Scott Horsley

A consulting firm that tracks layoff notices says U.S.

employers announced more than 71,000 job cuts last month.

That's fewer potential pink slips than announced in October, but more than this time last year.

That's according to a tally compiled by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

New applications for unemployment benefits, which are often seen as a proxy for layoffs, fell last week.

The Thanksgiving holiday may have affected those numbers.

As of mid-November, some 1.8 million people were receiving some form of jobless assistance.

Asian stocks were mixed overnight, up in Tokyo and Hong Kong, but down in Shanghai and Seoul.

Scott Horsley, Empire News, Washington.

President Trump's tariffs haven't been quite as much of a wet blanket for the world economy as forecasters had feared.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development now expects the global economy to grow 3.2 percent this year.

That's slower than last year, but better than had been projected back in June.

In a fashion combo worth nearly $1.4 billion, Italy's Prada Group is buying Versace.

Prada says it sees significant untapped potential in the brand, which had lost some luster under its previous owner, Capri Holdings.

And while the Federal Reserve has investors guessing will they or won't they cut interest rates next week, Japan's central bank is hinting at a possible rate increase to combat stubborn inflation.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

AAA says the average price of regular gas nationwide has dropped to $3 a gallon, even as tens of millions of people hit the road over the holiday weekend.

Truck drivers, however, are not enjoying lower prices.

The average cost of diesel fuel is close to $3.74 a gallon, 20 cents more than this time last year.

Airbus says most of its A320 passenger jets have now completed a software fix that was ordered on Friday.