Scott Horsley

Retail sales jumped nearly 10% in March, as shoppers, flush with $1,400 relief payments, are feeling more confident about venturing out. Weekly unemployment claims dropped to a pandemic low.

Consumer prices saw their sharpest increase in more than eight years last month, as businesses struggled to keep pace with booming demand.

Consumer prices jumped last month as businesses struggled to keep pace with booming demand, but the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve say the uptick in inflation is likely to be temporary.

The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. economy will grow at its fastest pace in decades this year, lifting the outlook for worldwide economic growth.

The Treasury secretary is adding her support to a widely discussed proposal as part of the Biden administration's tougher approach to corporate taxes.

U.S. employers added 916,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate dropped to 6%. President Biden welcomed the Labor Department's strong report, but cautioned the pandemic recession is not over yet.

Hiring by U.S. employers accelerated sharply amid an improving public health outlook and a new round of $1,400 relief payments.

President Biden proposed a $2 trillion investment in the nation's neglected infrastructure. Most of the bill would fall on corporations, but it is already facing pushback from the business community.

Unpaid electric bills ballooned during the pandemic to more than $27 billion, and many now face the risk of having their power shut off.

During the pandemic, a growing number of utility customers are having their power shut off for lack of payment. This spring, a dozen states lift their winter ban on electric shut-offs.

Banks closed a record number of branches last year as the pandemic pushed more customers to online and mobile banking.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. economy is on a path to recovery thanks to the Fed's rescue plan and the stimulus. Total weekly unemployment claims hit their lowest since the pandemic began.

Claims are still high by historical standards, but it's a sign of slow healing from the worst crisis since the Great Depression. Fed Chair Jerome Powell reflected on that earlier Thursday with NPR.

The Federal Reserve chairman tells NPR that the U.S. economy is on a clear path to recovery thanks to the Fed's rescue plan and the stimulus passed by Congress.

Lawmakers pressed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell about the economic outlook and about their steps to address the financial fallout from the pandemic.

Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will tell Congress the economy is recovering but that more needs to be done to get to pre-pandemic levels

The Federal Reserve has raised its forecast for economic growth, thanks to an improving public health outlook and trillions of dollars in federal spending.

Retail sales dropped sharply last month after a winter storm blanketed much of the country's midsection, but forecasters expect a sharp rebound in sales.

The $1.9 trillion relief bill includes a new monthly allowance for American parents that could help provide a critical lifeline.

Economists expect the additional federal spending, coupled with an improving public health picture, will jumpstart economic growth this year.