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☆ Oil prices fall as U.S. rate cut fails to boost market sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A pump jack operates in front of a drilling rig at sunset in an oil field in Midland, Texas. Oil prices fell in Asian trading on Thursday after a larger-than-expected Federal Reserve interest rate cut sparked concerns about the U.S. economy. The U.S. central bank cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday, suggesting the Fed saw a slowing job market. That view appeared to outweigh the boost that interest rate cuts usually bring to economic activity. China's industrial output growth also slowed to a five-month low last month, and retail sales and new home prices weakened further.

Persons: Tony Sycamore, heightening Organizations: Brent, Fed, ANZ, Citi, Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Locations: Midland , Texas, U.S, China, Shandong Yulong, Gaza

☆ Japan faces labor shortages and demographic crisis as elderly population hits record high
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Dylan Butts | Cnbc Brand Studio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japan commemorated its "Respect for the Aged Day" earlier this week, with the national holiday underscoring a somewhat problematic fact — the country has a record number of elderly citizens to celebrate. Government data released ahead of the event showed that Japan's population of people aged 65 and over had risen to an all-time high of 36.25 million. A survey from Teikoku Databank last month showed that 51% of companies across sectors in Japan feel there is a shortage of full-time employees. Meanwhile, 2023 saw the number of Japan's workers aged 65 and over rise for a 20th consecutive year to reach a record 9.14 million, Statistics Bureau data showed. Feldman warned that as these elderly workers begin to retire from the workforce, there won't be the same number of young workers stepping up to replace them.

Persons: Robert Feldman, Morgan, Databank, Feldman Organizations: Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Morgan Stanley, Securities Locations: Japan

☆ China’s retail sales and industrial data miss expectations in August
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING — China's retail sales, industrial production and urban investment in August all grew slower than expected, according to National Bureau of Statistics data released Saturday. Retail sales rose by 2.1% in August from a year ago, missing expectations of 2.5% growth among economists polled by Reuters. Fixed asset investment rose by 3.4% for the January to August period, slower than the forecast of 3.5% growth. The urban unemployment rate was 5.3% in August, an uptick from 5.2% in July. The youth unemployment rate in July was 17.1%.

Persons: Liu Aihua Organizations: National Bureau, Statistics, Reuters, Investment, National Bureau of Statistics Locations: Hangzhou, China, BEIJING

☆ Drugmakers at fault over toxic cough syrup, Indonesia court finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Jakarta, Indonesia Reuters —An Indonesian court ordered two local companies to pay up to 60 million rupiah ($3,850) to each family whose children died of an acute kidney injury or were seriously injured after consuming toxic cough syrup. In late 2022, more than 20 families launched a civil suit against the agency, the health ministry, and several companies. The health ministry and the BPOM were cleared of wrongdoing. Last year, a criminal court found East Java-based drugmaker Afi Farma guilty of negligence and jailed officials for not testing the ingredients sent by its supplier. Reuters could not immediately contact CV Samudera Chemical, an Indonesian soapmaker, whose toxic ingredient made its way to Afi Farma, according to the court document of the Afi Farma criminal case in 2023.

Persons: Afi Farma, Parents, Siti Habiba, ”, Reza Wendra Prayogo Organizations: Indonesia Reuters —, Central, Afi, country’s Statistics Bureau, Reuters, EG, World Health Organization Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Central Jakarta, East Java, Indonesian, Gambia, Uzbekistan

☆ China retail sales, investment data miss expectations in April
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING — China reported data Friday that pointed to slower growth on the consumer side while industrial activity remained robust. Retail sales rose by 2.3% in April from a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics said. That was less than the 3.8% increase forecast by a Reuters poll, and slower than the 3.1% pace reported in March. But fixed asset investment rose by 4.2% for the first four months of the year, lower than the 4.6% expected increase. Statistics bureau spokeswoman Liu Aihua pointed out that last year, the multi-day May 1 Labor Day holiday had included two days in April.

