The final Markit U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) for March came in at a reading of 55.5, a slight decrease from February's mark of 57.1. Although this is a bit of a drop, a reading of over 50 indicates growth in the manufacturing industry.March's index reading is slightly lower than economists' original predictions of 56, according…

Confidence among consumers fell in March, a sign that spending may not be as robust as economists had originally predicted.The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final index, which gauges consumer sentiment, ended March with a reading of 80. This is slightly below February's index of 81.6, but higher than the preliminary March reading of 79.9.The March…

According to a new report form CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., human resource positions will be some of the most sought after positions in 2014. The report said the hiring of temporary workers with an expertise in human resources will grow by 4 percent from 2013 to 64,049 jobs.Among the other professions that pay…

The number of people who filed for unemployment benefits dropped in the week ending on March 22, according to the Labor Department. Jobless claims fell by 10,000 over the past week to stand at a seasonally adjusted rate of 311,000, the lowest amount in four months.The decrease during the week ending on March 22 is…

Orders for manufactured goods increased in February thanks to an increased demand for products for airplanes and automobiles, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.According to the recent report from the Commerce Department, orders for long-lasting manufactured goods - items that will last three years or more - increased by 2.2 percent. The growth in February…

Consumer confidence grew in March, a sign the economy is starting to improve, according to The Conference Board.The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index increased from 78.3 in February to 82.3 in March. The figures for March mark the first time the index has reach 82 since January 2008. Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The…

The gauge that looks at future U.S. economic activity posted a slight increase in February, according to The Conference Board. The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) rose 0.5 percent in February to stand at a mark of 99.8 percent. The economy looks to be improving, as January 2014 posted an increase of 0.1 percent, an…

Small-business owners are predicting positive numbers for first quarter 2014 production, according to the SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard survey. The March survey found that 87 percent of respondents said they believe they will see business growth for the first three months of 2014.Michael Alter, SurePayroll CEO and president, said in a statement there are a few…

The number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits hovered around a three-month low in the week that ended on March 15. That was also seen during the previous week. Jobless claims totaled 320,000, up 5,000 from the previous week, according to the Labor Department.Even though claims for unemployment grew from the previous week, the…

According to a new survey conducted by Bloomberg, employers are looking to hire more workers in the second quarter of 2014. In regards to hiring, 33 percent of survey respondents believe they will be adding more workers, including full-time and temporary workers, to their businesses in the second quarter. This projection is up from the…