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The results of a new Harris Poll are something of a paradox. When asked separately about seven of the most important bills that were passed by the last Congress, including those passed in the very productive lame duck session in December, majorities of those who are familiar with them rate each of them "good" rather than "bad". The three most popular bills, rated "good" by the most people who are familiar with them, are the 9/11 First Responders bill (88%), the bill to extend the Bush-era tax cuts and unemployment benefits (73%), and the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law (68%).

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) increased in January for the fourth consecutive month. The index now stands at 100.5, up from December’s revised figure of 100.3. The index is up 7 percent from a year ago.

The largest and most comprehensive nationally-representative study of single men and women ever done dispels long-held beliefs about singles in America. Although there are 105 million singles in the United States, representing one-third of the US population, these women and men have gone largely unstudied - even as their attitudes and behaviors are shaping America's cultural norms and challenging traditional foundations. Based on this groundbreaking study, a new picture of single Americans emerges that is radically different than it was 50 years ago when the median age of first marriage for women was 20 and only 10% of women ages 25-29 were not married. The single today is defying gender and age stereotypes, adopting new dating habits, and changing the very definition of relationships.

Business intelligence (BI), collaboration, content management, social software and supply chain management will be the top application software growth segments in 2011, according to Gartner, Inc. This year, the focus will be on modernizing packaged application systems, enabling diverse user access through software as a service (SaaS) and cloud services, and driving revenue and innovation.

In December 2010 the average MFI interest rates on new deposits showed uneven developments. Most of the average MFI interest rates on new loans to households and non-financial corporations decreased or remained unchanged. Average MFI interest rates on outstanding amounts of deposits and loans remained basically unchanged.

Consumers who use the Internet to shop for a new vehicle spend an average of 18-19 hours researching new and used vehicle purchases, according to the recent Automotive Buyer Influence Study conducted by Polk and AutoTrader.com. In both segments (new and used purchasers), approximately 60 percent of shopping time was spent online.

Small business managers are expecting hiring activity within their organizations to improve in 2011, but say it will likely be hindered by continued challenges related to accessing credit, government regulations and health insurance costs. This is according to a new nationwide survey from CareerBuilder conducted between November 15 and December 2, 2010, among more than 1,350 small businesses (organizations with 500 employees or less).

Economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector grew in January for the 14th consecutive month, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Non-Manufacturing ISM Report On Business®.

In December 2010, compared with November 2010, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.6% in the euro area (EA16) and by 0.4% in the EU27. In November retail trade decreased by 0.3% and 0.1% respectively.

A new nationwide survey issued today by Citibank revealed that, as 2011 begins, American consumers have a slightly more positive outlook on the current condition of the national and local economies, and substantially more optimism about economic trends and their own personal financial situations over the next twelve months.