Dennis Moore

WASHINGTON — Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims rose 43,000 to 474,000 for the week ended April 30, their highest level since the week ending Aug. 14, 2010, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s up from a revised 431,000 in the previous week.

WASHINGTON - U.S. non-farm productivity rose 1.6% in the first quarter of 2011 according to the Labor Department's first estimate released Thursday, down from a revised estimate of 2.9% for the fourth quarter of 2010.

WASHINGTON - Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims rose 43,000 to 474,000 for the week ended April 30, their highest level since the week ending August 14, 2010, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's up from a revised 431,000 in the previous week.

A majority of the nation’s mayors want the new highway bill coming from Congress to emphasize streets and bridges over highways and to provide financing tools such as Build America Bonds, TIFIA loans or a national infrastructure bank.

WASHINGTON — A majority of the nation’s mayors want the new “highway bill” coming from Congress to emphasize streets and bridges over highways and to provide financing tools, such as BABs, TIFIA loans or a national infrastructure bank.

WASHINGTON — The employment cost index used to track overall labor costs increased 0.6% in the first three months of 2011, while it was unchanged at a seasonally unadjusted 0.4% rate for the last quarter of 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

WASHINGTON - An employment index used to track overall labor costs increased 0.6% for the first three months of 2011. The increase for the last quarter of 2010 was unchanged at a seasonally unadjusted 0.4% rate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the employment cost report this morning.

WASHINGTON — Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims rose 25,000 to 429,000 for the week ending April 23, their highest level since Jan. 22, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

WASHINGTON - Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims rose 25,000 to 429,000 for the week ending April 23, their highest level since Jan. 22 the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The Department of Transportation is expected to launch TIGER III during the next few weeks, ultimately awarding grants for capital projects from $528 million that was provided for the program in the recently enacted fiscal 2011 budget compromise.

WASHINGTON — This year will be the “toughest year so far” for state and local governments since the economic plunge began in 2008, with rating downgrades expected to outnumber upgrades, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

The consumer confidence index rose to 65.4 in April, up from an upwardly revised 63.8 in March, the Conference Board reported Tuesday. Consumers saw several signs of improvement, while economists polled by Thomson Reuters predicted the index would be 64.5 for April.

The consumer confidence index rose to 65.4 in April, up from an upwardly revised 63.8 in March, the Conference Board reported today. Consumers saw several signs of improvement in the economy