China consumer inflation accelerates in Dec; PPI falls with soft demand
BEIJING, Jan 12 (Reuters) – China’s annual consumer inflation rate accelerated in December, driven by rising food prices even as domestic demand wavered amid restrained economic activity.Economists expect inflation to continue to pick up in the first quarter of 2023.The consumer price index (CPI) in December was 1.8% higher than a year earlier, rising faster […]
More than half of German companies report labour shortages
BERLIN, Jan 12 (Reuters) – More than half Germany’s companies are struggling to fill vacancies due to a lack of skilled workers, the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) said on Thursday, in the latest sign of growth headwinds belabouring Europe’s largest economy.The proportion of companies facing difficulties hiring was at its highest ever […]
Japan’s Nov real wages fall most in 8 years, defying BOJ objective
Real wages fall for eighth straight months – govtWage growth lags surging cost-push inflationPolicymakers seek wage growth to support inflationBOJ action may depend on strength of wage growth – analystTOKYO, Jan 6 (Reuters) – Japan reported on Friday its worst real-wage decline in more than eight years, with November data highlighting the elusiveness of the […]
BOJ to raise forecasts for key inflation gauge – sources
BOJ likely to raise 2022, 2023 ‘core-core’ price forecastsBoard may slightly upgrade inflation forecast for fiscal 2024Upgrade unlikely to trigger immediate rate hike – sourcesWage hike key to timing of policy normalisationTOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) – The Bank of Japan is putting more emphasis on an inflation gauge that excludes fuel costs, and will likely […]
Heavy discounts drive record U.S. online holiday spending, report says
Jan 5 (Reuters) – U.S. online spending during the 2022 holiday season rose by a better-than-expected 3.5%, a report by Adobe Analytics showed, as retailers used hefty discounts to lure inflation-weary consumers into spending on everything from toys to electronics.Shoppers spent a record $211.7 billion online over the holiday season, which typically starts in November […]