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A new Fact Sheet released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that in 2009 median weekly earnings for women were $657 compared with $819 for men, a female-to-male-earnings ratio of 80.2 percent (making for a weekly gender wage gap of 19.8 percent). While the weekly gender wage gap narrowed slightly in 2009, it is still above its lowest point of 19 percent in 2005. Only full-time workers are included in this measure. An alternative measure of the gender wage gap, based on median annual earnings, is not yet available for 2009; in 2008 it was 22.9 percent.

EU Employment and Social Affairs Ministers agreed on a new facility to provide loans to people who have lost their jobs and want to start or further develop their own small business. The European Microfinance Facility will have a starting budget of €100 million which could leverage more than €500 million in cooperation with international financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group. The initiative is part of the EU's response to the crisis and is especially targeted at people who cannot normally obtain credit because of the economic crisis and the current lack of credit supply.

While interest in alternative vehicles may be growing, consumers do not see ‘green’ as the only purchasing factor and are demanding more from automakers, according to an Accenture study.

Nonfarm payroll employment was little changed (-36,000) in February, and the unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment fell in construction and information, while temporary help services added jobs. Severe winter weather in parts of the country may have affected payroll employment and hours; however, it is not possible to quantify precisely the net impact of the winter storms on these measures.

The Monster Employment Index rose by ten points in February, as employers resumed hiring activity after January’s seasonal lull. The long-term growth rate turned positive, with the Index up 2 percent year-on-year, for the first time since December 2007 suggesting some improvement in the underlying demand for labor.

Coming off a year that saw severely diminished venture investment and deal volume in 2009, the venture capital community appears optimistic that a rebound will occur this year, with a prominent focus on the greentech sector, according to a recent survey by the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG LLP.

How much higher is the life expectancy for women than for men, and what is it expected to be in 2030? Is the unemployment rate for women higher than for men? And what about the employment rate? What are the differences between women and men in their use of the internet - sending e-mails, reading on-line newspapers, doing internet banking or checking work opportunities?

Prime Advantage, the leading buying consortium for midsized industrial manufacturers, announced the findings of its Group CFO Survey, revealing the top financial concerns of its member companies’ CFOs in 2010.

Six out of ten employees (63%) are covered by a recognised institution of employee representation, according to Eurofound's Second European Company Survey of 27,000 public and private companies across Europe. The survey paints a positive picture of robust practices of workplace social dialogue, but also point to limitations and to important differences across Europe.

In January 2010 the average MFI interest rates on new deposits and loans showed mixed developments. Almost all the average MFI interest rates on outstanding amounts of deposits and loans further decreased.