France Faces Long Road to Economic Rebalancing as Weak Demand and High Rates Weigh, Says Citi 
Canada, British Columbia Launch $5 Billion Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Housing, Transit, and Healthcare 
Italy’s Economy Outpaces Eurozone Peers as Investment Spending Fuels Growth 
Gold Prices Mixed as Stronger Dollar Offsets Safe-Haven Demand Amid U.S.-Iran Peace Talks 
Japan Keeps Markets Guessing as Yen Nears 40-Year Low, Raising Intervention Risks 
Asian Stocks Slip as Oil Rebounds Amid Fed Rate Hike Fears 
U.S.-Iran Diplomacy Helps Drive Gasoline Prices Down 15% From May Highs 
Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low; Gold Falls and Oil Mixed 
China’s AI Manufacturing Boom Masks Weak Consumer Economy, Citi Says 
China Keeps Loan Prime Rates Unchanged for 13th Straight Month as Policymakers Prioritize Credit Demand Recovery 
Oil Prices Drop as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Supply Concerns 
Asian Stocks Surge as Oil Prices Fall and Strong US Dollar Weighs on Markets 
US Stock Futures Slip After Wall Street Rally Fueled by US-Iran Deal and Chipmaker Surge 
100+ Global Companies Push Governments to Prioritize Electrification for Economic Growth 
Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Truce Uncertainty and Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Trump Says No Hormuz Strait Tolls During 60-Day Iran Ceasefire 
Canada Imposes 10% Tariff on Canned Vegetable Imports to Protect Domestic Industry 
In January 2025, the Australian labor market was complex, as the recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report shows. The unemployment rate increased by a mere 0.1 percentage point to 4.1%. This increase is a situation where the expansion of the labor force outpaced the capacity to generate employment during the period.
Despite the rise in unemployment, total employment showed impressive growth as the economy added 44,000 jobs. It is a growth rate of 0.3%, led primarily by growth in full-time employment, which added 54,100 jobs. Meanwhile, part-time employment registered minimal contraction, testifying to the character of change in labor forces.
Participation rate reached as high as 67.3%, reflecting higher labor force participation. The rate of underemployment was at 6.0%, though combined underutilization rate rose to 10.1%. It reflects that as more individuals participate in the labor force, there is still a high percentage struggling with unemployment or underemployment, reflecting that full and effective use of the labor force is still a problem.