Persons: Liu Aihua, Liu Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, China's Ministry of Commerce, Labor, Statistics, Oxford Locations: Huai'an, China, BEIJING — China

☆ Taiwan's economy is booming thanks to the AI craze
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Taiwan's economy is booming. Its GDP rose by a better-than-expected 6.5% in the first quarter, data published on Tuesday showed. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementThe ChatGPT-fueled artificial intelligence boom has helped Taiwan's economy expand more than expected. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Gross, Bloomberg, Business

☆ Binance crypto exec reportedly on the run after busting out of custody in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nadeem Anjarwalla escaped police custody in Nigeria on Friday, Binance said. Nigeria charged Binance, Anjarwalla, and another employee of the crypto exchange with tax evasion. AdvertisementA Binance executive is reportedly on the run after busting out of police custody in Nigeria on Friday. "We were made aware that Nadeem is no longer in Nigerian custody," a Binance representative told Business Insider on Monday. On Monday, Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service said it was charging Binance, Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan with tax evasion.

Persons: Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance, —, Nadeem, didn't, Bayo Onanuga, Anjarwalla, Tigran Gambaryan, They'd Organizations: Service, Nigeria's Premium Times, Bloomberg, Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service Locations: Nigeria, Africa, Abuja

☆ Açai berries and child labor: How children in Brazil are climbing 70-foot-high trees to pick the superfood
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Julia Vargas Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Picking berries to help feed his familyLucas Oliveira, 13, of the Fazendinha village outside Macapá, is one of these children. The stories of harvesters who’ve fallen from trees are numerous — some have had severe injuries and never walked again. Açaí harvesters expose themselves to the perils of the rainforest. Of those, at least 756,000 worked in what the International Labor Organization calls the worst forms of child labor, which includes “dangerous” conditions. Dozens of times a day, Lucas Oliveira climbs trees to bring down heavy bunches of açaí.

Persons: —, ”, Lucas Oliveira, Wengleston, Julia Vargas Jones Lucas, ” Lucas, Lucas, “, he’s, ” Wengleston, Julia Vargas Jones, they’re, Allan Bruno, Bruno, ” Bruno, aren’t Organizations: Brazil CNN —, CNN, International Labor Organization, Brazil’s Public Ministry of Labor Locations: Macapá, Brazil, Igarapé da Fortaleza, Pará, Amapá

☆ Putin Urges Russians to Have More Kids, Says Ethnic Survival at Stake
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian families must produce at least two children for the sake of the nation's ethnic survival, and three or more if it is to develop and thrive, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Putin told employees at a tank factory in the Urals region that two children per family was the minimum number if the peoples of Russia were to preserve their identities. "If we want to survive as an ethnic group - well, or as ethnic groups inhabiting Russia - there must be at least two children," he said. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesIf each family had just one child, the population would shrink, he said. Russia suffered two decades of gradual population decline following the collapse of the Soviet Union, exacerbated by chronic problems such as alcoholism.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Maxim Rodionov, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Reuters Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Urals, Soviet Union

☆ Why the Year of the Dragon doesn't bode well for China’s declining population
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this zodiac cycle, those born between Feb.10, 2024 and Jan. 28, 2025 will be classified as "Dragon babies." While people in China also hold these beliefs, birth rates in the country have actually fallen during the "Dragon Years." For instance, Singapore's birth rates rose by 21% in 1988, and 8% in 2000 and 2012. Asian folklore, however, may not be able to do much for China's falling birth rates, which could continue to drop "quite precipitously," Tay warned. China's birth rates have seen a secular decline, falling to 6.39% in 2023 from 22.37% in 1988.

Persons: Jacelyn Phang, feng, Yuan Zhong Siu, Phang, Erica Tay, Maybank, Tay, Tianchen Xu Organizations: CNBC, The Economist Intelligence Locations: China, Asia

☆ China's population keeps falling — and that's more bad news for the world's 2nd-largest economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewChina's population fell again last year – and that's a worrying sign for Beijing policymakers already grappling with deflation, a property crisis, and anemic economic growth. It's the second consecutive year that China's population has shrunk after six decades of rapid growth. Here's why dropping population numbers pose a threat to the world's second-largest economy. Worrying dataChina's population fell in 2022 for the first time since the 1960s – and Wednesday's statistics showed that the same thing happened again last year. A declining population is also bad news for real estate, which accounts for a quarter of China's economy and 70% of household wealth.

