DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China's economy reveals pockets of softness. Here's what to watch ahead of Friday's data
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The National Bureau of Statistics is due to release data on retail sales, industrial production and fixed asset investment for April on Friday. Some of the weakness speaks to genuine sluggish demand in China at present. The firm expects this week's economic data releases to show a "softening in economic momentum," affirming its forecasts for the central bank to cut rates by the end of June. "Some of the weakness speaks to genuine sluggish demand in China at present," said Hui Shan, Goldman Sachs' China chief economist, in a note Sunday. Businesses' loan demand fallsNew bank loans to businesses and government organizations dropped sharply in April from March, as did new loans to households, according to official data accessed through Wind Information.

Persons: Hui Shan Goldman Sachs, Louise Loo, Goldman Sachs, Hui Shan, Goldman, RRR, Pan Gongsheng Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, National Bureau, Statistics, Reuters, Finance, Oxford Economics, People's Bank of, Information, Clocktower, CNBC Locations: Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, —, Beijing, People's Bank of China

☆ What Biden’s tariffs on Chinese imports may mean for American jobs, the economy and inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Biden’s tariff plan likely won’t move the needle for monetary policy, said Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics. “Consumers and producers often pay higher prices when tariffs are implemented.”That’s because tariffs tax imports when they come ashore, adding costs for US distributors, retailers and, ultimately, consumers. Worse, some businesses appeared to take advantage of the trade war by bumping up prices even higher. Container shipping imports from China to Mexico rocketed higher by 60% in January and 34% for the first quarter, Xeneta data shows. “It’s obvious that imports to this extent are not only for domestic purposes in Mexico,” he said.

Persons: Biden, Joe Brusuelas, Donald Trump’s, Trump, —, Ryan Sweet, ” Sweet, Sweet, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Goldman Sachs, ”, Wells, Nicole Cervi, “ There’s, ” Cervi, Peter Sand, “, Sand, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, RSM US, stoke, Oxford Economics, Biden, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Trump, Federal, “, US International Trade Commission, New, New York Fed, National Bureau of Economic Research, Republican, ramped, Container Locations: China, New York, “, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, Wells, Mexico

☆ China's consumer prices rise for 3rd month, factory deflation persists
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Citizens are shopping at a supermarket in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, on March 9, 2024. China's consumer prices rose in April for a third straight month, while producer prices extended declines, suggesting resilient domestic demand, despite a shaky economic recovery. The consumer price index (CPI) edged up 0.3% in April from a year earlier, accelerating from a rise of 0.1% in March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Saturday. CPI rose 0.1% from the previous month, reversing a drop of 1% in March and above a decline of 0.1% predicted by economists. The producer price index (PPI) dropped 2.5% in April from a year earlier, easing from a slide of 2.8% the previous month and compared with a forecast decline of 2.3%.

Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Labour, Communist Party Locations: Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu, China

☆ European companies in China are under pressure from slower growth, overcapacity
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesBEIJING — European companies in China are finding it harder to make money in the country as growth slows and overcapacity pressures increase, according to a survey released Friday by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. Only 30% of EU Chamber survey respondents said their profit margins were higher in China than their company's worldwide average — an eight-year low. Jens Eskelund EU Chamber of Commerce in China, presidentChina's economy is now far bigger than it was in 2015 and 2016. More than one-third of EU Chamber survey respondents said they observed overcapacity in their industry in the last year, and another 10% expect to see it in the near future. "This is not just European companies whining," Eskelund said.

Persons: Carlo D'Andrea, D'Andrea, Jens Eskelund, Eskelund, overcapacity Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, EU Chamber of Commerce, EU, of Commerce, U.S, Bureau, Statistics, Cosmetics Locations: Minhou County, Fuzhou, China, BEIJING, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ Businesses add $90 billion in surprise 'junk fees' each year, and it's starting to backfire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Businesses are adding $90 billion in fees to consumer's bills each year, according to one estimate. US consumers spend more than $650 a year per household on "junk fees," per the CEA. AdvertisementBusinesses are adding $90 billion in surprise "junk fees" to customers' bills each year — and it is starting to backfire. Junk fees are hidden costs that are added to product prices. Last June, President Joe Biden said his administration had taken steps to crack down on junk fees.

