http://www.asia.xorte.com Asian economic news, Asian business news, Asian financial news. Asian economic outlook. eng Slow job creation continues to drag on the economy, according to the Consumer Reports Index for March. This month's findings show that, although the tide of job losses has been stemmed, the level of job creation needed to fuel a consumer recovery has not developed. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Consumer-Reports-Index-Slow-Job-Creation-Stalling-Economic-Recovery,11465.html 2010-03-10 Americans' confidence in their ability to retire appears to be stabilizing, now that the economic volatility of the recession has abated, but their self-described preparations for retirement continue to erode, according to the 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) released by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Mathew Greenwald and Associates, a market research firm. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,2010-Retirement-Confidence-Survey,11467.html 2010-03-10 The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) crude oil production rose to 29.31 million barrels per day (b/d) in February, an increase of 60,000 (b/d) from an estimated January level of 29.25 million b/d, according to a just-released Platts survey of OPEC and oil industry officials and analysts. http://www.commodities.xorte.com/14,0,Platts-Survey-OPEC-Pumps-29-31-Million-Barrels-of-Oil-Per-Day-in-February-2010,11464.html 2010-03-10 The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.76 percent, down four basis points from 4.80 percent compared to this same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fluctuated between 4.76 and 4.82 during the past week. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Current-30-Year-Fixed-Rate-is-4-76,11463.html 2010-03-10 As a result of the economic downturn, university students rate job security at a potential employer ahead of pay and benefits, according to a survey conducted by KPMG, a global network of firms providing audit, tax and advisory services. http://www.world.xorte.com/6,0,Job-Security-More-Important-Than-Pay-and-Benefits-for-University-Students-Worldwide,11466.html 2010-03-10 U.S.-based companies led the world in completing merger-and-acquisition (M&A) deals with emerging or high-growth market companies in the second half of 2009, nearly tripling the number of acquisitions made by the second-ranked country, according to KPMG International's latest Emerging Markets International Acquisition Tracker (EMIAT) study. http://www.world.xorte.com/6,0,U-S-Companies-Dominate-Field-as-Acquirers-of-Emerging-Market-Companies-in-Second-Half-of-2009,11462.html 2010-03-09 The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) rose in February for the sixth consecutive month. The index now stands at 93.5, up from January's 93.2. During the past six months, the index increased by 13.4 percent (annual rate), the highest six-month growth rate since 1994. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,The-Conference-Board-Employment-Trends-Index-8482-ETI-Increases-in-February-2010,11460.html 2010-03-09 The unemployment rate for the OECD area fell slightly to 8.7% in January 2010, reflecting drops of 0.3 percentage point in the United States and Japan. However, the latest figures for the United States show that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.7% in February. Rates in the Euro area stabilized in January at 9.9% and in many countries, notably France and Italy, rates continued their recent upward trend. http://www.world.xorte.com/6,0,OECD-Unemployment-Rate-Falls-to-8-7-in-January-2010,11458.html 2010-03-09 A new Fact Sheet released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that in 2009 median weekly earnings for women were $657 compared with $819 for men, a female-to-male-earnings ratio of 80.2 percent (making for a weekly gender wage gap of 19.8 percent). While the weekly gender wage gap narrowed slightly in 2009, it is still above its lowest point of 19 percent in 2005. Only full-time workers are included in this measure. An alternative measure of the gender wage gap, based on median annual earnings, is not yet available for 2009; in 2008 it was 22.9 percent. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Gender-Wage-Gap-Narrows-Only-Slightly-Even-Though-Women-8217-s-Earnings-Are-More-Important-than-Ever-to-American-Families,11461.html 2010-03-09 EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers agreed on a new facility to provide loans to people who have lost their jobs and want to start or further develop their own small business. The European Microfinance Facility will have a starting budget of €100 million which could leverage more than €500 million in cooperation with international financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group. The initiative is part of the EU's response to the crisis and is especially targeted at people who cannot normally obtain credit because of the economic crisis and the current lack of credit supply. http://www.europe.xorte.com/3,0,EU-to-Provide-45-000-Micro-Loans-to-Unemployed-and-Small-Entrepreneurs,11457.html 2010-03-09 While interest in alternative vehicles may be growing, consumers do not see ‘green’ as the only purchasing factor and are demanding more from automakers, according to an Accenture study. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Consumers-Want-Green-Vehicles-to-Offer-More-Than-Fuel-Savings,11459.html 2010-03-09 Nonfarm payroll employment was little changed (-36,000) in February, and the unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment fell in construction and information, while temporary help services added jobs. Severe winter weather in parts of the country may have affected payroll employment and hours; however, it is not possible to quantify precisely the net impact of the winter storms on these measures. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,U-S-Employment-Situation-in-February-2010,11455.html 2010-03-08 The Monster Employment Index rose by ten points in February, as employers resumed hiring activity after January’s seasonal lull. The long-term growth rate turned positive, with the Index up 2 percent year-on-year, for the first time since December 2007 suggesting some improvement in the underlying demand for labor. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Monster-Employment-Index-Rises-Sharply-in-February-2010,11449.html 2010-03-08 Coming off a year that saw severely diminished venture investment and deal volume in 2009, the venture capital community appears optimistic that a rebound will occur this year, with a prominent focus on the greentech sector, according to a recent survey by the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG LLP. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Venture-Capitalists-See-Resurgence-in-Investment-Levels-This-Year-With-a-Clear-Focus-on-Greentech-Sector,11450.html 2010-03-08 How much higher is the life expectancy for women than for men, and what is it expected to be in 2030? Is the unemployment rate for women higher than for men? And what about the employment rate? What are the differences between women and men in their use of the internet - sending e-mails, reading on-line newspapers, doing internet banking or checking work opportunities? http://www.europe.xorte.com/3,0,A-Statistical-Perspective-on-Women-and-Men-in-the-EU27,11454.html 2010-03-08