Economy, Economist | featured news

Economists think some of the missing workers have retired, have entered college or are getting by on government disability checks.

Employers will hire more workers this year, and the economy will grow faster than envisioned three months ago, according to an Associated Press survey that found growing optimism among leading economists....

The United States will lead the rich world's economic recovery over the next two years while Japan and major European economies flounder by comparison, according to Reuters polls of more than 200 economists.

The gross domestic product number came in at a rather soft 2% growth, up slightly from last quarter’s 1.7%. From the standpoint of creating new jobs, 2% just doesn’t cut it. We need about 100,000 to 125,000 new jobs a month just to keep up with population growth and a 2% GDP will not give us half that, as we saw last quarter. Most economists say you need about 3.5% GDP growth to get solid job reports.

The job market and the economy will improve only slightly next year, according to an Associated Press survey of leading economists whose outlook for 2011 has dimmed over the past three months.

Two Americans and a British-Cypriot economist have won a Nobel prize for a theory that helps explain why many people can remain unemployed despite a large number of job vacancies.

Economists forecast the pace of U.S. growth will pick up in the year ahead as consumers and businesses accelerate spending, according to a new survey.

A raft of monthly economic data early next week could show that China's growth momentum is starting to peak, some economists say, as the impact of stimulus spending wears off and Beijing steps up its efforts to rein in property speculation and other excesses.

Government economic forecasters say President Obama's healthcare overhaul will increase the nation's healthcare tab instead of bringing costs down. The report by economic experts at the Department of Health and Human Services, released late Thursday, says the healthcare remake will achieve Obama's aim of expanding coverage.

Economist says recovery is stronger than thought; 4-percent economic expansion expected this year.