Weekly Economic Index rises to 2.68 in August 2026 release
The Weekly Economic Index increased from 2.42 to 2.68 for the week ended August 1, though recent readings remain uneven.
By David L. Chen 4 days agoSenior Columnist
David L. Chen
David writes the opinion column on currencies, trade, and the politics of global capital. Formerly an FX strategist in Hong Kong and London.
Latest from David L. Chen
Oil prices fall as Iran talks raise hopes for Hormuz shipping
Brent and WTI fell for two sessions as diplomatic signals eased supply fears, though no Hormuz agreement had been completed.
By David L. Chen 4 days ago
Europe drought on Rhine and Danube disrupts power and freight
Romania used controlled Danube blasts to aid nuclear cooling as low water raises Rhine freight costs and strains power supply.
By David L. Chen 6 days agoCyclical unemployment rises when demand and output fall
Cyclical unemployment is joblessness linked to economic downturns, when weaker demand leads firms to reduce hiring, production or...
By David L. Chen 6 days agoStructural unemployment leaves workers and vacancies unable to meet
Structural unemployment arises when workers’ skills or locations no longer match available jobs, often after lasting economic chan...
By David L. Chen 1 week ago
Jayant Sinha links currency risk to climate-finance shortfall
A Project Syndicate commentary argues that FX costs exclude global investors from emerging-market climate projects and sets out th...
By David L. Chen 1 week ago
Politicians ignore economic expertise, Basu argues in new essay
Kaushik Basu warns of costly technical policy errors, while research shows why elected officials have grown wary of economists.
By David L. Chen 1 week ago
China and Europe seek influence over clean-energy standards and industry
An Emmanuel Guérin commentary argues Europe and China are pairing industrial policy with rule-setting in the clean-energy transiti...
By David L. Chen 1 week ago
Dallas Fed trimmed-mean inflation falls to multiyear low in June
Dallas Fed trimmed-mean inflation fell to 2.2% in June, but headline and core PCE remained above the Fed’s 2% goal.
By David L. Chen 1 week ago
Kailash Satyarthi calls for compassionate AI design
The Nobel laureate says AI systems should account for human suffering and rights before deployment, alongside regulation and accou...
By David L. Chen 1 week ago
We Must Act Now AI statement urges human-complementing systems
More than 200 experts, including 16 Nobel laureates, warned AI could remake the world economy faster than past industrial change.
By David L. Chen 1 week ago
AI infrastructure race puts chips and computing power at center
Project Syndicate essay argues AI leadership now depends on compute, advanced chips, physical infrastructure and market scale.
By David L. Chen 1 week ago