ECONOMY & MARKETS

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.

The 12th National People’s Congress meeting, China’s top legislative body, will convene Tuesday and close on March 17.

Haruhiko Kuroda, Tokyo's nominee to be Bank of Japan's head honcho, vows to fight against deflation.

The job market will dominate economic news in the U.S. next week, with the latest figures on nonfarm payrolls to be released Friday.

The yen's slide is an effort to jump-start Japan, but holders of the dollar, won, Euro, yuan and other currencies see it as an act of aggression.

Households responded to this hit to income by spending more and reducing their savings. But what does it mean for the economy's health?

Europe's jobless rate is getting worse, not better. In Spain and Greece, jobless youths number well above 50 percent.

China's manufacturing activity expanded at a slower rate in February, data released Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

India’s manufacturing sector expanded at a higher-than-expected rate in February, backed by strong domestic orders, HSBC India Manufacturing PMI said.

The International Monetary Fund says the budget action would lead to an economic slowdown in the U.S., which would ripple across the globe.

Although 4Q GDP was revised higher, the economy must grow at a much stronger rate to lower the U.S.' high unemployment rate.

The one-year tax is one of the ways India aims to cut inflation, reduce the deficit and improve its credit rating.