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Even as inflation is expected to ease, the affordability debate continues to dominate the U.S.
12 December 2025 As 2025 winds down, Americans and policymakers find themselves grappling with a paradox that is at once hopeful and politically fraught: the latest forecasts suggest that inflation in the United States may slow in the year ahead, yet many people remain deeply concerned about the everyday cost of living and affordability issues that stubbornly linger across major household expenses. This dynamic, outlined in a Reuters report on December 12, highlights how econ
6 days ago4 min read


US labor costs growth slows sharply in third quarter of 2025
10 December 2025 A construction worker is shown at work on a multi-unit residential housing project in Encinitas, California, U.S., July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake New data released on December 10, 2025 show that the growth in labor costs across the United States has cooled, underscoring emerging softness in the labor market and adding fresh context to shifting economic pressures. The broadest gauge of labor costs, the Employment Cost Index (ECI), rose just 0.8 percent in t
Dec 103 min read


U.S. Service Sector Holds Firm, But Growth Signals Blur in November
03 December 2025 In November 2025, the backbone of the U.S. economy, the services sector managed to hold its ground even as signs emerged of a growing slowdown, revealing a mixed economic picture for businesses and policymakers alike. According to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) nudged up slightly to 52.6 from 52.4 in October. That modest lift beat many analysts’ expectations and confirmed that the services sec
Dec 33 min read


China’s Service Sector Stumbles as Expansion Hits Soft Patch in November
02 December 2025 The engines of China’s service economy sputtered in November as the private-sector services index dipped to its weakest growth in five months. The RatingDog China General Services PMI, produced by S&P Global, fell to 52.1 from 52.6 in October still above the 50 threshold that separates expansion from contraction, but signaling a clear loss of steam. Earlier data from the government’s own index painted a darker picture. The official services PMI registered 49.
Dec 22 min read


Manufacturing Grit Tested as U.S. Factories Shrink for Ninth Straight Month
01 December 2025 The engines of American industry sputtered again in November 2025, as the latest data revealed a ninth consecutive month of contraction in the manufacturing sector. According to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), its key index for factory activity, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slid to 48.2 from October’s 48.7. That drop offers a stark reminder that the headwinds facing U.S. factories remain both deep and persistent. A PMI reading below 50 sign
Dec 13 min read


Record U.S. Black Friday Crowds Will Be Looking for Deals That Hardly Exist
24 November 2025 This year’s U.S. Black Friday window is set to see an unprecedented 186.9 million shoppers between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, yet the atmosphere around holiday sales is less celebratory and more cautious with bargain hunters confronting a bargain drought rather than an abundance of markdowns. Despite the record number of shoppers, the projected growth in holiday sales is modest at best. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that sales for Novembe
Nov 243 min read


U.S. Factory Activity Slows in November as Inventories Climb Amid Softening Demand
21 November 2025 In November 2025, U.S. manufacturing posted its weakest monthly expansion in four months, as rising prices and a rapid accumulation of unsold goods signalled a looming challenge for growth. The flash reading of the purchasing-managers index for the manufacturing sector fell to 51.9 from October’s 52.5, according to S&P Global still above the 50-point threshold for growth but revealing a clear deceleration in momentum. Manufacturers reported a sharp decline in
Nov 213 min read


Relief at the Grocery Store: Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Falls for Third Straight Year
19 November 2025 Butterball frozen turkey, part of Walmart's basket of Thanksgiving goods, is displayed for sale at a store in Valley Stream, New York, U.S., November 6, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper Americans preparing the holiday feast this year are seeing a little breathing room at the checkout line. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten people has dropped to $55.18, marking a 5 % decline from the prev
Nov 193 min read


Why Trump Is Rolling Back Tariffs on Beef, Coffee and Other Food Staples
15 November 2025 In a sharp pivot, Donald Trump this week announced a sweeping rollback of tariffs on more than 200 food items including beef, coffee, bananas and orange juice importantly in the face of mounting everyday pressure from voters dissatisfied with spiking grocery bills. The changes took effect retroactively at midnight and follow trade-framework agreements with several Latin American nations including Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador that were struck
Nov 153 min read