Persons: —, Noelle Weaver, Bradley Walker, Walker, Merrilee Bridgeman, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, White House Council, Economic Advisers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Wall Street, Democratic Locations: New Orleans, Charlotte , North Carolina

☆ Apple wants to give the iPad a boost
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The tech giant's event will reportedly showcase a new family of… iPads and iPad accessories. But Apple's event , which kicks off at 10 a.m. EST, is looking to give the iPad a boost. iPhone sales have noticeably dipped, which is why you're hearing Apple tout its "services" business , writes BI's Peter Kafka. And the new product Apple wants you to be excited about — the Vision Pro — hasn't lived up to the hype. a16z joins the Big Tech "fake work" debate.

Persons: —, Tyler Le, they're, iPads, Antonio Villas, Boas, BI's Peter Kafka, Peter, hasn't, Katie Notopoulos, Wall, Lauren DeCicca, Tim Cook, Katie, aren't, I'd, we'll, I'm, Alyssa Powell, Danielle DiMartino Booth, James Devaney, Roger Kisby, Jack Dorsey's, Elon, Dorsey, Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, OpenAI, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, a16z, Emily Sundberg, Andreessen Horowitz, David Ulevitch, Vladimir Putin, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Apple, Google, Getty, US Treasury, National Bureau of Economic Research, Images, Penske Media, Microsoft, Tech, Paramount, Berkshire, Big Tech, Walt Disney Company Locations: BREIT, New York, London

☆ Has the US cracked the code on avoiding recessions? It would be great news for your job security and stock portfolio.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But some economists have argued that flawed historical economic data puts this claim in question. The further back you go — the NBER data goes to about 1850 — the more common recessions were. He said the NBER's pre-1914 recession data, in particular, is "very poor," and that only economic data collected after World War II is of good quality. "So the growing share of services also means you're going to have more stable economic growth." AdvertisementTo be sure, while a stable economy has its benefits, it's not the only indicator of a healthy economy.

Persons: —, they'll, haven't, George Selgin, what's, NBER, Selgin, Joseph H, Davis, Satyam Panday, Panday, it's, they've Organizations: Service, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cato Institute, of Labor Statistics didn't, US, Vanguard, US Department of Agriculture, Satyam, Federal Reserve, Fed

☆ Tourism in China surges during May Day holiday but travelers turn frugal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has reported a surge in tourism during the just concluded Labor Day holiday, but travelers cut back on their spending, in a sign that consumption in world’s second largest economy remains sluggish. That was 28% more than the number of trips taken during the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, which lasted only four days. This year’s Labor Day tourism revenue was 166.89 billion yuan ($23.6 billion), only 13.5% higher than the 2019 level. Passengers at Nanjing Railway Station in East China's Jiangsu province on May 5, the last day of the Labor Day holiday. On Monday, a private sector survey showed that the Caixin/S&P Global services PMI fell to 52.5 in April from 52.7 in the previous month.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Labor, Tourists, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Passengers, Nanjing Railway, PMI, TD Securities, P Global, National Bureau, Statistics Locations: China, Hong Kong, Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu

☆ Welcome to ‘the Tepid Twenties’? The US economy’s strength won’t be enough to boost global growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Invigorating growth is critical: When the economy expands, it improves standards of living, promotes innovation and makes households wealthier. Economic growth in Spain and France was stronger than expected last year. But the US is outperforming mainly for one key reason: Robust productivity growth. Productivity growth came in well below expectations in the first three months of the year, according to Labor Department data released last week. A “course correction” isn’t an even stronger US economy: Economic policymakers around the world need to address a range of key issues.

Persons: ” Kristalina Georgieva, ” Georgieva, ” Stephen Gallagher, Gallagher, “, ”, Hande Atay Alam, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel Katz, John Williams, Neel Kashkari, Lisa Cook, Krispy Kreme, John’s, Austan Goolsbee Organizations: Washington CNN, Monetary, IMF, European Central Bank, Labor Department, Societe Generale, CNN, Reuters, Palantir Technologies, Tyson Foods, Marriott Worldwide, New York Fed, Disney, UBS, Duke Energy, Suncor, Bros, Minneapolis, Toyota, Uber, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Airbnb, Fox Corporation, News Corporation, Duolingo, Icahn Enterprises, New York Times Company, AMC Entertainment, Honda, Warner Bros Discovery, Warner Music Group, Hyatt, Hilton, Bank of England, US Labor Department, United Kingdom’s, National Statistics, University of Michigan, . Chicago Fed, China’s National Bureau of Statistics Locations: Europe, China, United States, Spain, France, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, Gaza, Olesya, “ Turkey, Lyft, TripAdvisor

