Macroeconomic news — GDP, inflation, employment, and the indicators shaping economic policy.
China industrial profits post strongest growth in three months as tech boom widens economic divide
China's industrial sector posted its strongest profit growth in three months, driven by a confluence of artificial intelligence investment and geopoli…
What’s making Europe so angry? The frustration behind the protests
European populations are taking to the streets over a convergence of economic pressures that have eroded purchasing power and quality of life across t…
Final S&P U.S. manufacturing index is 52.2 in February vs. initial 51.5
The S&P Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for the United States climbed to 52.2 in February, topping the initial flash reading of 51.5. …
Black Unemployment Hints at a Job Market in Worse Shape Than It Seems
Black unemployment jumped to 7 percent in September, a one percentage point increase that signals labor market weakness spreading unevenly across demo…
3 Charts That Explain the Economy as Voters Head to the Polls
Voters head to the polls carrying mixed signals about the U.S. economy. Inflation remains elevated despite the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate-hikin…
Trump's student loan overhaul could lead to more bankruptcy filings, former judge says
# Trump's Student Loan Overhaul Risks Surge in Bankruptcy Filings, Former Judge Warns A former federal bankruptcy judge warns that proposed changes t…
Corporate Tax Revenue Falls Even as Profits Soar Under Trump
Corporate tax revenue fell roughly $70 billion annually even though company profits have climbed sharply under the Trump administration. The paradox s…
U.S. Budget Deficit Nears $2 Trillion, a Reality Check for Trump’s Cost Cutting
The U.S. budget deficit has climbed close to $2 trillion in fiscal year 2025, driven by escalating defense spending, tariff-related refunds, and surgi…
When Will the Fed Move on Rates?
Kevin Warsh, the Federal Reserve's chairman, signaled this week that the central bank will likely hold interest rates steady at its upcoming policy me…
Germany flash manufacturing PMI rises to 4-month high of 43.2
Germany's manufacturing sector showed unexpected resilience in December, with the S&P Global flash purchasing managers' index climbing to 43.2, markin…
People in China are spending nearly as much of their income as Americans on healthcare
China's healthcare expenditure burden has reached a critical threshold. Chinese households now spend nearly as much of their disposable income on heal…
Wholesale prices jumped 6.3% annually in September, biggest gain since 2022
Producer prices climbed 6.3% year over year in September, marking the fastest pace since June 2022 and exceeding economist expectations of a 5.5% annu…
How high inflation became a 'fact of life' in the U.S.
U.S. inflation persists at levels that threaten to reshape consumer behavior and monetary policy strategy. The Federal Reserve faces a critical challe…
Germany flash services PMI falls to 9-month low of 49.4
Germany's services sector contracted in November, with the flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) falling to 49.4, marking a nine-month low and signali…
Here's the inflation breakdown for September 2026 — in one chart
# Inflation Climbs to 3.7% in September as Energy Costs Spike The consumer price index jumped to 3.7% in September 2026, marking a notable uptick fro…
Democrats Blame Trump After CPI Report Shows Energy Prices Drove Up Inflation
# Democrats Blame Trump After CPI Report Shows Energy Prices Drove Up Inflation The latest Consumer Price Index data revealed that energy prices were…
'Godzilla El Niño' is wreaking havoc with Philippine central bank's inflation forecasts
The Philippine central bank confronts a dual crisis threatening its inflation management framework. A severe El Niño weather pattern, dubbed "Godzilla…
Trump's diesel deal with Russia equals less than two weeks of U.S. demand
Trump negotiated a diesel import agreement with Russia at a moment when fuel costs dominate voter concerns ahead of midterm elections. The arrangement…
Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford Awarded Nobel for Economics
Robert E. Hall of Stanford University and Michael Woodford of Columbia University won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their work on how …
How American Retirees at Different Incomes Rely on Social Security
Social Security faces a structural funding crisis that will reshape retirement income for millions of Americans within the decade. The trust fund depl…
