The U.S. stock market is headed for one of its worst weeks in many months, after a series of dizzying policy shifts on tariffs from the White House. A fresh jobs report on Friday will provide a crucial reading on the strength of the economy, which has become a growing worry for investors. Futures on…
The ideal worker at the Chinese chemical manufacturer, according to the internal memo, is hardworking, virtuous and loyal. And — perhaps most important — willing to have children for the good of the country. That was the message that the company, Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group, sent to unmarried employees recently, in a notice that spread…
They spent up to 10 years at sea, toiling in some of the harshest conditions distant-water fishing crews can face. Many never set foot on land because their Chinese captains did not want them to be seen by the port authorities. Most of their salaries went directly to their government, and some of their catch…
Elon Musk told federal workers on Saturday that they must respond to an email by summarizing their accomplishments for the week, repeating a tactic he used to cull the work force at his social media company. “Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished this week and cc your manager,”…
In less than three weeks, President Trump has thrown the U.S. clean energy industry into chaos, with much of the economic damage hitting Republican states and districts. In a quest to eliminate any funding linked to climate change, the Trump administration has frozen federal grants for everything from battery factories to electric school buses and…
In Elon Musk’s first two weeks in government, his lieutenants gained access to closely held financial and data systems, casting aside career officials who warned that they were defying protocols. They moved swiftly to shutter specific programs — and even an entire agency that had come into Mr. Musk’s cross hairs. They bombarded federal employees…
The email landed in employees’ inboxes with the subject line: “Fork in the Road.” The message in the email was stark: Accept a sweeping set of workplace changes or resign. That was the note that millions of federal employees received around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. It echoed a similar message that thousands of workers at…
Liu Chunyan jumped at the opportunity four years ago when the pandemic drove up the demand for food delivery in China. The money was good, though the hours were long. Now she is just one of more than 10 million food delivery workers in a country where the economy is contracting. She is hustling more…
When Ilya Rusinov returned to the Russian work force after rehabilitating a vertebra damaged in the Ukraine war, his first job was teaching in a school. But he had also launched a side project, a patriotic club he called Zveno, or “Squad,” that provides military training for different age groups, including teenagers. After struggling at…
New Zealand relaxed its visa requirements for remote workers on Monday, as the country looked to spur economic growth by courting “digital nomads,” the skilled professionals who can work from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection. With the new policy, a New Zealand visitor visa, which allows foreigners to remain for up…