Tag: Commerce Department

August 28, 2020

U.S. consumers increased their spending by 1.9% last month, a dose of support for an economy struggling to emerge from the grip of a pandemic that has held back a recovery and kept roughly 27 million people jobless. The July […]

March 17, 2020

Retail sales fell 0.5% in February, indicating the consumer sector was slowing even before the coronavirus struck with force in the United States. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that the February drop in sales followed a solid 0.6% gain in […]

February 27, 2020

The U.S. economy grew moderately in the fourth quarter, the government confirmed on Thursday, and is facing a bumpy road in early 2020 amid the fast-spreading deadly coronavirus that has roiled financial markets. Gross domestic product increased at a 2.1% […]

January 28, 2020

New orders for key U.S.-made capital goods dropped by the most in eight months in December and shipments were weak, suggesting business investment contracted further in the fourth quarter and was a drag on economic growth. The Commerce Department said […]

December 20, 2019

The numbers: The pace of growth in the U.S. economy was left at 2.1% in the third quarter, as strong consumer spending was offset by weaker business investment in inventories, in the final estimate from the Commerce Department on Friday. […]

December 13, 2019

U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in November as Americans cut back on discretionary spending, which could see economists dialing back economic growth forecasts for the fourth quarter. The Commerce Department said on Friday retail sales rose 0.2% last […]

November 27, 2019

The U.S. economy grew at a moderate 2.1% rate over the summer, slightly faster than first estimated. But many economists say they think growth is slowing sharply in the current quarter. The Commerce Department says the July-September growth rate in […]

April 29, 2019

A survey of corporate economists predicts the economy will expand over the next year, although the pace of growth will decline and employers are facing pressure to raise wages, spend more on worker training and automate tasks because of the […]

April 1, 2019

U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fell in February, the latest sign economic growth has shifted into low gear as stimulus from $1.5 trillion in tax cuts and increased government spending fades. The weak report from the Commerce Department on Monday joined […]

March 11, 2019

U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rose in January, lifted by an increase in purchases of building materials and discretionary spending, but receipts in December were much weaker than initially thought. The report from the Commerce Department on Monday is welcome news […]

May 30, 2018

U.S. economic growth slowed slightly more than initially thought in the first quarter amid downward revisions to inventory investment and consumer spending, but income tax cuts are likely to boost activity this year. Gross domestic product increased at a 2.2 […]