Vance says Microsoft replaced laid-off workers with foreign hires. Here’s what the visa data shows
# Visa Crackdown: What Microsoft's Employment Data Reveals About Foreign Worker Hiring The Trump administration has blocked Microsoft and seven other…
Americans' debt problems are flashing a warning not seen since the Great Recession
American households are sliding into debt stress levels unseen since the depths of the financial crisis more than a decade ago. Research tracking hous…
Inflation on many everyday items was entirely due to tariffs, NY Fed says
The New York Federal Reserve's research unit released findings revealing that tariff-driven inflation accounted for nearly the entire price increases …
U.S. suspends Microsoft, Adobe from green-card labor program in foreign worker crackdown
The U.S. Department of Labor suspended Microsoft and Adobe from the H-1B visa and EB-3 green card programs Thursday, marking an escalation in the Bide…
At Nearly $300,000, Some Recent Duke Graduates Out-Earned All Their Peers
Duke University's mathematics graduates command exceptional earning power in the immediate postgraduate period. Federal data reveals that Duke math ma…
Inflation fears on the rise as one-year outlook in Fed survey hits highest level since May 2023
Consumer inflation expectations climbed to their highest level in over a year and a half, signaling renewed concern about price pressures ahead. The m…
ICE came to town and left behind weakened economies
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations trigger measurable economic damage that persists long after raids conclude, according to new resea…
India’s central bank hikes rates for the first time since 2023 as inflation risks build
India's Reserve Bank raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5% on Friday, marking the first rate increase since April 2023. The decisi…
U.S. Trade Deficit Hits 17-Month High Despite Trump’s Tariffs
The U.S. trade deficit surged to a 17-month peak, contradicting the Trump administration's stated goal of narrowing the gap between imports and export…
Trade deficit hits $105.6 billion, widest since just before Trump tariffs enacted last year
The U.S. trade deficit widened to $105.6 billion in August, marking the largest monthly shortfall since just before the Trump administration implement…
World Bank warns of AI concentration risks as it lifts East Asia and Pacific growth outlook to 4.5%
The World Bank lifted its 2024 growth forecast for East Asia and the Pacific to 4.5%, signaling resilience in the world's fastest-expanding region. Ye…
Pay Advance Apps May Be Costlier Than Workers Think
Pay advance apps marketed as financial lifelines for cash-strapped workers function more like expensive debt traps than the free services they adverti…
High-tech vehicles are driving up auto repair costs for shops and consumers
# High-Tech Vehicles Driving Up Auto Repair Costs Across the Industry The shift toward advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and connected vehicl…
America Wants to Make More Generic Drugs. India Shows Why That’s Hard.
The Trump administration is pushing to expand domestic generic drug manufacturing as part of its "America First" agenda, but India's dominance in the …
Trump Says Economy Has ‘Public Relations’ Problem Amid High Prices and Slow Hiring
Donald Trump attributes persistent public skepticism about the economy to a "public relations problem" rather than fundamental economic weakness, even…
Men are losing ground in the labor market. Here's why
# Women Now Outnumber Men in the U.S. Workforce. Here's What's Driving the Shift Women outnumbered men in the U.S. workforce for eight consecutive mo…
Labor market faltered in September as jobs increased by just 29,000, unemployment rate rose to 4.2%
# Labor Market Falters as September Job Growth Collapses to 29,000 The U.S. labor market deteriorated sharply in September, with nonfarm payrolls exp…
Black Unemployment Rose Sharply in September, Jobs Report Shows
Black unemployment surged to 6.4 percent in September, a sharp reversal from August's 5.8 percent and a stark reminder that labor market gains remain …
Trump Accounts have auto-enrolled more than 60 million children, Treasury says
The U.S. Treasury Department announced that Trump Accounts have achieved auto-enrollment of more than 60 million children, marking a rapid takeup for …
Most American Children Are Being Auto-Enrolled in Trump Accounts. What to Know.
