Labor/Economy

New home construction gained a little ground in January, according to the Census Bureau, with U.S. builders breaking ground on dwellings at an annualized rate of 699,000 units, up 1.5 percent since December.

Better times ahead for developing single-family homes? Those in the industry seem to think so.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reported on Tuesday that retail sales were up by 0.4 percent month-over-month in January, which is more than in recent months, but not as much as economists had expected.

Without action by Congress, payroll taxes will go up at the end of February by roughly 2 percent–about $20 a week for a household making 50 grand a year.

The Greek parliament voted on Sunday to enact new austerity measures by 199 to 74, with 27 abstentions or other non-votes, and also to give the government authority to complete the haircut deal with the country’s creditors.

The federal government, the state attorneys general of 49 states and five major U.S. banks have agreed to a $25 billion settlement regarding robo-signing that the banks undertook during the worst of the foreclosure crisis.

The federal government, various state attorneys general and the largest banks in the country have struck a deal that would specify an assortment of mild punishments for the banks’ involvement in robo-signing.

All species of consumer credit increased during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the Federal Reserve on Tuesday, lending credence to the notion that not only are consumers feeling more confident about the economy these days, they’re backing up that confidence with their wallets.