Total hourly labour cost in the euro area (EA13) rose at an annual rate of 2.5% in nominal terms up to the third quarter of 2007, compared with 2.4% for the previous quarter. In the EU27, the annual rise was 3.7% up to the third quarter of 2007, compared with 3.3% for the previous quarter.
The European Central Bank (ECB) publishes its December 2007 Financial Stability Review. The Review, which has been published semi-annually since December 2004, assesses the stability of the euro area financial system both with regard to the role the system plays in facilitating economic processes and to its ability to prevent adverse shocks from having inordinately disruptive impacts.
Corporate earnings in the US, Europe, and Japan will weaken and stock market volatility will increase, according to a majority of investment professionals surveyed in New York, London, Melbourne, and Tokyo by AXA Rosenberg in October and November.
The USA is losing its status as a globally active world power more and more. In contrast, China, India and, more recently, Russia once again, have managed to significantly increase their superpower images.
Fitch Ratings has said that the European automotive supply industry continues to face material challenges, but at the same time provides promising opportunities for suppliers with strong positions in growth areas such as environmental-friendly technology, safety, electronics and comfort.
Although the housing market has been in turmoil for much of 2007, most borrowers have not been negatively impacted and overall satisfaction across the mortgage lending industry has remained stable since 2006, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Primary Mortgage Origination Study(SM).
Restaurant industry sales are expected to reach $558 billion in 2008 - a 4.4 percent increase over 2007 - and the industry will employ 13.1 million individuals in 945,000 restaurant-and-foodservice outlets, according to the National Restaurant Association's 2008 Restaurant Industry Forecast.
Just two weeks before Christmas, sweeping new EU rules to crackdown on misleading advertising and aggressive selling practices - including a ban on fake "free" offers and a ban on "pester power" advertising (direct exhortation) to children on the Internet - will come into force across the EU.
Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $28.03 per hour worked in September 2007, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
