U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 166,000, Lowest Level Since 1968
New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week to a near 54-year low as employers held on to workers...
Domestic Politics
Biden Extends Pause on Federal Student-Loan Payments Through August
WASHINGTON—President Biden on Wednesday extended through Aug. 31 the pause on payments of federal student loans, setting up a politically...
Fed’s Brainard Says Reducing Elevated Inflation ‘Is of Paramount Importance’
A top Federal Reserve official said the central bank is strongly committed to taking steps that will reduce inflation this...
U.S. Trade Deficit Narrowed Slightly in February
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed slightly in February, shrinking 0.1% for the month but remaining close to a record. Both...
Europe Faces Pressure to Dial Up Sanctions on Russia Over Ukraine Deaths
BERLIN—French President Emmanuel Macron’s call Monday for sanctions banning imports of Russian oil and coal into the European Union following...
How Microsoft Became Washington’s Favorite Tech Giant
When a congressional committee was preparing to publicly interrogate the CEOs of four tech giants in 2020, Microsoft Corp. President...
U.S. March Jobs Report Shows Strong Hiring Momentum
The U.S. labor market strengthened last month as the pandemic’s grip receded and more workers jumped back into the labor...
Biden to Draw Down Oil Reserves in Bid to Ease Gas Prices
WASHINGTON—President Biden will tap up to 180 million barrels of government oil reserves to help tamp down near-record high fuel...
Inflation Weighed on Consumer Spending Growth in February
Consumer spending growth, a key engine of the economy, slowed sharply in February, as the Omicron surge of Covid-19 eased...
U.S. Jobless Claims Edge Higher Amid Tight Labor Market
New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, indicating a strong labor market in which employers are holding...
Biden’s Budget Calls for Increase in Defense Spending, Including Funds for Ukraine
WASHINGTON—President Biden on Monday released a $5.8 trillion budget that envisions a substantial increase in U.S. defense spending, a sign...
IRS Delays, Sudden End to Tax Break Leave Employers Frustrated With Covid Credits
IRS processing delays and federal policy changes are creating headaches for businesses and nonprofits using a popular wage subsidy that...
U.S. Jobless Claims Fall in Tight Labor Market
New applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. fell last week to historic lows as employers held on to their...
A Black Box From China Eastern Airlines Plane Crash Is Found
HONG KONG—Rescuers have recovered one of the black boxes from the Boeing 737 that crashed into a mountainous rural area...
Student-Loan Freeze Saves Borrowers Nearly $200 Billion as Biden Considers Extension
Around 37 million federal student-loan borrowers were spared $195 billion in loan payments since the government froze their payments at...
The Month Companies United Against Russia’s War
About 10 minutes into Sunday church services, Visa Inc. Chief Executive Alfred Kelly looked down at his phone and saw...
Amazon Wins Dismissal of D.C. Antitrust Lawsuit Over Pricing
WASHINGTON—Amazon.com Inc. won dismissal on Friday of an antitrust lawsuit brought against it by the District of Columbia, which had...
Biden Emphasizes Deficit Reduction in Bid to Pass Economic Agenda
WASHINGTON—The Biden administration and top Democrats are embracing efforts to reduce the federal deficit as they seek to gain support...
Amazon Closes Deal to Acquire MGM
The move comes after Amazon certified to the FTC that it had provided all the information requested by antitrust investigators...
Fed Raises Interest Rates for First Time Since 2018
The Federal Reserve said it would lift interest rates and penciled in a series of further increases this year aimed...
