December 14, 2023 On December 14, 2023, the Governing Council made the decision to keep the three key interest rates set by the European Central Bank (ECB) unchanged. Therefore, the interest rates on the main refinancing operations, the marginal lending facility, and the deposit facility will all remain unchanged at 4.50%, 4.75%, and 4.00%, respectively.
December 13, 2023 The European Union’s statistical office (Eurostat) forecasts that industrial producer prices increased by 0.2% in both the euro area and EU in October 2023 relative to September 2023, wherein prices grew by 0.5% in both zones. Relative to October 2022, industrial producer prices fell by 9.4% in the euro area and
December 12, 2023 According to the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), there was a 0.2% rise in the number of employed individuals in the EU and the euro area in the third quarter of 2023 (Q3 2023) relative to Q2 2023, which saw employment grow by 0.1% in both zones. Based on
December 12, 2023 According to Moody’s Investor Service, the outlook for global banks for 2024 is negative as tighter monetary policies by central banks have resulted in lower GDP growth. The banking sector faces challenges with reduced liquidity and strained repayment capacity, adversely affecting loan quality and increasing asset risks. Profitability gains are expected to
December 11, 2023 In November, total nonfarm payroll employment in the United States increased by 199,000, and the unemployment rate declined to 3.7 percent. Job gains were observed in the health care, and government, while employment in manufacturing also increased due to the return of workers from a strike. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
December 8, 2023 According to the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for the euro area was 6.5% in October 2023, stable relative to September 2023 but down from 6.6% in October 2022. The EU unemployment rate was 6.0% in October 2023, stable relative to September 2023 but less
December 8, 2023 According to the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), in November 2023, the euro area annual inflation rate is estimated to decline to 2.4% from the 2.9% reported in October 2023. Food, alcohol & tobacco is expected to have the highest annual rate of 6.9% relative to 7.4% in October
December 8, 2023 BOJ has reported that Jamaica's Net International Reserves as at November 30, 2023 stood at US$4,597.58 million, reflecting a decrease of US$16.69 million when compared to the US$4,614.27 million reported at the end of October 2023. Foreign Assets totalled US$4,727.21 million, US$14.83 million less than the US$4,742.04 million reported in October 2023.
December 6, 2023 The Jamaica Observer highlighted that bank fraud in Jamaica has decreased, particularly up to November 2022, according to data from the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ). The decline is attributed to measures adopted by financial institutions, including the implementation of EMV chip and pin technology, multi-step account logins, and enhanced push notification features.
December 5, 2023 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that Guyana's economy is experiencing unprecedented growth, supported by government modernization and the substantial expansion of the oil and gas sector. The IMF executive board finds Guyana's external position at the end of 2022 to be moderately stronger than suggested by fundamentals and desired policies. The
