Labor/Economy

In its September 2012 National Housing Survey, Fannie Mae said on Tuesday that Americans’ optimism about the recovery of the housing market and, more broadly, about the idea of homeownership itself continued a gradual climb.

The International Monetary Fund said on Monday in its most recent “World Economic Outlook” that it now expects the world economy to grow by 3.3 percent during 2012, down from its July prediction of 3.5 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its household survey that the number of people who count as employed increased by 873,000 in September, the largest such monthly increase in almost 30 years.

The U.S. economy created 114,000 jobs in September, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.

Reis Inc. reported on Wednesday that the national apartment vacancy rate was 4.6 percent during the third quarter, down a notch from 4.7 percent during the previous quarter.

Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased year-over-year by 4.6 percent in August compared to August 2011, according to CoreLogic.

The Census Bureau reported on Monday that U.S. construction spending edged down 0.6 percent in August compared with July, with both private and public construction spending off a bit.

There was a disconnect between a rise in consumer spending and a rise in personal income during August, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis on Friday, and it didn’t bode well for the U.S. economy.