B.R. not on list: Hartford-New Haven, Conn., tops a newly published list of the best cities for recent college graduates. Apartments.com and CareerRookie.com—CareerBuilder’s college job search website—teamed up to create the report, which is based on concentrations of adults between 20 and 24, inventory of jobs requiring less than a year of experience, and average rent for a one-bedroom apartment. Cleveland is ranked second; other cities that are judged as best for recent graduates include Boston, Denver and Atlanta.
Lowest point since spring 2009: A private research group says that consumers’ confidence in the economy dropped in August almost 15 points to its lowest level since April 2009, as worries about the economy fueled the wildest stock market swings since the financial meltdown in 2008. The Conference Board says its Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 44.5, down from a revised 59.2 in July. It was the lowest level since April 2009, when the reading was 40.8. The level was far below the 53.3 that analysts had expected. A reading above 90 indicates the economy is on solid footing; above 100 signals strong growth. Economists watch the index closely because consumer spending accounts for much of the U.S. economic activity.
