China's official NBS Non-Manufacturing PMI rose to 50.8 in March 2025, up from 50.4 in February, marking the highest reading in three months and exceeding market expectations of 50.5. The new orders index climbed to 46.6%, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous month, signaling a rebound in demand within the non-manufacturing sector. The input price index edged up to 48.6%, rising 0.2 points, indicating a slower decline in operating costs for non-manufacturing firms. Meanwhile, the sales price index fell to 46.7%, down 1.1 points, suggesting that overall sales prices continued to...
US factory activity contracted in March for the first time this year and prices accelerated sharply for a second month as the drumbeat of higher tariffs reverberated through the economy. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index declined 1.3 points last month to 49, according to data released Tuesday. Readings below 50 indicate contraction and the figure was slightly weaker than the median production in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The group's price measure increased another 7 points to 69.4, still the highest since June 2022. Over the past two months, the...
US job openings fell in February while layoffs remained subdued, adding to evidence of a labor market that's only gradually cooling. The number of available positions decreased to 7.57 million from a revised 7.76 million reading in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS, showed Tuesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 7.66 million openings. The pullback in openings was driven by declines in retail trade, financial activities and accommodation and food services. After steadily declining...