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Small business owner optimism continues on a five-quarter decline, according to the recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index (Index) survey conducted in April. The Index score dropped to 48, the lowest level reported since the survey's inception in August 2003, when the score was 69.

Increasing demand for Internet based services means that there would not be enough addresses to support this expected growth, if no action is taken. Encouraging internet users and providers to adopt the latest Internet Protocol (IP version 6 or IPv6) will provide a massive increase in address space, much in the same way as telephone numbers were lengthened in the 20th century. The European Commission set Europe a target of getting 25% of EU industry, public authorities and households to use IPv6 by 2010, calling for concerted action at European level to get all actors prepared for a timely, efficient change to avoid extra costs for consumers and give innovative European companies a competitive advantage.

Fitch Ratings warns of the risks to emerging market (EM) sovereign creditworthiness from rising inflation and has developed a ranking of Fitch-rated EMs according to their vulnerability to inflation shocks.

In the Communication "Better careers and more mobility: a European Partnership for Researchers ", the European Commission seeks a partnership with Member States to ensure that the necessary human resources are available to sustain and enhance the contribution of science and technology to a knowledge-based European economy.

Small business owners halted a steady decline in their economic confidence in May as the number of those with cash flow issues decreased to its lowest total in six months. The Discover® Small Business WatchSM rose more than five and a half points in May to 81.8, up from 76.1 in April.

In terms of sheer numbers of users, 2008 marks the year that China overtakes the US as the largest Internet market in the world.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Commission will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at furthering coordination of European Union external lending policies. The objective of the MoU is to strengthen the consistency of EIB lending with the external policy objectives of the EU by reinforcing dialogue and planning between the two institutions, so as to optimise the use of grant and loan resources.

To improve the internal market for construction products, the European Commission has proposed to replace the “Construction Product Directive” (89/106/EEC) by a new Regulation aiming to remove all remaining regulatory and technical obstacles to the free circulation of construction products in the European Economic Area.

From June 2007 to September 2007, the number of job gains from opening and expanding private sector establishments was 7.2 million, and the number of job losses from closing and contracting establishments was 7.5 million, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Existing-home sales slowed in April, partly because restrictive lending practices hampered home buyers. At the same time, a greater number of areas are showing sales gains from a year ago and a recent reversal in mortgage policy means the market is better positioned for a turnaround, according to the National Association of Realtors(R).