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WASHINGTON — The Labor Department on Sept. 6 affirmed last month’s report that U.S. productivity increased at an annual rate of 2.9% in the second quarter.

DETROIT — Ford is recalling about 2 million F-150 pickups in North America because the seat belts can cause fires.

WASHINGTON — U.S. businesses added 163,000 jobs in August, a private survey found, a decent gain that suggests that employers are confident enough to keep hiring.

The average fuel economy of trucking companies participating in an annual study conducted by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency improved 2% on a year-over-year basis, the group announced.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has planned a public listening session this month to discuss several proposed changes to the commercial motor vehicle driver hours-of-service regulations.

Citing a persistent increase in the number of vehicle-train collisions at highway-rail grade crossings in recent years, the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General has informed the Federal Railroad Administration that it is conducting an audit of the agency’s incident data.

Talks to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement are set to resume as U.S. and Canadian negotiators push to strike a deal amid President Donald Trump’s threats to walk away.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit widened for the second straight month in July, reaching the highest level since February, as imports hit an all-time high. The deficit in goods with China and the European Union set records.