2016-01-20 62 People Own Most of World’s Wealth
The richest 62 people on earth now have the same wealth as the poorest 3.6 billion, according to a report from Oxfam. Five years ago, the majority of wealth was…
2016-01-16 Russia Faces Pain Over Falling Oil Prices, Sanctions
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report. Russia’s economy is struggling at the beginning of 2016. Low oil prices and Western sanctions against Russia continue to affect the…
2016-01-11 US Crude Oil Exports Restart After 40 Years
The U.S. made its first export of crudeoil in four decades last Thursday. The exports were banned in the mid-1970s. That ban was lifted a few weeks ago. The Arab…
2016-01-08 China Facing Weakness in Currency, Falling Stock Values
China stopped trading on its stock market Thursday for the second time this week. Stock shares fell seven percent in value before trading was halted. The China Securities Regulatory Commission…
2016-01-06 Markets React Badly to World News, China Troubles
U.S. stock prices fell sharply Monday, following conflicts in the Middle East, and weaker economies in China and in Europe. U.S. stocks started the new year with the most selling…
2016-01-04 Zimbabwe Switches to Yuan as Reserve Currency
Zimbabwe announced last week that it would shift to the Chinese yuan as its reserve currency. A reserve currency is a foreign currency held in large quantities by governments and…
2015-12-18 US Central Bank Raises Its Interest Rates
The United States central bank has raised an important interest rate by one-fourth of 1 percent. The move may have been small, but it marks the first time since late…
2015-12-07 IMF Adds China’s Yuan to World’s Top Currencies
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) added China’s yuan to its group of key global currencies this week, a historic development that gives new status to the world’s second-largest economy. It…
2015-12-02 US Gas Prices Fall to Lowest Prices Since 2004
Gasoline prices in the United States are nearing their lowest since 2004. While most of the world sells gas by the liter, the United States sells gas by the gallon.…
2015-11-28 Black Friday, Cyber Monday Start Holiday Shopping Season
America’s holiday shopping season started on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It is the busiest shopping day of the year. Retailers make the most money this time of year,…
2015-11-15 Will New Two-Child Policy Lift China’s Economy?
China’s decision to end its one-child policy is likely to affect the country’s economy. Official Chinese media reported last month that all couples will be permitted to have two children.…
2015-11-11 Chinese Singles Drive the World’s Biggest Shopping Day Online
What’s the biggest online shopping day in the world? Not Valentine’s Day. Not Cyber Monday or Black Friday. They are the days that follow Thanksgiving in the U.S. and usher…
2015-11-06 Volkswagen and Takata Shares Drop Amid Fresh Scandals
The price of Volkswagen AG shares dropped Wednesday as a scandal about its truthfulness continued. The German car maker said its emissions testing scandal was much bigger than previously believed.…
2015-10-15 Nobel Prize Winner Studied How People Spent Their Money
The winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences studies how people spend their money. He also has explored how spending can affect both living conditions and poverty. The…
2015-10-09 UN Group Calls for Secure Financial Base to World Economy
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report. A United Nations organization is working to help developing countries become active partners in the world economy. The UN Conference on…