Rolling coverage of the world economy and the financial markets, as investors continue to worry about the state of the global economy * Why markets are down again * FTSE 100 index sheds 80 points * Gold hits three-month high * BP shares slump after big loss * The agenda: Eurozone jobs coming up 10.08am GMT BREAKING: THE EUROZONE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS HIT ITS LOWEST LEVEL SINCE SEPTEMBER 2011. Eurostat is reporting that the region’s jobless rate dipped in December to 10.4%, from 10.5%. Across the wider EU, the jobless rate remained at 9.0%. Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates in December 2015 were recorded in the Czech Republic and Germany (both 4.5%), Malta and the United Kingdom (both 5.1%, October data for the UK). The highest unemployment rates were observed in Greece (24.5% in October 2015) and Spain (20.8%). 9.38am GMT MORE GLOOM. GROWTH IN BRITAIN’S BUILDING SECTOR HAS HIT A NINE-MONTH LOW, ACCORDING TO NEW FIGURES FROM DATA FIRM MARKIT. Bad news! UK construction #PMI fall to 55 in January So growth but slower growth https://t.co/0HzVrnR8ur #GBP #BoE Continue reading...
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