The UK construction sector logged a faster contraction in April amid rapid acceleration in cost inflation. The construction Purchasing Managers' Index declined to 39.7 in April from 45.6 in March. New business fell at the fastest pace since November 2025 due to subdued demand conditions and a subsequent lack of new work to replace completed projects.
A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rebounded by less than expected in the week ended May 2nd. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose to 200,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised level of...
Germany's construction activity contracted at the sharpest pace in 13 months in March as Middle East tensions impact overall industry performance, survey data from S&P Global showed Thursday. The construction Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 42.1 in April from 48.0 in March. The score was the lowest...
Ireland's unemployment rate decreased in April after remaining stable in the previous two months. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.8 percent in April from March's stable rate of 5.0 percent. In the corresponding month last year, the rate was 4.6 percent. There were 140,300 unemployed people in April compared to 146,200 in the previous month.
France's foreign trade deficit increased in March as imports grew faster than exports. The trade gap widened to EUR 6.9 billion in March from EUR 5.5 billion in February. The expected deficit was EUR 5.6 billion. Exports posted a monthly increase of 1.0 percent in March, while imports climbed at a comparatively faster pace of 3.2 percent.
Norway's central bank raised its benchmark rate unexpectedly by a quarter-point on Thursday as the war in the Middle East pushed up inflation and raised substantial uncertainty about the economic outlook. The Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee of Norges Bank decided to raise the policy rate to 4.25 percent from 4.0 percent.
Hungary's retail sales expanded at the quickest pace in nearly four years in March. Retail sales climbed a calendar-adjusted 8.2 percent yearly in March, faster than the 3.8 percent growth in the prior month. The acceleration in growth was mainly driven by a 20.6 percent jump in sales of automotive fuel. The annual sales growth in non-food products quickened to 8.4 percent from 5.0 percent.
Eurozone retail sales dropped marginally in March as reduced food and auto fuel sales were partially offset by the increased non-food product sales, official data revealed Thursday. Retail sales dropped 0.1 percent on a monthly basis in March, marking the third consecutive fall, Eurostat reported....
The Philippine economy expanded at the slowest pace in five years in the first quarter amid declining investment, weaker household spending and exports. Gross domestic product grew 2.8 percent on a yearly basis in the first quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday. This followed a 3.0 percent expansion seen in the fourth quarter and marked the weakest expansion since the first q
The Czech Republic's industrial output growth moderated further in March to the lowest level in six months. Industrial production rose a working-day-adjusted 0.9 percent year-on-year in March, slower than the 1.3 percent increase in February. The trade surplus rose to 31.9 billion in March from CZK 28.1 billion in the corresponding month last year.
Switzerland's unemployment rate decreased further in April to the lowest level in five months. The unadjusted unemployment rate dropped to 3.0 percent in April from 3.1 percent in March. In the corresponding month last year, the jobless rate was 2.8 percent. There were 146,902 unemployed people in April compared to 146,255 in the prior month.
Denmark's industrial production expanded strongly after falling in the previous month. Industrial production advanced a seasonally adjusted 8.6 percent month-on-month in March, reversing a 4.5 percent decline in February. The pharmaceutical industry grew 15.0 percent compared to February, and output produced in the electronics industry jumped by 37.0 percent.
German factory orders grew at a faster pace in March as manufacturers rushed to secure raw materials ahead of potential future price increases and supply shortages. Factory orders increased 5.0 percent in March compared to February's revised growth of 1.4 percent, Destatis reported Thursday. The monthly increase significantly outpaced the 1.0 percent forecast.
Romania's retail sales declined for the eighth straight month in March. Retail sales fell by a working-day-adjusted 3.2 percent year-on-year in March, slower than the 5.9 percent decrease in February. Sales have been falling since August 2025. Sales of non-food products alone contracted 7.4 percent annually in March, and those of food products dropped 3.0 percent.
Australia's trade balance registered its first deficit since late 2017 amid a sharp increase in imports, data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed on Thursday. The trade deficit totalled A$1.84 billion in March compared to a surplus of A$5.03 billion in February. This was the first...
May 08, 2026 15:50 ET Manufacturing and services sector survey results and labor market data from main economies were the highlight on the economics news front this week. Factory orders and jobs report dominated the news flow in the U.S. Similarly, industrial production data from German garnered attention in Europe. In Asia, purchasing managers’ survey results from China and the central bank decision from Australia were in focus.