Activity at U.S. service firms accelerated in October behind a jump in sales and more hiring, suggesting businesses largely shrugged off the partial government shutdown.

The budget agreement Congress reached Wednesday cheered investors and removed the threat of a catastrophic debt default that could have triggered another recession.

Unemployment rates fell in two-thirds of U.S. states last month, evidence that modest economic growth is boosting hiring in most areas of the country.

The outlook for the job market is looking brighter.

The stock market is starting to feed economic fear, not just reflect it.

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, though applications remain above levels consistent with a healthy economy.

More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the first increase in three weeks and evidence that the job market is still sluggish.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply for the second straight week, suggesting the job market is slowly recovering.