Economy

The number of U.S. residents applying for unemployment assistance rose for the second consecutive week. Applications increased 12,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 294,000, according to multiple reports. Other data suggests that the number of unemployed workers applying for benefits is still low: the four-week average of applicants rose …

Gasoline prices in Southern California continue to drop. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has fallen 36.3 cents during the past 38 days, including nearly one cent over the past weekend, according to multiple reports. As of Monday, motorists in the Inland …

U.S. retailers are probably looking forward to Wednesday when income tax season officially ends. Sixty six percent of all U.S. consumers expect to receive a tax refund this year, according to data released Monday by the International Council of Shopping Centers. When asked how they plan to spend their extra …

The U.S. job market went flat in March, as the economy added only 126,000 jobs while the unemployment rate was static. That was the lowest number of jobs added in a month since December 2013, ending a streak of 12 consecutive months of 200,000-plus job gains, according to data released …

The number of people in the United States seeking unemployment benefits dropped substantially last week. Weekly applications for jobless help fell 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 268,000, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. That drop shows the job market remains strong despite a slowdown in …

Manufacturing in the Inland Empire remained strong during March. The region’s purchasing managing index last month was 59, virtually unchanged from February and the sixth consecutive month the index was above 50, according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino. The institute publishes …