CNBC Daily Open: Don’t confuse slow hiring with layoffs

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe  here .

Hiring's shrinking
Private sector companies hired 99,000 workers in August, according to payroll company ADP. That's the lowest figure in more than three-and-a-half years, and sharply lower than the expected 140,000. Payroll reports by ADP often diverge from official Labor Department job numbers, but they differed by just 8,000 in July.

Markets continue falling
U.S. markets were mixed on Thursday. The Nasdaq Composite was the only major index to eke out an increase, though it still shed some gains it had made earlier in the day. Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell Friday. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 1.1% as data showed household spending for July rose just 0.1%, compared with an expected 1.2% rise.

More chip export controls
The U.S. is implementing new export controls on critical technologies, such as quantum computing and semiconductors. Those restrictions cover worldwide exports, and China is not named in the documents, but they come as China makes inroads into advanced chipmaking.

Brain drain in New Zealand
New Zealand was once a sparkling jewel in the Pacific during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as its economy weakened and jobs dried up, "economic refugees" have begun leaving the country. "We are in austerity," said Shamubeel Eaqub, principal economist at the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

[PRO] Opportunities and obstacles in EM  
With U.S. markets hypersensitive to economic releases lately, investors are starting to consider the opportunities in emerging markets, such as China, India –