Menu

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending September 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 September report found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 23.5 percent market share, while RIM led among smartphone platforms with 37.3 percent market share.

Online advertised vacancies rose 113,700 in October to 4,409,800, following an increase of 59,900 in September, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine™ (HWOL) Data Series. The nation’s Supply/Demand rate stood at 3.44 unemployed for every advertised vacancy in September (the last available unemployment data), a figure that is down from a peak of 4.73 in October 2009. Nationally, there are 10.5 million more unemployed than advertised vacancies.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in October for the 15th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 18th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business®.

Plug-in electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, have the potential to make up 9% of auto sales in 2020 and 22% in 2030 (1.6 million and 4 million vehicle sales respectively), according to research company Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Achieving such growth levels, however, will be dependent on two key factors - aggressive reductions in battery costs and rising gasoline prices.

A new study released by American Express OPEN, the small business division of the financial services company, demonstrates the power of collaboration and partnerships to succeed in winning bids for federal contracts.

Office Depot, a leading global provider of office products and services, announced the results of the October Office Depot Small Business Index – a monthly survey commissioned to gauge the economic trends of small businesses in America. Overall, the October issue of the Office Depot Small Business Index reveals that attitudes toward the economy have improved over the past month among both small- and medium-sized businesses.

The euro area (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.1% in September 2010, compared with 10.0% in August. It was 9.8% in September 2009. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.6% in September 2010, unchanged compared with August. It was 9.3% in September 2009.

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.4 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending September 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.3 percent while benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of compensation) increased 0.6 percent.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Mexico increased 0.8 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.5 percent in August.

Traditional media is in trouble. Newspapers are struggling with circulation and magazines like Newsweek are being sold for $1. And, while two-thirds of Americans (67%) still agree that they prefer to get their news in more traditional ways such as network television and/or reading newspapers or magazines in print, over half of Americans (55%) say traditional media as we currently know it will no longer exist in ten years. Additionally, half of U.S. adults (50%) say they tend to get almost all their news online.