Bloomberg Filings for unemployment benefits in the U.S. rebounded last week from a four-decade low while remaining consistent with a firm labor market. Jobless claims rose by 18,000 to 251,000 in the period ended Nov. 19, a Labor Department report showed Wednesday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for 250,000 applications. In the previous week that included …

  Brussels / AFP European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker unveiled plans on Wednesday to tighten the code of conduct for former officials after a row over his predecessor Jose Manuel Barroso’s role with Goldman Sachs. The “cooling-off” period during which they must inform Brussels if they take a new job would be extended from 18 months to three years for …

  Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Germans against turning to economic isolationism, saying she’s “not happy” about the possible collapse of the Trans-Pacific Partnership after US President-elect Donald Trump said he’ll withdraw from the trade accord. Fresh from announcing she’ll seek a fourth term in next year’s German election, Merkel used a speech to parliament in Berlin to acknowledge voters’ …