Persons: —, lockdowns, They've, they'll Organizations: Service, Business, National Bureau, Statistics, World Health Organization, Apple Locations: Beijing, China, —, Japan

HONG KONG (AP) — China published youth unemployment data Wednesday for the first time since the jobless rate hit a record high in June last year, using a new method that showed an apparent improvement. China announced a 14.9% jobless rate for people between 16 and 24 in December, using the new method, which excludes students. The statistics bureau stopped publishing the politically sensitive figure last year, after it reached 21.3% in June. It said that the 16 to 24-year-old population includes some 62 million school students, over 60% of people that age. China’s overall urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1% in December, inching up slightly from 5.0% for the months of September through November.

Persons: It's, inching Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics Locations: HONG KONG, China, China’s

☆ China misses fourth-quarter GDP estimates, resumes posting youth unemployment data
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING — China missed fourth-quarter GDP estimates on Wednesday, while it resumed reporting the unemployment rate for young people. GDP for the last three months of 2023 rose by 5.2%, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. Excluding people still in school, the unemployment rate for young people aged 16 to 24 was 14.9%, while the rate in cities in December was 5.1%. Online retail sales of physical goods rose by 8.4%, accounting for nearly 28% of overall retail sales. Retail sales for December saw a 29% surge in jewelry and 26% increase in purchases of clothes and shoes.

Persons: Zhiwei Zhang Organizations: China Vanke Co, National Bureau of Statistics, Investment Locations: China, Hefei, BEIJING

BEIJING (AP) — China’s population dropped by 2 million people in 2023 in the second straight annual drop as births fell and deaths jumped after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the government's statistics bureau said Wednesday. The number of deaths more than doubled to 690,000. The total population stood at 1.4 billion, the statistics bureau said. China, which once sought to control population growth with its one-child policy, is now facing the opposite problem. The government has sought to encourage births since officially ending its one-child policy in 2016 but with little success.

Persons: Demographers Organizations: BEIJING Locations: China

☆ US millennial women are now more likely to die in their late 20s and early 30s than any generation since the World War II era: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-12 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementBaby boomer and Gen X women, meanwhile, saw a respective 6 and 4.4 suicides per 100,000 women when they were aged 25 to 34. While White millennial women saw suicide rates decline, young Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, mixed-race, and Hispanic women experienced increases. AdvertisementBut millennial women also are faring better in the economyThe decline in safety among millennial women comes despite their improved financial and education status compared to generations before. At least 43.6% of young millennial women in the US have graduated college — a record level in modern history. That's compared to 28% of Gen X women and 22% of baby boomer women who graduated by the time they turned 34, the report said.

Persons: —, boomer, Black, Gen, PRB, Gen X, Sara Srygley, X Organizations: Service, Business, Washington DC, Bureau, Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Census Bureau, Labor Department, Center for American Women, Rutgers University Locations: American

☆ Fact Check: Claim that Italy had no new births for three months in 2023 is false
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media posts claimed without evidence that Italy has registered no new births for three months, contrary to reports by the national statistics bureau and local media. The Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) told Reuters that the three most recent months of data available showed an average of more than 30,000 births per month in Italy, and that preliminary numbers for subsequent months were in the same range. No Child Births in 3 Months.”However, the data published by ISTAT shows 31,105 births in June, 33,753 in July and 33,093 in August 2023. While Italy's overall population has been falling since 2014, the country registered new births in September, October and November 2023, according to local news reports. Published and preliminary data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) shows that Italy has registered thousands of new births in every month of 2023.

