Japan's core machinery orders plunged the most in 18 months in November following strong increases in previous months, adding to uncertainty over the outlook as domestic demand remains sluggish, while China's downturn dims global growth prospects.
The Euro zone industrial production dropped sharply in November, while there was also evidence that weaker demand for exports from China and other developing countries are restraining the currency bloc's fragile economic recovery.
China's trade surplus swelled, as exports increased for the first time in six months, while imports dropped for the 14th straight month.
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the BoJ should "act decisively" to eradicate deflationary mind-set in Japan, adding to recent comments which underscore the central bank's preparedness to deploy additional stimulus if necessary.
UK manufacturing and industrial production both dropped unexpectedly in November, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The US labour market continued to tighten as job openings rose, while the quits rate remained steady, supporting the Fed on the path to normalizing monetary policy.
The European Central Bank has tools and capacity to act further if needed, as inflation remains stubbornly below target, Governing Council member Francois Villeroy De Galhau said.
Hiring and investment intentions of Canadian companies declined to their lowest level since 2009, according to the Bank of Canada's survey.
China's consumer inflation rose in December amid increasing food prices, while companies' factory-gate prices continued to decline, adding to fears about growing deflation risks in the world's second biggest economy.
Real turnover in the Swiss retail sector dropped unexpectedly in November, adding to signs that the Alpine country continues to falter amid fragile recovery in the Euro zone and slowdown in emerging markets, particularly in China.
Japan logged a current account surplus for the 17th straight month in November, providing much needed support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's effort to underpin the world's third biggest economy.
Spain's industrial sector recovered in November on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. Industrial production surged 5.7% on year in the reported month, following a revised 0.2% decline in October.
The Canadian economy created 22,800 net jobs in December amid a big gain in part-time jobs, according to Statistics Canada.
The UK's trade deficit in goods and services shrank in November as the value of oil imports dropped.
The US economy created 292,000 jobs in December, in line with analysts' expectations for solid and steady growth.
German industrial output dropped unexpectedly in November, while trade surplus came in below economists' forecasts for the reported month, adding to signs that the Euro zone's powerhouse is struggling to gather momentum following a sluggish third quarter.
Euro zone consumer inflation remained stubbornly weak in December, underscoring challenges for the European Central Bank to boost inflation.
Australians opened their wallets more willingly a month prior to Christmas. Retail sales increased 0.4% in November from a month earlier, when the gauge rose an upwardly revised 0.6%, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported.
Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz highlighted that divergence has become the dominant topic across the globe.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week from a more than five-month high, indicating the labour market remains solid even as economic growth is likely to have slowed sharply in the final quarter of 2015.
Euro zone economic sentiment improved in December, as the jobless rate continued to decline.
Australia's housing construction lost some steam, as building approvals for new homes suffered their biggest decline in more than three years.
Confidence among British services companies dropped to the lowest level in three years in December as the risk of Brexit impacted executives' mood.
Meeting minutes of the FOMC's crucial December meeting, when the US central bank made a unanimous historic decision to hike interest rates for the first time in almost a decade, showed that central bankers believed economic activity expanded at a moderate pace.