☆ A hacker got 6 years in prison for stealing therapy notes and blackmailing patients
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hacker Aleksanteri 'Julius' Kivimäki was sentenced to over six years in prison. He was found guilty of hacking a therapy company to steal notes and blackmail thousands of patients. AdvertisementA Finnish hacker has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison after he was found guilty of stealing confidential therapy notes to blackmail thousands of patients. According to BBC News, Kivimäki demanded a ransom of more than 400,000 euros, or $426,818, from the therapy company in 2020. A trove of confidential information then surfaced on the dark web, including patients' personal details, Social Security numbers, and sensitive therapist and doctor notes from sessions.

Persons: Hacker Aleksanteri, Julius, Kivimäki, —, Aleksanteri Organizations: Service, Western Uusimaa, BBC News, Associated Press, AP, BBC, National Bureau of Investigation, Health Technology, Informatics, US Department of Health, Human Services Locations: Nordic, France, Finland, bitcoin, Brunswick

☆ China's big factories had a terrible March, even as automakers roar to new highs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese manufacturers' profits fell last month, while carmakers reported a significant gain in the first quarter. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementBig Chinese manufacturers' profits fell last month, but carmakers posted a significant gain in the first quarter — one of the sectors worrying US officials. The National Bureau of Statistics reported on Saturday that large-scale manufacturers' profits dipped 3.5% in March, compared with a year earlier.

Persons: carmakers, outpacing Tesla, — Organizations: Service, National Bureau of Statistics, Business Locations: China

☆ 30-year-old supercommutes over 500 miles to work in New York: ‘I'm the happiest I've ever been’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Some mornings, Kaitlin Jorgenson travels 544 miles to get to a job she'll be at for 72 hours. Although Jorgenson was ready to leave New York, she didn't want to give up the career she had built there. All in all, Jorgenson estimates she would spend a minimum of $4,000 each month to live and work in Manhattan. Moving to Charlotte, Jorgenson estimates, has saved her at least $2,000 each month — commuting expenses and all. During the weeks she's not in New York, Jorgenson works part-time at Superbloom Hair Studio in Charlotte, a job with flexible hours that change depending on Jorgenson's appointment schedule.

Persons: Kaitlin Jorgenson, she's, she'll, Jorgenson, Scott J, — Organizations: Charlotte Douglas International, CNBC, Companies, National Bureau of Economic Research, Corporate Locations: New York City, Charlotte , North Carolina, Brooklyn, Charlotte, New York, —, New Jersey, Manhattan, New, LaGuardia, Houston, Chicago, Queens

☆ A popular YouTuber's negative video of Humane's AI Pin raises questions about critical reviews in the age of innovation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at a critical tech review that caused a bit of a stir on social media . AdvertisementIn a 25-minute video , Brownlee details all the issues he encountered using the AI device. Earlier this year, a negative video of Fisker's Ocean SUV by Brownlee also made waves on social media . Mario Tama/Getty Images; Chelsea Jia Feng/BICritical reviews in the age of innovation raise some interesting questions. Last week's drop among tech stocks shouldn't scare away investors , according to Wedbush.

Persons: —, Michael Pollan, Roy Rochlin, Marques Brownlee, Brownlee, X, Mario Tama, Chelsea Jia Feng, It's, Insider's Peter Kafka, Peter, Katie Notopolous, Goldman, David Solomon, Kevin Winter, Eric Newcomer, Rebecca Zisser, Caitlin Clark, Morgan Stanley, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, YouTube, Apple, Apple Vision, Humane, America, JPMorgan, National Bureau, Statistics, Amazon Prime, Street Journal, Justice Department, Ticketmaster, United Airlines, Bank of America, The Locations: San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, London, Dublin

☆ China's GDP rose 5.3% in the first quarter, but it doesn't mean the economic pain is over
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

China's economy grew 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, surpassing analyst expectations. China's property market struggles persist, with 1Q new home sales falling nearly 31% from a year ago. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Sheng Laiyun Organizations: Service, National Bureau, Statistics —, Bloomberg, NBS, Business Locations: China, Beijing

