Lastest Stories by Alexander E.M. Hess

ThinkstockIt has been a slow and painful process, but the housing market is now in recovery and foreclosures have been dropping. Since the housing bust, regulators have focused on preventing...
ThinkstockThe gender wage gap has narrowed over the years. In 1979, women made an estimated 62% of what men earned. In 2012, the wage of a full-time female employee was roughly 81% of her male...
The American middle class is shrinking. According to a report released earlier this year, an estimated 51% of the population was in the middle class at the start of the decade, down from 61% forty...
courtesy of McDonald'sThe Dow Jones Industrial Average is up more than 19% so far this on the year. The DJIA, an index of 30 stocks from some of the country’s largest companies, is a widely...
ThinkstockBy many measures, the United States is the wealthiest economy in the world. However, according to a recent survey, women do not benefit nearly as much as men. The U.S. ranked 23rd in the...
ThinkstockAmericans will spend as much as $2.6 billion on their Halloween costumes this year, according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation. The NRF reports that $1.2 billion of that...
ThinkstockAverage in-state tuition at public four-year universities rose by just 2.9% this year, the smallest increase in more than three decades, according to data released last week by College...
ThinkstockMedian household income in the United States remained relatively unchanged between 2011 and 2012, after falling 7% from the start of the recession. While the nation continues to recover...
ThinkstockThe fast-food industry is one of the nation’s largest employers of low and minimum wage workers. According to one group, often the industry workers’ pay is not enough and many turn to...
ThinkstockHome flips, an important measure of housing market activity, declined 35% in the third quarter of 2013. Flipping a house — which involves buying, renovating and then reselling it —...
ThinkstockChocolate is big business, and Halloween is its biggest holiday. According to a recent survey from the National Confectioners Association, 72% of all candy spending this Halloween will be...
Based on the Tax Foundation’s 2014 State Business Tax Climate Index, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 states with the best and worst business tax environments. These are the least tax-friendly states...
ThinkstockPlanned job cuts in the third quarter rose 25% from a year ago. With September jobs cuts up 19% from last year, it represented the fourth month in a row in which job cuts were higher than...
ThinkstockThe world’s older population is growing. According to a report released last week, 11% of the current world population is 60 and older. By 2050, more than one in five will be at least 60...
ThinkstockWomen made up almost half of the workforce last year, and yet were paid only 77 cents for every dollar men made. This wage gap varies considerably among states. Women in Maryland and...