2011, October | featured news

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in October to its lowest point of the year as Americans bought fewer foreign cars and imported less oil. Exports of American-made autos also fell.

Small businesses in the United States grew more confident in the economy's future for the second straight month during October as their outlook for business conditions improved, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

While the unemployment rate dipped to 9 percent, the improvement was seen as mediocre.

Consumers' confidence in the economy fell in October to the lowest it's been since 2009 when the U.S. was in the middle of a deep recession, according to a report released Tuesday by a private research group.