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The euro area (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 9.5% in July 2009, compared with 9.4% in June. It was 7.5% in July 2008. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.0% in July 2009, compared with 8.9% in June. It was 7.0% in July 2008. For the euro area this is the highest rate since May 1999 and for the EU27 since May 2005.

Consumers are slightly less satisfied in the second quarter of 2009, according to National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI-UK) results. Customer satisfaction dips by 0.1%, now 72.9 on a 100 point scale. The small drop is largely due to declining customer satisfaction in the automobile industry, which - despite economic conditions- still accounts for a considerable portion of overall consumer spending.

The weekly average rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace for 30-year fixed mortgages decreased last week to 5.17 percent, down from 5.19 percent the week prior, according to the Zillow Mortgage Rate Monitor, compiled by leading real estate Web site Zillow.com®. Rates for 15-year fixed mortgages fell to 4.57 percent from 4.59 percent, and 5-1 adjustable rate mortgages remained flat at 4.17 percent.

As the economic news starts to show just a little brightening, the actions of Wall Street and the large investment banks are something that Americans are watching. As some of the large Wall Street firms, such as Goldman Sachs, and J.P. Morgan, release earnings results that show record profits, seven in ten Americans (70%) believe that this is one sign things may be easing, but they still believe the country is a long way from being out of economic trouble. One-quarter of Americans (25%) see this as bad news as it potentially indicates a return to the ways that caused some of the economic problems in the first place while 5% believe it is good news and shows the recession and economic troubles are almost over.

Economic confidence among small business owners jumped to its highest level in 18 months in August as more owners expressed faith that the U.S. economy is on the rise and gave signs that they are more willing to invest in advertising and new inventory, according to the latest Discover® Small Business WatchSM. The index rose to 89.8, up 7.7 points from July and the highest level since 90.9 in February 2008.

Online advertised vacancies rose by 169,000 to 3,464,800 in August, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series (HWOL)™.

A new report - Thomson Reuters Healthcare Indexes(TM): Consumer Confidence - found that consumer confidence related to healthcare expenditures increased 12 percent between March and July.

The Dow Jones Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) reached its highest level in a year rising to 35.5 in August, the sixth consecutive monthly increase. The ESI's continued improvement lends guarded support to the growing view that the U.S. economy may be moving out of recession and into a period of recovery.

comScore, Inc. released a study of the global search market showing that more than 113 billion searches were conducted in July 2009, representing a 41-percent increase versus year ago.

Labor productivity - defined as output per hour - fell in wholesale trade, retail trade, and food services and drinking places in 2008.