AP expands economic indicators coverage

The Associated Press announced that it's expanding coverage of state and local economic indicators provided by the federal government as part of an increased focus on financial impact.
This month, the AP will begin coverage of monthly metropolitan area employment report produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In March the Business News department will augment its coverage of the Federal Reserve's "beige book" report, which is a summary of anecdotal information on current economic conditions gathered by each of the Federal Reserve Bank's 12 regional districts.
"Our expanded coverage of economic indicators is designed to help readers get beyond the national statistics and understand employment news and trends at the state and local level," said AP Business Editor Hal Ritter. "The global economic downturn affects readers everywhere, but its impact can vary greatly from state to state and even within a state."