Guides
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Payroll-tax cut pact passes Congress
Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – Congress Friday swiftly passed a deal to extend the payroll-tax cut through the end of 2012, continue paying unemployment benefits and avoid a steep cut in Medicare doctors’s fee, moving forward from a lengthy fight that had tied up legislators for months. The [...]
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Employers added 243,000 jobs in January
Linda Young – AHN News Writer Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – Employers added 243,000 jobs in January, an increase over the 203,000 jobs added in December, the U.S. Department of Labor reported on Friday. Hiring was stronger than expected and many economists were surprised. Private sector job growth was widespread with large employment gains [...]
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Nation’s Mayors Support Gay Marriage But Complain About Unemployment
Tom Ramstack – AHN News Legal Correspondent DC, Washington, United States (AHN) – The U.S. Conference of Mayors wrapped up its winter meeting Friday in Washington, D.C., with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel stepping into controversies on same sex marriage and education. Emanuel joined about 80 other mayors from across the nation in endorsing laws to [...]
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U.S. unemployment claims drop to 372,000
Linda Young – AHN News Writer Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – First time claims for unemployment compensation benefits during the week ending Dec. 31 dropped by 15,000 from the previous week to 372,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The less volatile 4-week moving average also fell, registering a decrease of 3,250 to [...]
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No. 1 worry among Americans is the economy
Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter New York, NY, United States (AHN) – It’s the economy that keeps Americans up at night, on edge and worried, revealed a new CNN/ORC International poll released Friday. Some 70 percent said that things are not going well in the United States, with just three out of 10 saying [...]
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German exports fall more than expected
Linda Young – AHN News Writer Berlin, Germany (AHN) – German exports fell by a larger percentage than forecast for October because of lower demand from southern European markets affected by the economic crisis. Exports fell by 3.6 percent in October compared to September. It was larger than the 1 percent drop expected and the [...]
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Online sales surge 24 percent on Black Friday
Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Black Friday is supposed to be all about rushing to stores, fighting the crowds and waiting in long lines to get the best deals. But this year, it was online shopping that really paid off for retailers and customers. Online sales jumped [...]
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Cottage industries offer hope in former war zone
Colombo, Sri Lanka (IRIN) – Cottage industries such as poultry farming, home gardening and bee-keeping are becoming increasingly popular among returnees in Sri Lanka’s former northern conflict zone as alternatives to regular jobs, officials say. “We have seen a lot of applications for loans for poultry and home gardens,” Prem Kumar, area manager for the [...]
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U.S. stocks slip Friday on uncertainties following European bailout deal
Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter New York, NY, United States (AHN) – U.S. stocks slipped into the red Friday morning after uncertainties lingered following Thursday’s European deal to tackle the eurozone debt crisis. Shortly after 10 a.m., the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 3 points, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was off [...]
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American incomes dropped 7 percent in the last decade
Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter New York, NY, United States (AHN) – From 2000 to 2010, the median income in the United States fell 7 percent after adjusting for inflation, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. The decline marks the worst 10-year performance on record, dating back to 1967. And what’s worse is that according [...]