Amid geopolitical turmoil, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at the conclusion of its policy meeting on Wednesday. An energy shock and higher inflation expectations due to the war in Iran ruled out any possibility of an interest rate cut, analysts said. Since December, the federal funds rate has remained steady in a target range…
A job seeker waits to talk to a recruiter at a job fair Aug. 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. Marta Lavandier | AP The U.S. unemployment insurance system is not prepared for a recession, experts say — with benefits in many states falling far short of workers’ wages. Currently, most states offer maximum benefits far…
A sign displays the prices of unleaded gasoline at a Chevron gas station in Palo Alto, California, US, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images The war in Iran — and the accompanying spike in oil and gasoline prices — risks exacerbating the so-called K-shaped economy, economists said. The…
President Donald Trump signs executive orders relating to higher education institutions, alongside Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, right, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, April 23, 2025. Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty Images More than half a million federal student loan borrowers remain in a backlog of applications to access…
New economic risks have some experts warning about stagflation — a combination of low economic growth and high inflation. Persistent inflation above the Fed’s target and the job market slowdown had already prompted worries. Then surging oil prices due to the war in Iran have drawn comparisons to the oil supply shocks that led to…
People wait in long TSA lines as the partial government shutdown continues for several weeks at airports like Chicago O’Hare in Illinois, March 9, 2026 Peter Zay/ | Anadolu | Getty Images The first three months of the year have brought significant disruptions for travelers. The Iran war, cartel violence in Mexico, the U.S. military…
Artificial intelligence has been touted for its ability to automate routine, high-volume tasks at record speed. But a new report finds the technology is also creating tension between employers and employees over its deployment. While 80% of human resources decision-makers polled said AI tools are part of everyday tasks, and 83% said AI helps employees…
Mounting evidence points to opportunities in the skilled trades. And yet, these jobs remain largely a man’s world. Despite higher salaries and increasingly valuable long-term employment prospects in the face of an artificial intelligence-driven white-collar jobs revolution, women remain significantly underrepresented in the skilled trades, research shows. They make up just a fraction of the workforce in…
Alistair Berg | Digitalvision | Getty Images For many married women, one of the biggest financial transitions of their lives will come when it’s least welcome: after the death of their spouse. Women, on average, live longer than men — a longevity gap that means many wives will outlive their husbands. At birth, the average…
Miniseries | E+ | Getty Images The average tax refund is 10.6% higher so far this season, compared to about the same period in 2025, according to the latest IRS filing data. As of Mar. 6, the average refund amount for individual filers was $3,676, up from $3,324 about one year ago, the IRS reported on Friday. The average…