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The Philippines central bank makes its rate decision Thursday, where it could deliver a fifth consecutive cut as inflation stays benign and growth soft.

The Southeast Asian country is facing mounting headwinds from a domestic corruption scandal involving the alleged misuse of public funds for state flood-management initiatives.

Economic growth slowed to a more than four-year low in the third quarter, while inflation undershot the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s 2025 inflation target of 2% to 4% for a ninth straight month in November.

“Recent GDP numbers raise concerns that soft government spending could become a longer-term drag, weighing not only on fiscal outlays but also on business and private-sector sentiment,” ING’s Deepali Bhargava and Lynn Song wrote in a note.

The BSP looks poised to lower its policy rate, with an expected additional cut in the first quarter of next year, as governance-related issues weigh on growth amid benign inflation, ANZ Research economists said in a report.

At its meeting in October, the BSP cut its policy rate unexpectedly, as it flagged a weaker growth outlook.

  India 

  India's inflation data on Friday will likely show that price pressures remain at multi-decade lows, reinforcing the central bank's decision to cut interest rates at its final meeting of the year. 

  The main drag will likely continue to come from food prices, the ANZ Research team said. While headline inflation could tick up from the nadir reached in October, household goods and services prices likely continued to decline due to GST rate cuts, they wrote. 

  Inflation is likely to average just below 2% for the current fiscal year, HSBC economists said. Only a third of the impact of GST tax cuts has fed through to inflation, signaling room for further cooling ahead, they said. 

  Core inflation is also easing but is more long-lasting than before, which could influence monetary policy, they added. 

  Taiwan 

  Taiwan is set to release its trade data for November on Tuesday, which will probably show that exports continued their run of torrid growth. 

  The island's economy has been supported by resilient export growth through the year, as frontloading to get ahead of tariffs combined with the AI boom to keep its shipments in high demand. 

  "AI-related demand for GPUs, graphics cards, and servers-alongside year-end seasonal demand for new consumer electronics-is likely to continue supporting export momentum," DBS economists said. 

  Taiwan's U.S.-bound shipments should also get a lift from the delay in semiconductor tariffs. 

  That said, non-tech traditional industries will likely continue to face headwinds, the DBS team expects. "The 20% U.S. reciprocal tariff on Taiwan-higher than that applied to Japan and South Korea-keeps Taiwanese manufacturers in these sectors at a competitive disadvantage." 

  Any references to days are in local times. 

  Write to Jessica Fleetham at jessica.fleetham@wsj.com and  Fabiana Negrin Ochoa at fabiana.negrinochoa@wsj.com 

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires

  December 07, 2025 16:14 ET (21:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

As Americans rethink what they want out of their careers, work-life balance is taking center stage. For the first time since Randstad began tracking employment trends 22 years ago, balance has surpassed pay as the top motivator for workers considering a job.

But while many employees see this shift as long overdue, some high-profile CEOs say the idea of achieving big ambitions without long hours simply doesn’t add up.

According to Randstad’s Workmonitor 2025 report, 83% of workers now rank work-life balance as their highest priority — slightly edging out both job security and pay. This shift is part of a broader change in expectations: workers want jobs that fit around their lives, not the other way around.

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Randstad says that employees are increasingly looking for workplaces that reflect their values and support their ambitions. Nearly half say they wouldn’t accept a job with a company whose social or environmental values don’t align with their own — up sharply from 38% last year. And more workers are willing to walk away altogether, with 31% having quit due to limited career advancement.

Younger generations have been especially vocal about challenging the traditional grind. For Gen Z, 74% list work-life balance as a top consideration, compared with 68% who prioritize pay, according to the report. Many even rank mental health support above compensation.

This group also places a premium on flexibility. A LinkedIn report found that around 38% of Gen Z and millennial workers would take a pay cut for more remote or hybrid options.

Still, this mindset isn’t limited to younger employees. Randstad reports baby boomers also rate work-life balance (85%) and pay (87%) as top priorities, showing that interest in sustainable work schedules spans generations.

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Despite broad agreement among workers, executives remain divided on whether meaningful balance can coexist with high achievement.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)  co-founder Marc Randolph is one leader who advocates for clear boundaries. Throughout his career, he kept Tuesday nights strictly free from work — no meetings, no last-minute calls. “Those Tuesday nights kept me sane. And they put the rest of my work in perspective,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post.

JPMorgan Chase (NYSES: JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon has shared similar advice, telling students at the Georgetown Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy last year that protecting mental, physical, and spiritual health is essential to long-term success.

But not all executives see balance and ambition as compatible. Some of the tech world’s most influential leaders — including Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Scale AI co-founder  Lucy Guo — have pushed back on the idea of clocking in at 9 a.m. and out at 5 p.m, according to Fortune.

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Andrew Feldman, CEO of AI chipmaker Cerebras, was even more direct. “This notion that somehow you can achieve greatness, you can build something extraordinary by working 38 hours a week and having work-life balance — that is mind-boggling to me,” he said on a recent episode of the “20VC” podcast. “It’s not true in any part of life.”

As workers weigh not only income but values, flexibility, and well-being, employers face a growing challenge: adapting to expectations that are broader and more personal than ever.

The data suggests this shift won’t fade anytime soon. With talent shortages in many industries and more employees willing to leave roles that don’t meet their needs, organizations may find that supporting balance isn’t just a perk; it’s a competitive advantage.

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This article Work-Life Balance Tops Pay As Employees Re-Evaluate Priorities, But This Is ‘Mind-Boggling’ To Some CEOs originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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