Reuters - A monthly gauge of online labor demand in the United States slid in December, suggesting job conditions worsened with the economy stuck in a recession, a private employment group said on Thursday.

AFP - President-elect Barack Obama was to unveil more details of his economic stimulus plan Thursday, after warning dramatic action is needed to shrink a record trillion-dollar US budget deficit.

AP - South Korea is moving closer to recession, the government said Thursday, as key indicators worsen amid a shrinking global economy.

AP - Joblessness in the euro zone continued to rise in November even as the economy shrank in the third quarter, official figures showed Thursday.

AP - Germany's exports declined by more than 10 percent in November compared with the previous month, according to an official estimate Thursday.

AP - Confidence in the EU economy sank to a record low in December, the European Commission said Thursday, while official data confirmed the 15-nation euro zone officially slipped into recession in the third quarter.

AFP - Nearly half of potential US car buyers have put off buying a new vehicle as economic uncertainty caused many to reassess the value of their current vehicle, a survey released Thursday found.

AFP - President-elect Barack Obama was to flesh out details of his economic stimulus plan Thursday, after warning that dramatic action is needed to shrink a record trillion-dollar US budget deficit.

AFP - US President-elect Barack Obama will on Thursday warn that only massive spending to jolt the economy could avert years-long recession and double-digit unemployment, according to an advance copy of his speech.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama sought to rally support on Thursday for a massive fiscal stimulus package by warning that the United States could remain mired in recession for years without bold action.

AFP - Ireland suffered another economic body blow on Thursday as US computer giant Dell announced the closure of a major regional plant, slashing 1,900 jobs in the recession-hit former Celtic Tiger.

AFP - Organizers of balls celebrating Barack Obama's presidential inauguration on January 20 are rolling out special offers to entice revelers amid deepening economic turmoil in the United States.

Reuters - A measure of U.S. chief executives' confidence in the economy set a record low in December amid expectations for higher oil prices and interest rates, according to a monthly survey.

Reuters - The Bank of England cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Thursday to a record low of 1.5 percent and economists expect it to cut again in February as it battles to prevent Britain from falling into a deep slump.

AFP - US department chain Macy's said Thursday it would close 11 underperforming stores amid tough economic conditions and reported sales fell sharply in the critical year-end holiday shopping season.

Reuters - Unemployment benefit rolls swelled to a 26-year high in the last week of December, data showed on Thursday, while retailers, including market leader Wal-Mart, reported poor sales as the year-long economic slump deepened.

AP - Mexican consumer prices rose at their fastest pace since 2001 last year, the central bank reported Thursday, complicating the global economic crisis' effect on the country.

AP - Text of President-elect Barack Obama's speech on the economy on Thursday at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions.

AP - From salami makers to fertilizer producers, industries in Eastern Europe are being forced to cut output as the shut-off in Russian gas supplies risks deepening the economic crisis already plaguing the region.

Reuters - A U.S.-based project that aims to place low-cost laptops in the hands of children in developing nations is cutting half its staff, or about 30 jobs, citing tough economic times.

Reuters - Walgreen Co plans to cut about 1,000 jobs outside its drugstores, its first major staff reduction, as it works on trimming costs and improving its operations in a recession.

Reuters - Consumer borrowing dropped by a record $7.94 billion in November, a Federal Reserve report showed on Thursday, the latest evidence that households were unwilling or unable to take on more credit.

AP - Consumers cut back on their borrowing by a record amount in dollar terms in November, another sign of trouble for the rapidly weakening economy.

Reuters - News Corp's Dow Jones & Co, which owns The Wall Street Journal, plans to freeze employee salaries because of the prolonged economic downturn, according to a memo sent to workers on Thursday.

Reuters - Proponents of alternative energy and energy efficiency were elated on Thursday by President-elect Barack Obama's economic stimulus speech, but some analysts warned his energy agenda could hit turbulence in Congress or from the slow economy.

AP - The number of laid-off workers who are continuing to draw unemployment checks jumped more than expected to 4.6 million at the end of December and is likely to keep climbing this year — fresh evidence that people are finding it increasingly difficult to get a new job amid a deepening recession.

Reuters - Top U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday raised concerns about some of the tax breaks that may be included in a stimulus plan aimed at boosting the stricken economy, questioning if they would have a significant impact.

Reuters - Americans squeezed by the economic crisis are still forking out money for gym memberships and dieting centers but health clubs are having to hold down their fees to keep customers coming in.

AFP - Oil prices fell Thursday amid concerns over a US stockpile buildup and worries that the global economic slump will further dampen demand.

Reuters - U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday raised concerns that the economic stimulus plan the incoming Obama administration has outlined could fail in its central mission to create jobs, especially because of some of the tax cuts being proposed.

Reuters - When economists tell us the current U.S. slump could never turn into another Great Depression, they all point to one thing: one of four Americans was out of work in the 1930s.

Reuters - Americans may reduce the amount they spend on food in response to a sour economy but some experts fear they may pick up weight in the process.

Reuters - South Korea followed Britain by cutting interest rates to record low levels on Friday, while Wal-Mart and other U.S. retailers reported disappointing sales as the global economic crisis drains consumer confidence and jobs.