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In 2010, the government deficit of both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27 decreased compared with 2009, while the government debt and GDP increased. In the euro area the government deficit to GDP ratio decreased from 6.3% in 20093 to 6.0% in 2010, and in the EU27 from 6.8% to 6.4%. In the euro area the government debt to GDP ratio increased from 79.3% at the end of 2009 to 85.1% at the end of 2010, and in the EU27 from 74.4% to 80.0%.

Apparel accounts for more of US teens’ spending than any other category, but for most teens, shopping for clothes is still an in-person social activity that happens at brick-and-mortar stores.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Australia increased 0.6 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) remained unchanged in February.

Investors put $6.4 billion into 661 deals for U.S.-based venture companies during the first quarter of 2011, a 35% increase in investment and 5% increase in deals from the same period last year, according to Dow Jones VentureSource. The median amount raised for a round of financing during the first quarter was $5 million, up from the $4.4 million median a year earlier but on par with the 2009 median.

Despite an array of bright, vibrant car colors, U.S. customers on the coasts and customers in most European countries prefer the classic core colors – white, black, silver and gray.

In the past year, 23 million Americans — 10 percent of the adult population — purchased a coupon from an online site such as Groupon or LivingSocial, according to a survey conducted for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants by Harris Interactive, reflecting a burgeoning "deal culture" that requires consumers to keep a sharp focus on their financial priorities.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for France increased 0.5 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.1 percent in February.

China's apparent oil demand in March was 38.96 million metric tons (mt), or an average of 9.2 million barrels per day (b/d), according to a Platts analysis based on recent figures published by the Chinese government. In metric tons, this is an increase of 10.5% year over year, as the world's second largest oil consumer's usage continued to grow unabated.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.4 percent in March to 114.1 (2004 = 100), following a 1.0 percent increase in February, and a 0.2 percent increase in January.

The spring season is supposed to be a time of renewal and hope. For President Obama and Congress, the winter was rough and spring hasn't been much better with a heated budget showdown and talk of a potential government shutdown. While it may be expected at this point, Americans do not like seeing their elected officials spar so bitterly and this is reflected in lower job ratings across the board. For President Obama, more than three in five U.S. adults (62%) give him negative ratings on the overall job he is doing while 38% give him positive marks. This is down from last month when 39% of Americans gave the President positive ratings and 61% negative. This month marks the President's lowest ratings this year.