Patrick Temple-West

WASHINGTON – Consumer credit fell $17.5 billion in November, or 8.5% at an annual rate, to a seasonally adjusted $2.464 trillion from $2.482 trillion in October, the Federal Reserve reported today.

WASHINGTON — Wholesale inventories jumped 1.5% in November, the largest increase in more than five years and the second consecutive monthly increase, the Commerce Department reported today.

WASHINGTON – Employers shed 85,000 jobs in December, more than economists expected, but added 4,000 workers in November, the first monthly nonfarm payrolls increase in 22 months, the Labor Department reported today.

WASHINGTON — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s proposed fiscal 2011 budget, submitted Thursday to lawmakers, would cut general fund spending by 5.3% but not raise taxes.

WASHINGTON — Initial jobless claims were essentially unchanged for the week ending Jan. 2, increasing by 1,000 to 434,000, as continuing claims fell, the Labor Department reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON – Initial jobless claims were essentially unchanged for the week ending Jan. 2, increasing by 1,000 to 434,000, as continuing claims fell, the Labor Department reported today.

WASHINGTON — Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon will resign and be sentenced Feb. 4 as part of a plea agreement negotiated with prosecutors after being convicted on one criminal count last year for using gift cards donated to the city.

WASHINGTON — Members of the Federal Open Market Committee said economic data continues to be in line with their expectations, as they emphasized flexibility is needed to expand or rein in asset purchase programs and to “remain alert” to the long-term inflation outlook, according to minutes from the Fed’s Dec. 15-16 monetary policy meeting.

WASHINGTON — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority yesterday announced a financing team for $250 million to $600 million of bonds it plans to sell in the spring to help finance the Dulles International Airport Metrorail extension.

Sean Connaughton, appointed by governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell to be secretary of transportation, will be jumping into his new position a month after the Virginia Department of Transportation lowered its revenue estimates for fiscal 2010.

Virginia Beach, Virginia’s largest city, expects to issue $106 million of general obligation refunding bonds on Tuesday. The city will competitively sell $22 million of Series 2009A bonds and $84 million of Series 2009B bonds.

WASHINGTON - Members of the Federal Open Market Committee said economic data continues to be in line with their expectations as they emphasized flexibility is needed to expand or rein in asset purchase programs and to “remain alert” to the long-term inflation outlook, minutes from the Fed’s Dec. 15-16 monetary policy meeting showed.

WASHINGTON — New factory orders for manufactured goods gained 1.1% in November, more than double economists’ estimates, the Commerce Department reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON — New factory orders for manufactured goods gained 1.1% in November, more than double economists’ estimates, the Commerce Department reported today.

WASHINGTON — Construction spending fell 0.6% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $900.1 billion, the category’s seventh consecutive monthly decline, the Commerce Department reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Construction spending fell 0.6% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $900.1 billion, the seventh consecutive monthly decline, the Commerce Department reported today.

WASHINGTON — The economy is improving at the national level but state and local governments face further revenue declines and dismal financial conditions that pose a risk of lowered credit ratings, market participants warned in their outlooks for this year.

More than $1 billion of bond-financed projects planned by Virginia could be delayed as the state’s new governor confronts billion-dollar deficits for fiscal 2010 and 2011.

New home sales plunged in November, falling 11.3%, a larger drop than economists estimated and the largest monthly decline since January, revealing a disconnect between existing and new home sales, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Personal spending rose 0.5% in November as incomes grew by 0.4%, the largest amount since May, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.