Christopher S. Rugaber

Look past the booming November job gain of 321,000 reported Friday — the best figure in three years in the strongest year for U.S. hiring since 1999.

Americans are slowly but steadily borrowing more money, bringing to an end a five-year effort to cut household debt that has slowed consumer spending and the economy.

US home prices rose in September at the slowest pace in more than two years, reflecting modest sales gains and a rising number of available homes.

More than 5 million people were hired in September, the most since December 2007 when the recession began, the Labor Department said Thursday.

China’s roaring economy for years has pulled much of the rest of the world with it, soaking up oil, iron ore and other commodities from developing countries and autos and luxury goods from Europe.

The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid dropped to thelowest level in 14 years last week, the latest sign of a strengthening labor market that could help blunt worries about the impact of weak global growth.

The turbulence that’s roiling financial markets is punishing stock investors, raising worries for major U.S. companies and will likely produce even punier returns for savers.