WSJ Economy

Consumer confidence slumped to the lowest level in 11 months in July, raising fears the economy could fall back into recession, a monthly survey released by polling firm GfK NOP showed.

Amid the tepid economic recovery, California's construction industry continues to hemorrhage jobs, helping to explain why unemployment across the state remains so much worse than elsewhere in the country.

German unemployment fell in July for the 13th straight month, putting Europe's largest economy on the brink of a milestone: regaining all of the employment lost during the recession far earlier than many expected.

U.S. mortgage rates fell again, with the average rate on 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages furthering record lows.

Fitch cited a deterioration in the Southeast Asian country's finances and a banking system vulnerable to systemic stress.

Home prices rose in May but were expected to lose momentum with the expiration of federal tax credits, while consumer confidence sagged—both signs that the economic recovery remains fragile.

China's trade surplus is set to balloon again unless the government takes more steps to support domestic consumption, including letting its currency strengthen, the IMF warned.

Initial jobless claims declined by 11,000 to 457,000 last week, but that followed a big rise the previous period, signaling little improvement in the job market.

The government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is under fire from a range of opponents for a privacy initiative—making participation in his country's census largely voluntary.

Euro-zone economic sentiment strengthened to its highest level in more than two years in July, fueled by markedly positive numbers in Germany.

U.S. economic activity rose only modestly in June and the first half of July, the Fed said, in another sign that the recovery may be running out of steam.

U.K. mortgage approvals slipped to their weakest level since February and net consumer lending remained tame in June. U.K. consumer confidence slumped to its weakest level in 13 months in July.

Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said that the central bank could either ease policy further in coming months or reduce its stimulus somewhat, depending on how conditions evolve.

A Bay Area company has retained a recipe for success in a sluggish economy: Take a scoop of ice cream, squish it between two oatmeal cookies and apply dark chocolate.

Demand for U.S. durable goods slid 1% in June for a second consecutive month in another sign the manufacturing sector expansion is slowing.

Property crime decreased in many cities in the Bay Area and across the U.S. last year, but not in some Silicon Valley communities.

The ECB set big increases to the discounts it will impose on low-rated and illiquid bonds when it accepts them as collateral for its lending operations.

The Russian government outlined plans to slightly loosen state control over the economy, aiming to raise as much as $29 billion by selling minority stakes in state companies.

The IMF urged China to phase out stimulus measures that boosted the global economy during the recent downturn, a long-delayed review revealed.

Households and small businesses across Central and Eastern Europe are sinking under the weight of foreign-currency debts.