Economy

Falling gas prices seem to have enabled consumers to spend more as they kicked off the holiday shopping season.

Despite tepid growth, and even declines, in sectors such as retail, hiring in healthcare, leisure and hospitality, government, and manufacturing drove a gain in payrolls last month.

According to ADP, the labor market last month added the fewest jobs since early 2021.

Although economists are increasingly confident the economy can bypass a recession, consumers' six-month outlook has fallen to the lowest it's been since May.

Investment in transformation, technology, and talent emerge as top priorities.

In Germany, overall economic activity declined at the fastest pace since the first wave of the pandemic, in May 2020.