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Unit labour costs in the total economy rose 0.3% in OECD countries in the third quarter of 2009, the same rate of growth as in the previous quarter.

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, released a study of online health insurance activity in 2009. The study found that nearly 24 million Americans visited a health insurance site in Q4 2009, representing 10 percent of the total U.S. online population.

Aldata Solution, a leading provider of software solutions for the retail industry, released findings from the second annual Global Retail CIO Survey, jointly sponsored with IBM. The survey showed that IT budgets appear to be recovering after the initial downturn at the start of last year’s recession, with averages for all retailers at 1.3% of sales compared to 1% last year. Twenty-six percent of respondents expect their IT budget to increase; the same figure as last year.

GDP increased by 0.1% in both the euro area (EA16) and the EU27 during the fourth quarter of 2009, compared with the previous quarter, according to flash estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the third quarter of 2009, growth rates were +0.4% and +0.3% respectively.

In the EU27, money sent by migrants to their former country of residence, usually referred to as workers' remittances, amounted to 31.8 bn euro in 2008, compared with 31.3 bn in 2007 and 19.4 bn in 2004. These figures include both intra-EU27 and extra-EU27 flows.

In December 2009 compared with November 2009, seasonally adjusted industrial production fell by 1.7% in the euro area (EA16) and by 1.9% in the EU27. In November production grew by 1.4% and 0.9% respectively.

The pace of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the industrial manufacturing sector experienced sequential increases in both deal volume and value during the fourth quarter of 2009, as well as the sector's first year-over-year increase in the past eight quarters, according to a series of quarterly M&A reports released by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). The chemicals sector experienced an increase in deal volume but a decrease in value in Q4, while the metals sector showed an increase in deal volume and value compared to the previous quarter. Deal volume in the industrial manufacturing segment increased by 182 percent and deal value grew by 313 percent compared to the year ago quarter.

According to a new survey announced by Ruder Finn, one of the world's largest, independent public relations agencies, Americans are spending an average of 2.7 hours on the mobile Internet – connecting socially, managing their personal finances, and even as a means for advocacy.

A global survey of 15,000 consumers across 15 countries highlights a huge demand for smart, personalized mobile Internet services. However, mobile carriers are risking their place in the mobile value chain by not responding to these demands quickly enough. Survey respondents suggest that over the next six months, media organizations such as the BBC, application developers such as Facebook and service providers such as Google, will be viewed as the most appropriate providers instead of mobile carriers.

Despite growing water-scarcity risks in many parts of the world, the vast majority of leading companies in water-intensive industries have weak management and disclosure of water-related risks and opportunities, according to a first-ever report issued by the Ceres investor coalition, the financial services firm UBS and financial data provider Bloomberg.