ECONOMY
[ad_1] Mortgage rates took another jump higher last week, taking their toll on current borrowers who might have wanted to refinance. Demand from homebuyers, however, appears to be hanging in for now. Total mortgage application volume decreased 6.8% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. This, … Read more
[ad_1] The big carriers such as FedEx, UPS and Amazon make lots of deliveries, and none of those packages are being shipped for “free.” “People like free shipping because the word free is very powerful, even if people know that it’s not really free because someone is paying for it,” Kara Buntin, owner of the … Read more
[ad_1] As Covid restrictions eased, rebounds in the leisure and hospitality and business sectors helped to drive a strong March jobs report. The U.S. economy added more than 400,000 jobs in the final month of the first quarter, the Labor Department said Friday. Leisure and hospitality, which includes hotels, restaurants and amusement parks, added a … Read more
[ad_1] Human trafficking generates about $150 billion a year globally in illegal profits, according to the International Labour Organization, and poses a complicated challenge for major hotel chains. In 2020 there were more than 10,000 reported cases of human trafficking in the U.S., with 72% of those related to sex trafficking, according to the National … Read more
[ad_1] Robyn Beck | Afp | Getty Images Surging inflation has Americans reconsidering how they spend their money. The Consumer Price Index, which measures a wide-ranging basket of goods and services, jumped 7.9% in February from 12 months prior. Prices are going up on everything from the food you put on the table to the … Read more
[ad_1] Americans who are short on cash to make rent may need to face an uncomfortable reality: Conditions will likely get worse before they get better. U.S. housing supply fell to the lowest levels observed in over 20 years, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s dramatically pushing up prices for consumers, and catching … Read more
[ad_1] A Walmart truck departs the company’s distribution center in Washington, Utah. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Walmart said Thursday it is raising pay for long-haul truck drivers and launching a new program to train the next generation, as it seeks the staffing it relies on to replenish store shelves and warehouses across the … Read more
[ad_1] Miami, Florida, Brickell City Centre shopping mall with Apple Store, Chanel and escalators. Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images With as much as 60% of U.S. consumers living paycheck to paycheck, it’s not a surprise to see that the spending cutbacks have started. Even with a strong job market and wage … Read more
[ad_1] A customer is shown a 2022 Toyota Prius at Longo Toyota in El Monte, CA on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. Medianews Group | Orange County Register via Getty Images People spend a lot of money on their cars and trucks. In fact, about 16% of the average American’s total budget goes to transportation, including … Read more
[ad_1] Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., speaks during a Senate Finance Committee nomination hearing on Feb. 23, 2021. Greg Nash | Pool | Reuters Americans increasingly favor a wealth tax on the ultra-rich. But despite an uptick in proposals, these policies have struggled to gain traction. President Joe Biden in March unveiled the latest federal wealth … Read more