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Euro area (EA15) GDP fell by 1.6% and EU27 GDP by 1.5% during the fourth quarter of 2008, compared with the previous quarter, according to second estimates from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In the third quarter of 2008, growth rates were -0.3% in both zones.

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI)™ fell again in March. The index now stands at 90.1, decreasing 2.3 percent from the February revised figure of 92.2, and down 22.1 percent from a year ago.

According to IPC Media, 74% of female Internet users in the UK went online every day last year.

As green initiatives become more ingrained in the fabric of enterprise IT environments, the necessity and value placed on green technology continues to expand. According to a survey of IDC Green IT Forum registrants, 68% of respondents rated energy efficiency as "top of mind" when thinking about Green IT. Another 51% said their organization's approach to green was directly tied to the cost savings it could provide.

The number of U.S. organizations decreasing overall staffing levels has nearly doubled in the past four months, according to management consulting firm Hay Group’s latest Reward in a Downturn Survey.

The mortgage sector is on pace to see a record number of failures this year as regulators seize banks at an accelerating rate, according to data tracked at the Mortgage Graveyard - a journal of failed, ailing and acquired lenders. A lack of government loans programs and lost warehouse financing played a role in some of the closings.

In February 2009 compared with January 2009, the industrial producer price index fell by 0.5% in the euro area (EA16) and by 0.3% in the EU27. In January, prices decreased by 1.1% and 0.7% respectively.

In February 2009, compared with January 2009, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.6% in the euro area (EA16) and by 1.2% in the EU27. In January retail trade rose by 0.1% and 0.7% respectively. In February 2009, compared with February 2008, the retail sales index decreased by 4.0% in the euro area and by 3.4% in the EU27.

The Commission has adopted a new regulation to improve the energy performance of external power supplies, which is expected to cut their electricity losses by nearly a third by 2020. The resulting savings of 9 TWh is enough to power Lithuania for a year and will reduce annual CO2 emissions by more than three million tonnes.

The global economic downturn has taken its toll on industries across the globe, and the mobile and wireless communications industry is no exception. In the European market, which is highly saturated and competitive, mobile network operators (MNOs) are in a survival of the fittest battle to maintain and expand their market share. On the fringes of this battle are new entrants, challenging established MNOs to stay in the game. The question is whether or not there is space for these new entrants in an established market, especially during these economic times, when smaller companies could be viewed as potential acquisition targets.