American Consumer Financial Network

After falling late, but steeply into the recent Great Recession, Alabama’s economy is rebounding more quickly than most states.

Alabama’s larger firms are the most optimistic this quarter, with strong outlooks for sales, profits, and capital spending. Hiring, however, could pick up most among the state’s small businesses (fewer than 20 employees) this quarter.

Unemployment rates in Florida may drift higher as the economy transitions into “job growth mode.” This year should mark the beginning of a long, slow and steady decline in unemployment. It may be 2018 before we see a fall below 6 % again.

Instead of enacting Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $1 billion in cuts to corporate income and property taxes, lawmakers should use tax cuts to encourage business behaviors such as providing education and training to employees.

Economic growth in Florida will slowly help the labor market during its long and difficult path of recovery, and even the construction sector will begin to grow during the next few years.

A $35 billion contract awarded to Boeing Co. to build nearly 200 giant airborne refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force is expected to be an economic windfall for Michigan aerospace suppliers.

During a presentation to the Atlantic City Council Wednesday evening, Mayor Lorenzo Langford unveiled a plan that is nearly seven million dollars more than last year's.

Stability in Louisiana's business tax structure and developing skilled employees for specific work force needs are both assets and challenges in making the state increasingly marketable to industry.

The Wichita metro economy shrank 2.3 percent in 2009 -- or down 3.8 percent when removing the impact of inflation -- according to estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The District's habitual use of reserves in the economic downturn threatens to weaken and destabilize its financial position, Standard & Poor's agency warns.