Southwest Airlines tells staff ‘difficult decisions’ ahead

Southwest Airlines tells staff ‘difficult decisions’ ahead

A Southwest Airlines plane takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport on July 25, 2024 in Burbank, California.  Mario Tama | Getty Images Southwest Airlines has warned employees that it will have to make “difficult decisions” ahead to boost profits as the carrier faces pressure from activist Elliott Investment Management, which has sought leadership changes at … Read more

Japan is pushing a 4-day working week — but its workaholic culture makes it a hard sell

Japan is pushing a 4-day working week — but its workaholic culture makes it a hard sell

An office worker studying electronic diagrams on a computer at control-panel maker in Japan. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan has ramped up its push for companies to adopt a four-day workweek, but those efforts face steep challenges in a country famous for its workaholic culture. The Japanese government recently initiated a “work style … Read more

China’s youth unemployment hits fresh high in August as economy slows

China’s youth unemployment hits fresh high in August as economy slows

A job fair in China’s southwestern city of Chongqing on April 11, 2023. Str | Afp | Getty Images China’s youth unemployment rate in August rose to the highest level since the new system of record-keeping began in December, driven by an economic slowdown and restrictive hiring policies, according to analysts. The jobless rate for … Read more

A stunning sterling rally is about to collide with Britain’s political realities

A stunning sterling rally is about to collide with Britain’s political realities

LONDON — The British pound has jumped to its highest level in two-and-a-half years following a hawkish rate hold from the Bank of England, but strategists warn the upcoming U.K. budget could pose a risk to investor and consumer sentiment. Many investors are awaiting the new Labour government’s fiscal plan at the end of October … Read more

India rules out joining RCEP, accuses China of non-transparent trade practices

India rules out joining RCEP, accuses China of non-transparent trade practices

Indian flag and Chinese flag displayed on screen. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images India’s commerce minister rejected the idea of joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest trade deal, maintaining that it is not in the country’s interest to be part of a free trade agreement with China. “India is not going … Read more

Middle Eastern funds plowing billions into the hottest AI start-ups

Middle Eastern funds plowing billions into the hottest AI start-ups

Sovereign wealth funds out of the Middle East are emerging as key backers of Silicon Valley’s artificial intelligence darlings. Oil-rich nations like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar have been looking to diversify their economies, and are turning to tech investments as a hedge. In the past year, funding for AI companies by … Read more

Machinists prepare for lengthy stoppage

Machinists prepare for lengthy stoppage

Boeing factory workers gather on a picket line during the first day of a strike near the entrance of a production facility in Renton, Washington, U.S., September 13, 2024.  Matt Mills Mcknight | Reuters RENTON, Wash. — Cash-strapped Boeing is facing mounting costs from an ongoing machinist strike as workers push for higher pay. A … Read more

Fed Governor Waller says inflation softening faster than he expected put him in half-point-cut camp

Fed Governor Waller says inflation softening faster than he expected put him in half-point-cut camp

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Friday he supported a half percentage point rate cut at this week’s meeting because inflation is falling even faster than he had expected. Citing recent data on consumer and producer prices, Waller told CNBC that the data is showing core inflation, excluding food and energy, in the Fed’s preferred … Read more

The Fed has set out on a ‘recalibration’ of policy. Here’s what Powell’s new buzzword means

The Fed has set out on a ‘recalibration’ of policy. Here’s what Powell’s new buzzword means

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has unveiled his latest buzzword to describe monetary policy, with a “recalibration” of policy at a pivotal moment for the central bank. At his news conference following Wednesday’s open market committee meeting, Powell used variations of the word no fewer than eight times as he sought to explain why the … Read more

Largest port on East Coast begins preparations for a strike

Largest port on East Coast begins preparations for a strike

Port of New York/New Jersey executives tell CNBC they have begun preparations for a potential complete work stoppage by the International Longshoreman’s Association, the largest union in North America. The ILA represents over 85,000 longshoremen and a strike would shut down five of the 10 busiest ports in North America, and a total of 36 … Read more