WSJ Economy

The new Fed chair’s framework has been consistent for two decades. The question now is how much of it his colleagues will accept.

U.S. jobless claims fell last week, another sign the labor market remains stable despite economic uncertainty from the war in Iran.

A mix of debt, inflation and populism has changed the interest rate landscape since 2020.

Japan’s exports grew at a faster-than-expected pace in April, as a weak yen and resilient global demand offset the negative impact of Middle East tensions.

Policy board member Junko Koeda said Japan’s underlying inflation is likely already at around 2%.

The Middle East war and an AI boom have reshaped the interest-rate outlook ahead of a leadership transition at the central bank.

Developers say the levy is making L.A.’s housing shortage worse. The city is considering changes.

Negotiators reached a provisional deal to remove some import tariffs ahead of a deadline set by Trump that would ramp up tariffs on cars.

Indonesia’s central bank snapped a long-running pause as it delivered its first rate hike in over two years.

Inflation cooled more than anticipated as government measures to reduce household energy bills kicked in, but is expected to pick up again due to rising oil and gas prices.

China agreed to purchase 200 Boeing jets and resume imports of some U.S. beef products, marking one of the clearest signs yet of easing trade tensions between the two countries.

Hotel housekeepers, commuter rail workers and nurses are among the unionized workers who have notched big wage gains.

The number of homes going under contract in the U.S. rose 1.4% in April, according to the National Association of Realtors’ pending home sales index.

The global economy is set for one of its weakest expansions this century as the conflict in the Middle East pushes energy prices higher, but could grow even more slowly if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the United Nations said.

The acceleration was due largely to another month of steeper prices for gasoline, though core measures of inflation remain contained.

The move likely reflects an increase in the cost of imported energy as the conflict in the Middle East disrupted supplies.

The unemployment rate edged up to 5.0%, with further rises expected in the coming months as the Iran war continues to weigh on the economy.

The Reserve Bank of Australia said its third straight interest-rate increase gives it time to weigh the Iran conflict’s impact on the local economy.

Japan’s economy continued to expand during the first quarter of 2026, backing the case for an imminent rate hike by the Bank of Japan.

The next Fed chair wants lower rates. But the data might make that impossible.