Hopes for the fledgling economic recovery got a boost today from better-than-expected news on manufacturing, construction and contracts to buy homes.

President Barack Obama says the public and private sectors must find more ways to create jobs to continue the U.S. climb out of an economic recession.

A private measure of U.S. manufacturing activity grew in October at the fastest pace in more than three years, helped by government spending and higher demand from overseas. The better-than-expected reading is a positive signal for the fledgling economic recovery.

Construction spending in September posted a better-than-expected performance, powered by the largest jump in housing construction in more than six years.

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney says the time has come to stop the economic stimulus program, contending that it has not worked as the Obama administration planned.

President Barack Obama said Saturday that reports the economy is growing again and that more than 1 million jobs were saved or created by his stimulus plan show “we are moving in the right direction.“

Employment costs rose by the smallest amount on record in the 12 months ending in September, as high unemployment restrained wage and benefit growth.

Consumer spending plunged in September by the largest amount in nine months, reflecting the end of the government’s cash for clunkers auto sales program. Incomes, the fuel for future spending, were flat

Asian stock markets snapped three days of losses Friday after the U.S. economy broke out of a yearlong slump, spurring hopes of improved demand for the region’s exports. European shares were mixed.

President Barack Obama is hailing new figures showing the economy grew at a 3.5 percent rate in the third quarter, saying the country has “come a long way” since early this year.

The government says the number of people claiming jobless benefits for the first time droppped slightly last week, evidence that the labor market remains weak even as the economy is recovering.

Fueled by government stimulus, the economy grew last quarter for the first time in more than a year. The question now is, can the recovery last?

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority will make a public pitch today for a city loan to prop up its ailing voucher program, but the authority still doesn’t know how much it will need or how it will repay the money. Anthony Scott, the authority’s chief executive officer, is scheduled to appear today before Richmond City Council to discuss a loan request of up to $1.4 million to fill a projected gap in the voucher program for subsidized rental housing of low-income families.

It has been more than year since the financial meltdown transformed the economy, the way business is conducted and regulated, and the way people conduct their personal finances. It also changed the way the me JOHN
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dia, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, cover the economy and business. We routinely showcase our daily business coverage on the front page and our in-depth projects on the Sunday front to examine the impacts of the recession. We restyled the Sunday Business section as Moneywise to offer readers a lens into how other people and companies are weathering the economic storm. And we continue to press forward with delivering our business news report not only in the newspaper but online and through mobile alerts, e-newsletters, and social media such as Twitter.

A private forecast of economic activity rose for the sixth straight month in September, a sign the economy will keep growing early next year despite rising unemployment.