http://www.xorte.com Xorte - the latest EU and international business, finance and economic news, commodity market news, stock market news, currency market news, real time foreign currency rates. eng comScore, Inc. released a study of the social networking category in Russia, based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service. The study found Russia to have the world's most engaged social networking audience, with visitors spending 6.6 hours and viewing 1,307 pages per visitor per month. http://www.world.xorte.com/6,0,Russia-Has-World-s-Most-Engaged-Social-Networking-Audience,10101.html 2009-07-04 New results released from a national survey, one of four annual surveys conducted by the Shelton Group, show most Americans are trying to buy more green products, but many don’t have enough knowledge to make meaningful choices. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Most-Americans-are-Trying-to-Buy-More-Green-Products,10081.html 2009-07-04 Kelley Blue Book, www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new car and used car information, announces the results of the latest analysis by Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence of the top 20 most-researched new-vehicles for the first half of 2009. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Most-Researched-New-Vehicles-for-First-Half-of-2009,10090.html 2009-07-04 The U.S. economy will emerge from recession in the second half of this year, followed by a slow recovery in 2010, top forecasters surveyed by BNA say. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Recession-s-End-Close-but-Recovery-Slow-to-Gather-Strength,10108.html 2009-07-03 The Spherion Employee Confidence Index was virtually unchanged in June, decreasing 0.3 points to 48.0. The Index, which measures workers' confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, reveals that although slightly more workers believe the economy is getting weaker and fewer jobs are available, more workers are confident in the future of their current employer. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Employee-Confidence-Index-Virtually-Unchanged-in-June-2009,10107.html 2009-07-03 Nonfarm payroll employment continued to decline in June (-467,000),and the unemployment rate was little changed at 9.5 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Job losses were widespread across the major industry sectors, with large declines occurring in manufacturing, professional and business services, and construction. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,US-Employment-Situation-in-June-2009,10106.html 2009-07-03 Venture-backed company exit activity showed mild improvement in the second quarter of 2009 but still fell far short of historical norms, according to the Exit Poll report by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). There were five venture-backed IPOs for the quarter, the highest number since the first quarter of 2008. The tally of M&A exits as of the last day of the quarter was 59 totaling $2.6 billion, similar to the level of activity across the two prior quarters but considerably higher in average disclosed value. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Venture-Backed-Exit-Market-Shows-Signs-of-Life-in-Second-Quarter-of-2009,10104.html 2009-07-03 Last week the U.S. House of Representative approved a 1,500 page piece of legislation aimed at reducing America's output of carbon emissions, which supporters suggest contributes to global climate change. If implemented, the legislation would require a 17 percent reduction (from 2005 levels) in carbon emissions by 2020 and an 83 percent reduction by 2050. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Controlling-Immigration-Critical-to-Meeting-Goals-on-U-S-Greenhouse-Emissions,10102.html 2009-07-03 The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate pulled back to 5.70 percent this week, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.48 discount and origination points. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Bankrate-Mortgage-Rates-Slide-Back,10103.html 2009-07-03 The World Bank Group committed $58.8 billion in fiscal year 2009 to help countries struggling amid the global economic crisis, a 54 percent increase over the previous fiscal year and a record high for the global development institution. http://www.world.xorte.com/6,0,World-Bank-Group-Support-to-Crisis-Hit-Countries-at-Record-High,10098.html 2009-07-02 The number of doctors per capita increased 2% per year on average across OECD countries between 1990 and 2007, but in some countries the trend is reversing. http://www.world.xorte.com/6,0,OECD-Health-Data-2009-8211-Comparing-Health-Statistics-Across-OECD-Countries,10095.html 2009-07-02 The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) released a new study which shows that the widely employed estimate of 47 million uninsured Americans is a misleading representation of the problem. The study, authored by Drs. June and David O'Neill of Baruch College and City University of New York, shows that more than 43 percent, or 16 million, of uninsured Americans ages 18-64 could likely afford health coverage and are actually "voluntarily uninsured." http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Healthcare-Study-Uninsured-Crisis-Wildly-Overestimated,10094.html 2009-07-02 Even with the end of a nine-month drought in initial public offerings (IPOs), the second quarter was one of the worst for venture capital-backed liquidity since the doldrums of early 2003, according to leading industry tracker Dow Jones VentureSource. Overall venture-backed liquidity fell 57% from $6.48 billion in the second quarter of 2008 to $2.8 billion in the most recent quarter. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,U-S-Venture-Backed-Liquidity-Market-Hovers-at-6-Year-Low,10091.html 2009-07-02 The direct and indirect effect of child hunger in the U.S. is a contributing factor to the nation's economic woes and puts America at a competitive disadvantage, according to a new report issued today by Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,12-4-Million-American-Children-are-Food-Insecure,10089.html 2009-07-02 In spite of economic uncertainties, many of the nation’s largest retailers held onto their coveted spots at the top of the retail ladder last year, according to an annual ranking of retailers by sales. The STORES Top 100 Retailers*, featured in the July issue of STORES magazine, ranks retailers by annual revenues as reported in SEC filings, public statements by the companies and estimates based on Planet Retail research. http://www.usa.xorte.com/4,0,Despite-Economy-Largest-Retailers-Remain-Power-Players,10088.html 2009-07-02