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WASHINGTON — U.S. employers sharply stepped up their hiring in June, adding a robust 224,000 jobs, an indication of the economy’s durability after more than a decade of expansion.

WASHINGTON — U.S. companies added just 102,000 jobs in June, a possible turning point that could signal a coming increase in the unemployment rate.

U.S. home construction improved 1.5% in October, but in a troubling sign, groundbreakings for single-family houses fell.

WASHINGTON — Consumer prices climbed 0.3% in October, with higher prices for gasoline, used autos and housing contributing to the increase. The Labor Department said Nov. 14 that this measure of inflation has jumped 2.5% over the past 12 months.

WASHINGTON — U.S. services firms expanded at a slightly slower rate in October, after achieving a record pace in September in a sign of the economy’s strength and endurance.

WASHINGTON — Sales of new U.S. homes plunged 5.5% in September, the fourth straight monthly drop as the housing market cools while mortgage rates rise.

WASHINGTON — U.S. home construction fell 5.3% in September, a sign that recent hurricanes and rising mortgage rates may be weighing on the market.

WASHINGTON — Sales of existing homes were unchanged in August, as a shortage of houses priced at less than $250,000 — a level considered to be affordable for the middle class — has become a drag on the real estate market.

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department on Sept. 6 affirmed last month’s report that U.S. productivity increased at an annual rate of 2.9% in the second quarter.

WASHINGTON — Spending on U.S. construction projects ticked up 0.1% in July, led by an increase in homebuilding and the publicly funded building of schools and highways.