Mortgage rates soared past 7% last week, reaching their highest level in more than two years, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.12% the week ending Sept. 18, the MBA said. It was last that high in May 2024, according to the mortgage industry group. The higher…
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since 2023 on Wednesday, reversing course as the Iran war drives up global energy prices and fuels inflation. The Fed raised the federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage points, bringing its target range to between 3.75% and 4% — its highest level since December 2025. The…
Borrowing is likely to get more expensive for Americans, and soon, according to economists. The Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday for the first time in more than three years as the central bank battles stubborn inflation fueled by high energy prices. Some Wall Street forecasters also pencil in…
Layoffs across the U.S. fell last month to their lowest level in four years, new labor data shows, a sign the job market remains resilient even as hiring slows. Employers announced 52,881 job cuts in August, down 38% from the 85,979 layoffs announced during the same month a year ago, according to a report from…
The U.S. job market is less robust than it looks, according to a new analysis. The nation’s unemployment rate fell to 4.1% in July, well within the range economists consider healthy. Yet that measure, which reflects the percentage of people over the age of 16 who don’t have a job and who are looking for work,…
What a difference a day can make for monetary policy. On Thursday, interest rate futures were decidedly tilted toward the Federal Reserve hiking its benchmark rate in September, according to CME FedWatch, which tracks traders to forecast the central bank’s policy decisions. But after Friday morning’s dismal July jobs report, which showed that employers unexpectedly…
Every year, as the sugarcane crushing season approaches, Pakistan finds itself trapped in the same debate. Farmers demand higher cane prices to offset rising production costs. Sugar mills argue that increased procurement prices make sugar commercially unviable. Governments intervene to broker settlements, while consumers brace for higher retail prices. By the end of the season,…
