Economic news on companies, work, consumer issues, markets and developments in Germany and Europe.
The German Farmers' Association is pushing for an extension of the fuel discount, arguing that the harvest season is particularly fuel-intensive and that farmers still need relief despite recent price drops.
The metal industry employers' association Gesamtmetall has sharply criticized the planned reform of the Working Hours Act. According to Deutschlandfunk, the association described the draft by Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) as a return to old regulatory patterns.
After 15 days of strikes, the tariff dispute at waste disposal companies in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has reached a deadlock. According to NDR, the latest round of negotiations in Rosenow failed.
The Strait of Hormuz is set to reopen to shipping, but mines and other issues complicate the return to normalcy.
The Essen-based chemical company Evonik plans to eliminate around 3,200 jobs by the end of 2029, with 2,150 of those in Germany. The company cited weak economic growth and tougher competition as reasons.
The Bank of England left its key interest rate unchanged at 3.75 percent on Thursday, marking the fourth consecutive meeting without a change as inflation stalls.
Christoph M. Schmidt, the designated president of the Leibniz Association and head of the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, considers Germany's economic situation more critical than during the Agenda 2010 era. In an interview with Handelsblatt, he calls for a major reform package and warns against a gradual decline in prosperity.
The DAX is trading at 24,960 points on Thursday morning, continuing its sideways trend. Shortly after the market opened, the index hit 25,067 points but then fell back below that level.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen has urged member states to remain cautious after the Iran war deal. According to FAZ, Jørgensen said the energy crisis is not over yet.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects a significant oil surplus from 2027 if the agreement between the US and Iran holds.
The UK unemployment rate fell to 4.9% in the three months to April, while wage growth exceeded economists' expectations, increasing pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates.
Reports of Russia's economic weakness are mounting, but history shows this does not mean the war will end soon. Military ambitions often outpace economic capacity.
The number of people employed in German industry has fallen to its lowest level in a decade. According to a study by the Bertelsmann Foundation, vacant positions are increasingly left unfilled.
The BBC is cutting 550 jobs, according to Spiegel. The cuts affect the news and entertainment divisions as well as management.
For the first time, German consumers in 2023 paid more often without cash than with it, according to a study by the Bundesbank.
Ahead of the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, the DAX barely moved on Tuesday. According to Tagesschau, the benchmark index closed at 24,934 points, up a wafer-thin 0.1 percent.
US pharmaceutical company Moderna is exploring the acquisition of production facilities from former rival BioNTech in Germany, while CEO Stéphane Bancel calls for better conditions for the pharma industry, according to Tagesschau.
BMW issued a surprise profit warning on Tuesday evening, hinting at workforce reductions. According to Tagesspiegel, the Munich-based automaker plans to intensify cost-cutting through structural and efficiency measures.
The Neptun Werft in Rostock-Warnemünde, together with Siemens Energy, has landed a billion-euro order for an offshore converter platform. According to Handelsblatt, grid operator 50Hertz awarded the contract worth 2.5 billion euros.
The Neptun shipyard in Rostock has received a billion-dollar order to build offshore converter platforms. According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, grid operator 50Hertz awarded the contract to a consortium of Siemens Energy and Meyer subsidiary Neptun.
More than 100 founders and managers have issued an urgent appeal to the German government to revitalize the country as a business location. The call comes shortly before the planned reform package on pensions and the welfare state.
Kevin Warsh, the new chair of the US Federal Reserve appointed by Donald Trump, is about to make his first interest rate decision. Falling oil prices could give him some leeway, while inflation risks persist, as reported by Tagesschau.
The CDU Economic Council is calling for cuts to the basic pension, early retirement, and the mothers' pension to address demographic change. Secretary-General Wolfgang Steiger speaks of a necessary turnaround in retirement policy.
The fast-food giant Yum! Brands is in exclusive talks to sell its Pizza Hut chain to the investment firm Capital, according to a report by Spiegel citing industry sources.
Armored vehicle manufacturer KNDS plans to build two additional production sites in Germany, as announced by Germany CEO Florian Hohenwarter in an interview with the FAZ.
The DAX gained on Friday, supported by hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Iran conflict. According to Tagesschau, the index closed at 24,702.24 points.
Microsoft has unveiled the second generation of its Surface devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2. According to Heise, prices have risen significantly in some cases, while new colors expand the lineup.
Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon Reality Elite, a new chip for the next generation of VR and AR headsets. The company promises significant performance gains in AI, graphics, and energy efficiency.
The industrial group Thyssenkrupp plans to float its subsidiary TK Accelis on the stock exchange. The company, which employs 15,500 people, supplies factories with steel and other raw materials, as reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
According to Spiegel, diesel on Monday cost only seven cents more than before the Iran war, and E10 was nine cents above. The fuel discount of 16.7 cents per liter expires at the end of the month and will not be extended.
The number of social housing units in Germany continued to decline in 2025. According to the federal government, despite subsidies for new construction, a net total of around 20,000 units were lost, with North Rhine-Westphalia particularly hard hit.
The Ifo Institute has analyzed savings options in the federal budget and proposes, among other things, a significant reduction in the income limit for parental allowance as well as cuts to the mothers' pension. The proposals were commissioned by the lobby organization Initiative New Social Market Economy (INSM).
The shortage of skilled workers in Germany has more than halved since 2022. According to KfW bank, however, the reason is not a larger supply of labor but the weak economy.
Germany's financial regulator BaFin has taken steps to better protect retail investors from losses on turbo certificates. Stricter rules for providers of these risky products take effect Tuesday.
The fuel discount expires in two weeks. The Monopolies Commission, an independent advisory body to the German government, has taken a first stock and criticizes that the tax relief was not fully passed on to consumers.
The European Parliament voted on Tuesday to fully implement the controversial tariff agreement with the United States. According to Zdfheute, EU member states still need to give formal approval.
Tesla is preparing to launch its Cybercab robotaxi. New certification documents from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reveal a range of up to 669 kilometers, as reported by 24tv.
The Dutch bank ING plans to introduce four new tariff models for checking accounts that include subscriptions to Amazon Prime and Disney+. The move aims to make accounts more attractive by bundling non-banking services.
Fox Corporation announced on Monday its plan to buy streaming hardware maker Roku for $22 billion, aiming to expand its media reach.
Users of Germany's rail infrastructure cover only ten percent of the costs. This situation has led to a deadlocked debate over financing and track access charges.