High youth unemployment, feuding politicians and a cost of living crisis: young South Korean voters told AFP what was on their minds as they voted -- some for the first time -- in elections Wednesday.

Studies show that recruiters would extend a job offer after an interview in less than a month - measured at an average of 24 days.

Lauren Howard lets her employees schedule in their chosen days off and says they can do so, without reason.

Business leaders across the UK have turned their attentions to a technology-driven shortened workweek as Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to develop.

Instead of relying on monthly wages and being trapped or exposed to a negative environment, the "f*ck you fund" supports workers by eliminating financial barriers.

Hostile leadership and unfairness in the workplace have been linked to sleep deprivation and a lack of motivation amongst workers.

Taiwanese student, Zhang, worked alongside Liao to try and fraudulently claim £1 million in insurance payouts over leg amputations caused by frostbite.

While career gaps can still lead to rejections, there has been a hike in recruiters who welcome lengthy gaps in employment.

The UK is witnessing a rapid increase of contract terminations and final meetings are being cut short to avoid liabilities.

The study also highlights how mental health issues can even force young adults into lower-paid jobs or unemployment.

While recessions of the past, notably during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, were protracted and severe, indications suggest that this downturn may be milder and short-lived.

China's new year holiday spending last week surged past pre-pandemic levels, official figures showed, a rare bright spot for an economy struggling with sluggish consumption and deflation.

Britain is in recession, official data showed Thursday, dealing another blow to embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose Conservative party is forecast to lose a general election expected this year.

While US stocks closed up, the picture in Europe was less positive: London, Paris and Frankfurt all ended lower as investors locked in profits from recent gains.

The new data, derived from experimental results within the Labour Force Survey, could potentially exert pressure on the Bank of England to reconsider any immediate plans for interest rate cuts.

Shares in European banking giants BNP Paribas and ING tumbled on Thursday as disappointing fourth-quarter results took the shine off bumper annual profits.

The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to start cutting interest rates in the coming months, as inflation edges closer to its long-run target of two percent.

The Office For National Statistics reports that the annual rate of growth in earnings, including annual bonuses, has slowed to 6.5 per cent.

President Xi Jinping said Sunday the Chinese economy had grown "more resilient and dynamic" in 2023, despite financial figures continuing to disappoint as the post-Covid recovery stalls.

Asian stocks opened cautiously on Friday, largely continuing an end-of-year rally that has been boosted by investors' expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut as early as March.

Global stocks were mixed Thursday on the penultimate trading day of 2023, while oil prices fell on easing worries about shipping disruptions in the Red Sea.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks Wednesday in Mexico in hopes of tackling surging migration, which has become a major political headache for President Joe Biden as he enters an election year.

The Bank of England on Thursday held its key interest rate and warned it will remain high to tackle inflation, indicating in contrast with the Federal Reserve that cuts were unlikely any time soon.

The latest research from the consumer group Which? unveiled that 9.8 per cent of surveyed households admitted to missing or defaulting on payments for loans, credit cards, housing, or household bills during that period.

As part of its policy that sets out to "sinicise" religious minorities, the Chinese government has ordered the destruction of thousands of mosques.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a first phase of business funding worth £62 million to help UK SMEs in and around London to scale up, creating more jobs in the region.

US consumer inflation cooled more than expected last month, according to government data published Tuesday, providing welcome news for policymakers looking to control price increases without damaging the economy.

Nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 6-3 in favour of maintaining the current rate, in a move that was widely anticipated.

The Federal Reserve will likely announce it is holding interest rates at a 22-year high on Wednesday, as it looks to tackle inflation without damaging the resilient US economy.

From restaurant cooks to street workers, Springbok jersey-wearing South Africans are ubiquitous in Johannesburg, as a frenzied mood grips the nation in anticipation of Saturday's Rugby World Cup final.