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The slowdown in OECD economies is reaching the bottom following the deepest decline for more than 60 years, says the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook. But recovery is likely to be weak and fragile, and the economic and social damage caused by the crisis will be long-lasting.

The world's 65-and-older population is projected to triple by mid-century, from 516 million in 2009 to 1.53 billion in 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In contrast, the population under 15 is expected to increase by only 6 percent during the same period, from 1.83 billion to 1.93 billion.

The global economic crisis is having an impact on the already poor performances of the water sector in Russia. The existing infrastructure is largely outdated resulting in frequent breakdowns and is also relatively inefficient with high energy consumption and substantial water losses. It has been estimated that a staggering sum of $459 billion (15 trillion Rubles) is needed to complete the necessary upgrade, refurbishment and new build for water and sanitation infrastructure in Russia by 2020. With the downturn affecting the market, the massive capital requirement for the implementation of the "Clean Water" programme is going to be a big challenge.

Consumer confidence in the overall economy held steady in June, according to the latest data from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® and CNET. The CEA-CNET Indexes also show that consumer confidence in technology and consumer electronics (CE) continues to improve.

In April 2009 the working day and seasonally adjusted current account of the euro area recorded a deficit of EUR 5.9 billion. In the financial account, combined direct and portfolio investment showed net outflows of EUR 7 billion.

Unemployment in OECD countries will continue to rise well into 2010, with the average unemployment rate approaching 10%, up from 7.8% in April, according to new OECD projections.

Despite affordable home prices and low interest rates, the majority of Americans considering a home purchase still need a little extra incentive. According to a recent survey conducted by Weichert, Realtors, increasing the current tax credit to $15,000 and/or extending it to all buyers would offer the motivation needed to turn more onlookers into buyers.

As the European economy suffers its worst post-war recession, the European Recovery Plan provides needed fiscal support to ailing economies. But rising public debts and the contingent liabilities incurred by governments to support the financial sector, together with the prospected increases in age-related expenditure and slowdown in potential growth raise concerns about public finance sustainability. An exit strategy strengthening fiscal policy frameworks, reforming age-related spending and spelling out the broad consolidation measures envisaged when the recovery has taken hold is required to address these concerns and underpin consumer, business and financial market confidence, the 2009 Report on public finances shows.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index™ (LEI) for Germany increased 0.4 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index™ (CEI) decreased 0.2 percent in April.

Employers took 2,933 mass layoff actions in May that resulted in the separation of 312,880 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported.