UNEMPLOYMENT

Consumer sentiment in the U.S. rose more than expected during December, and an index of current conditions touched its highest level since January 2008, the Thomson Reuters/ University of Michigan Survey said.

From the Jamaican beach in Caribbean to the Christians’ Holy Lands, there are many exotic places available for a cheap vacation this holiday season. Here’s a list of 8 most cheap destinations for your Christmas getaways.

House Democrats are rebelling against Obama's tax cut compromise with the Republicans. On Wednesday, they essentially rejected it in its current form by passing a non-binding resolution to block it from coming to the House floor.

Senate Republicans delivered a serious setback to the community of Ground Zero responders and their families today by blocking the Zadroga bill from coming to a vote.

U.S. jobless claims fell more than expected during the week ended Dec. 4, providing some relief to the labor market that saw a rise in jobless rate in the week before, the Labor Department said.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices point to higher opening after the Department of Labor reported that weekly jobless claims declined last week.

The value of U.S. homes is expected to decline by more than $1.7 trillion during 2010, following a drop of more than $1 trillion in 2009, according to data from Zillow Real Estate Market Reports. Since the market peak of June 2006, U.S. housing has lost $9-trillion in value.

The Greek economy shrank more than initially estimated in the third quarter, the Hellenic Statistical Authority said on Thursday.

The U.S. economy will begin to show signs of improvement in 2011 as major indicators such as housing and consumer spending begin to improve by mid-2011, according to an annual outlook report from Wells Fargo.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to higher opening on Thursday as better-than-expected Japanese economic growth boosted sentiment.

James Tyree, CEO of Mesirow Financial, speaks to IBTimes about how his firm is navigating the challenges of the post-crisis financial world.

Stocks crept higher in a choppy trading session as traders likely had more time to digest the implications of the extension of George W. Bush’s tax cuts for two years, as well as a renewal of unemployment insurance for long-term jobless for thirteen months.

In a conference on Wednesday in mid-town Manhattan, The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) presented reasons why South Korea makes for an attractive investment candidate for foreigners.

The House of Representatives, early this morning, introduced a continuing resolution budget proposal that wraps all the major spending bills Congress has yet to pass into one, while freezing Fiscal Year 2011 discretionary spending at Fiscal Year 2010 levels.

Crude oil futures declined for the second day on Wednesday as traders booked profits following a rally to $90.76 a barrel, the highest in 26 months on Tuesday, and on stronger dollar.

German industrial production topped economists' expectations during October, a report by Destatis said, indicating the German economic recovery continues, contrary to fears of a slowdown.

Consumer credit in the U.S. rose during October, mainly boosted by a rise in student loans, a report by the Federal Reserve said on Tuesday.

Gold just fell on bullish news, which is arguably a very bearish sign for the yellow metal.

The United Nations explains in a report why the fragile and uneven global recovery that started in 2009 began to decelerate in the middle of 2010 and lists the myriad of problems that still plagues the economy

Longer-term, the potential impact of the tax cuts upon the stock market and economy remain rather fuzzy, given the multitude of other issues facing investors, including perpetually high unemployment in the U.S., a seemingly never-ending sovereign debt crisis in Europe and constant friction with China over trade and currency.

A moderate stock rally fueled by a compromise between President Obama and Republicans on tax extensions and unemployment benefits petered out in late-session trading, resulting in a narrowly mixed results for major equity indices.