News about employment

China's third-quarter economic growth came in at 4.5%, rebounding from three-year lows and beating forecasts, as a surge in exports offset consumers' tight spending. Analysts warn that growing reliance on external drivers is deepening structural imbalances, while the property market remains in a downturn that has eroded household wealth over the past five years. Weak domestic demand has pushed firms such as Zhang Chao's motorbike headlight maker to shift toward exports, while fierce price wars are forcing companies to cut costs, including payroll. Trade surpluses with Germany and France each jumped more than 200% year-on-year in September, prompting the EU to agree to limit hybrid car exports and plan further curbs. The 5.2% unemployment rate may be flattered by the gig economy, where anyone working even one hour a week counts as employed; Societe Generale economist Michelle Lam warns that without a shift toward supporting household incomes, China risks a prolonged period of low inflation and sub-par growth.

A business survey showed New Zealand's services sector kept expanding in September for a fourth consecutive month, though growth remained weak amid cost pressures and election uncertainty. The BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index eased to 50.9 from 51 in August, still above the 50-point line that separates expansion from contraction. New orders (52.6) and inventories (52.3) were the strongest sub-indices, while supplier deliveries (49.4) and employment (49.8) were weak, pointing to a narrow recovery. BusinessNZ CEO Katherine Rich said businesses remained cautious ahead of the general election, while BNZ economist Doug Steel noted services lagged manufacturing.

Anthropic said it plans to commit 5% of its shares to a new public benefit fund, subject to shareholder approval, and the board may add 2% for every 50% rise in company value above an undisclosed baseline. The company has already committed $200 million to studying AI's effects, and the fund may be used for large donations or 'bolder approaches' to AI-driven job displacement. The fund will be a wholly owned LLC rather than a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and its equity will not be used for lobbying or political giving. An August Pew Research Center report found that 71% of U.S. adults think AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next two years. Anthropic told investors its third-quarter revenue stands at $16.8 billion ahead of a planned IPO reportedly slated for November, while Elon Musk recommended giving the shares directly to the public.

The data center buildout totals $10.3 trillion, surpassing the railroad, electrification and dot-com booms, according to a report by Columbia Business School professor Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh. He estimates its economic impact at nearly 4% of GDP, almost twice that of 19th-century railroads. Data center construction value has more than doubled to $85 billion a year, while other construction fell 8%, including a $29 billion drop in new houses and apartments. States such as Nevada are trimming tax breaks, and economist Paul Krugman argues the spending will reduce labor demand in the long run.

Investment in data centers, put at $10.3 trillion, is now the largest financial bet in US history, surpassing the late 1800s railroad boom in both scale and economic impact. A Columbia Business School report estimates the buildout's economic effect at nearly 4% of GDP, compared with more than 2% for railroads, which cost about $173 billion in today's dollars. Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Georgia lead projected spending, and some states are rethinking tax breaks as revenues shrink and energy demand rises. Data center construction value has more than doubled to $85 billion a year while other construction fell 8%, and economist Paul Krugman warns this crowds out housing and jobs. The article also notes that AI profitability has yet to catch up with the spending.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in an MS NOW interview that Democrats failed working-class Americans on economic issues, contributing to those voters' shift to President Donald Trump, though he credited the party with civil rights, women's rights and environmental work. He blamed unfulfilled economic promises and trade deals that cost millions of manufacturing jobs, saying voters lost faith in the party 'not unjustifiably.' Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre, speaking to Fox News Digital, criticized Democratic economic policies. A 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis found Trump beat Kamala Harris 53% to 45% among voters in households earning $50,000 to $99,999, and won voters who reported falling behind financially by 29 percentage points. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who also appeared on the program, said class had become more central to American politics.

Consumer prices in the U.S. rose again in September 2026: CPI climbed to 3.7% year-over-year from 3.4% in August, mainly driven by a 9.1% jump in gasoline prices in a single month. Core inflation also edged up from 2.4% to 2.6%. Wholesale diesel prices soared 21% in one month, and the average retail diesel price hit $6.32 per gallon by mid-October, nearly double the $3.66 a year earlier, according to AAA; experts warn that transport costs will feed into the prices of other goods. Retail sales still rose 0.8% in September, but excluding gasoline they rose only 0.2%. The labor market is showing signs of weakening: the economy added just 29,000 jobs in September versus 90,000 expected, unemployment rose to 4.2%, and inflation-adjusted weekly paychecks fell year-over-year for the first time since May. The Fed raised rates to 3.75%-4.00% in September, its first hike since 2023, and 16 of 18 officials are considering at least one more hike, while the 30-year mortgage rate reached 7.46% by mid-October.

The page is a collection of analysis on artificial intelligence, online platforms, prices, jobs and trade, focused on what the evidence shows and where questions remain open. It covers research on generative AI and work, including which jobs are exposed and what productivity and employment data have shown so far. Other topics include AI-generated voices and images in politics, rules for robocalls and political ads, and how to check suspicious clips. It also explains what the Consumer Price Index measures compared with the PCE index the Fed targets, what a tariff is, who pays it, what research found about recent U.S. tariffs, and the laws presidents use to impose them.

The Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, released on 9 October 2026, found that a record 37% of US families lacked a good idea of their income for the following year, up since the 2019 survey. Even so, the share of families reporting unusually high or low income fell from 28% in 2022 to 23% in 2025, and real median family income rose 7% from 2021 to 2024, to $82,200. Over the same period, the unemployment rate rose from 3.7% to 4.2%, and the share of families with overdue loan payments climbed from about 12% to almost 20%. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index fell to 46.3 in October 2026, and the report does not establish why families became more uncertain or whether they were unemployed or facing income losses.

A Business Ownership Index study for BusinessesForSale.com finds 60% of UK adults believe traditional careers are less secure than before, and only 21% expect a traditional path with a single employer. The findings come as UK unemployment reached 1.78 million, a 4.9% rate, with 16 to 24-year-olds at 16.4%. Some 76% say wage growth has failed to keep pace with inflation, and 54% believe owning a business is the best way to maximise earnings, rising to 65% among 18 to 24-year-olds. Yet 54% say entrepreneurship is poorly supported, and 35% are unaware they could buy an established business rather than start one. The article's examples argue that buying an existing business can offer faster access to customers, staff and cash flow.