KLAW 101 - Oklahoma's Best Country » Economy

Economy Adds 175,000 Jobs, Unemployment Rate Rises Slightly to 7.6%

Chris Chaberski — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:47:04 +0000

Job growth in May beat economists' expectations, coming in at 175,000 new positions added, which aligns closely with the yearly average. The unemployment rate rose ever so slightly, from 7.5 percent to 7.6 percent, a result of more people entering the work force, according to the Labor Department.

Solid April Jobs Report Shows Dropping Unemployment Rate, Business Expansion

Chris Chaberski — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:43:35 +0000

The economy added 165,000 jobs in April, bringing the overall unemployment rate down a tick to 7.5 percent. The monthly report from the Labor Department also included upward revisions to the last two reports, helping to ease fears of a slowdown. Last month’s jobs numbers seemed ominous. The number of positions added in March was [...]

Americans Keep Having Fewer Babies, Probably Because of the Economy

Jeremy Taylor — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:56:09 +0000

Call it the "baby bust." For the fourth straight year, birth rates in the United States have declined.

Slightly fewer than four million babies were born in the U.S. in 2011, the lowest total since 1998. However, the 1 percent drop in the birth rate was less than it had been in the previous three years. This suggests that the economic pressure experts believe is depressing the birth rate may be easing up.

Whiny, Disgruntled Employee's Scathing Email Goes Viral

Kathy Landin — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 19:28:20 +0000

We’ve all dreamed of doing it. That final “in-your-face” speech to the boss as we walk out the door of a thankless job. The verbal middle finger we spend those late nights and working holidays composing but never get to utter out loud. One man decided his time had come and made his final mass [...]

Discover Misleads Cardholders, Will Issue $200 Million Refund — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:33:50 +0000

Do you have a Discover card? If so, you can expect to receive a refund. According to an announcement from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Discover plans to issue $200 million in refunds to about 3.5 million cardholders due to questionable telemarketing practices that were found to misinform customers. [...]

ATM Fees Skyrocket, Again, While Free Checking Disappears — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:31:51 +0000

The days of the free checking account are nearing extinction and ATM fees are on the rise, according to the latest financial research from bankrate.com. Those annoying ATM surcharges that consumers incur every time they withdraw cash from a money mover that is not the property of the their bank have risen once again, to an all-time high of $2.50, up 4 percent from last year.

And lest you think we would mislead you by using a term like "skyrocket" in the headline to describe a mere 4 percent increase—there's more ...

What Are The Cheapest Days to Shop Online

Nancy Mace — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 19:46:28 +0000

I have a new addiction – online shopping! I can sit at my computer, research something that I want and find the best and cheapest place to buy it. So, what are the best days to shop online? Cyber Monday gets the glory but for the year’s best online discounts on clothing, shoes and accessories, [...]

99-Year-Old Woman Denied Credit Card Because of Her Age

Shauna Wright — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:18:07 +0000

Being denied credit is never fun, and for one 99-year-old woman, it was especially disheartening. She was turned down for a store credit card because of her age — but as it turns out, it was all a big misunderstanding.

Are Gas Prices On Their Way Back Down? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:13:59 +0000

Gas prices have taken a wild ride this year — first we were told to expect record-breaking fuel costs, and then analysts backed down from that prediction.

Since then, prices have see-sawed back and forth, and now experts expect them to drop again.

Falling Gas Prices Means Great News for Car Owners

Shauna Wright — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:06:54 +0000

Just a few months ago, analysts were worried gas prices would soar this summer, possibly topping $6 a gallon. But now that the warmer months are upon us, there’s been an abrupt about-face.

In fact, fuel prices are now falling so steadily that many experts predict that by this fall, a gallon of gas will be under $3.

Summer Gas Prices May Not Be As Outrageously High As You've Been Led to Believe — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:28:24 +0000

Many analysts predicted doom and gloom for gas prices this summer, with some saying they could reach as high as $6 per gallon.

But it seems those concerns were for naught — fuel costs have been on the decline and are now expected to stay well below last year’s prices.

KLAW Wants To Know – How Do You Have Fun? [POLL]

Jeri Anderson — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:30:32 +0000

If I were to ask you, “When was the last time you had fun? What would you answer? According to The Trident Fun Index, One in five Americans couldn’t remember! Other findings in the survey found that fewer that 18% of us take the opportunity to do something “just for fun” each day. Take the [...]

Use These 6 Tips to Find Amazing Deals at Lawton's Largest Garage Sale

Nancy Mace — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:45:51 +0000

Lawton’s Largest Garage Sale is coming up next Friday and Saturday on April 27th and 28th, and we want you to be prepared with the best tips so you can find the best deals! We asked our staff to share their best garage sale shopping tips! Check them out! Keep a list of things you [...]

Are Days of the Paper Check Numbered? [POLL]

Nancy Mace — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:42:32 +0000

Are the days of paper checks numbered? According to several news reports it seems that to be the case. For example, a new pilot program in Georgia is mailing debit cards to people instead of tax checks in attempt to phase-out paper checks.

How Much Is Too Much to Pay for Gas? — Survey of the Day

Jeremy Taylor — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:06:14 +0000

With the average price of gas approaching four dollars a gallon, the question becomes whether Americans are going to start to seriously changing their current driving habits and vacation plans, in light of this hike. Poll Position asked 1,142 adults at what price per gallon they will start to change their behavior. Forty-nine percent said that four bucks is, [...]

Is the Economy Getting Better? – Survey of the Day

Jeremy Taylor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:40:53 +0000

Over the last few months, there has been some data that suggests the sluggish economy could be improving. Mainly, the unemployment rate, which has dropped to 8.3 percent after reaching a 26-year high of 10 percent in late 2009. However, according to a new survey from Poll Postion, the public is split on whether America is entering into a period of economic recovery.

Who's Struggling the Most With the Recovering Economy? – Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:08:49 +0000

Just about everyone was hit hard by the bad economy and had to change their lifestyles in at least some small way. Now that we’re all attempting to regain our footing, there’s actually one group of people having a harder time doing so than everyone else. A new study from the Pew Research Center, based [...]

What Were 2011′s Stupidest Consumer Fees?

Shauna Wright — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:41:16 +0000

As consumers, we’re all used to being nickel-and-dimed to death with fees — from charges for checking a bag when we fly to charges to pay a bill online, we see them every day. They may be small, but they add up. And some were even more egregious than others in 2011.

Dozens of Kmart and Sears Stores to Close After Disastrous Holiday Season

Shauna Wright — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:17:50 +0000

If you’re a regular shopper at Kmart or Sears, you may soon have fewer places to spend your money — parent company Sears Holdings has said that in light of decreased holiday sales, it’ll close at least 100 stores in the coming months.

What Will It Take to Get Holiday Shoppers to Buy More? Discounts? Maybe

Shauna Wright — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:47:37 +0000

Since a new survey shows more than a third of Americans have already finished their holiday buying, analysts say retailers need to cut prices to the bone if they want people to keep shopping. About 32 percent of the 1,000 people surveyed by America’s Research Group said they finished a majority of their Christmas shopping [...]