first quarter

Economic growth in the second quarter was tepid, the government reported Friday. And growth in the first quarter was much slower than initially thought.

The U.S. economy was a little stronger than originally believed but still struggling in the first three months of the year, according to the government's final reading on the first quarter.

Home prices fell below the 2009 housing bust bottom in the first quarter, dropping 4.2% from the prior three months, according to an industry report released Tuesday.

Office vacancy rates were 15% at the end of the first quarter, vs. 14.7%. at the end of 2009. Rents are down 6.6%.

What has improved? Credit ...

The economy grew in the first quarter, but not quite as much as originally reported, the government said Thursday.

The biggest jump in consumer spending in 3 years helped the economy grow at a 3.2% annual rate in the first quarter.

That's welcome news for the nation's retailers.

The White House's $787 billion stimulus plan funded 682,779 jobs in the first quarter, administration officials said Friday.

The New Year's resolution for most employers will be to keep staff levels stable during the first quarter of 2010, according to a report released Tuesday.

Aetna announced it eliminated 625 positions Wednesday in the first of two rounds of job cuts that will reduce the health insurance giant's workforce by up to 3.5% by the end of the first quarter in 2010.

The pace of economic decline slowed substantially in the second quarter, as the U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate of 1% -- far less than it did in the first quarter, according to a government report released Friday.