Bloomberg Businessweek

US employers unexpectedly cut jobs in February and the unemployment rate rose, raising doubts about the health of the labor market. Nonfarm payrolls decreased 92,000 last month after a strong start to the year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The unemployment rate climbed to 4.4%. The decline in payrolls partly reflected a decrease in health care employment due to strike activity.
Bloomberg Surveillance broke the numbers and got instant reaction from:
Claudia Sahm, Chief Economist at New Century Advisors
Nadia Lovell, Head of Global Equity Strategy at UBS Global Wealth Management
Jennifer Lee, Senior Economist at BMO Capital Markets
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Women who go on to develop postpartum depression (PPD) may have characteristic levels of neuroactive steroids, molecules derived from the hormone progesterone, in their blood during the third trimester of pregnancy, according to a new study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. These molecules influence the brain’s stress response and emotional regulation.
Dr. Lauren Osborne is Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Department of OBGYN at Weill Cornell Medicine and she discusses how postpartum depression affects many families, how common is it, and why has it historically been underdiagnosed or overlooked.
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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.
Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.
President Donald Trump’s war with Iran threatens to deal a severe blow to a global economy still grappling with the impact of his historic tariff hike.
For Europe, sustained higher energy prices would take the economy to the brink of recession. For the US, they would place the Federal Reserve in an impossible position — stuck between a war that pushes inflation higher and a president demanding that interest rates come down. For China, the end of discounted Iranian oil imports adds to strain from Trump’s tariffs and a real estate collapse.
In the first days of the fighting, the intensity is high and the endgame uncertain. Bloomberg Economics has modeled scenarios for what lies ahead, and what they mean for oil prices, major economies, and the future of Iran.It is, of course, possible that Washington and Tehran find an off-ramp, oil settles back at its pre-escalation average of $65 a barrel, and the global economy dodges a blow.
The latest signs, though, suggest there’s worse to come. Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery is closed. Qatar has shuttered the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas facility. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively paralyzed. Oil and gas prices have already rocketed higher. Stocks have taken a hit. Treasury yields have risen as traders curb bets on Fed cuts.
In a severe scenario, Bloomberg Economics assumes that with Trump warning of a “big wave” of attacks, Israel aiming at the fall of the Islamic Republic and Tehran betting it can outlast its adversaries, the fighting grinds on. Intensified Iranian strikes set refineries and ports ablaze or knock out pipelines, bringing energy production to a halt.
Today's show features:
Jennifer Welsh, Bloomberg Economic Chief Geoeconomics Analyst, on Iran War Oil Shock Threatened to Unleash Wave of Global Inflation
Jeff Mason, Bloomberg News White House Correspondent on Trump Replacing Kristi Noem as Homeland Chief After Rocky Tenure
Bloomberg News Chief Correspondent for Private Capital Davide Scigliuzzo on latest developments in private credit
Drive to the Close with David Busch, CEO and CIO of Trajan Wealth
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A few weeks ago, traders on the two major prediction market platforms, Kalshi and Polymarket, were furiously debating whether Cardi B’s dancing onstage at the Super Bowl constituted a “performance.” Now the sites’ traders—and some outside observers—are up in arms over the markets that allowed users to bet on Iran’s future. Another day, another moral, legal and philosophical minefield for these businesses.
Chris Beam, Bloomberg Businessweek Contributor writes how the Iran-related controversies generated by Kalshi and Polymarket say a lot about how the two companies are positioning themselves in the sector, as well as in the debates over what role prediction markets should play in our society. Chris speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.
Sebastian Escobar
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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.
Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.
Traders were on Wednesday awaiting further details of President Donald Trump’s plan to guarantee the free flow of energy shipments through the Persian Gulf, as the shipping industry warned the proposal may struggle to restore confidence after attacks effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz.
The disruption threatens to sever seaborne energy trade between some of the world’s largest producers and key consuming nations, heightening risks for global markets. Brent crude was little changed after jumping more than 10% this week, while European gas prices slipped following the biggest rally in four years.
Trump said Tuesday the US would offer insurance backstops and naval escorts for commercial vessels transiting the region, seeking to reassure markets rattled by a spiraling conflict involving Iran. Multiple attacks on vessels in recent days have choked off traffic through the narrow waterway.
The world’s largest shipping industry association said it was seeking clarification on how the US-led convoy system would operate, warning that protecting every tanker in the region would be “unrealistic.” Officials at two major commodity trading houses said they doubted the measures would materially reduce the danger of attack, even with military escorts in place.
“Nothing is sure and we need immediate clarity,” said Khalid Hashim, managing director of Precious Shipping Pcl, a Thai firm that owns bulk carriers. “Lives are at risk, cargoes are at risk, ships are at risk. We need immediate cover that protects us from all this,” he said.
Today's show features:
Bloomberg News National Security Team Leader Nick Wadhams on whether Iran is seeking an onramp to the ongoing war
Steve Moore, Co-Founder of Unleash Prosperity and a former Trump Economic Advisor, on the US economic and monetary policy outlook
Bloomberg News Consumer Tech Reporter Samantha Kelly on Apple’s latest product launch event and new low-priced laptop
Bloomberg News Economic Editor Molly Smith with instant reaction to the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book release
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