Economy

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 07:22 UTC

  Unemployment in the US falls to a four-year low of 7.5%

  

  The US economy showed last month why it remains the envy of industrialized nations: in the face of tax increases and federal spending cuts, employers added a solid 165,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate dropped to a four-year low of 7.5%.

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 05:18 UTC

  Bolivia full incorporation to Mercosur now rests on legislative approval from other members

  

  Bolivia has completed the presentation of its Mercosur incorporation protocol, which opens the way for the parliaments of the different member-countries to begin considering and ratifying her full membership. Once completed Bolivia becomes the sixth full member next to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 01:55 UTC

  Euro-zone admits deeper recession and higher unemployment in 2013

  

  The recession in the Euro-zone will be worse than expected with unemployment remaining at record levels, says the EU in its latest economic forecast. The EU said that GDP in the 17 Euro-zone countries will shrink by 0.4% this year, better than the 0.6% for 2012 but 0.1% points worse than the EU had forecast back in February.

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 00:48 UTC

  Brazil and Argentina working to find a long-standing agreement on trade, says Marco Aurelio

  

  Brazil and Argentina are trying to address their economic and trade differences so that they can reach a long-standing, long term solution, said Marco Aurelio García, the Brazilian Executive advisor on foreign issues and trouble shooter for this kind of conflicts.

• Monday, May 6th 2013 - 00:34 UTC

  Uruguayans on average have to work 128 days a year to pay their taxes

  

  Uruguayans on average work 128 days, over a third of the year to pay taxes, according to a report from a local lobby group based on the “Tax-free day” which supposedly marks the end of the time dedicated to contribute to the treasury.

• Saturday, May 4th 2013 - 10:03 UTC

  Uruguay admits trade and economic relations with Argentina ‘couldn’t be worse’

  

  Vice-president Danilo Astori admitted on Friday that economic-trade relations with Argentina continue to deteriorate and seriously question Mercosur and Uruguay must therefore speed the search for other alternatives.

• Saturday, May 4th 2013 - 09:32 UTC

  Falkland Islands’ census shows there are more new homes than new people

  

  The release of further data from the 2012 Census shows that the Falkland Islands continues to work its magic on immigrants who may have arrived with short term plans but have settled for ten or more years and that the ratio of women to men in the Islands has increased considerably over the last four decades.

• Saturday, May 4th 2013 - 09:19 UTC

  New Wyoming lithium deposit could meet all US demand

  

  By John C.K. Daly - The US currently imports more than 80% of the lithium it uses, with the silvery metal winding up in batteries from cell phones to electric cars.

• Saturday, May 4th 2013 - 09:12 UTC

  Van Rompuy joins chorus of Euro zone policy makers promoting pro-growth measures

  

  European Union governments and institutions must take “immediate action” to promote growth and jobs creation as countries are tired of austerity, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said this week.

• Saturday, May 4th 2013 - 09:03 UTC

  UK minister warns waters row escalation with Spain could damage Gibraltar’s economy

  

  UK Minister for Europe David Lidington has warned that an escalation of tension with Spain in the waters row could damage Gibraltar’s prosperity and wider UK interests and pointed out that the incursions were not “an armed attack or invasion” and that the response to them must be proportionate.