☆ The freefall in China's home prices continued in March as Beijing struggles to stem real estate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese authorities reported a 9.5% drop in real estate development investment in the first quarter. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementHome prices slumped in March, extending the housing market's decline and leaving authorities in Beijing scrambling for solutions to the country's real estate crisis. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, National Bureau, Statistics, Business Locations: Beijing, China

☆ China beats expectations for Q1 GDP growth but March activity data comes in below forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina beats expectations for Q1 GDP growth but March activity data comes in below forecastsChina's economy in the first quarter grew faster than expected, official data released Tuesday by China's National Bureau of Statistics showed. However, industrial output for March grew 4.5% year on year, missing expectations of 6%. CNBC's Tanvir Gill and Will Koulouris with the details.

Persons: CNBC's Tanvir Gill, Will Koulouris Organizations: China, China's National Bureau, Statistics

☆ China is still struggling to fix its demand problem — and that's bad news for the likes of Apple and Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

China's economy expanded by a better-than-expected 5.3% in the first three months of 2024. But analysts are flagging sluggish home and retail sales as a sign of weak demand. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Tesla, Service, Beijing, National Bureau of Statistics, Bloomberg, Business

☆ China's economy grew 5.3% in the first quarter, beating expectations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's economy in the first quarter grew faster than expected, official data released Tuesday by China's National Bureau of Statistics showed. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, China's GDP grew 1.6% in the first quarter, compared to a Reuters poll expectations of 1.4% and a revised fourth quarter expansion of 1.2%. Beijing has set a 2024 growth target of around 5%. Last week, Morgan Stanley raised its 2024 real GDP forecast for China to 4.8%, from its previous expectation of 4.2%. The world's second largest economy saw weak export and inflation data earlier this month, with both sets of data coming in below expectations.

Persons: Morgan Stanley Organizations: China's National Bureau, Statistics, Gross, Reuters Locations: Qingzhou, Weifang City, Shandong Province, China, Beijing

☆ China’s Economy, Propelled by Its Factories, Grew at Start of Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Keith Bradsher | Alexandra Stevenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Chinese economy grew strongly in the first three months of the year, new data shows, as China built more factories and exported huge amounts of goods to counter a severe real estate crisis and sluggish spending at home. To stimulate growth, China, the world’s second-largest economy, turned to a familiar tactic: investing heavily in its manufacturing sector, including a binge of new factories that have helped to propel the sale around the world of solar panels, electric cars and other products. But China’s bet on exports has worried many foreign countries and companies, which fear that rising shipments of Chinese goods that are flooding economies elsewhere may undermine their own manufacturing industries and lead to layoffs. On Tuesday, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said the economy grew 1.6 percent in the first quarter over the previous three months. When projected out for the entire year, the first-quarter data indicates that China’s economy was growing at an annual rate of about 6.6 percent.

Organizations: China’s National Bureau of Statistics Locations: China

☆ China’s Q1 GDP grows 5.3% partly thanks to strong manufacturing
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s economy grew stronger than expected at the start of this year, partly thanks to robust factory activity. Gross domestic product grew by 5.3% in the first quarter from a year ago, according to the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. Last month, an official survey showed China’s manufacturing purchasing manager’s index (PMI) expanded for the first time in six months. The Caixin/S&P manufacturing PMI also hit its strongest reading in more than a year, as overseas demand picked up. The authorities have cut interest rates this year to boost bank lending and speed up central government spending to support infrastructure investment.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Gross, National Bureau, Statistics, PMI Locations: Hong Kong, China

☆ Americans are savings less these days. Here’s why and what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —Americans haven’t been stashing money into their savings accounts like they used to, according to government statistics. Put together, this may have resulted in “a structurally lower saving rate,” according to the report. What does the lower saving rate of nowadays say about the US consumer? Households are continuing to spend at these elevated rates and one reason is because of the lower saving rate. You’re just not seeing a reversal back to pre-Covid levels, which isn’t shocking when you look back historically to what has happened to the saving rate.

