Economists hope the leaders of major economies gathering in Northern Ireland will discuss expanding global trade. Since interest rates can't be lowered much further, analysts say, trade will be a key catalyst for growth.

Friday's news from the Labor Department offers a snapshot of an economy that's treading water. Employers added 175,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.6 percent. The numbers show "the ongoing slog in the labor market," one economist said.

Farmers, foresters, and ranchers need to respond now to the impact of climate change on their businesses, says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "You're going to see crops produced in one area no longer able to be produced, unless we mitigate and adapt now," he says.

A Chinese company plans to buy U.S. pork giant Smithfield Foods for nearly $5 billion. The deal may undergo review by an interagency panel known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. The panel has played a significant role in shaping foreign investments in this country for nearly four decades.

City leaders in Youngstown, Ohio, are hoping that by leasing land to drilling companies, they might generate funds to demolish vacant homes and buildings. Some refer to this as "frackmolishing," and opponents worry the drilling will cause environmental damage.

The number of passengers planning to fly this summer will rise 1 percent from 2012, climbing back to the highest level since 2008, an industry group said Thursday. After years of instability, airlines welcome an easing in jet fuel prices. Even customers' complaints are quieting down.

Private employers must pay time and a half to workers who put in more than 40 hours a week. But some workers want comp time for extra hours. The House voted to allow workers to save up their comp time, but critics fear that employers would use the measure to abuse overtime rules.

Airlines are flying fewer planes to small and midsize markets, part of a push to move more people through regional hubs, according to an MIT study. As the economy tumbled into recession, airlines shut down money-losing routes and moved to fill seats on remaining flights.

Delays at the nation's airports surged this week because the Federal Aviation Administration furloughed air traffic controllers to stay within a reduced budget. Now Congress has voted quickly to give the FAA more spending flexibility to reduce staff cutbacks.

Six in 10 Americans say they fear tumbling from the middle class in the next few years, according to a newly released poll.

Some travelers faced delays Monday as furloughs of air traffic controllers began taking effect. Thanks to mandated federal budget cuts, the furloughs can't be avoided, the Federal Aviation Administration says. But critics want the Obama administration to cut some other part of the budget instead.

In the coming decade, another 1 billion women will enter the global workforce, with most moving from farms to service jobs. The workplace is changing women — and they are changing the world.

Taxpayers have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to get their federal returns filed. If necessary, procrastinators can file for an extension that pushes the filing deadline back to Oct. 15. Read tips on last-minute filing.

Many economists would applaud a change in the way Social Security administrators measure inflation. But many older Americans may hiss at using something called the "chained CPI," fearing a new formula will cut their benefits in coming years.

The 11.7 million Americans searching for work got discouraging news Friday morning when the Labor Department said employers created only 88,000 net jobs in March. The weak job growth comes at the same time benefits for the long-term unemployed are shrinking.

Many economists say Americans are witnessing a "manufacturing renaissance," thanks to abundant and reliable energy sources.

Optimists have had no trouble finding fresh evidence to suggest that the real estate market is recovering. Home sales are at the highest levels in years, borrowing rates are at historical lows, and builders are hiring again. But not everyone is convinced that the sector's momentum has staying power.

A Cypriot banking crisis has the potential to disrupt global financial systems, which are still trying to recover from the crisis of 2008-2009. The proposed tax on deposits in Cyprus could shake the trust in banks in Europe, and that could end up threatening the tenuous U.S. economic recovery.

Sheila Bair says it's too soon to celebrate over a housing recovery. Bair says a glut of houses could hit the market once prices perk up.

The lame-duck Congress has just weeks to jump to the rescue of an economy moving closer and closer to the so-called fiscal cliff — a $600 billion cluster of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes due to hit at year's end.