Economy

Economy

U.S. Unemployment Rate Inched Up In May

9:37am June 07, 2013

The Labor Department on Friday reported a jobless rate of 7.6 percent as employers added 175,000 jobs and more people began to look for work last month. That's up from April's rate of 7.5 percent.

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California Hosts U.S.-China Summit

5:32am June 07, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

There's significance behind the choice of California as the venue for the U.S.-China summit between presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. The state is home to more than a third of the China-born population in the U.S., and Chinese-backed investment groups have been pouring billions of dollars into real estate property and private companies based in California. At the same time, exports of California goods to China are surging, and state leaders are bullish about capitalizing on new markets there.

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Economy

New Apartments Planned for Winston-Salem

9:11pm June 06, 2013

Apartment development has been on the rise since the housing market disintegrated during the recession.

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Johana Guardado assembles a laptop on Lenovo's new personal computer production line in Whitsett, N.C.

First U.S. Assembly Plant For China's Lenovo Opens In N.C.

8:14am June 06, 2013

by Leoneda Inge

The Chinese computer maker is trying to boost its brand and U.S. market share as other high-tech firms, including Motorola, plan to manufacture here. North Carolina officials say the plant in Whitsett is a sign of manufacturing's return from overseas.

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Economy

Resisting The Temptation To 'Win' When Investing

8:17pm June 05, 2013

by Uri Berliner

Some financial experts say the fees charged by actively managed mutual funds are not worth it. Over the long haul, they could cost a retirement account tens of thousands of dollars. So NPR's Uri Berliner explores funds that have minimal expenses.

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Job Market Remains Challenging For 2013 Graduates

9:52am June 05, 2013

by Andrew Schneider

For the past five years, graduation day has been a time of apprehension as much as celebration. Prospects for those entering the workforce for the first time were bleak. The class of 2013 — whether from high school or college — has cause for more optimism than previous classes.

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The Spanish city of Santander is using a network of sensors to help improve services and save money. Incidents reported to Santander's command-and-control center, where the city manages data from sensors and smartphone reports made by citizens, are plotte

High-Tech Sensors Help Old Port City Leap Into Smart Future

1:53pm June 04, 2013

by Lauren Frayer

On Spain's Atlantic coast, the city of Santander has installed 12,000 sensors that measure everything from when streetlights need to be dimmed to when trash dumpsters are full — saving millions for cash-strapped public coffers. It's becoming a model for cities worldwide.

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Book Explores Downfall Of An Indian-American Business Icon

8:10am June 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

Rajat Gupta was one of the wealthiest and most successful men in America. Why would he throw that away on an insider-trading scheme? A new book from financial journalist Anita Raghavan tries to uncover the motivations of a man who lost everything in the Galleon Group scandal.

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Mired In Recession, EU Eases Some Austerity Measures

3:39pm June 03, 2013

by John Ydstie

This week, the European Union gave some of its member nations more time to meet deficit-reduction targets — in other words, to ease back on austerity. The programs have crushed growth and sent European unemployment to a record high 12 percent.

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Economy

Checking In On The Economy, The Good And Sluggish

2:38pm June 03, 2013

The U.S. economy started showing signs of recovery in June 2009, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Four years later, the economy is slow to recover in some areas. The stock market and housing are showing signs of growth, while unemployment still lags behind.

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