UK economy inches forward with just 0.1% growth in Q3 as major auto cyber-attack drags output
13 November 2025 Credits: Sova Vitalij In the three months from July to September 2025 the UK economy grew by a mere 0.1 percent, down from 0.3 percent in the previous quarter a markedly weak performance that casts a long shadow over the government’s hopes for a robust recovery. The month of September alone saw the economy contract by 0.1 percent. The manufacturing sector bore the brunt of the setback, driven by a 28.6 percent collapse in motor vehicle production that month t
Nov 133 min read


Hong Kong cements its place as an essential engine of China’s trade growth
10 November 2025 The Central Financial District in Hong Kong, China, August 9, 2025. /VCG In the first three quarters of 2025, China’s mainland registered a 4 percent increase in goods trade compared to the same period last year, with growth accelerating each quarter 1.3 percent in Q1, 4.5 percent in Q2 and 6 percent in Q3. At the centre of this uptick is Hong Kong, whose trade with the mainland reached a record $261.56 billion over that span. Imports from Hong Kong surged by
Nov 103 min read


U.S. Retailers Face Cash-Crunch as Penny Production Ends
1 November 2025 Retailers across the United States are grappling with an unexpected operational headache following the decision to cease production of the US one-cent coin. With official minting halted earlier this year, convenience stores, gas stations, fast-food chains and major retailers are finding themselves short on pennies forcing them to reframe how they accept cash and manage change. The shortage stems from a directive by Donald Trump issued in February that instruct
Nov 12 min read


U.S. and China Near Trade Truce, Eyeing Leader-Level Deal at APEC Summit
26 October 2025 U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the ASEAN-U.S. Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 26, 2025. Vincent Thian/Pool via REUTERS In a significant shift after months of tension the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) says talks with China are now heading toward a framework that could be signed by Donald Trump and Xi Jinping later this week. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the two sides
Oct 262 min read


New era of global trade headaches dawns as US-China rivalry reshapes economic outlook
19 October 2025 A U.S. flag flutters near a ship as it's containers are unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles, in San Pedro, California, U.S., May 1, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake Amid the ongoing tension between the United States and China, the global economic landscape appears to be shifting into what policymakers are calling a “new normal” one defined by structural uncertainty, supply-chain realignment and deepening skepticism about the resilience of globalization. At this week’s
Oct 193 min read


Washington and Beijing’s port fee standoff thrusts shipping into the heart of their trade war
14 October 2025 A cargo ship carrying containers approaches towards the Yantian port in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China April 17, 2025. The long arc of U.S.-China tensions has now bent toward the oceans, as both nations on Tuesday activated reciprocal port fees targeting each other’s vessels in a move that could reshape global trade flows. The U.S. began imposing extra charges on vessels linked to China in a bid to reduce Beijing’s dominance in shipping, while China answe
Oct 143 min read


U.S. to impose a sweeping new 100 percent tariff on Chinese imports in next month’s escalation
11 October 2025 In a dramatic escalation of the trade war, President Donald Trump announced on October 10 that beginning November 1 the...
Oct 112 min read


HSBC moves to take full control of Hang Seng Bank in $13.6 billion privatization bid
09 October 2025 A logo of HSBC is seen on its headquarters at the financial Central district in Hong Kong, China August 4, 2020....
Oct 93 min read


UK workers confront a widening wealth chasm as asset gains concentrate at the top
07 October 2025 A view of the Bank of England and the financial district, in London, Britain, September 23, 2024. REUTERS/Mina Kim/File...
Oct 73 min read


Federal Shutdown Enters Sixth Day as Threat of Layoffs Haunts Hundreds of Thousands
06 October 2025 People walk near the U.S. Capitol Building during the fifth day of a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C.,...
Oct 62 min read


UK Public’s Long-Term Inflation Fears Climb to 4.1% Amid BoE’s Rate Caution
26 September 2025 People sit outside a restaurant on the Southbank in London, Britain, August 27, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo A...
Sep 263 min read
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