latest news in economy
Why the Billion-Dollar Artificial Intelligence Boom May Be Built on a Financial Illusion
New York, Monday, 10 August 2026.
Top economist Torsten Slok warns that artificial intelligence profits are funded by investors rather than customers, as hardware makers reap 41% margins while application developers suffer 59% losses.
Inflation Outpaces Worker Pay Gains and Threatens Future Economic Growth
Philadelphia, Monday, 10 August 2026.
Finance expert Jeremy Siegel warns persistent inflation continues to erode worker wages despite broader economic resilience, threatening consumer spending and medium-term macroeconomic growth.
How High-Skilled Foreign Labor Drives Broader US Wage Growth
Cambridge, Monday, 10 August 2026.
A July 2026 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals that expanding the H-1B visa cap yields long-term economic benefits across the United States workforce. Analyzing industry data from the 1999 to 2003 expansion period, researchers found that increased exposure to high-skilled foreign talent raised incomes for native-born workers and pre-existing immigrants. Surprisingly, these financial gains were most pronounced in non-STEM occupations, such as sales, operations, and marketing. Rather than simply increasing labor supply or generating new patents, skilled international workers act as a productivity shock. Their technical contributions optimize internal systems, allowing non-technical teams to execute tasks more efficiently. These productivity gains propagate forward through supply chains to downstream customer industries, demonstrating how targeted foreign labor boosts overall economic performance.
Federal Agency Backs California Boron Facility to Boost Domestic Mineral Production
Washington, Monday, 10 August 2026.
5E Advanced Materials secured an initial $8 million federal loan—potentially unlocking $285 million in debt financing—to advance the nation’s only major domestic boron project under a $2 billion initiative.
Major Banks and Regulators Gather in London to Accelerate Digital Market Infrastructure
London, Monday, 10 August 2026.
Digital Assets Week London 2026 has attracted record registration from top financial institutions and regulators, signaling a decisive shift from tokenization testing to practical implementation in capital markets.
