Latest news with #laborMarket

Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Skills Week drives Saudi push to upskill workforce aligning with Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia has launched 'Skills Week' to spotlight sweeping national initiatives designed to transform the Kingdom's labor market and empower youth in alignment with Vision 2030. Under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), the initiative runs from July 13-19 and is led by the newly established Skills and Training Deputyship, in collaboration with government bodies and private sector partners. The ministry celebrated 'World Youth Skills Day' on July 15 with the launch of the nationwide campaign aimed at accelerating skills development across sectors and promoting a productivity-driven labor market. This year's theme, 'skills first,' reflects the Kingdom's growing emphasis on aligning training and education with the demands of a modern workforce, the ministry said in a statement shared with Al Arabiya English. The initiative aims to strengthen Saudi Arabia's skills ecosystem and ensure alignment with market needs through a variety of targeted programs, the statement added. Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Alzahrani, Deputy Minister for Skills and Training, said: 'This effort supports all groups across our labor market. We are building a sustainable skills ecosystem integrated with education and training, preparing a young generation ready to drive Saudi Arabia's transformation and compete globally, in line with Vision 2030.' Flagship programs One of the flagship programs under this effort is the Waad National Training Initiative – a cornerstone of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 human capital development strategy. Originally launched to bridge the gap between education and workforce demands, Waad achieved a 129 percent overachievement in training opportunities during its first phase, collaborating with 14 private sector entities, according to the ministry. Now in its second phase, the initiative seeks to deliver three million training opportunities by 2028 through partnerships with over 65 public and private sector entities. Another key project is the Sector Skills Councils Initiative, comprising 13 councils and more than 200 industry members. The ministry has introduced the Sector Skills Framework Tool, which features over 8,500 technical skills, mapped across 12 critical sectors, and provides a strategic reference for tailoring training to industry-specific needs. Saudi Arabia's labor market strategy These efforts fall under the umbrella of Saudi Arabia's Labor Market Strategy, approved by the Council of Ministers in 2020. The strategy aims to enhance labor participation, improve productivity, and reduce unemployment rates – all of which have already contributed to a 4.9 percent increase in labor productivity in 2022, the highest among G20 economies. Further advancing this vision, the ministry launched the Skill Accelerator Program, which targets the upskilling and reskilling of over 300,000 Saudis by 2027. The program spans the top seven sectors driving GDP and employment, offering over 3,000 training programs nationwide in partnership with local and international training providers. Saudi Arabia also continues to enhance labor market quality through the 'Professional Verification Program', ensuring that skilled workers from more than 169 countries and 1,000 professions meet strict competency standards. Complementing labor market reforms further, the Kingdom is reshaping its education system through the 'Human Capability Development Program', encompassing early childhood through higher education and lifelong learning, to foster a resilient and future-ready workforce. To support the Kingdom's labor market agenda, the ministry has also introduced several institutional frameworks: 13 'Sector Skills Councils' covering sectors responsible for 85 percent of GDP and 80 percent of the workforce. A 'Job Creation Index Unit' to evaluate employment initiatives. A 'Foresight Unit' to anticipate emerging talent needs. A 'Skills System Framework' to govern implementation and ensure sustainability.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dollar Rises on Positive US Labor Market News
The dollar index (DXY00) on Thursday rose by +0.09% and posted a 2-week high. The dollar recovered from overnight losses and moved higher Thursday on signs of strength in the US labor market, a hawkish factor for Fed policy, after weekly jobless claims unexpectedly fell to an 8-week low. Also, higher T-note yields on Thursday strengthened the dollar's interest rate differentials. In addition, hawkish comments from St. Louis Fed President Musalem boosted the dollar when he said he sees upside risks to inflation. The dollar fell back from its best levels after the S&P 500 reached a new record high, which reduced liquidity demand for the dollar. US weekly initial unemployment claims unexpectedly fell -5,000 to an 8-week low of 227,000, showing a stronger labor market than expectations of an increase to 235,000. However, weekly continuing claims rose +10,000 to a 3.5-year high of 1.965 million, right on expectations and a sign that out-of-work Americans are finding it difficult to secure a new job. Dollar Supported by Tariff Uncertainty Dollar Gains on US Tariff Uncertainty Q2 in Base Metals- Where are prices heading in Q3 and Beyond? Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. St. Louis Fed President Musalem said he sees upside risks to inflation, but it's too early to know whether tariffs will have a persistent impact on prices. The markets are discounting a 7% chance of a -25 bp rate cut at the July 29-30 FOMC meeting. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) Thursday fell by -0.22% and posted a 2-week low. The euro was undercut Thursday by a stronger dollar. The euro was also weighed down by negative Eurozone economic news after Italy's weak May industrial production report. Italy May industrial production fell -0.7% m/m, weaker than expectations of -0.2% m/m. Swaps are pricing in a 3% chance of a -25 bp rate cut by the ECB at the July 24 policy meeting. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) Thursday fell by -0.08%. The yen on Thursday recovered from early losses and moved slightly higher after T-note yields gave up most of their gains, which sparked short covering in the yen. The yen was under pressure Thursday after Japanese June producer prices showed the smallest increase in 10 months, a dovish factor for BOJ policy. The yen is also weighed down by concerns that higher US tariffs will undercut the Japanese economy and prevent the BOJ from further tightening monetary policy. The yen has been undercut by worries about the upper house election in Japan on July 20. The promises by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party of cash handouts to voters and promises of lower taxes by the opposition have sparked concerns of fiscal deterioration, which are bearish for the yen. Japan June PPI eased to +2.9% y/y from +3.3% y/y in May, right on expectations and the slowest pace of increase in 10 months. August gold (GCQ25) Thursday closed up +4.70 (+0.14%), and September silver (SIU25) closed up +0.675 (+1.84%). Precious metals moved higher on Thursday as US trade policy has led to economic uncertainty and is boosting safe-haven demand for precious metals. Gold prices also received a boost from increased demand for gold as an inflation hedge after St. Louis Fed President Musalem said he sees upside risks to inflation. In addition, central bank buying of gold is supporting prices after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) purchased 70,000 MT of gold bullion in June, the eighth consecutive month the PBOC has added gold to its reserves. Thursday's rally in the dollar to a 2-week high limited gains in metals prices. Also, Thursday's US weekly initial unemployment claims report showed jobless claims unexpectedly fell to an 8-week low, a hawkish factor for Fed policy that is bearish for precious metals. Additionally, higher T-note yields on Thursday are unfavorable for precious metals. Fund buying of silver is supporting silver prices as silver holdings in ETFs rose to a 2.75-year high on Wednesday. Silver also had carryover support from Thursday's +2% rally in copper prices, following President Trump's announcement that the US will impose a 50% tariff on copper imports, effective August 1. On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Renta 4 Banco And 2 Other Undiscovered Gems In Europe
As the pan-European STOXX Europe 600 Index remains relatively flat, with mixed returns across major stock indexes, investors are keeping a close eye on inflation trends and labor market stability in the eurozone. In this environment of cautious optimism and steady economic indicators, identifying promising opportunities among lesser-known stocks can be particularly rewarding. A good stock often combines solid fundamentals with growth potential that aligns well with current market conditions, making it an attractive choice for those seeking to uncover hidden gems in the European market. Name Debt To Equity Revenue Growth Earnings Growth Health Rating Flügger group 30.11% 1.55% -30.01% ★★★★★☆ Caisse Regionale de Credit Agricole Mutuel Toulouse 31 19.46% 0.47% 7.14% ★★★★★☆ Zespól Elektrocieplowni Wroclawskich KOGENERACJA 14.04% 21.73% 17.76% ★★★★★☆ Deutsche Balaton 5.64% -7.61% -16.14% ★★★★★☆ Alantra Partners 3.79% -3.99% -23.83% ★★★★★☆ va-Q-tec 43.54% 8.03% -34.33% ★★★★★☆ Evergent Investments 5.39% 9.41% 21.17% ★★★★☆☆ Darwin 3.03% 84.88% 5.63% ★★★★☆☆ Practic 5.21% 4.49% 7.23% ★★★★☆☆ Eurofins-Cerep 0.46% 6.80% 6.93% ★★★★☆☆ Click here to see the full list of 321 stocks from our European Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals screener. We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool. Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Renta 4 Banco, S.A. is a financial institution that offers wealth management, brokerage, and corporate advisory services both in Spain and internationally, with a market capitalization of €683.65 million. Operations: Renta 4 Banco generates revenue primarily through wealth management, brokerage, and corporate advisory services. The company's net profit margin is a key indicator of its financial efficiency. Renta 4 Banco, a nimble player in the financial sector, has demonstrated impressive earnings growth of 23%, outpacing the Capital Markets industry's 12.8%. With its debt-free status compared to a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.4% five years ago, it stands on solid ground. The company enjoys high-quality past earnings and positive free cash flow, although its share price has been highly volatile over the last three months. This dynamic environment suggests potential for both risk and reward as Renta 4 navigates forward with no immediate concerns about cash runway or interest coverage due to its lack of debt obligations. Get an in-depth perspective on Renta 4 Banco's performance by reading our health report here. Learn about Renta 4 Banco's historical performance. Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★☆☆ Overview: Boryszew S.A. operates in the automotive, metals, and chemical industries both in Poland and internationally, with a market capitalization of PLN1.28 billion. Operations: Boryszew S.A. generates revenue primarily from its metals segment, contributing PLN2.82 billion, followed by the motorization segment at PLN1.54 billion, and chemistry at PLN153.55 million. Boryszew, a noteworthy player in the metals and mining sector, has seen its debt-to-equity ratio improve from 107.7% to 49.5% over the last five years, indicating better financial leverage. However, its interest coverage remains low at just 0.3x EBIT, which might raise some concerns about debt servicing capabilities. On a brighter note, Boryszew's earnings have outpaced industry trends with a robust growth of 33.4%, despite having experienced high share price volatility recently. A notable one-off gain of PLN164.9 million has impacted recent results positively, while its P/E ratio of 11.7x suggests it could be undervalued compared to the broader Polish market at 13x. Unlock comprehensive insights into our analysis of Boryszew stock in this health report. Evaluate Boryszew's historical performance by accessing our past performance report. Simply Wall St Value Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: innoscripta SE offers software-as-a-service solutions for managing research and development tax incentives and project management consulting in Germany, with a market capitalization of €1.06 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its Internet Software & Services segment, amounting to €78.81 million. Innoscripta has made waves with its recent IPO, raising €223.60 million by offering 1.86 million shares at €120 each. This move comes on the heels of a robust earnings growth of 134% over the past year, outpacing the software industry average of 24%. Trading at a substantial discount to its estimated fair value, it presents an intriguing opportunity for investors. The company boasts high-quality earnings and maintains more cash than total debt, indicating financial stability despite recent share price volatility. With earnings forecasted to grow annually by 26%, Innoscripta seems poised for continued expansion in the market. Delve into the full analysis health report here for a deeper understanding of innoscripta. Explore historical data to track innoscripta's performance over time in our Past section. Discover the full array of 321 European Undiscovered Gems With Strong Fundamentals right here. Shareholder in one or more of these companies? Ensure you're never caught off-guard by adding your portfolio in Simply Wall St for timely alerts on significant stock developments. Unlock the power of informed investing with Simply Wall St, your free guide to navigating stock markets worldwide. Explore high-performing small cap companies that haven't yet garnered significant analyst attention. Fuel your portfolio with companies showing strong growth potential, backed by optimistic outlooks both from analysts and management. Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include BME:R4 WSE:BRS and XTRA:1INN. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Voters now say its Trump's economy as they pin current economic conditions on him over Biden
Voters now overwhelmingly say President Donald Trump is responsible for the current state of the economy, according to late June survey data. Overall, 55 percent of respondents to a Wall Street Journal / YouGov survey said the president is responsible for the economy. That's more than double those who pinned current conditions on former President Joe Biden. That analysis held true among Trump voters, too, many of whom said the Biden economy, including its record inflation during the pandemic, was a key reason for turning out. Among the MAGA faithful, 46 percent of respondents to the survey, conducted June 17 - 20, said it was Trump's economy. As for the underlying indicators about the Trump economy, recent data paints a mixed picture. The economy added about 147,000 jobs in June, beating forecasts and surpassing May's 144,000-person increase. Unemployment also declined a tenth of a percent. Consumer sentiment, meanwhile, rose compared with May readings, according to the University of Michigan consumer survey, despite a period of domestic unrest that included mass protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles and the fatal shooting of a Minnesota lawmaker. But private sector hiring fell by half, and the overall labor market shrunk by 130,000 people. Considerable uncertainty remains about the long-term fate of the Trump economy with the administration's 90-day freeze on tariffs with international trading partners set to end on July 9. The tariffs could cost midsize American firms at least $82 billion in value from projected price hikes, layoffs, hiring freezes, and reduced margins, according to a JPMorganChase Institute study. Moreover, as the president himself has acknowledged, the scope of the administration's deportation campaign could pose a major threat to industries heavily reliant on migrant labor such as agriculture and hospitality. In immigrant communities across the country, residents have described decreased consumer traffic and employees skipping work. The White House's signature 'Big, Beautiful Bill' spending package could also impact the country's economy in longer-term ways. The bill, which passed the House of Representatives on Thursday and is heading to the president's desk, extends 2017 tax reductions and makes major cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance programs for low-income people. The legislation will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade, and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office.


Bloomberg
08-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Inflation Expectations Return to Pre-Tariff Levels in Fed Survey
Consumer expectations for future inflation have settled back to levels last seen at the beginning of the year, prior to the announcement of aggressive new tariffs, according to monthly survey data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Households also provided mixed signals over the labor market, with many bracing for a tough time finding a new job — a view right in line with data showing US companies aren't doing much hiring or firing.