Italy's Monti sharpens political tone to win votes
Italian Premier Mario Monti on Thursday criticized his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi for demonstrating "a certain volatility in judgment" and urged ...
US rate on 30-year mortgage slips to 3.34 pct.
Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages moved closer to their record lows this week, a trend that has made home buying more affordable and helped ...
Survey: US employers add 215K jobs in December
A private survey shows U.S. businesses sharply increased hiring in December, helped by a surge of new construction jobs to help rebuild from ...
Stocks sink as Congress heads for another showdown
The stock market pulled back slightly Thursday, a day after the Dow Jones industrial average posted its strongest gain in more than a year.
Macy's key revenue figure rises in December
Macy's said Thursday that revenue in stores open at least one year rose 4.1 in December, edging past Wall Street estimates. But the figure grew less ...
Safeway CEO Burd to retire in May
Safeway's CEO Steve Burd will retire in May after more than 20 years with the grocer. The chain, which has stores across the country, says it will ...
Starbucks to open 1st Vietnam cafe
Starbucks Corp. will open its first Vietnam cafe early next month in Ho Chi Minh City as part of its strategy to expand across Asia, the company said ...
Superstorm Sandy tops 2012 insurance claims
Natural disasters cost insurers $65 billion last year, with the United States accounting for nine-tenths of the bill and Superstorm Sandy prompting ...
German jobless rate up to 6.7 percent
Germany's unemployment rate crept up to 6.7 percent in December due to seasonal factors and a more sluggish economy, but the labor market remained ...
Lending to businesses still weak in Europe
Bank loans to companies fell again in Europe, another sign that the economy remains slack in the 17 European Union countries that use the euro.
Avis buying Zipcar in deal worth nearly $500M
Avis is leaping into the car-sharing service business by buying Zipcar for $491.2 million, aiming to capture a new type of customer and technology ...
US manufacturing expanded slightly last month
U.S. manufacturing grew slightly last month and factory hiring increased. The modest gain suggests the economy entered the new year with some momentum
Extraordinary snowfall needed to relieve drought
When his drought-stricken Nebraska farm was blanketed with several inches of snow, Tom Schwarz welcomed the moisture. But it wasn't nearly enough.
Taxes rising for most people despite fiscal deal
While the tax package that Congress passed New Year's Day will protect 99 percent of Americans from an income tax increase, most of them will still ...
2013 auto sales will be strong, firm predicts
A healthier economy and more model introductions should push U.S. auto sales above the 15 million mark this year, predicts an auto industry research ...
Fiat holds on to share of slumping Italian market
Fiat says 2012 was the worst year for car sales in Italy since 1979, but that the manufacturer nevertheless managed to slightly increase its share of ...
US construction spending dips 0.3 percent
Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in November from October because a steep drop in volatile federal projects offset another gain in home ...
Stocks surge after last-minute budget deal reached
Stocks are opening sharply higher on Wall Street after lawmakers averted sweeping cuts in government spending and with a last-minute budget deal.
Poland seeks probe of Warsaw stock exchange chief
Poland's treasury minister has asked state officials to investigate the suspended head of Warsaw's Stock Exchange for allegedly abusing his position ...
Dubai opens Airbus A380 concourse
Dubai Airports says it has opened the world's first concourse entirely dedicated to the Airbus A380, with an Emirates airlines flight making the ...
California newspaper defies trend to shrink costs
New and expanded sections to cover business, automobiles and food. A nearly five-fold increase in community news pages and more investigative ...