Statista

Apple announced the latest version of the iMac on Monday, bringing a fresh coat of paint to its iconic all-in-one desktop computer. The new model comes equipped with Apple’s own M4 chip and is touted to be 1.7 times faster for daily productivity and up to 2.1 times faster for more demanding tasks compared to its predecessor, the 2021 M1 iMac. Once again, the iMac comes in a range of vibrant colors reminiscent of the original iMac that helped turn the company around after its release in 1998. The latest overhaul demonstrates Apple’s commitment to the product category, which some considered on the verge of obsolescence in the age of smartphones, tablets and notebooks. According to estimates from IDC, desktop PCs will account for roughly for 25 percent of global PC shipments this year, with notebooks dominating the market. With almost 70 million units expected to be shipped worldwide in 2024, there’s still a market for desktop devices though, especially as many people have set up a permanent workspace at home in the wake of the pandemic. As the following chart shows, Dell Technologies and HP are the undisputed leaders in the desktop segment in the United States, with Apple coming third. According to Statista Consumer Insights, 37 percent of U.S. adults still have a desktop PC in their household, which is relatively low compared to 68 percent who own a laptop and 64 percent who have a tablet at home.

Integrate AI into your retail strategy to stay competitive—but don’t lose the personal touch. Here's why 👇 In #2025, AI is the driving force behind smarter shopping. In Western markets, 𝟯 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗜-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴, relying on tools like price comparison and personalized recommendations. Yet, some consumers still approach AI with caution.   Download our latest whitepaper to learn how to blend AI with human connection: https://lnkd.in/eZ95p9x4   #ConsumerTrends2025

Over 300,000 employees from 50+ countries were surveyed to determine the latest ranking by Forbes and Statista. Companies with over 1,000 employees operating across global regions were assessed based on criteria such as salary, talent development, and remote work options. Participants were asked if they would recommend their employer to family or friends and could also rate companies they knew through industry connections. A total of 850 companies spanning 48 countries made the cut! More information can be found here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvhzhiB

Despite recent jumps in valuation for generative artificial intelligence company OpenAI and Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX, ByteDance is still the highest-valued unicorn worldwide. According to CB Insights, the Chinese parent company of TikTok holds a valuation of $225 billion, ahead of SpaceX's $200 billion price tag and OpenAI's latest valuation of $157 billion. Earlier this month, the company behind ChatGPT raised $6.6 billion in fresh funding, almost doubling its previous valuation of $80 billion before the latest funding round. The remainder of the top list is made up of corporations from the apparel (SHEIN and Fanatics), fintech (Stripe and Revolut) and software (Databricks) sectors. While OpenAI and Databricks are the only dedicated AI companies, ByteDance has also been focusing on generative artificial intelligence recently. Following suit with Western counterparts like Meta or Alphabet Inc., it launched a suite of large language models under the brand name Doubao in May of this year, according to media reports. This will most likely further cement its standing as the highest-valued unicorn worldwide. The term unicorn describes companies that are not traded on any stock exchange and at the same time valued at more than $1 billion. CB Insights data suggests that there are currently around 1,200 of these companies worldwide. CrunchBase lists 1,549 such corporations on their ranking, including Alibaba Group's fintech arm Ant Group and Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio, two subsidiaries of India-based multinational business conglomerate Reliance Industries. CB Insights' exclusion of these three companies might be connected to their parent corporations being publicly traded, even though no shares for their mentioned subsidiaries are available on stock exchanges. Using the term startup for these companies is also questionable since this terminology is usually reserved for smaller corporations reliant on external funding and not for companies like SpaceX, ByteDance or, more recently, OpenAI. The latter is not only rapidly moving up the ranks in terms of valuation, but also in terms of revenue. According to comments by CEO Sam Altman in internal meetings reported on by The Information, the company's annualized revenue doubled to $3.4 billion between late 2023 and June 2024.

Online travel agencies are popular platforms for travellers, providing an easy way to compare prices, explore different travel options and make reservations for flights, accommodation and additional services. These platforms allow users to customise their travel plans to suit their personal preferences and budget. By partnering with airlines, hotels and car rental companies, they often offer special deals and discounts to help travellers save both time and money. Many platforms also include features such as customer reviews, flexible cancellation policies and mobile apps for convenient booking and travel management. Let's have a look which is the top online travel agency. 

