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Like their larger counterparts, small businesses will be doing even more marketing online in 2010, according to studies from Vistaprint and Ad-ology.

Fitch Ratings expects a gradual recovery to continue for the global chemicals industry as global chemicals markets stabilized in the first half of 2009 and continue to rebound from record lows. In Fitch's North American & EMEA chemicals outlook reports, the company says the recovery in demand for chemical products will remain fragile next year with significant regional disparities in the growth trends reflecting varying economic expansion forecasts. Asia (China and India) and, to a lesser extent, South America (Brazil) are expected to continue driving global demand while anemic economic recovery will constrain prospects in the Western European and North American markets.

The continuing debate in the Senate on health care reform, and the sound and fury on the TV networks, talk radio and the blogosphere have left public opinion almost exactly where it was in October and November. The public is still split, with almost identical numbers of adults supporting "President Obama’s proposals for health care reform."

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index™ (LEI) for Mexico increased 0.4 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index™ (CEI) increased 0.1 percent in October.

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in November. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia recorded over-the-month unemployment rate decreases, 8 states registered rate increases, and 6 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the year, jobless rates increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national unemployment rate edged down in November to 10.0 percent, 0.2 percentage point lower than October, but 3.2 points higher than November 2008.

EU27 real agricultural income per worker has decreased by 12.2% in 2009, following a decrease by 2.5% in 2008, according to first estimates issued by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. This decline results from a reduction in real agricultural income (-14.2%), together with a fall in agricultural labour input (-2.2%). These estimates for the EU27 are based on data supplied by the national authorities in the Member States.

The first estimate for the euro area (EA16) trade balance with the rest of the world in October 2009 gave a 8.8 bn euro surplus, compared with -1.2 bn in October 2008. The September 20092 balance was +0.9 bn, compared with -6.0 bn in September 2008. In October 2009 compared with September 2009, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 0.2% and imports by 2.2%.

In 2008, China’s total expenditures on science and technology (S&T) continued to maintain a rapid growth. The expenditures of research and development (R&D) funds have increased steadily, the input intensity reached the highest level in the history.

Amid recent reports of high unemployment, Americans are increasingly concerned that economic conditions will continue to deteriorate and they are aiming to modify their financial habits accordingly.

New EU telecoms rules composed of the Better Regulation Directive and the Citizens’ Rights Directive will need to be transposed into national laws of the 27 EU Member States by June 2011. The new Regulation establishing the new European Telecoms Authority called "Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC)" is directly applicable and will enter into force in 20 days. BEREC will provide a force for consistent regulation across Europe strengthening the single telecoms market.