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Job openings slide to 2nd lowest level in 5 years as hiring remains sluggish

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up. Businesses and government agencies posted 7.1 million open jobs at the end of November, the Labor Department said Wednesday, down from 7.4 million in October. Layoffs also dropped, however, as companies appear to be holding onto workers even as they are reluctant to add staff. The report suggests that the “low-hire, low-fire” job market remains in effect, with workers enjoying some job security but those ...

Budget office: Immigration policies, low fertility rate slow US growth projection

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. population is projected to grow by 15 million in 30 years, a smaller estimate than in previous years, due to President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policies and an expected lower fertility rate, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. The nonpartisan budget office projected that the U.S. population will grow from 349 million people this year to 364 million people in 30 years, a 2.2% smaller gain than it had predicted in 2025. In September, the office issued a revised demographics report that showed Trump’s plans for mass deportations and ...

Trump Mobile’s golden phone remains nowhere to be found

A golden phone that President Donald Trump’s family business promised to release last year remains mysteriously under wraps as the technology industry serves up a glut of new gadgets at CES in Las Vegas this week. When the Trump Organization launched a mobile phone service last June, it was supposed to be a stage setter for a new smartphone bathed in gold with a $500 price tag — a bargain compared to Apple’s latest iPhone models that sell for anywhere from $800 to $1,200. The newly formed Trump Mobile targeted its T1 phone for an August or September release. What’s more, ...

Wall Street reaches more records on gains by Big Tech

NEW YORK (AP) — Broad gains led by technology stocks pushed Wall Street to more records on Tuesday. The gains mirror much of the action from the previous year, when big technology stocks often drove the market to a series of records. Technology stocks led the gains, but several other sectors assisted in the broader market’s advance. Health care companies, retailers and industrial firms broadly gained ground. Roughly three out of every four stocks in the benchmark S&P 500 index rose. The S&P 500 rose 42.77 points, or 0.6%, to 6,944.82, setting a record on just the third trading ...

Ashley’s Furniture coming to Eastwood Mall

Staff report NILES — Ashley’s Furniture will join the Eastwood Mall Complex’s shopping lineup this spring. Ashley’s plans to occupy approximately 30,0000-square feet in the Great East Plaza and is projected to open its doors in March or April, according to a news release issued Monday. The store will feature Ashley’s 7.0 design, a concept aimed to provide an inspirational environment to help shoppers visualize how furniture will look in real home settings, as well as an emphasis on ease of navigation to help them explore styles in an “open, bright and modern ...

Oil stocks sharply higher after US action in Venezuela

Shares of major U.S. companies in the energy sector are sharply higher Monday after President Donald Trump announced plans to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry, saying that it would be American companies helping to revitalize it following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. While the U.S. action is unlikely to have an immediate impact on crude prices given the current glut in the market, it could upend energy markets and have an impact on the geopolitical landscape. The shale oil revolution made the U.S. the world’s largest crude producer. Recent, massive oil finds ...