August | featured news

The number of people who signed contracts to buy homes rose in August for the second straight month but remained far below last year's pace.

Sales of U.S. homes rose 7.6% in August -- recovering from their steep descent in July, when the end of a popular government stimulus program drove sales to their lowest levels in more than a decade.

Construction of new homes and apartments surged 10.5 percent in August from a month earlier, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That's the highest level since April.

The state loses 33,500 jobs in August, the third straight month of payroll cuts. California has lost 113,100 jobs since August 2009, when the unemployment rate was 12%.

The Consumer Price Index increased 0.3 percent in August, a rate that was in line with analysts’ expectations.

Retail sales are expected to show an increase in August despite weakness in auto sales. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect retail sales will increase 0.3 percent in August following a 0.4 percent rise in July.

Only 47.6% of people ages 16 to 24 had jobs in August, the lowest level since the government began keeping track in 1948, the Labor Department said Friday

Private employers added 67,000 jobs, more than forecast, but governments shed jobs in August, the Labor Department reported.

Retailers are reporting surprisingly solid gains for August even as unusually hot weather and job worries kept a lid on back-to-school buying.

New month starts higher after European bank profits boost U.S. financials.