Economy Worsens, No Relief 'til Late '09: Beige Book

Fed figures show $11 trillion was wiped out Americans' net worth last year

(NEWSER) - Last year's stock market and housing slumps wiped out nearly a fifth of the wealth of American families, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Federal Reserve announced yesterday that $11 trillion—more than the output of Britain, Germany and combined—was erased from the net worth of households in 2008, the biggest loss since it started keeping records. More»

Home-improvement giant having rough time in slow housing market

(AP) - Home Depot says it's cutting 7,000 jobs and closing its smaller Expo chain as the recession continues to batter the nation's housing market. The nation's largest home-improvement retailer says the cuts announced this morning will affect about 2% of its workforce. Its core Home Depot stores won't be affected. More»

(NEWSER) - Ben Bernanke patted himself on the back today for helping to save the world from a complete economic meltdown, MarketWatch reports. Facing public outrage and the prospect of President Obama dumping him in 6 months, the Fed chair said at a retreat in Wyoming that the world’s central banks “responded with speed and force" to "a rapidly deteriorating and dangerous situation." More»

(AP) - The economy is finally beginning to show signs of stabilizing in some parts of the US, bolstering hopes of a broader-based recovery this year. A Federal Reserve snapshot of economic conditions issued today finds that most of the Fed's 12 regions indicated either that "the pace of decline has moderated" or "that activity has begun to stabilize, albeit at a low level." The improved assessment raises hope that the recession, which started in December 2007, is drawing to a close. More»

Electronics retailer offers one more day of deep discounts

(NEWSER) - Today is the last day to benefit from the deeply slashed prices at the nation's closing Circuit City stores, NPR reports. Not everyone is pleased with the remaining selection of unwanted laptops and lonely printers, but shoppers are still finding deals, and the soon-to-be jobless employees seem to be doing their best to keep their spirits up. More»