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comScore released a report on U.S. e-commerce spending for the second quarter of 2007, which showed that non-travel (retail) e-commerce grew 23 percent versus year ago to $27.2 billion, while online travel spending increased 14 percent to $20.3 billion. Total U.S. e-commerce spending climbed 19 percent to $47.5 billion during the period.

Total compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.9 percent from March to June 2007, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. This was about the same as the 0.8 percent increase for the December 2006 to March 2007 period. Wages and salaries rose 0.8 percent from March to June 2007, compared with 1.1 percent for the previous quarter. Benefit costs increased 1.3 percent, up from 0.1 percent during the previous three-month period.

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India - the two economic powerhouses in developing Asia and the Pacific - are lagging in terms of economic well-being and living standards of their population, a new study undertaken by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) shows.

Sixty-four percent of U.S. middle market companies, with revenues between $25 million and $1 billion, are predicting growth over the next 12 months, even though nearly 60% believe the U.S. economy will slow down, according to a new study from the Economist Intelligence Unit and CIT Group Inc. Respondents also indicated that a “shortage of talented staff” and high “labor costs” were the top two challenges to achieving this growth.

Consumer prices in the OECD area rose by 2.2% in the year to June 2007, unchanged compared with the year to May 2007. On a monthly basis, the price level rose by 0.1% in June 2007 after a 0.4% increase between April and May 2007.

RealtyTrac(R) released its Midyear 2007 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows a total of 925,986 foreclosure filings - default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions - were reported on 573,397 properties nationwide during the first six months of the year, up more than 30 percent from the previous six-month period and up more than 55 percent from the first six months of 2006. The report also shows a foreclosure rate of one foreclosure filing for every 134 U.S. households for the first half of the year.

European companies are still lagging far behind in applying measures that would permit the conciliation of work and family life in response to workers' demands. According to research by Catenon Worldwide Executive Search, a European talent search company, barely 5% of companies offer some type of nursery service for their employees. Only one in ten have flexible work schedule measures in place, demanded by three out of every four workers surveyed in the "Annual Catenon Work Satisfaction and Quality of Life Study 2007". On the other hand, United Kingdom earmarks 1.7% of its GDP to family aid, making it one of the countries with a low rating in this area.

The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) declined in both the EU and the euro area in July, while remaining at high levels. It decreased by 1.7 points in the EU and by 0.7 of a point in the euro area, to 113.3 and 111.0 respectively.

Score One Inc. announced that China has surpassed Germany and become the second largest auto parts exporter to the US for the first time.

Nearly one in five Realtors(R) has sold a home to an international client in the past year, according to new research by the National Association of Realtors(R).