With a rapidly ageing population, Germany is urgently looking at how it can get more work from a labour force that enjoys the most ample leisure time in the rich world. But analysts say it is overlooking one vital, untapped resource: its women.
The yen jumped in the wake of comments from Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda at a press conference after the central bank raised interest rates and unveiled a plan to taper its huge bond-buying programme.
Oil futures rebounded more than $1 a barrel from 7-week lows on Wednesday after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran ratcheted up tensions in the Middle East, but prices stayed under pressure from concerns about weak China demand.
Pressure on the world’s biggest cryptocurrency came chiefly from speculation over potential token sales by the U.S. government, which reportedly holds about $12 billion worth of tokens and is among the biggest Bitcoin holders in the world.
European shares climbed 1% on Wednesday, driven by a raft of corporate updates, while heavyweight ASML (AS:ASML) led overall gains on report that the Dutch chip equipment manufacturer would be exempted from a new U.S. rule on foreign chip equipment exports.
