ECONOMY & MARKETS

Japan’s parliament approved the nomination of former Asian Development Bank president Haruhiko Kuroda as the next BOJ governor on Friday.

Detroit, meet Kevyn Orr. He’s your new budget boss, whether your local elected leaders like it or not.

Although there are signs of growth in some countries, in general, the continent’s weaker economies are dragging down their neighbors.

U.S. Labor Dept. officials said there were no unusual factors in the latest claims report and that all states provided data on time.

Industrial production fell further than expected in the euro zone in January, putting pressure on the ECB to cut interest rates later this year.

February U.S. retail sales unexpectedly rose to a 5-month high, as falling gasoline prices increased Americans' purchasing power.

The bad news comes a week ahead of Chancellor George Osborne’s annual budget statement on March 20.

Hiring confidence is dragging in Europe, but in Asia, Latin America -- and especially the U.S. -- employers are clawing back robustly.

India's industrial output increased by 2.4 percent in January after contracting by 0.6 percent in December, official data showed.

Although this model is unsustainable, China’s over-reliance on investment is showing no signs of waning.

China's leaders announced that its cabinet will be have four fewer departments, a sign of less government intervention in business.

In the wake of a surprising U.S. employment report, investors will be keeping an eye out for more proof of economic strength.

What is China's next currency move now that the yen has weakened so much against the dollar?

February’s hiring increase was the highest since November, but economists warn that the trend could easily be reversed.

The gain in 236,000 jobs was well above estimates and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent.

Japan’s economy appeared to have stabilized on the back of flat growth in the fourth quarter after contracting in the previous two quarters of 2012.

Here’s a rundown of some nuggets from Wednesday’s Beige Book, which can be used to get a feel for the direction of the U.S. economy.

The trade deficit in the U.S. widened more than forecast in January as demand for imported crude oil rebounded.

The decline is good news for the U.S. economic expansion.

U.S. companies have been getting more out of fewer employees, but workers aren’t enjoying a corresponding wage hike.

Is February economic data softness a result of the Lunar New Year seasonal distortion or fundamental weakness in China's economy?

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush weighs in on some hot issues, with an eye toward the 2016 presidential race.

Payroll provider ADP said businesses added a better-than-expected 198,000 jobs in February, despite the payroll tax hike.

Economists polled by Reuters expect the economy to have created 160,000 jobs in February -- basically at the same pace as 2012.

INRIX Gridlock Index says traffic congestion increases as companies ship more, hire more and as consumers spend more.

The March ISM reports shows that the services sector grew 0.8 percent in February to 56 percent.

Germany and France are now farther apart than at any other time in the 15-year history of the Markit PMI survey.

China's version of the the 2013 Forbes Billionaires list suggests that hundreds of Chinese billionaires are not being accounted for.

Medellín, once known as a center of drug trafficking, is trying to change its image through improvements to public security.