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Real average hourly earnings was unchanged from December 2009 to January 2010, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. A 0.2 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was offset by a 0.2 percent increase in average hourly earnings for all employees.

The labor-force participation rate is increasing for older Americans (those age 55 and older) as older workers are faced with higher health costs and economic losses, according to a study published by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

More than 60 percent of San Francisco Bay Area CFOs have revenue growth targets over 5 percent and 45 percent of finance executives predict revenue growth over 10 percent in 2010, according to Armanino McKenna LLP, the largest CPA firm headquartered in California. Organic growth and more efficient operations are identified as the top priorities for companies seeking to achieve these growth targets.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.3 percent, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.2 percent and The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index® (LAG) decreased 0.1 percent in January.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, in charge of Industry and Entrepreneurship, met with ministers in charge of the automotive industry. They discussed the economic challenges facing the European car industry, what short-term measures could be made available, as well as the medium term strategy ensuring a sustainable recovery from the crisis.

In 2007, GDP per inhabitant, expressed in terms of purchasing power standards, in the EU27's 271 NUTS-2 regions ranged from 26% of the EU27 average in the region of Severozapaden in Bulgaria, to 334% of the average in Inner London in the United Kingdom.

American homeowners'confidence in their own homes' values during the fourth quarter fell to the lowest level in seven quarters, with just one in five (20 percent) believing their own homes' values increased during 2009, according to the Zillow Q4 Homeowner Confidence Survey. In reality, 28 percent of homes increased in value during the year, according to Zillow's Fourth Quarter Real Estate Market Reports.

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 1.4 percent in January, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This increase followed a 0.4-percent advance in December and a 1.5-percent rise in November. In January, at the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods climbed 1.7 percent, and the crude goods index jumped 9.6 percent. On an unadjusted basis, prices for finished goods moved up 4.6 percent for the 12 months ended January 2010, their third consecutive 12-month increase.

According to a Fitch Ratings special report, the historically weak U.S. employment outlook will continue to hinder the process of corporate credit quality improvement in the early stages of the economic recovery. The report, 'Leaning Against the Wind: U.S. Employment Weakness and the Corporate Credit Recovery', goes on to say that the notable weakness of the employment outlook is likely to complicate firms' efforts to boost margins, cash flow generation and liquidity in the early stages of the cyclical expansion.

Despite continuing financial challenges, American consumers believe they can see the light at the end of the economic tunnel according to a new study. The most recent installment of the Western Union® Global Business Payments Money Mindset Index, conducted in Q4 2009, found that 17 percent of consumers believe their financial situation had improved during the past six months (versus 15 percent in Q3 2009) and a full one-third of consumers expect their finances to continue improving in the first half of 2010. Correspondingly, the study found a slight decrease in the number of consumers who reported feeling “stressed” when considering their ability to meet financial obligations (50 percent versus 53 percent in Q3 2009).