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Business Climate Survey results of NBS in whole country showed that the national business climate index (BCI) was 138.0 in the fourh quarter of 2010, 0.1 point higher over previous quarter.

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) increased in December for the third consecutive month, closing the last quarter of 2010 on a positive note. The index now stands at 99.3, up from November’s revised figure of 98.5. The index is up 7.6 percent from a year ago.

The federal tax credit extension, coupled with an uptick in seasonal buying, helped keep the real estate market on its tracks in the first two quarters of 2010, according to the RE/MAX of New England 2011 Housing Market Outlook and Forecast. Single-family home sales across New England showed the affects of the tax credit extension, as first-time buyers inked deals to beat the spring deadline.

Global IT purchases will rise 7.1 percent in 2011 to $1.7 trillion, according to new forecast data from Forrester Research, Inc. While the 2011 global tech market will look similar to the 7.2 percent market growth experienced in 2010, there are significant differences between the two years in terms of both products and geographies.

The results of nationwide survey showed that entrepreneur confidence index (ECI) gained 137.0 in the fourth quarter, 1.1 points higher over previous quarter.

The euro area (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.1% in November 2010, unchanged compared with October. It was 9.9% in November 2009. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.6% in November 2010, unchanged compared with October. It was 9.4% in November 2009.

Euro area (EA16) GDP increased by 0.3% and EU27 GDP by 0.5% during the third quarter of 2010, compared with the previous quarter, according to second estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the second quarter of 2010, growth rates were +1.0% in both zones.

The unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 9.4 percent in December, and nonfarm payroll employment increased by 103,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment rose in leisure and hospitality and in health care but was little changed in other major industries.

Employed job seekers have been waiting out the recession for years before embarking on a new job search, and many experts are finally predicting 2011 could be their year for change. Monster.com®, the leading job matching engine and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc., recently asked job seekers about their plans for 2011 and found that an overwhelming majority (98%) of Americans polled indicated they are primed and ready to pursue new job opportunities in 2011.

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending November 2010. The report ranked the leading mobile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and smartphone operating system (OS) platforms in the U.S. according to their share of current mobile subscribers ages 13 and older, and reviewed the most popular activities and content accessed via the subscriber’s primary mobile phone. The November report found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 24.5 percent market share, while RIM led among smartphone platforms with 33.5 percent market share.