The Trump administration has initiated automatic enrollment of more than 60 million American children into 529A savings accounts, a tax-advantaged edu…
Fed’s preferred gauge showed core inflation at 3.0% in August, much lighter than expected
The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric delivered a significant surprise to markets in August, signaling cooling price pressures that fall we…
The Fed's main inflation measure will be released Wednesday. Here's what to expect
The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, arrives Wednesday with economists bracing for pers…
A.I. Is ‘Better Informed’ Than Doctors, Kennedy Tells Industry-Backed MAHA Summit
Robert Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed Health and Human Services Secretary, declared at an industry-backed conference this week that artificial intel…
Consumer optimism slides to lowest since 2014 as fears escalate over rising prices and jobs
Consumer sentiment has collapsed to its weakest level in a decade. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index plummeted to 81.9 in its latest re…
Education Department extends deadline for student loan interest rate discount
The U.S. Department of Education pushed back its deadline for federal student loan borrowers to enroll in autopay and qualify for a 0.25% interest rat…
Trump to announce plan for $15 billion steel plant, would be largest in U.S. history
Donald Trump plans to announce a partnership with Mesabi Metallics to build a $15 billion steel plant that would rank as the largest facility of its k…
High Gas and Rising Mortgage Rates Trouble Trump as Midterms Near
# High Gas and Rising Mortgage Rates Trouble Trump as Midterms Near The Trump administration faces a widening gap between economic data and voter sen…
World heads into food crises 'blind' as U.S. aid cuts squeeze UN food agency, experts warn
The World Food Programme faces a cash crunch that threatens to undermine global food security at a moment when humanitarian demand has never been high…
Trump’s Diesel Dilemma
# Trump's Diesel Dilemma: Export Bans Divide Republicans as Energy Crisis Dominates Global Stage Donald Trump faces fracturing support within his own…
Trump administration removes around 760,000 Obamacare enrollments, alleging fraud
The Trump administration has terminated approximately 760,000 Affordable Care Act enrollments through Vice President JD Vance's White House Task Force…
U.S. and China Discuss System to Warn of A.I. National Security Issues
The United States and China have initiated formal discussions on establishing a communication channel to alert each other about artificial intelligenc…
What to Do If You’re Laid Off and Too Young for Medicare
Losing a job is painful at any age, but older workers face a compounded crisis when health insurance disappears alongside their paycheck. Those aged 5…
‘It's awful’: How tariffs, soaring fuel costs and higher interest rates are squeezing American companies
American companies face a perfect storm of cost pressures that threaten profit margins across multiple sectors. Tariffs imposed by the Trump administr…
Student loan borrowers exiting SAVE may face sharply higher payments if they don't take action soon
Student loan borrowers face a critical window to lock in lower monthly payments before a major shift in repayment options reshapes their financial obl…
Consumer sentiment is in the dumps despite a solid economy. Goldman Sachs blames 'lower happiness'
Consumer sentiment surveys show sharply declining confidence among American households even as GDP growth remains solid, unemployment stays low, and c…
A Borrower’s Timeline of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Quagmire
# A Borrower's Timeline of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Quagmire Federal student loan forgiveness has become a bureaucratic nightmare for the …
As Republicans tout Trump's 'big beautiful bill,' here's who the tax breaks benefited most
Republicans entering the midterm election cycle have heavily promoted the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed by President Trump, framing it as a broad …
How the Fed’s move affects your finances.
# How the Fed's Move Affects Your Finances The Federal Reserve stands on the brink of a quarter-point rate increase. Markets price this move at extre…
Treasury Secretary Bessent defends Trump economic record in contentious hearing
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the Trump administration's economic policies during a contentious congressional hearing, addressing lawmaker…
Weapon shortfalls, 'hundreds' of buildings and aircraft damaged, $33.4 billion spent: the U.S. government tallies costs of the Iran war
# U.S. Tallies $33.4 Billion Cost of Iran Military Operations The U.S. Department of Defense has quantified the fiscal toll of military operations ti…
Architects of Japan’s Easy-Money Policies Are Changing Their Minds
# Japan's Easy-Money Architects Turn Hawks, Splinting Policy Consensus The Bank of Japan confronts a fundamental shift in thinking among its own arch…
Self-Employed Workers Find Rewards — and Challenges — Building Their Own Businesses
Self-employed workers are reshaping labor dynamics by betting on entrepreneurship over conventional employment. The shift reflects deeper workforce tr…
Inflation is outpacing wage growth again, squeezing Americans’ paychecks
Inflation continues to erode real purchasing power for American workers as price growth outpaces wage gains for the second consecutive month. Consumer…
Inflation Complicates Trump’s Midterms Pitch to Voters
President Trump faces a headwind as inflation pressures persist across the American economy heading into the midterm elections. Gas prices remain elev…
Here’s the inflation breakdown for August 2026 — in one chart
