consumer confidence

Congress and White House seem ready to accept automatic spending cuts that will surely damage the nation's economic recovery

Maryland lags behind 19 states and the District of Columbia that have raised the minimum wage above the $7.25 federal hourly standard

Replacing our inaccurate measure of inflation would produce budget savings and more tax revenue.

Obama must hold firm on his pledge to keep debt ceiling off the table in deficit negotiations with Congress

President of Maryland Retailers Association answers five questions about changing nature of retail

Maryland's economy took a U-turn in November, shedding 3,100 jobs, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday.

My contention is not that public employers should not address these concerns; it is that the comments completely disregarded the progress that Harford County has made on this front.

The GOP's right wing refuses to acknowledge the reality of the fiscal cliff, and that may preclude any deal on the budget and taxes before Jan. 1.

National survey says 247 million shoppers made the retail rounds in person and online during Black Friday weekend, an increase of 9.2 percent over last year.

Second terms are different, but President Obama has a chance for real achievements, says Towson Professor Martha Kumar

Responding to consumer demand, retailers have pushed up store openings to the end of Thanksgiving dinner, started online price wars in November and replaced door buster opening events with waves of sales targeting different consumers.

T. Rowe Price Group reported this morning a $247.3 million profit, or 94 cents per share, for the third quarter. Revenues reached $769.7 million.

T. Rowe Price reports profit of $247.3 million in third quarter

Does GOP want U.S. economy to succeed? When every uptick is seen as a downturn in disguise, it appears the answer is 'not yet'

Maryland was one of just six states to experience a decline in powerboat sales in 2011 even as the industry enjoyed its first sales increase since 2006.

Fashion's Night Out events planned in Towson and Harbor East

As the formal process of choosing a nominee played out at the Republican National Convention here Tuesday, much of the messaging that will actually reach voters back home was taking place off stage as an army of political surrogates jabbed and deflected under the glare of studio lights.

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said that the GOP vision for the nation's economy would "spell disaster for America's middle class" and that soon-to-be nominee Mitt Romney "doesn't have what it takes to grow this economy."

In a turnaround from the recession, RV sales have been rising since 2010 and will likely be up 6 percent this year, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association

After a disappointing start to summer for some retailers, many are hoping for a boost from back-to-school shopping, the second-biggest sales period of the year.

The explosion in the size of federal, state and local governments is at the core of the greatest policy failure of our time

Restaurants expect strong summer, record hiring

Three council members were sworn in at the Havre de Grace meeting Monday night.

Bel Air's town employees will get a 3 percent raise in July and residents of English Country Manor should soon get their long sought traffic light at Gateway Drive and Boulton Street under the 2013 town budget that received final approval from the Board of Town Commissioners Monday.

The Howard County Board of Education unanimously approved Renee Foose to be its new superintendent Thursday afternoon in Ellicott City

Senate budget calls for transit fare increase

Average resident rates could go up 4 percent, county officials say

Preserving Social Security is going to require some sacrifice by current beneficiaries

A resurgence in spending by the luxury consumer is expected to benefit stores that sell accessories, jewelry and apparel, as sales of luxury branded goods jumped 10 percent to $252 billion worldwide.

The Harford County Council approved a water and sewer bill Tuesday evening.

With so many encouraging economic signs, do Republicans in Congress really want to raise taxes and dampen the economic recovery?

Expect crowds, packed elbow-to-elbow, at popular Ravens fan hangouts in Baltimore

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot defends his vote against raising the state's debt limit and responds to an editorial comparing his positions to those of the tea party.

Early surveys show that shoppers packed stores and spent money in record numbers on Black Friday in what analysts call a hopeful sign for the U.S economy after months of up-and-down consumer spending.

This year, the packed-house madness of Black Friday was done well before dawn. With more and more stores opening at midnight and some starting hours earlier, thousands of Baltimore-area shoppers arrived — and left — in the wee hours.

The Howard County Executive plans to keep his $3,600 pay increase after two years of furloughs and withholding pay, which some council members say they will follow.

After a brutal third quarter in which the United States saw an unprecedented downgrade of its credit, many weary investors remain on the sidelines.

Nerve-wracking economic conditions and more stringent mortgage requirements helped push home sales in the Baltimore region to their lowest level for the month of October in at least 13 years, putting more downward pressure on prices.

Walmart and other retailers are bringing back or expanding a Christmas shopping tradition: the layaway. It seems like the right way at the right time to spend without going into debt.

Far from a Ponzi scheme, Social Security is mostly healthy except for two recent developments.

President Obama's proposal to use both spending cuts and tax increases to pay down the nation's debt is the most fair and reasonable approach available

The state has spent more than $131,000 and countless hours of study in a bid for the Marine Stewardship Council's seal of approval, a symbol of sustainability held by about 10 percent of the world's fish species and fish products