Major US employers are reporting a dramatic improvement in hiring conditions despite official data, and the FT’s Aime Williams tells us what the World Bank might look like under the leadership of Ajay Banga. Plus, the FT’s Demetri Sevastopulo explains what the Chinese spy balloon saga means more broadly for the relationship between Beijing and Washington. Mentioned in this podcast:US companies say it is easier to hire despite low jobless rateAjay Banga, World Bank nominee must swap finance for climateBeyond the balloon: the US-China spy gameDownload the FT Edit app here: ft.com/fteditThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.