United States consumer sentiment hits record May low

 

U.S. consumer sentiment declined to a new all‑time low in May 2026 as higher gasoline prices and broader cost pressures weighed on household attitudes, according to preliminary data released Friday by the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. The headline Consumer Sentiment Index slipped to 48.2 from April’s final 49.8....

U.S. adds 115,000 jobs in April; unemployment steady

 

Washington — The U.S. Labor Department reported on Friday that employers added 115,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in April, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.3%. Hiring gains were concentrated in healthcare (37,000) and transportation and warehousing (30,000), while manufacturing lost 2,000 jobs and prior months’ figures were revised. Economists this week...

New York stocks surge as oil slumps on US-Iran hopes

 

NEW YORK — Global stock markets rallied on Wednesday as oil prices dropped sharply amid signs of progress toward a deal between the United States and Iran that could allow crude shipments to resume through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 7.5 percent to US$101.75 a...

US Private Payrolls Exceed Expectations, ADP Reports April

 

Washington — Payroll processor ADP reported on Wednesday that U.S. private-sector employers added 109,000 jobs in April, surpassing economists' expectations and marking the fastest monthly private payroll increase since January 2025. Health care and education accounted for the largest gains while several other sectors showed mixed results, ADP's national employment...

Gasoline Prices Climb Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions

 

WASHINGTON — The American Automobile Association reported the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $4.483 on Tuesday, an increase of nearly 3 cents overnight, as escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and related crude oil volatility pushed retail fuel prices higher across multiple states...

IMF Warns Worse Global Outcome If War Continues

 

Washington, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told a Milken Institute conference on Monday that the continuation of the war in the Middle East into 2027 would push inflation higher and could force oil prices toward about $125 per barrel, undermining the IMF's reference forecast and placing the lender's adverse and...

U.S. Gas Prices Spike Amid Middle East Tension

 

United States: Retail gasoline prices rose across multiple states this week, with AAA and GasBuddy reporting sharp increases on Monday and over the prior week. Florida's average climbed about 40 cents to $4.34 per gallon, Michigan and Peoria reported larger weekly jumps, and national averages reached roughly $4.45 per gallon. The...

Ohio Prices Spike; Phoenix and Georgia See Effects

 

Cleveland, Ohio — On Friday May 1, AAA reported Ohio's statewide average gasoline price rose to $4.83 per gallon, up nearly 40 cents from Thursday and roughly $1 above last week; local stations in Akron and Cleveland approached $5 per gallon as immediate retail signs showed overnight jumps. Phoenix and other...

Trump orders website to expand retirement account access

 

Washington — On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Treasury Department to create a government website, TrumpIRA.gov, to help Americans find and compare private-sector retirement savings accounts and expand access for workers without employer-sponsored plans ahead of a federal Saver’s Match program scheduled to begin in...

United States weighs Iran strikes as oil surges

 

Global oil markets saw Brent crude jump above $126 a barrel, a four-year high, amid a sharp escalation between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. According to administration officials cited in internal reports, Washington is considering military strikes on Iranian targets in response to what U.S....