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The 2010 Debit Issuer Study, commissioned by PULSE, reveals that the debit market remained robust during the second year of the economic downturn and is projected to grow strongly in 2010. The study finds that much of the growth in debit use is in small-ticket transactions, suggesting that more consumers prefer debit over cash.

The North American automotive supply industry, which just a year ago was flat on its back in crisis, has already bounced back to early-2000s profitability levels, when production levels were 30% higher. But, in order to maximize what is a unique and historic opportunity, companies today must employ “smart growth” strategies to ensure that all the hard work and restructurings of the past year are fully capitalized upon. That’s according to the study released by AlixPartners LLP, the global business-advisory firm.

According to TNS' Investor Confidence Index, there was a significant decline in confidence amongst affluent American investors in May 2010. The Investor Confidence Index is now at 100, down from the December 2009 result of 112. This most recent result reflects a reversal of much of the gains made in investor confidence since the post-crisis low of 81 was measured in October of 2008.

Labor productivity - defined as output per hour - rose in 46 percent of the 138 detailed manufacturing, mining, and service-providing industries studied in 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This was down from the 62 percent that recorded productivity increases the previous year. Unit labor costs, which reflect the total labor costs required to produce a unit of output, declined in 30 percent of the industries, compared to 20 percent in 2007.

Despite being bombarded daily by news about European sovereign debt issues, the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. federal deficit, the vast majority of consumers say these and other crises have had little impact on their current spending habits, according to the monthly RBC Consumer Outlook. More than three-in-four Americans (80 percent) say that the European debt crisis has had no effect on their spending habits, and 72 percent say that the Gulf oil spill will result in no change. Other concerns, such as the federal budget deficit, stock market volatility and continued high unemployment, also have had little impact.

Industry partnerships, concerned law enforcement officers and resilient retailers have done their part in making a small dent in the growing problem of organized retail crime, but new research shows there’s still a lot of work to be done. According to NRF’s sixth annual ORC survey, 89.5 percent of retailers surveyed say their company has been a victim of ORC within the past 12 months, a slight decrease from last year’s 92.2 percent.

Mortgage rates hit another record low this week, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 4.88 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.5 discount and origination points.

Small businesses (SBs, or firms with less than 100 employees) in the US are increasingly relying on online channels to purchase computing hardware and packaged software solutions. This is a far cry from the days when retail stores and channel partners were the only relevant channels that catered to SBs. Channel partners and retailers still have the highest share of SB spending on basic computing products (such as PCs, printers, peripherals, etc); these channels, however, are slowly losing share to direct market resellers (DMRS) as well as online vendor direct.

Employer costs for employee compensation averaged $29.71 per hour worked in March 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Wages and salaries averaged $20.67 per hour worked and accounted for 69.6 percent of these costs, while benefits averaged $9.04 and accounted for the remaining 30.4 percent. Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $27.73 per hour worked in March 2010. Total employer compensation costs for State and local government workers averaged $39.81 per hour worked in March 2010.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.58 percent, down nine basis points from 4.67 percent at this same time last week. This is the lowest rate recorded since Zillow Mortgage Marketplace launched in April 2008.