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December 24, 2025
The Labor Department released a report on Wednesday showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits fell in the week ending December 20. The report stated that initial jobless claims decreased to 214,000, a 10,000 drop from the previous week's unrevised level of 224,000.
The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also slipped to 216,750, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's average of 217,500. Meanwhile, the report said continuing claims, a reading on the number of people receiving ongoing unemployment assistance rose by 38,000 to 1.923 million in the week ending December 13. The four-week moving average of continuing claims fell to 1,893,750, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's average of 1,899,000.
Last Tuesday, the Labor Department released a separate report showing employment in the U.S. increased in November, although the job growth followed a notable decrease in employment in October. The report stated that non-farm payroll employment increased by 64,000 jobs in November following a decline of 105,000 jobs in October. At the same time, the report said the unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November from 4.4% in September.
With a bigger increase, the unemployment rate reached its highest level since hitting 4.7% in September 2021. 12/24/2025 - 09:23:00 (RTTNews)
Taiwan's industrial production growth moderated somewhat in November, while retail sales increased for the second straight month. Industrial production advanced 16.42% yearly in November, faster than the 14.15% growth in October.
Among the main sectors, the annual growth of manufacturing output accelerated to 17.35% from 15.04%, while mining and quarrying production plunged 8.89%. The electricity and gas supply segment logged a recovery of 2.37%. On a month-on-month basis, industrial production rebounded to a seasonally adjusted 4.84% in November after a 1.1% decrease in October.
Retail sales rose 1.41% yearly in November, following a 1.9% growth in the prior month. Sales at general merchandise stores grew 6.7%, and those of food, beverages, and tobacco in specialized stores climbed by 3.20%. On the other hand, sales of household appliances and goods in specialized stores continued to contract by 3.6%. 12/24/2025 - 03:52:00 (RTTNews)
This market update is prepared by Cathay Bank for informational purposes only and does not constitute any form of legal, tax or investment advice, nor should it be considered an assurance or guarantee of future exchange rate movements or trends. This information is provided without regard to the specific objectives, financial situations or needs of any recipient. Cathay Bank does not make any representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of this market update.
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