Battered by layoffs, debts and dread of worse to come, shoppers clutched ever tighter to their wallets in the final three months of 2008 and thrust the economy into its worst downhill slide in a quarter-century. Americans cut spending on everything from cars to computers, and it's only getting worse so far in the new year. ...more

January 31, 2009

The economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as the deepening recession forced consumers and businesses to throttle back spending. ...more

January 30, 2009

The country tumbled deeper into recession and probably logged its worst economic performance in a quarter-century during the final three months of last year as battered consumers and businesses throttled back spending. ...more

January 30, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - An alarming half-million American jobs vanished virtually in a flash last month, the worst mass layoffs in over a third of a century, as economic carnage spread ever faster and the U.S. hurtled toward what could be the hardest hard times since the Great Depression. ...more

December 7, 2008

An alarming half-million American jobs vanished last month, the worst mass layoffs in more than a third of a century, as economic carnage spread ever faster and the nation hurtled toward what could be the hardest hard times since the Great Depression. ...more

December 6, 2008

Straddling risky economic crosscurrents, the Federal Reserve is expected to stand still this week on interest rates. ...more

June 24, 2008

U.S. factories saw demand for their products rise in December by the largest amount in five months, a spot of welcome news that failed to change the picture of an economy struggling to stay afloat. ...more

February 5, 2008

The housing market plunged deeper into despair last month, with sales of new homes plummeting to their lowest level in more than 12 years. ...more

December 29, 2007