Consider all of the many ways in which information contributes to the functioning of the economy. Investors need it to assess the quality of the issuers of stocks and bonds. Employers want it to evaluate potential employees.

Three Western states were the nation's fastest growing in 2009, according to new population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The total number of residents in Wyoming, Utah and Texas increased by 2 percent or more, a pace double that of the U.S. as a whole.

A comprehensive discussion of health care reform would include three issues, according to Stephen Shortell, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California-Berkeley.

As expected, the third quarter rise in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was revised downward by the U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis, from 3.5 percent growth to 2.8 percent in late November. And it is likely that the next look (on December 22) will bring yet another downward revision.

Real estate experts are watching for signs that the Phoenix market is returning to normal. Activity slowed a bit in November — a hopeful sign because it is consistent with seasonal norms. But the market is still feverish.

The 'Great Recession' may be over, but like a hurricane that has battered a coastal city, the wreckage left behind will take years to fix.

Anthony Chan is a cautious optimist. He is optimistic that the equity markets will continue to improve in 2010. But he's cautious, too — because the same level of improvement won't be felt on Main Street.

Although job losses and unemployment have captured public attention during the current recession, another key indicator of state economic performance — personal income — is the weakest since modern records have been kept.

In this edition of The Economic Minute, economist Dennis Hoffman says that Arizona could be called "ground zero of the worst recession since World War II." The hard economic fact is that Arizona depends on in migration to keeps its economy vibrant, and the state is not exactly a people magnet rig

Economists, Wall Street, and the general public were pleased with the advance report on third quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis. The consensus expectation as posted on Briefing.com was an annualized increase of 3.2 percent.