Labor-market activity has historically been a strong recession indicator. It just flashed one of its biggest red flags in years.

Economist Heather Long says the U.S. economy is diverging into three tiers of consumer behavior instead of two, amid an ongoing affordability crisis.

The US economy grew at a much slower pace in the final months of 2025 as the historic government shutdown weighed on economic activity, ending a year that saw the weakest growth since the pandemic.

Key Takeaways U.S. employers shed 92,000 jobs in February, making it the worst month for job creation since October.The downturn came as a surprise to economists, who had expected it to add 50,000 jobs and maintain momentum after a surge in January.

The South Korean economy is showing continued signs of improved consumer sentiment, though production growth remains "gradual" due to a prolonged slump in the construction sector, a state-run think tank said Thursday.

The U.S. economy got sidetracked in February by tariff-related price increases, sluggish sales and the previous month’s Winter Storm Fern, but top executives were also more optimistic that business will improve later in the year.

The U.S. economy shed jobs to start the year, as the Labor Department reported that employment decreased by 92,000 jobs in February 2026, when economists expected a gain of 59,000.

South Africa’s economy grew at a faster pace in 2025 than in 2024, but the recovery remains modest, offering little relief for millions of unemployed.

The contraction came as a surprise with payrolls down in nearly every sector.

The U.S. economy grew at a rate of 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to an estimate released on Friday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.