Persons: Read Organizations: Italian National Institute of Statistics, Reuters, ISTAT, Thomson Locations: Italy

Liu got the librarian job after a government-led campaign to secure temporary work for graduates, which analysts describe as a short-term solution to preserve social stability in a slowing economy with little on offer for young Chinese. Such "welfare jobs," as they are known in China, include roles as receptionists, office administrators, security guards and community workers. Various government institutions offer such jobs every year, but they had usually drawn applications from disadvantaged groups, such as elderly or disabled people. But state media editorials have also encouraged young graduates to take lower skilled jobs. Reuters GraphicsThe total take-up of short-term jobs and internships remains unknown, but social media posts commenting on the selection process and discussing career options are frequent and analysts expect such roles will be in demand in a slowing economy.

Persons: Peter Liu, Liu, Wang Jun, joblessness, Mao Zedong, Chen, Graphics Liu, Kripa Jayaram, Ellen Zhang, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Reuters, Human Resources, Social Security, Huatai Asset Management, Graphics, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, Beijing, Henan, China, Chongqing

☆ China's consumer prices dip back into decline amid limp demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) - China's consumer prices swung back into contraction and factory-gate deflation persisted in October as domestic demand struggled, weighing on the outlook for any broader-based recovery in the world's second-largest economy. The headline figure was dragged by a further slump in pork prices, down 30.1%, speeding up from a 22% slide in September, amid an oversupply of pigs and weak demand. Consumer prices slipped into deflation in July and returned to positive territory in August but were flat in September. "The data shows combating persistent disinflation amid weak demand remains a challenge for Chinese policymakers," said Bruce Pang, chief economist at Jones Lang Lasalle. "We expect China's economy to grow by 5.0% in 2023, in accordance with the target set by authorities, followed by 4.0% growth in 2024 and 2025," said Moody's on Thursday.

Persons: China's, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Gao, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Jones, Authorities, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, West

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares advanced Friday after the latest tumble on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 fell to its lowest level in five months. But investors are more concerned about what will happen rather than what has passed, and worry that a solid economy could continue to push prices higher. That could push the Fed to keep rates high for a long time to curb inflation. Higher interest rates could mean eventual weakness for the economy and corporate profits. And high bond yields make investors less willing to pay high prices for stocks and other investments.

Persons: Australia’s, Taiex, haven’t, Wall, Brent Organizations: Nikkei, Statistics, Big Tech, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Facebook, Treasury, Federal Reserve, New York Mercantile Exchange Locations: HONG KONG, Gaza, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Israel, U.S

☆ Births in Italy heading for new record low in 2023 - stats office
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rome, Italy, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Births in Italy are heading for a new record low this year, according to preliminary data that points to a deepening of the country's long-standing demographic crisis. Between January and June there were 3,500 fewer births than in the same period of 2022, the data from national statistics bureau ISTAT showed. In 2022 as a whole, births fell 1.7% to 393,000, a 14th consecutive drop and the lowest number since the country's unification in 1861. The rate is bolstered by immigrants, while among women of Italian nationality it stood at just 1.18 in 2022.

Persons: Leonardo, Viviana Valente, Remo Casilli, Giorgia, women's, Antonella Cinelli, Gavin Jones, John Stonestreet Organizations: Santo Spirito Hospital, UN, REUTERS, Rights, for Economic Cooperation, Development, ISTAT, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

ON TRACK FOR GOVT GDP TARGETThe recovery momentum suggests the government's full year 2023 growth target of around 5.0% is likely to be achieved. The key issue is what growth target the government will set and how much fiscal easing will take place." The statistics bureau said China would be able to hit the 2023 growth target if the fourth quarter growth tops 4.4%. Moody's Analytics has also raised its 2023 growth projection to 5% from 4.9%. The faltering property sector has hit some of the biggest developers in the country.

