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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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