William Sluis

EMPLOYMENT Thankful for work As Americans prepare to trudge back to the office or assembly line after a long holiday weekend, they may feel inclined to utter a few words...

MANUFACTURING Orders on the rise With the dollar in a screeching slide, and inflation making an unexpected revival, pressure is growing on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates and...

HOUSING STARTS Roaring back yet again The Federal Reserve's efforts to slow the economy with a series of interest rate hikes create an understandable skepticism in many Americans. Why hit...

RETAIL SALES Rates begin to pinch As economists look ahead to 2005, they offer a disturbing forecast: Unless Americans can maintain an outsize level of spending, activity may begin to...

EMPLOYMENT Rebound awaited As Americans warm up to the annual fright fest of Halloween, a weary electorate is trying to peer beyond Tuesday. Once the balloting is over, thoughts will...

It was the standout feature, the centerpiece of the ubiquitous ranch house that dominated development in the 1950s. A big expanse of glass totaling as much as 30 square feet,...

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT Growth rebound seen At this point in the cycle, the economic cauldron is supposed to advance from a slow simmer to a full, rolling boil. The piping...

CONSTRUCTION Home pace slowing? Doubters about the staying power of the boom in home construction say it is only a matter of time before Asian investors lose their nerve and...

RETAIL SALES Cars to carry day Retailers who maintain that we are living in a plastic world point to consumers who plunk down credit cards while uttering the mantra "Buy...

FEDERAL RESERVE One more time A summer lull in the economy, described as a soft spot by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, is hanging on. As the first days of...