UK economy ‘at risk of stagflation’ as growth stalls under Labour December 13, 2024 Latest official GDP figures show the UK economy has stopped expanding since Labour took power, creating a headache for Keir Starmer after putting growth at the centre of his government’s mission. The economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1 per cent in October, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics. It missed economists’ expectations [...]
UK economy on ‘recession watch’ after unexpected contraction December 13, 2024 The UK economy shrank unexpectedly in October after a fall in production output and stagnation in the services sector ahead of the Budget. GDP fell 0.1 per cent during the month, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed. Economists had expected a return to modest growth of 0.1 per cent. It marks two [...]
US inflation ticks up as market holds breath for Fed cut December 11, 2024 US inflation ticked up to 2.7 per cent in November, a rise from 2.6 per cent in October and matching analyst expectations. This was the highest level of inflation that the US has experienced since July, after dipping to as low as 2.4 per cent throughout September. Inflation has not been below its 2 per [...]
Reeves promises ‘deeper, more mature’ economic relationship with EU December 9, 2024 Rachel Reeves has pledged to build a “deeper, more mature relationship” with European trading partners in the first speech by a UK chancellor to eurozone finance ministers since 2020. Speaking to the Eurogroup in Brussels on Monday, Reeves also brushed off the suggestion that Britain must choose between closer ties with the US and EU [...]
US likely to fall into recession under Trump, top economist warns December 9, 2024 The US is likely to fall into recession during Donald Trump’s second term if he makes good on his campaign promises, a leading economist has predicted. Paul Mortimer-Lee, a research fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), said growth in the world’s largest economy could slump if the president-elect follows through [...]
Job vacancies collapse as Budget tax raid puts firms off hiring, survey shows December 9, 2024 The latest report on jobs from KPMG and the REC showed an "accelerated decline" in the number of people placed in permanent roles by recruiters.
Business confidence drops at fastest pace for over three years December 9, 2024 The optimism index dropped 5.8 points to 93.49 in November, which was the largest monthly fall since August 2021.
Starmer to visit Gulf states as he strives to deepen trade ties December 7, 2024 Keir Starmer will strive to strengthen trade ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in his first trip to the Persian Gulf as prime minister. The PM will meet UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, after flying to the Gulf on Sunday [...]
Fed gets ‘green light’ for another interest rate cut following jobs report December 6, 2024 The latest jobs report showed that the world's largest economy added 227,000 jobs last month, slightly ahead of the 200,000 expected by economists.
Will Keir Starmer meet his pledge to improve living standards? December 5, 2024 Before the General Election Labour was proudly proclaiming its commitment to generating economic growth. The first ‘mission’ in the party’s manifesto was to secure the highest sustained growth rate in the G7. After Keir Starmer’s speech earlier today, that mission has been downgraded to an ‘aim’. The new pledge, heavily trailed before the speech, is [...]