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Euro area annual inflation was 2.3% in January 2011, up from 2.2% in December 2010. A year earlier the rate was 0.9%. Monthly inflation was -0.7% in January 2011.

PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in casual video games, announced the results of a new survey which found large increases in overall usage and frequency of mobile game playing among U.S. and U.K. adults. The survey, conducted by Information Solutions Group, also found that among mobile phone gamers, the mobile phone is now the primary gaming device of choice, leapfrogging video game consoles and personal computers in less than two years. Further, "smartphone" owners (the fastest-growing mobile segment) are by far the most avid consumers of mobile phone games. These and other purchase and consumption trends identified in the survey suggest significant growth in the mobile games sector will continue for the foreseeable future.

The annual growth rate of M3 decreased to 1.5% in January 2011, from 1.7% in December 2010. The three-month average of the annual growth rates of M3 over the period November 2010 - January 2011 stood at 1.7%, compared with 1.6% in the period October 2010 - December 2010.

Looking ahead, President Obama most likely sees many battles forthcoming. There's the current budget showdown which has the potential to lead to a government shutdown. There is the labor issue and all eyes are watching to see how the White House responds to what is happening in Wisconsin. And then there is his own electoral battle, albeit 20 months from now, but still on the horizon.

In 2010, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the year was 39,798.3 billion yuan, up by 10.3 percent over the previous year. Of this total, the value added of the primary industry was 4,049.7 billion yuan, up by 4.3 percent, that of the secondary industry was 18,648.1 billion yuan, up by 12.2 percent and the tertiary industry was 17,100.5 billion yuan, up by 9.5 percent.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index ® (LEI) for Mexico remained unchanged and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index ® (CEI) increased 0.3 percent in December.

Annual average unemployment rates in 2010 rose in 31 states and the District of Columbia, declined in 18 states, and remained the same in 1 state, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment-population ratios decreased in 43 states and the District of Columbia, increased in 3 states, and were unchanged in 4 states. Jobless rates increased in three regions and decreased in one, and employment-population ratios declined in all four regions in 2010. The U.S. jobless rate rose by 0.3 percentage point from the prior year to 9.6 percent, while the national employment-population ratio fell by 0.8 point to 58.5 percent.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area increased 0.5 percent in January to 107.5 (2004 = 100), following a 0.7 percent increase in December and a 0.7 percent increase in November.

Employers took 1,534 mass layoff actions in January involving 149,799 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Each mass layoff event involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in January increased by 51 from December, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 11,807. In January, 341 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 39,189 initial claims; both figures increased over the month.

Merchandise trade growth quickened in the final quarter of 2010 in most major economies, with record trade figures in China. Total exports of G7 and BRICS countries grew by 8% in the fourth quarter compared to 1% in the previous quarter and total imports grew by 7% compared to 1% in the previous quarter.