The government's national insurance holiday scheme is 'a total flop', argues the Labour party.

Families with children will be hardest hit by the government's tax and benefit changes aimed at cutting its deficit, a charity argues.

The Treasury says more businesses could take advantage of a tax break for taking on new employees after Labour said the initiative was a "total flop".

Ministers announce more details of their programme to help members of "troubled families" in England find work and deal with debt and drugs problems.

There has been a "seismic collapse" in private sector pensions, with nine out of 10 defined benefit schemes closed to new entrants, a report warns.

The US Federal Reserve says it will publish regular interest rate forecasts in an effort to improve transparency at the central bank.

Nissan produced 480,485 vehicles at its Sunderland plant in 2011, up 14% from 2010 and a new record for a single UK car plant.

Clear-up operations are under way and engineers are working to reconnect power to thousands of homes cut off by violent storms which hit Scotland.