# Inflation Holds Steady in August 2026 as Energy Costs Surge on Middle East Tensions U.S. inflation remained elevated in August 2026, driven primari…
Social Security COLA for 2027 may be 3.5% to 3.6%, new estimates show — the highest in 3 years
A significant boost awaits Social Security recipients in 2027. New government inflation data suggests the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) coul…
AARP Projects 2027 Social Security COLA at 3.6%
The American Association of Retired Persons forecasts a 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, which would mark the largest annual i…
Why Cheap Used Cars Are So Hard to Find
The used car market has shifted dramatically, pricing out budget-conscious buyers who once found reliable deals in the three-year-old segment. Vehicle…
Trump's $1 trillion-plus 'dividend' plan meets immediate bipartisan pushback
Donald Trump's proposal to extract over $1 trillion from federal agencies and return it to taxpayers as a "dividend" faces swift rejection from both R…
China's wholesale inflation tops estimates in August on commodity costs, tech demand as consumer price increases meet forecast
China's producer price index climbed above economist forecasts in August, driven primarily by rising commodity costs and elevated technology demand ra…
Many truckers don't feel like the rest of America about AI data centers as business booms
# AI Data Centers Deliver Unexpected Boom for Trucking Industry The trucking industry is experiencing a resurgence driven by an unlikely source: the …
With HSAs, employers are turning to the 401(k) playbook
Employers across the U.S. are reshaping employee benefits by treating health savings accounts (HSAs) as a retirement savings tool, mimicking the autom…
Trump admin targets tax-exempt status at private colleges — threatening a key tax break for donations
The Trump administration is pursuing a regulatory shift that threatens the tax-exempt status of thousands of private colleges and universities. The Tr…
‘Go Get Your Kicks’: The Europeans Obsessed With a U.S. Highway
Route 66 celebrates its centennial this year, and European travelers are flooding the iconic American highway in record numbers, driving spending acro…
U.S. payrolls rose 162,000 in August, much more than expected; unemployment rate at 4.1%
The U.S. labor market added 162,000 jobs in August, triple the expected 53,000, signaling resilience in employment despite persistent economic headwin…
The big August jobs report is due out Friday. Here's what to expect for what has been a jobless summer
The U.S. labor market enters its final monthly data point before the Federal Reserve's September meeting with expectations for a sharp deceleration. A…
Trump to meet with travel industry CEOs as White House touts World Cup tourism boost
President Trump plans to convene travel industry executives at the White House, capitalizing on momentum from the FIFA World Cup and signaling a strat…
Employer Health Costs Are Expected to Spike in 2027
Employer-sponsored health insurance costs are set to jump 11 percent in 2027, marking the steepest annual increase in decades unless companies slash b…
U.S. House votes to avoid government shutdown amid GOP hard-liner resistance
The U.S. House passed a stopgap spending bill on Tuesday that extends government funding through November, sidestepping an immediate shutdown threat a…
Australia posts second-quarter growth of 2.1%, beating expectations
Australia's economy expanded 2.1 percent in the second quarter, surpassing economist forecasts of 1.8 percent growth. The stronger-than-expected GDP r…
Treasury Bars Some Reporters From G20 Finance Meeting
The U.S. Treasury Department blocked credential applications from select journalists representing The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Blo…
Warsh, After Talking Tough on Inflation, Faces a ‘No-Win Situation’ on Rates
Kevin Warsh confronts a political minefield as Federal Reserve chairman. The policy dilemma is stark. Warsh must choose between aggressive rate hikes …
K, C or E? Why economists can’t agree on the shape of today’s economy
The post-pandemic recovery narrative has fractured into competing interpretations among economists, with little agreement on which economic trajectory…
China industrial profits growth cools to slowest in seven months as economic slowdown deepens
China's industrial sector profits expanded at their slowest pace in seven months during July, signaling deepening economic stress across the world's s…
Bill Gates warns ‘there is no plan’ for the ‘upheaval’ AI will cause
Bill Gates issued a stark warning this week about governments worldwide failing to prepare for artificial intelligence's labor displacement and social…
Trump Administration Wants Billion-Dollar Businesses to Qualify as ‘Small’
The Trump administration is pushing to expand the federal definition of "small business," raising revenue and employee thresholds that determine eligi…
U.S. ‘Economic D-Day’ Targets More Than Just Iranian Oil
The U.S. Treasury Department expanded its sanctions architecture against Iran to target multiple economic sectors beyond petroleum, marking a signific…
E.P.A. Moves to Curb Public Input on Air Pollution Permits for Data Centers
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule that would strip away public transparency requirements for air pollution permits issued to dat…
Trump Threatens New 50% Tariffs on Cars, Trucks and Steel as U.S.-Canada Trade War Unfolds
President Trump escalated trade tensions by threatening 50% tariffs on automotive and steel imports effective January 1, pushing the U.S. and Canada t…
Small UK power generator shut down after cyberattack linked to Iran: Telegraph
A small UK power generator halted operations following a cyberattack with Iranian links, the Telegraph reported. The UK government stated the incident…