Closing post
Time to recap.
Economists are hopeful that the US economy is on track for a soft landing, after US employers added 187,000 jobs in July, less than expected.
July’s jobs report is a sign that the labor market is cooling after a series of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve have driven rates to their highest level in 22 years.
July’s gains were just 2,000 more than the jobs added in June. The BLS revised June’s job gain down to 185,000, a cut of 24,000 jobs. It also cut May’s jobs number. Together, June and July represent the two weakest monthly gains in two and a half years.
Here’s the full story:
In the UK, there are fears the economy is caught in a ‘low growth trap’, after the Bank of England cut its GDP forecasts yesterday and hiked interest rates to a 15-year high.
UK car sales have risen for 12 months in a row….but rising interest rates have been blamed for another fall in housebuilding.
Shipping giant AP Møller-Maersk has warned of a longer and deeper contraction of global trade than previously expected.
Inflationary pressures in the food sector are on the rise, with the UN reporting that global food commodity prices rose in July.
Revolut is shutting down its crypto trading operations in the US amid a regulatory crackdown.
Britain’s stock market has closed higher tonight, with the FTSE 100 index gaining 35 points or 0.5% to 7564 points.
