Global economic growth is slowing down, especially in Europe and Brazil, leading to high unemployment rates and part-time jobs. The recovery is expected to continue, but business sentiment is weak due to geopolitical risks and uncertainty about interest rate hikes. Growth is predicted to improve in the first half of 2015, with low inflation rates for the rest of this year. A survey of business executives suggests that global economic activity is stable, but they anticipate improvements in the next six months. Rising energy costs and declining trade flows could negatively impact the global economy if conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine worsen.