Persons: Matt Simpson, Zhiwei Zhang, Tingshu Wang, Frederic Neumann, Louise Loo, Ellen Zhang, Joe Cash, Kevin Yao, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Gross, National Bureau, Statistics, Reuters, Index, New, REUTERS, Nomura, JPMorgan, Analysts, Country Garden Holdings, HK, Global Research, HSBC, Oxford Economics, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Brisbane, U.S, Beijing, China, New Zealand, Asia

Research shows women in richer economies are more likely to have children if they work. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - Italy's first female premier - has said women are "an untapped resource" that lessens the need for immigrant labour. Yet her conservative government's 2024 budget, to be presented on Monday, is not expected to include measures to drive change. According to a government report relating to 2021, nearly one in five Italian women aged under 50 left their job after having their first child. SPANISH SUCCESSMeloni's government could learn from Spain, whose female activity rate lagged Italy's in the early 1990s but is now above the EU average.

Persons: Guzzo, Vittoria, Claudia Greco, Elena, Claudia Goldin, Giorgia Meloni, Claudia Olivetti, Enza Guzzo, Gian Carlo Blangiardo, Blangiardo, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Olivetti, Paola Profeta, Katharine Neiss, Valentina Za, Elisa Anzolin, Giuseppe Fonte, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Reuters, Research, Dartmouth College, ISTAT, Bank of, EU, France's, Milan's Bocconi University, AXA Research, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Arese, Italy, MILAN, Bank of Italy, Rome, Barcelona, Spain, Milan

☆ Southern Italians stick with student life as jobs hard to find
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Southern Italians are studying more and for longer as a shortage of jobs forces many to either stay in school or relocate, a report by national statistics bureau ISTAT showed on Thursday. "The lack of stable and good quality job opportunities in the Mezzogiorno is nothing new, but the situation among "millennials" is getting worse", ISTAT said. "The current youth of the Mezzogiorno face a longer and more complicated journey towards adulthood," it added. "It is a paradox, but in the medium-long term, this could fuel a further deprivation of human capital with advanced skills, which is indispensable for the Mezzogiorno", ISTAT said. Southern youths are dissatisfied with their economic situation and almost three quarters of them still live with their parents.

Persons: Alessandro Parodi, Keith Weir Organizations: ISTAT, Thomson Locations: Southern, Sicily, Sardinia, Italy

☆ China’s economy will be hobbled for years by the real estate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Absorbing this “excess capacity” in the property sector will inevitably hurt China’s economic growth, according to Garcia-Herrero. The money from the sales funded their breakneck expansion, making real estate moguls some of the country’s richest people. The strategy largely worked until about three years ago when the Chinese government cracked down on excessive borrowing by the real estate industry because it was worried about the risk of financial instability. But overall, the property sector has contracted severely as it adjusts to a collapse in demand. “A fundamental rewiring of China’s economy will necessitate a focus on developing new industries, improving productivity, and bolstering rental markets,” said analysts from Stanford University and the ASPI.

Persons: ”, Alicia Garcia, Herrero, Garcia, they’re, Evergrande, Xu Jiayin, Xi Jinping, ” Mark Williams, Sheana Yue, Zichuan Huang, “, — Michelle Toh Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Investment, Asia Pacific, Getty, Bank, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Regulators, Capital Economics, People’s Bank of China, Oxford Economics, Stanford University, Asia Society Policy Institute, Oxford Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Natixis, Wuhan, China's, Hubei, Japan

☆ China's lottery ticket sales soar amid weak economy, job prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s lottery ticket sales in August soared to their highest for any month so far this year, amid public concern about the economy following months of mostly gloomy data including youth unemployment. The surging lottery ticket sales coincided with months of mostly soft economic data, with the unemployment rate of job seekers aged between 16 and 24 drawing particular attention from policymakers. China’s youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 21.3% in June, according to official data. Some social media commentators have linked the sharp rise in lottery sales in recent months to young people’s deepening economic worries. Earlier this year, China’s social media was alit with videos of jobless university graduates visiting temples to seek the blessings of the gods.

Persons: Ann Wang, “ Young, ” Organizations: REUTERS, Xinhua Locations: BEIJING, Hualien, Taiwan, Weibo

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