State officials say Oregon's unemployment rate continues to inch down and was at 8.2 percent last month.

Americans cut back sharply on their credit card purchases in April, a sign that some may be worried about the slowdown in hiring.

Consumers spent at a lackluster rate in November as their incomes barely grew, suggesting that Americans may struggle to keep spending more into 2012.

The world's largest retailer, which ditched the pay-as-you-go plans in 2006, is rolling out a holiday layaway option from Oct. 17 through Dec. 16. Wal-Mart is following rivals that brought back the service during the thick of the recession.

Fears about the global economy led to the biggest panic in financial markets since the 2008 financial crisis.

An unemployment fund created this year for people who have been out of work for at least two years will probably run out of money soon because of unexpectedly high demand, officials said Tuesday.

Companies stopped paying dividends and stockpiled cash during the Great Recession, and shareholders didn't complain. Now they want a reward for their patience.