Persons: haven’t, “, Wells, Bell, Shannon Seery Grein, There’s, they’ve, we’ve, Matt Egan, ” Paul Knopp, Read, Goldman Sachs, Charles Schwab, Lorie Logan, Mary Daly, Johnson, Morgan Stanley, Jerome Powell, Loretta Mester, John Williams, Raphael Bostic, Austan Goolsbee Organizations: Washington CNN, Wells, KPMG, CNN, Gallup, T Bank, US Commerce Department, National Association of Home Builders, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Johnson, Bank of America, PNC, The Bank of New York Mellon, Northern Trust, United Airlines, Federal Reserve, Abbott Laboratories, Discover, Citizens, Cleveland Fed, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Netflix, Alaska Air, National Association of Realtors, Fed, US Labor Department, Procter & Gamble, American Express . Chicago Fed Locations: Wells Fargo, United States, Europe, UnitedHealth, Blackstone

☆ Biden’s manufacturing industry is expanding, but that could be bad for inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But a resurgence in the industry could complicate the Federal Reserve’s ongoing inflation fight, either delaying the first interest rate cut or resulting in fewer cuts this year, some economists say. Interest rates have been at a two-decade high since July, after the Fed raised rates aggressively over the prior year and a half. The economy picking up further strength would spook Wall Street because of what it means for interest rates — and some manufacturers say they’re optimistic about the future. The Bank of Canada announces its latest interest rate decision. China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases March inflation data.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Tom Barkin, “, Mary Daly, ” Daly, Jerome Powell, Neel Kashkari, ” Kashkari, ” Richard de Chazal, Blair, they’re “, Amazon’s, It’s, Ramishah Maruf, Amazon, haven’t, Read Organizations: Washington CNN, Institute for Supply Management, Congress, Fed, ” Richmond Fed, ” San Francisco Fed, Minneapolis, Dow, Blair Equity Research, Amazon, Fresh, Delta Air Lines, US Labor Department, Index, Bank of Canada, Federal Reserve, National Bureau of Statistics, Constellation Brands, European Central Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, State, National Statistics, The University of Michigan Locations: Richmond , Virginia, ” San, Las Vegas, India, Wells Fargo, Progressive, BlackRock

☆ Asia markets climb as China factory activity assessed; Japan business optimism falls slightly
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Asia-Pacific markets climbed Monday as investors assessed China's business activity for February and await economic data out of Japan. China's National Bureau of Statistics data showed that manufacturing activity expanded in March, with the purchasing managers index registering a reading of 50.8, compared to Feburary's reading of 49.1. Separately, Japan's first-quarter Tankan survey showed that business optimism among large manufacturers fell, with the gauge at +11 compared with +12 in the last survey. However, optimism among non-manufacturers rose, with the Tankan gauge at +34 compared with +30 in the fourth quarter and beating Reuters expectations of +33. The survey gauges business sentiment, which the Bank of Japan monitors when formulating monetary policy.

Persons: Japan's Organizations: China's National Bureau, Reuters, Bank of Japan Locations: Asia, Pacific, Japan

☆ How One Tech Skeptic Decided A.I. Might Benefit the Middle Class
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Steve Lohr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

David Autor seems an unlikely A.I. But Mr. Autor is now making the case that the new wave of technology — generative artificial intelligence, which can produce hyper-realistic images and video and convincingly imitate humans’ voices and writing — could reverse that trend. Mr. Autor’s stance on A.I. Modern A.I., Mr. Autor said, is a fundamentally different technology, opening the door to new possibilities. And if more people, including those without college degrees, can do more valuable work, they should be paid more, lifting more workers into the middle class.

Persons: David Autor, Autor, A.I, Mr Organizations: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Bureau of Economic Research, Mr

☆ Caixin survey shows China's March factory activity at its most robust in 13 months
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's factory activity in March expanded by its strongest pace in more than a year, a private survey showed on Monday, in signs of stabilizing growth in the world's second-largest economy. The Caixin/S&P Global China manufacturing purchasing managers' index was 51.1 in March — its strongest since February 2023 — after coming in at 50.9 in February. Economists had expected the reading to hit 51, according to a Reuters poll. This reading corroborates another official survey of manufacturing activity that surpassed market expectations and came at its strongest in 11 months. The official survey for non-manufacturing activity in China recorded its most robust reading since June, adding to encouraging recent export and retail sales data.

Persons: Wang Zhe Organizations: P Global, Caixin Insight, China's National Bureau of Statistics Locations: P Global China, China

Search resuls for: "National Bureau of"

25 mentions found