Category: global

Global Jobs Growth Will Halve in Challenging 2023: ILO

LONDON—Global employment growth is expected to slow down sharply to 1 percent this year compared to 2 percent in 2022, hit by the economic fallout of the war in Ukraine, high inflation, and tighter monetary policy, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said on Monday. At the same time, the number of unemployed people in the…


Household Wealth Optimism Collapses, Global Survey Shows

Barely two in five people believe their families will be better off in the future, according to a regular global survey that also identified growing levels of distrust in institutions among low-income households. The Edelman Trust Barometer, which for over two decades has polled the attitudes of thousands of people, found that economic pessimism was…


Dollar Steadies After Hitting 7-Month Low, All Eyes on Yen

SINGAPORE/LONDON—The dollar started the week on the back foot, hitting a seven-month low against a basket of major peers in Asian trade, with the yen in particular focus as traders ramped up bets the Bank of Japan will tweak its yield control policy further. The euro hit a fresh nine-month top of $1.0874 in early…


Shares Rise, Yen Climbs as BOJ Battles Bond Bears

SYDNEY/LONDON—Shares firmed on Monday as optimism over corporate earnings and China’s reopening offset concerns the Bank of Japan (BOJ) might temper its super-sized stimulus policy at a pivotal meeting this week, while a holiday in U.S. markets made for thin trading. The yen climbed to its highest since May after rumours swirled the BOJ might…


Yen Surges as BOJ Policy Under Pressure, Dollar Pauses

LONDON—The yen surged further on speculation that Japan could revise its ultra-loose monetary policy, while the dollar hovered near its lowest level since June against major currencies. The Bank of Japan is an outlier in clinging to stimulus while most central banks are in rate-hiking mode, but signs of stickier inflation have emboldened some investors…


China Demand Optimism Sets Oil on Track for Strong Weekly Gain

Oil prices rose on Friday, set to gain more than 6 percent for the week, on solid signs of demand growth in top oil importer China and expectations of less aggressive interest rate rises in the United States. Brent crude futures rose by 5 cents to $84.08 a barrel by 0746 GMT, off a session…


Yen Soars as Markets Test BOJ, Stocks Cheered by Inflation Retreat

LONDON—World stocks scaled one-month peaks on Friday thanks to signs inflation is easing, while the yen jumped to seven-month peaks and Japanese bond yields breached a central bank target as investors challenged its commitment to loose monetary policy. European shares opened higher and the broad STOXX 600 index touched its highest since April, while Asian-Pacific…


Yen Jumps, Dollar Steady Ahead of US Inflation Data

LONDON—The yen got a boost on Thursday, while the dollar held near a seven-month low against the euro ahead of U.S. inflation data later in the day. The Japanese yen rose as much as 0.8 percent to a session high of 131.36 per dollar in Asian trade. The yen last bought 131.70 per dollar. Elsewhere,…


Oil Rises on China Demand Hopes, US Inflation in Focus

LONDON—Oil rose about 1 percent on Thursday supported by optimism over China’s demand outlook and hopes that upcoming inflation data from the United States will point to a slower increase in interest rates. Top oil importer China is reopening its economy after the end of strict COVID-19 curbs, boosting optimism that demand for fuel will…


Stocks Hold on to Gains Ahead of US Inflation Test

MILAN—World stocks held on to modest gains on Thursday on cautious optimism that U.S. data will confirm inflation is softening, while the yen rose with a report Japan will this month review the side-effects of its ultra-easy policy. A MSCI gauge of world stocks rose 0.2 percent to a four-week high by 0831 GMT ahead…