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Job openings in the U.S. rose in November to the highest level in five months as companies looked past congressional wrangling over a package of tax increases and government budget cuts set to take effect this month. The number of positions waiting to be filled climbed by 11,000 to 3.68 million from a revised 3.67 million in October, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Hiring was little changed and firings eased.

Investors often live in a state of denial. In the good times, we’ve seen investors reject the notion that the party will ever end. In the bad times, we’ve seen investors cling to the belief that things will never get better.

Americans kept health care spending in check for three years in a row, the government reported Monday, an unusual respite that could linger if the economy stays soft or fade like a mirage if job growth comes roaring back.

A housing renaissance has begun. This may be hard to believe after the dizzying, six-year-long crash in home sales, construction and house prices. But housing turned the corner last year, and it will take off in 2013.

Some popular items will cost more in 2013, while price tags on other items will be lower. TODAY financial editor Jean Chatzky, working off a list supplied by content partner Dealnews, breaks down the numbers.

US car sales rise 13.4% in 2012, making it the best year for the industry since 2007, industry data shows.

Tucked into the "fiscal cliff" tax package approved by Congress are billions of dollars in tax breaks that should make the new year a lot happier for businesses of many stripes, including film producers, race track owners and the makers of electric motorcycles....

Private-sector employers shrugged off a looming budget crisis and stepped up hiring in December, offering further evidence of underlying strength in the economy as 2012 ended.

A last-minute surge in spending helped many major retailers report better-than-expected sales in December, a relief for stores that make up to 40 percent of annual revenue during the holiday period.

An auto industry research firm says an improving economy and a host of new models should push U.S. auto sales above 15 million this year.