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Boeing reported net losses of nearly $8 billion in the first nine months of 2024, as it posted its latest Q3 earnings report this week. In its third quarter alone, the company saw net losses of $6.2 billion, marking one of the worst quarters for Boeing ever. The results come amid a work stoppage of aircraft production at assembly plants in the Seattle area, which has particularly impacted the commercial plane division. In the latest turn of events, Boeing machinists rejected a new proposed labor contract, extending a strike which has already gone on for more than five weeks. Boeing’s contract offer included a 35 percent wage hike over four years and increased 401(k) contributions, among other changes. This falls short of the machinists’ union’s initial request for a 40 percent raise and for the company to reinstate a pension plan. New CEO Kelly Ortberg has announced Boeing is reviewing its businesses and has hinted at the aircraft manufacturer slimming down. Earlier in October, he announced the company will be laying off 10 percent of its workforce, or around 17,000 employees, in the coming months. As this chart shows, 2024 marks the sixth consecutive year in which Boeing has made annual net losses. The initial downturn came in the wake of two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019. That model was subsequently grounded worldwide and manufacturing of the plane slowed as the company attended to its various flaws. In a sharp decline from their $10.5 billion net income in 2018, Boeing’s annual earnings report shared that the company lost $636 million in 2019. This marked the first annual loss for the company in over two decades. The coronavirus pandemic then led to a slump in the travel and aviation industry, with 2020 seeing Boeing post $11.94 billion in net losses. The company experienced a slow pace of recovery through to 2023, but has been setback once more following a series of safety issues, starting with the mid-air blowout of a door plug in January, which led to an investigation and temporarily grounded 171 aircraft. Despite this, the company still has a long backlog of airplane orders (6,259 aircraft as of March 2024).

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization that promotes policies for economic growth and social well-being. Founded in 1961, the OECD supports its 38 member countries through data sharing, research, and policy guidance on issues like employment, education, sustainability, and trade, aiming to create better policies for better lives worldwide. The Net official development assistance (ODA) has eligibility criteria based on eligible countries, concessional terms, and a focus on economic development and welfare. ODA excludes military aid, most peacekeeping, and non-developmental cultural programs. As our video shows, since 2000, the USA has led in funding low- and middle-income countries, with consistent support from EU institutions, Germany, and Japan.

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Global growth is expected to remain “stable yet underwhelming” in 2024 and 2025, at a steady 3.2 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) October World Economic Outlook, published this week. As the following chart shows, India, China, Russia and the United States are forecast to see contractions in their economic output between 2024 and 2025. In Russia, this change is expected to be most pronounced, dropping 2.3 percentage points. Meanwhile, 2025 is forecast to be an improved year for growth in the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. There have been several notable revisions since the July 2024 World Economic Outlook. For example, the U.S. has had an upwards revision to a forecast growth of 2.8 percent in 2024, from the previously estimated 2.6 percent. In 2025, growth is expected to slow to 2.2 percent in the U.S. as fiscal policy is gradually tightened and a cooling labor market slows consumption. This is still an improvement from the July forecast, which had estimated growth at 1.9 percent. The upgrades to the U.S. forecast are offset by downgrades to other advanced economies. This is the case with the euro area, where 0.8 percent growth is now estimated for 2024 and 1.2 percent growth for 2025. This growth is slightly weaker than the July projections of 0.9 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. According to a revised forecast, Germany’s economy is expected to stagnate in 2024, where previously it had been expected to see growth of 0.2 percent. In India, GDP growth is expected to moderate from 8.2 percent in 2023 to 7 percent in 2024 and 6.5 percent in 2025. In the case of China, the slowdown is projected to be more gradual with the IMF citing how, despite persistent weakness in the real estate sector and low consumer confidence, there have been "better-than-expected net exports". In terms of risks ahead, the IMF warns of new potential spikes in commodity prices amid ongoing geopolitical conflicts as well as knock on effects if China sees a deeper- or longer-than-expected contraction in the property sector.