India overtakes China as world’s fastest growing large economy in 2015 February 8, 2016 India's economy has overtaken China's to become the world's fastest growing large economy. Figures published by the country's Central Statistics office today showed the economy grew 7.3 per cent in the final three months of the year compared with the same period in 2014. It marks a slight slowdown from the three months to September when the economy [...]
Infrastructure to lift construction sector but risks are intensifying February 8, 2016 The UK's construction sector is forecast to have a strong year, but experts are warning of risks to the rosy outlook. The Construction Products Association (CPA) said today it expects construction output to climb 3.6 per cent this year and 4.1 per cent next year. Private house building is projected to rise five per cent in [...]
Manufacturing trade body EEF warns Britain risks falling behind on internet capability February 8, 2016 Britain's digital infrastructure will hold the country back during the fourth industrial revolution, a manufacturing trade body has warned today. Internet access is as essential as electricity and water, according to 91 per cent of companies surveyed. The survey from EEF also found that connection costs had gone up for half of manufacturers in the last [...]
EU referendum: Tory MP Michael Fabricant discusses leaving the EU, in-fighting and the way forward for the splintered Brexit groups February 8, 2016 “The UK may be 25 miles off the coast of Calais, but culturally it’s 25 miles off the coast of Boston, Massachusetts, or Brisbane, Australia,” says Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield and former Conservative Party vice-chairman. Fabricant, who readers may know from his wryly written tweets that get him into occasional trouble, is a man [...]
China’s foreign exchange reserves hit lowest level since 2011 February 7, 2016 China’s foreign exchange reserves tumbled in January, according to figures released today. The country’s holding of US dollars fell by $99.5bn (£68.6bn) in January to $3.23 trillion, the lowest it's been since 2011, the data from the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange shows. The Chinese authorities are attempting to maintain a value of the [...]
Market volatility will continue as emerging markets pay off debt, warns Bank for International Settlements February 5, 2016 The volatility that has rocked financial markets since the start of the year is likely to continue, the ‘bank for central banks’ has warned. The strength of the dollar is leading many emerging market economies to start paying off their dollar debts – deleveraging – in response to the strengthening of the dollar. A strong [...]
Jobs market starts the new year with a bang February 5, 2016 The jobs market found new energy at the start of the year, according to survey figures released this morning. Job applicants soared in January, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said. Growth in permanent placements also rose. Better candidate availability was reported by 25.5 per cent of recruiters, compared with 6.9 per cent in December. [...]
Mark Carney keeps quiet on Bank of England’s Brexit contingency plans February 4, 2016 Bank of England governor Mark Carney refused to speculate on the economic impact of a referendum on EU membership or disclose any information regarding the Bank's contingency plans. "It serves no-one at all to talk at length about the specifics of those contingency plans in advance," he told journalists after the monetary policy committee decided [...]
Christine Lagarde: IMF to mull strengthening the global safety net February 4, 2016 The International Monetary Fund will begin looking into ways to make the global financial system safer as the US Federal Reserve looks to raise interest rates and emerging markets continue to suffer. "One could think about strengthening and broadening the global precautionary financing instruments that work for everyone," IMF chief Christine Lagarde told an audience at Maryland [...]
Bank of England rate-setters vote unanimously to keep interest rates as record lows as Chancellor George Osborne expresses mixed feelings over low inflation February 4, 2016 Borrowing costs are on course to stay lower for longer as the Bank of England’s committee of rate-setters voted unanimously to keep interest rates at record lows for the first time since the Summer. Rate-setter Ian McCafferty has been voting to increase Bank rate from 0.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent since August. His [...]