March 5, 2026
United States:
US Productivity Tops Forecast as Firms Seek to Contain Costs
US labor productivity rose in the fourth quarter by more than forecast, adding to evidence that companies are striving for greater efficiency to contain costs.
Productivity, or nonfarm employee output per hour, increased at a 2.8% annualized rate after an upwardly revised 5.2% advance in the third quarter, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Thursday.
Europe:
Inflation More Worrying Than Growth on Iran War, ECB’s Nagel Says
Inflation is a bigger concern than economic growth as the European Central Bank assesses the implications of the war in Iran, according to Governing Council member Joachim Nagel.
The extent to which the 21-nation bloc will be hurt by higher energy prices and trade disruption will depend on how long the war continues, the Bundesbank president told Bloomberg Television on Thursday.
Asia:
China Sets Lowest Growth Target Since 1991 as Old Model Falters
China set its most modest growth target since 1991, a tacit acknowledgment that the model powering the country’s economic rise is showing strains.
The goal — a range of 4.5% to 5% — is the first formal downgrade since 2023. Widely anticipated by economists, it signals Beijing’s tolerance of a slower pace of expansion while it searches for new sustainable sources of growth.
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