_Economy and Finance

EUROPE BUSINESS NEWS|MAY 23, 2011, 4:36 A.M. ET Euro-Zone Growth Slows to 7-Month Low By NICHOLAS WINNING LONDON—Growth in the euro zone's private sector eased more than expected to its weakest pace in seven months in May, led by a sharp slowdown in manufacturing, the preliminary results of a survey by financial-information firm Markit showed Monday.

EUROPE BUSINESS NEWS|MARCH 25, 2011 A Nation of Dropouts Shakes Europe By CHARLES FORELLE LISBON—Isabel Fernandes, a cheery 22-year-old with a constellation of stars tattooed around her right eye, isn't sure how many times she repeated fifth grade. Two, she says with a laugh. Or maybe three. She redid seventh grade as well. She quit school with an eighth-grade education at age 20.

EUROPE BUSINESS NEWS|MARCH 24, 2011 New Phase in Europe Crisis Portugal Is Seen Needing Bailout as Austerity Plan Fails, Prime Minister Resigns By PATRICIA KOWSMANN And JEFFREY T. LEWIS LISBON—Portugal's parliament rejected a new government austerity plan Wednesday, spurring the resignation of Prime Minister José Sócrates and setting off a new phase in Europe's sovereign-debt crisis.