MoneyWatch

Inflation is proving to be a stubborn, unwanted houseguest. No one particularly likes paying more for food, fuel and other living costs. But so far, the Federal Reserve’s attempts since March to evict inflation with higher interest rates haven’t worked. Because we may be stuck with this unpleasant roommate for …

Hurricane Ian clobbered Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, causing billions of dollars in damages to businesses and homeowners. But the storm wasn’t the only threat to those in its path.  Natural disasters like Ian commonly attract scammers, sometimes dubbed “storm chasers,” who pose as reputable contractors and trawl damaged communities in …

Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates jumped by more than a quarter-point this week to their highest level since 2007 as the Federal Reserve intensified its effort to tamp down decades-high inflation and cool the economy. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate climbed to 6.29%, from 6.02% …

Most U.S. workers say they are struggling to cover everyday expenses as stubbornly high inflation gobbles up pay gains, a new survey shows. Even as wage growth rose to its highest in years during the pandemic, employees say their earnings aren’t keeping pace with the highest inflation in decades. Indeed, …

Union supporters decided to send a personal message to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Starbucks interim CEO Howard Schultz. To commemorate Labor Day, activists took their fight to unite workers at the companies to the executives’ New York City homes. Crowds rallied in front of the West 11th Street building …

More American workers are taking on side hustles to earn extra money and help offset the impact of searing inflation. For others, meanwhile, it’s a chance to pursue their passion.  A bartender by trade, Miami, Florida, resident Alejandro Chavarria spends much of his free time pursuing a fledgling career in …

Small businesses across the U.S. face soaring inflation, supply-chain problems and slowing economic growth, compounding their challenges recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first of a series of articles by CBS MoneyWatch exploring the key issues confronting small business owners, Jessica Johnson-Cope, CEO of Bronx, New York-based Johnson Security …

More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty over how the health crisis will evolve continues to hinder businesses across the U.S.  “As long as we’re not sure how many people are going to be working from offices, then it’s difficult for owners of restaurants that cater to people …

Hiring stayed strong in June despite persistent inflation and worries about a coming recession. Employers added 372,000 jobs, the Labor Department said Friday, surpassing the 270,000 economists had expected. The unemployment rate remained at 3.6%, close to its pre-pandemic low. “Today’s jobs report is a milestone marking a more-than-full recovery …

With abortion now or soon to be illegal in over a dozen states and severely restricted in even more, Big Tech companies that collect personal details on their users are facing calls to limit that tracking and surveillance. Driving these calls is the fear that law enforcement or anti-abortion vigilantes …