China's service sector registered faster growth in April, driven by stronger increases in new business despite declining foreign orders, survey results published by S&P Global revealed Wednesday. The headline RatingDog China services Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.6 in April from 52.1 in the previous month.
The unemployment rate in New Zealand came in at a seasonally adjusted 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2026, Statistics New Zealand said on Wednesday. That was beneath forecasts for 5.4 percent, which would have been unchanged from the previous three months. The employment change was 0.2 percent...
New Zealand will on Wednesday release Q1 numbers for unemployment, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In the three months prior, the jobless rate was 5.4 percent and the participation rate was 70.5 percent. South Korea will provide April numbers for consumer prices, with...
New home sales in the U.S. saw a substantial increase in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday. The report said new home sales spiked by 7.4 percent to an annual rate of 682,000 in March after soaring by 8.9 percent to an annual rate of 635,000 in February. Economists had expected new home sales to come in at an annual rate of 668,000.
A report released by the Labor Department on Tuesday showed a modest decrease in U.S. job openings in the month of March. The Labor Department said job openings edged down to 6.866 million in March from an upwardly revised 6.992 million in February.
A report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday showed a slight slowdown in the pace of growth in U.S. service sector activity in the month of April. The ISM said its services PMI slipped to 53.6 in April after falling to 54.0 in March, although a reading above 50 still indicates growth. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 53.7.
With imports increasing by modestly more than exports, the Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday showing the U.S. trade deficit widened roughly in line with economist estimates in the month of March. The Commerce Department said the trade deficit grew to $60.3 billion in March from a revised $57.8 billion in February.
With imports increasing by modestly more than exports, the Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday showing the U.S. trade deficit widened roughly in line with economist estimates in the month of March. The Commerce Department said the trade deficit grew to $60.3 billion in March from a revised...
The non-oil private sector economy in the UAE expanded at the weakest pace in more than five years amid inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints caused by the Middle East war. The purchasing managers' index for the non-oil private sector economy dropped to 52.1 in April from 52.9 in March. Nonetheless, a score above 50 indicates expansion in the sector.
The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its key interest rate by a quarter basis point for the third straight meeting as inflation is expected to remain above the target as the war in the Middle East pushed up fuel prices. The RBA policy board, led by Governor Michele Bullock, decided to lift the cash rate target by 25 basis points to 4.35 percent in a split vote on Tuesday, in line with economists
UK car registrations are expected to hit two million this year, reflecting improving confidence in the market despite weaker expectations for electric vehicle demand, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said Tuesday. Total new car registrations are expected to rise 3.6 percent to 2.093...
Indonesia's economy grew at the fastest pace in more than three years in the first quarter as government stimulus measures supported the nation amid the adverse effects of the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product logged an annual growth of 5.61 percent in the first quarter, surpassing the 5.39 percent expansion registered in the fourth quarter, Statistics Indonesia said Tuesday.
Hong Kong's economy expanded at a faster pace in the first quarter. Gross domestic product advanced 5.9 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, faster than the 4.0 percent growth in the fourth quarter. The expenditure breakdown showed that private consumption expenditure grew 5.0 percent from last year, and government consumption was 2.9 percent higher.
The Philippines' consumer price inflation accelerated further in April to the highest level in just over three years. The consumer price index surged 7.2 percent on a yearly basis in April, faster than March's increase of 4.1 percent. The annual price growth in food and non-alcoholic beverages accelerated to 6.0 percent from 2.9 percent.
Spain unemployment declined sharply in April and unemployment among young people logged a historic low, the labor ministry reported Tuesday. The number of unemployed declined 62,668 in April from the previous month to 2.36 million.
May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.