Author: Victor Blackwell

Getty Images | CNBC | Getty ImagesFebruary marked another strong month for health care despite job growth overall coming in weaker than expected but stable.Last month, health care and social assistance led the way for job creation, adding 63,100 jobs, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That marked the fifth straight month that the category saw the largest gains.When including private education in the group, like some economists do, that figure grows to 73,000 jobs.Although this is another strong performance for health care, Julia Pollak of ZipRecruiter noted that this level of gains has basically…

U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on March 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed a series of executive orders, including lifting 25% tariffs for all goods compliant under USMCA trade agreement.Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesGlobal markets have been rocked by volatility in recent days, as investors try to stay ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs policies.As the White House leader’s long-threatened levies on Canadian and Mexican goods finally came into effect this week, equity markets around the globe were shaken. Stocks on Wall Street…

Job growth was weaker than expected in February though still stable despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to slash the federal workforce.Nonfarm payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 151,000 on the month, better than the downwardly revised 125,000 in January, but less than the 170,000 consensus forecast from Dow Jones, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The unemployment rate edged higher to 4.1%.The report comes amid efforts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to pare down the federal government, starting with buyout incentives and including mass firings that have impacted multiple departments.Though the reductions likely won’t be…

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attends at an Economic Club of New York event in New York City, U.S., March 6, 2025.Jeenah Moon | ReutersTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday acknowledged some signs of weakness in the U.S. economy.”Could we be seeing that this economy that we inherited starting to roll a bit? Sure. And look, there’s going to be a natural adjustment as we move away from public spending to private spending,” Bessent said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.””The market and the economy have just become hooked. We’ve become addicted to this government spending, and there’s going to be a…

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivering a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan. 6, 2025.Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesMore than two years into the generative artificial intelligence boom, Wall Street is setting an increasingly high bar for chipmakers.When it comes to earnings reports — most recently from Marvell Technology — good isn’t good enough. That’s because investors previously poured into the companies making the infrastructure and devices at the heart of the AI economy, bidding the stocks up to historically high levels.They’re demanding results.Marvell shares plummeted 20% on Thursday, their steepest slump…

A week since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated expulsion from the White House, European leaders have upped the ante on defense spending plans as they seek to support Kyiv and fill a potential void of U.S. aid.  This week, the European Commission proposed measures for fiscal flexibility on defense spending and a plan to borrow 150 billion euros ($163 billions) to lend to EU governments for Europe-wide defense capabilities, including artillery systems, missiles and anti-drone systems.With this equipment, the EU stressed it could “massively step up” its support to Ukraine, which has depended on both Europe and the U.S. for…

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell on March 7, 2025.Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe S&P 500 regained some ground on Friday, but the index still posted its worst week in several months as the salvo of trade policy actions unnerved investors.The broad index rose 0.55% to 5,770.20, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.7% to 18,196.22. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 222.64 points, or 0.52%, to end at 42,801.72.Friday saw volatile trading, with the Dow falling more than 400 points at session lows before an afternoon rally.…

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s administration imposed new tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico while increasing existing tariffs on goods from China, a move expected to raise prices for new homes, according to a recent CoreLogic report.That’s largely because tariffs affect essential home construction materials, including wood products, cement, steel, aluminum and appliances, so homebuilding costs are projected to rise.As a result, construction costs could increase by 4% to 6% over the next 12 months, adding roughly $17,000 to $22,000 to the sticker prices for new homes, according to CoreLogic. With the cost of a newly constructed home averaging…

New apartment construction hit a record high last year, but all that new supply is apparently not enough to cool the competition in the market. Getting a rental is actually becoming even more difficult, according to a new report from RentCafe, an apartment search site.Last year, developers completed close to 600,000 multifamily units, according to the U.S. Census. That is the highest level since 1974 and a 34% increase from 2023. New York City, Dallas and Austin, Texas, led in the number of new rentals.Despite that, on a national level, rental competitiveness rose at the start of this year, according…

Rep.-elect Sylvester Turner (D-TX) poses for a photograph after joining other congressional freshmen of the 119th Congress for a group photograph on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty ImagesFirst-term Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, died after suffering a medical emergency following President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, according to two House Democratic lawmakers who were informed of his death.He was 70 years old and had just taken the oath of office in January. Turner previously faced bone cancer. His office later confirmed in a statement that he had…