The Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by much more than expected in the week ended April 25th. The report said initial jobless claims slid to 189,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised level of 215,000.
The Bank of England left its key interest rate unchanged on Thursday but cautioned that there is a risk of material second-round effects from the energy price shock, caused by the war in the Middle East, which could lead to future rate hikes. The BoE Monetary Policy Committee, led by Governor Andrew Bailey, voted 8-1 to hold the bank rate at 3.75 percent.
The Japanese yen strengthened against other major currencies in the European session on Thursday, as Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued a clear intervention warning. Katayama confirmed that the "timing for decisive action is near" and that the Japanese government is moving closer to...
The German economy logged an unexpected faster growth in the first quarter, despite challenges posed by the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product grew 0.3 percent sequentially in the first quarter, slightly faster than the revised 0.2 percent expansion seen in the fourth quarter of 2025, preliminary estimate from Destatis revealed Thursday.
France's economy remained flat in the first quarter due to sluggish domestic demand and weaker exports and consumer price inflation hit the highest since mid-2024, driven by surging energy prices, official data showed Thursday. Gross domestic product stalled in the first quarter after expanding 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter, according to the first estimate from the statistical office INSEE.
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.