recession

Top policymakers did not seriously consider the idea that problems in the housing market would bring a recession, newly released transcripts show.

Asian stock markets were mostly lower Thursday, amid inflation data in China that failed to meet expectations and fears of a possible recession in Europe.

After a hugely-turbulent 2011, the 17 countries that use the euro will be quickly confronted in the new year with major hurdles to solving their government debt crisis, just as the eurozone economy is expected to sink back into recession.

In in the latest sign that the economy is surging at year's end, unemployment claims have dropped to the lowest level since April 2008, long before anyone realized that the nation was in a recession.

Santander and other European banking giants are trying to preserve their brands while dealing with government austerity and tighter rules that threaten to plunge the Continent back into recession.

A gauge of future economic activity posted a solid increase in November, providing further evidence that the economy is gaining strength with less risk of another recession.

On top of euro zone debt troubles, Wall Street now has to worry about sagging sales from Europe as a recession in the region seems more likely.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows thatA over the last decadeA self-employed Americans have become less likely to employ others.A Moreover, this decline predates the Great Recession, as the figure below shows.

American consumers opened their wallets in a way they had not since before the recession, setting records in sales and traffic, but there were signs the gains might not last.

The European Union warned Thursday that the 17-country eurozone could slip into "a deep and prolonged recession" next year as the debt crisis shows alarming signs of spinning out of control.