Scott Horsley

The IRS expects taxpayers to file about 164 million returns over the next 11 weeks or so before the April 15th deadline.

Most taxpayers follow the IRS advice to file electronically since paper returns can slow down processing.

More than 93 percent of last year's taxes were filed electronically.

More than half of all filers get help from a professional tax preparer.

If you're due a refund, the IRS recommends using direct deposit to get your money faster.

The tax collector says most refunds are issued within 21 days.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

About one in four firms say they plan to add workers in the next three months.

Less than one in ten is planning to cut jobs.

Underlying that hiring forecast is the expectation of stronger sales ahead.

More than half the firms surveyed expect demand to grow in the coming months.

Only about 6% are projecting a drop in demand.

About three-quarters of the economists surveyed expect higher tariffs to remain in place.

Most businesses facing higher costs say they're passing at least some of that increase on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

The central banks expected to hold interest rates steady this week, but investors will be listening for hints about possible future rate cuts.

The Fed's trying to strike a balance between lower rates to boost the sluggish job market and higher rates to battle stubborn inflation.

Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods got a boost in November thanks to a big jump in orders for civilian aircraft.

A delayed report from the Commerce Department shows durable goods orders rose more than 5 percent during the month.

Orders for non-transportation goods rose by half a percent.