The Conference Boards index climbed to 83 from 81.7 a month earlier that was weaker than initially estimated.

A surge in health care spending that helped keep the economy from shrinking in early 2014 is likely to continue fueling growth in coming months as more Americans gain coverage for medical services.

More Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week as the Easter holiday period made it more difficult to adjust the data for seasonal variations.

PPACA is prompting many to spend more at the doctors office and pharmacy, and the impact is reflected in the latest data on consumer spending.

Service industries picked up in March after expanding at the slowest pace in four years, showing the biggest part of the U.S. economy was starting to thaw along with the weather.

March 31 (Bloomberg) -- The damage inflicted on U.S. households by the collapse of the housing market and recession wasn’t evenly distributed. Just…

Payrolls increased in 33 states in February and the unemployment rate fell in 29, a sign the labor market is making progress across much of the country.

Payrolls decreased in 27 states in January, showing a slowdown in job growth extended throughout much of the country.