With the recession on the brink of becoming the longest in the postwar era, a milestone may be at hand: Women are poised to surpass men on the nation's payrolls, taking the majority for the first time in U.S. history. ...more

February 7, 2009

WASHINGTON - Recession-battered employers eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974, and catapulted the unemployment rate to 7.6 percent. The grim figures were further proof that the nation's job climate is deteriorating at an alarming clip with no end in sight. ...more

February 6, 2009

An index that tracks signed contracts to purchase existing homes rebounded in December, as buyers snapped up properties at deep discounts, especially in the South and Midwest. ...more

February 4, 2009

Does Washington really need to do this? Many economists from across the ideological spectrum say yes, although an increasingly vocal group of free-market thinkers says no. ...more

February 2, 2009

The minimum wage in Florida rose 42 cents to $7.21 per hour recently, igniting a debate over whether the increased pay will help workers or whether it will hurt the economy because small businesses simply can't afford to pay it. ...more

January 31, 2009

It began with high energy costs. Soon thereafter, the housing industry - particularly in Hernando County - came to a screeching halt. ...more

January 31, 2009

The economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as the deepening recession forced consumers and businesses to throttle back spending. ...more

January 30, 2009

President Barack Obama sought to dampen Republicans' complaints about the Democrats' massive economic revival package Friday with an offer to listen carefully to their ideas, too. ...more

January 24, 2009

New-home construction plunged to an all-time low in December, capping the worst year for builders on records dating back to 1959. ...more

January 22, 2009

'User' Tax A Remedy Jump-starting the economy should not be as difficult as it seems. Most economists agree that the mortgage crisis is one cause, if not the main one. A one-cent increase in the state or county sales tax could be a sure remedy. ...more

January 9, 2009