Finance

U.S. stock indexes held steady Friday after a mixed report on U.S. jobs showed the heart of the economy slowed last month, but not dramatically, as President Donald Trump’s trade war intensified. The Labor Department’s jobs report is usually the most anticipated piece of data for markets each month, but it’s grown even more prominent […]

But consumers should take care to avoid fraudulent contractors who prey on disaster victims. Legitimate contractors will not demand cash upfront, the office of Florida’s chief financial officer warned in a Hurricane Dorian advisory. The office also alerted consumers to beware of impostors who claim to be representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and

BEIJING — Beijing has called on banks to open the lending spigots as China’s trade war with the United States rages and its economic slowdown shows little sign of abating. The People’s Bank of China on Friday lowered the amount of cash that Chinese banks are required to hold in their coffers, freeing up $126

The Labor Department will release its estimate of hiring and unemployment for August at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. The monthly report provides a snapshot of the American economy. Here’s what to watch for: Analysts on Wall Street are predicting a gain of 160,000 jobs, according to Bloomberg, compared with an increase of 164,000 in July.

Asian shares rose Friday as investors cheered plans for more trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing and drew encouragement from positive U.S. economic data. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.5% to 21,189.48. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.5% to 6,648.80. South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.2% to 2,008.28. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.3% to 26,599.48,

U.S. businesses added a healthy 195,000 jobs last month, a sign companies are still hiring at a solid pace despite the Trump administration’s trade war with China. Payroll processor ADP said Thursday that hiring occurred broadly among small, medium-sized and large businesses, compared with recent months when large firms had dominated. Health care, restaurants and

Sears has told the state of Illinois it’s laying off 250 employees at its corporate headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates. Sears said in a notice last week to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity that the employees have been placed on paid leave and their jobs will be terminated over

Nordstrom has opened a new store in Manhattan that carries no merchandise and instead offers tailoring services and allows customers to pick up or return online orders from any retailer. The Upper East Side location is the first Nordstrom “mini store” in New York. The company opened three others in Los Angeles and plans another

The Trump administration has unveiled its plan for ending government control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two giant mortgage finance companies that nearly collapsed in the financial crisis 11 years ago and were bailed out at a total cost to taxpayers of $187 billion. The administration’s plan calls for returning Fannie and Freddie

NEW YORK, Sept 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Gay men around the world receive less paid parental leave than lesbian or heterosexual couples, researchers said on Thursday, with many left struggling to pay household bills if they opt to spend more time at home with their children. The study by researchers at the University of