Bloomberg US productivity surged last quarter by the most in more than a year, reflecting a sharp acceleration in economic output, while labour costs growth cooled. Fourth-quarter nonfarm business employee output per hour increased at a 6.6% annual rate from the previous three months, the largest advance since the second quarter of 2020, according to Labour Department figures. In ...

  Bloomberg German factory orders increased more than anticipated in December, a bright spot for Europe’s largest economy as the pandemic threatens to tip it into another recession. Demand increased 2.8% after rising a revised 3.6% in the previous month, a stronger reading than even the highest estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 27 economists. Domestic demand was a key ...

  Bloomberg Spain’s government will suspend the obligation to wear the face masks outdoors as soon as next week, Cadena Ser reported. The order, which was reintroduced last December to stem the Omicron variant, will take effect by next Wednesday, the radio station said, citing people in the government it didn’t identify. The news comes as the latest coronavirus wave ...