In 2017, the U.S. economy added 2.06 million jobs, with strong gains in the construction and manufacturing industries. Unemployment remained historically low at 4.1 percent.
Equal pay is an important consideration for those seeking employment. American women still earn an average of 80 cents for every dollar a man makes, and CNN reports that the gap is even wider for African American and Hispanic women. Internationally, a new law in Iceland has made it illegal to pay women less than men.
Lawmakers in high-tax states, like New York and California, may try to find a way around the new limit on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. The $10,000 cap was one of the most controversial changes in the federal tax overhaul just signed into law. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he is looking for ways to redesign the state's tax code to counter the new cap on SALT.
