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Analyzing economic trends through complex quantitative methods is a reliable way to forecast sales, profits and trends. Some businesses rely on skilled economists to do this valuable research, present their …

The slow climb back from the recession is showing signs of gaining traction. According to the AICPA Economic Outlook Survey, a majority of senior accounting professionals see an improving economy …

Jobless claims fell by 2,000 in the first full week of January, according to numbers released this week by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The total number of weekly applications for benefits fell to 326,000, the lowest in six weeks.

It’s the latest in the a host of positive economic news in the past month – with the possible exception of the unemployment numbers, which showed only a gain of 75,000 in December 2013.

Jobless claims fell by 2,000 in the first full week of January, according to numbers released this week by the U.S. Department of Labor. The total number of weekly applications for benefits fell to 326,000, the lowest in six weeks.

Consumer spending rose again in November 2013 at the fastest rate since June – the latest in string of good news about the economy.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that spending by consumers had jumped by .5% in November after a .4% gain in October. The Commerce Department reported that the gain was driven by consumers buying durable goods such as automobiles, furniture and appliances.

Retail sales increased in November, according to the Commerce Department, with increased purchases of automobiles and other goods.

Sales increased 0.7%, which was the largest gain in five months. Sales increased 0.6% in October. Economists had predicted, on average, about a 0.6% increase in November.

The amount of retail sales – $432.3 billion – is 4.7% higher than November 2012, according to the Commerce Department.

Applications to build new homes reached a five-year high in October, another sign that the economy is improving as 2014 approaches.

Numbers from the United States Department of Commerce indicated that permit applications increased by 6.2% in October. There were no figures for housing starts as U.S. government data has been delayed due to the government shutdown that lasted for about half of October.

Jobless claims across the United States fell by 15,000 to a total of 358,000 in the week that ended Oct. 12, according to a report from the Department of Labor.

While lower, the number is not as low as what was forecast by economists, who anticipated the total number to drop to about 335,000, according to Bloomberg.

The number still includes a backlog from California, where a break down in the system last month has led to an increase in numbers from that state the past few weeks. Additionally, the figures include some of the government workers and government contractors who lost their jobs, at least temporarily, during the government shutdown that ended this week.

A college education is about to become even more important for American workers, a recent study has concluded. Of the estimated 55 million job vacancies that will be created through …

By MARY PATRICK The latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that 11 states saw a drop in the jobless rate between May and June of …