WSJ Economy

It is the latest move by the president to walk back levies in the face of consumer frustration over the cost of living.

The country’s exports posted stronger-than-expected growth on brisk semiconductor demand in the year’s final month and set an annual record in 2025.

New claims fell in the holiday week but stayed near a monthslong range, as U.S. employers hesitate to let go of their workforce.

Six stories that show how real people and companies in the global economy are rapidly adjusting to the new rules of trade.

China’s factory activity signaled a return to growth in December, according to both official and private surveys, an improvement likely to help Beijing achieve its growth target for the year.

The consumer price index rose 2.3% from a year earlier in December, compared with 2.4% in November, the national statistics office said.

An estimate by the Chicago Fed forecasts that unemployment held steady in December at 4.6%, the reserve bank said.

The agency argued that it had no better way to handle a challenging patchwork of missing data caused by the recent government shutdown.

At the December meeting, some officials backed holding rates steady “for some time.”

The employment measurement was 43.5, up 7.2 points from November and higher than economists expected.

S&P Cotality Case-Shiller National Home Price Index rose 1.4% in 12 months through October, compared with a 1.3% rise in September. This represents weakest performance since mid-2023.

The pending home sales index, a leading indicator of house sales based on contract signings, rose 3.3% on month in November to 79.2, the best performance in nearly three years.

A life-sciences job in Boston used to be a sure path to a high-paying career, but empty labs and unemployed grads now herald tougher times in the city.

Markets have been calm but concerns persist about a less independent, more divided central bank.

A member of the Japanese central bank’s policy board said that raising the policy interest rate in a timely manner could curb future inflationary pressure.

Large employers indicate that they either want to maintain the size of their teams next year or let go of workers.

Its exports to the U.S. have surged since President Trump imposed new import duties on countries this year.

Small imports that had cleared U.S. customs quickly and easily are now stranded because of changing tariffs and tougher enforcement.

The Japanese cabinet approved a record-high initial budget totaling approximately $785 billion for the coming fiscal year, signaling Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s latest effort to support growth through aggressive spending.

Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said Thursday that the central bank is getting closer to achieving its 2% inflation target, reaffirming his stance of seeking further interest-rate increases.