Patrick Temple-West

WASHINGTON — All but two of the Federal Reserve districts reported at least a slight increase in economic activity during the last two months, the Fed reported Wednesday in its Beige Book, an anecdotal compilation of economic activity.

WASHINGTON — The productivity of U.S. workers rose at an annual rate of 2.3% in the third quarter as output and hours worked increased, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — Construction spending unexpectedly surged 0.7% in October, aided by a strong gain in residential construction, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - All but two of the Federal Reserve districts reported at least a slight increase in economic activity during the last two months, the Federal Reserve reported today in its Beige Book – an anecdotal compilation of economic activity.

WASHINGTON - Construction spending increased 0.7% in October, aided by a strong gain in residential construction, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - U.S. productivity increased at a 2.3% annual rate in the third quarter, revised higher as output and hours worked increased, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

New home sales fell 8.1% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 283,000, the lowest level in three months, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Durable goods orders dropped 3.3% in October, the largest decline since January 2009, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Personal income rose 0.5% in October as consumption increased 0.4%, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - New home sales fell 8.1% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 283,000, the lowest level in three months, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON – Durable goods orders dropped 3.3% in October, the largest decline since January 2009, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON – Personal income rose 0.5% in October, consumption increased 0.4%, and the annual core personal consumption expenditures figure rose by the smallest amount on record, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia expects to issue $522.4 million of Build America Bonds before the end of the year. The capital city is planning to use the general obligation credit for the first time in two years in one of the deals to maximize the BABs savings.

WASHINGTON — Real gross domestic product increased 2.5% in the third quarter, revised higher from 2.0% growth seen in the advance estimate last month and exceeding economists’ estimates as the core personal consumption expenditures number was unrevised, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — Existing homes sales fell 2.2% in October to a seasonally adjusted 4.43 million, the National Association of Realtors reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — Washington County has been the only local government in Maryland to issue all of its allocated recovery zone facility bonds, and now it wants to squeeze the leftover RZFB juice from its neighbors too, just before the program expires at the end of the year.

WASHINGTON — Initial jobless claims edged up by 2,000 new filings to 439,000 the week ending Nov. 13, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

WASHINGTON - Initial jobless claims edged higher by 2,000 to 439,000 for the week ending Nov. 13 as the number of workers seeking continuing unemployment benefits broke below 4.3 million for the first time in two years, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

WASHINGTON — Housing starts dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 519,000 in October, an 18-month low, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Building permits increased to a 14 month-high of 550,000.

Wake County’s tax base is expected to grow by less than 1% in the current fiscal year, hampered by flat sales-tax revenue and continued declines in motor vehicle tax collections, the county’s top commissioner said this week.