Retail and Business

First-time claims for unemployment benefits decreased by 44,000 in the week ended May 7 to 434,000, according to figures released today by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Economists had forecast 430,000 claims, according to a …

The U.S. trade deficit widened more than forecast in March as the highest oil prices in more than two years boosted imports, eclipsing record exports, Bloomberg reported.

The trade gap rose 6 percent to $48.2 …

The U.S. Postal Service continues to hemorrhage money, with a loss of $2.2 billion in the most recent quarter, CNNMoney reported.

The national mail service said Tuesday that it expects to have a cash shortfall …

The Iowa Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning chambers of commerce and small business owners in the state about a company selling advertising space on magnetized city guides. The company, Communities Unlimited LLC of Davenport, …

United Way of Central Iowa’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program reported 515 more completed tax returns than last year.

As of the May 2 deadline, United Way volunteers had completed 2,795 tax returns. The …

Prices of goods imported into the United States rose more than forecast in April, driven by gains in fuel and food that may put pressure on some companies to raise prices, Bloomberg reported.

The 2.2 …

U.S. households increased their debt last quarter by 0.3 percent as mortgage balances showed a “small increase,” the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said today. Consumer indebtedness totaled $11.5 trillion at the end of …

Matt Kinley, senior vice president of both Pappajohn Capital Resources and Equity Dynamics, will speak at the Business Innovation Zone’s Business Insights and Networking Luncheon on May 18. Kinley will summarize what will be expected …

Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced that the agency will hasten federal disaster assistance to the state of Iowa and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters …

Mobile Mini Inc., a portable storage solutions provider with more than 120 locations in the United States, plans to enter Des Moines and five other markets this year. The Tempe, Ariz.-based company said it has …