BEN BERNANKE

The U.S. economy may be finally hitting its stride, even if growth remains too weak to put a real dent in the nation's jobless rate, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday.

The following are highlights from a U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing on Friday with testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Employers hired fewer workers than expected in December and a surprise fall in the unemployment rate to its lowest level in more than 1-1/2 years was in part due to people giving up the search for work.

The economy may be finally hitting its stride, even if growth remains too weak to put a real dent in the nation's jobless rate, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday.

Employers hired far fewer workers than expected in December, showing the world's biggest economy still struggling to gain momentum, but the unemployment rate dropped to a more than 1-1/2 year low.

U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Friday as investors waited to see if U.S. non-farm payroll figures were as strong as previous data seemed to indicate.

U.S. stock index futures edged down on Friday, as caution prevailed ahead of the release of U.S. non-farm payroll figures, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq down 0.1 to 0.2 percent by 4:42 a.m. ET.

The euro slumped to a four-month low against the dollar on Friday and looked set for more weakness if U.S. payrolls data meets recently raised forecasts, strengthening the case for a sustainable economic recovery.

The euro slumped to a four-month low against the dollar on Friday and looked set for more weakness if U.S. payrolls data meets recently raised forecasts, strengthening the case for a sustainable economic recovery.

Ben Bernanke will not get an easy pass from U.S. lawmakers on Friday as the Federal Reserve chairman delivers his first congressional testimony since the central bank launched a controversial bond-buying policy.

Minutes from the last FOMC meeting held on Dec. 14, 2010.

U.S. private employers have recorded 11 consecutive months of job gains, yet the number of people who are so discouraged that they have given up searching for work stands at an all-time high.

U.S. private employers have recorded 11 consecutive months of job gains, yet the number of people who are so discouraged that they have given up searching for work stands at an all-time high.

Many investment banks and commodity analysts have taken a highly bullish stance on crude oil prices for 2011, based largely on economic recovery in the U.S., continued money-printing by the Federal Reserve (thereby, weakening U.S. dollar) and persistent high demand from the emerging markets, particularly China and India.

Wall Street appears to be almost universally bullish about U.S. stocks for 2011.

A senior bullion logistics executive in Switzerland yesterday told BullionVault that shipments of Gold Bullion to China are running much higher – and have begun much earlier – to meet consumer demand for the Chinese New Year, which will start on 3rd Feb. 2011.

Economic evidence today suggests that we don't need QE2, said Nicholas Sargen, chief investment officer at Fort Washington Advisors.

Ben Bernanke and his friends on the Federal Reserve have a PR machine to help sell their lies. Let's assess whether Ben and his Federal Reserve have helped or hurt the average American.

Republican Congressman Ron Paul, the new head of the subcommittee that oversees the Federal Reserve, said on Sunday he will seek greater transparency but will not be sending subpoenas to the central bank chairman from Day One.

President Obama's tax cut plan, by lowering unemployment and boosting economic growth, may ease the Federal Reserve's pressure to buy Treasuries via its controversial program of quantitative easing.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive of The Facebook social networking site that has more than half a billion users, was named Time magazine's 2010 Person of the Year on Wednesday.