Menu

Capital One Small Business Banking released the results of its Q1 2010 Small Business Barometer, a quarterly survey of small businesses across the nation gauging their current financial condition and business projections for the next six months. A large majority (nearly 80 percent) of the small business owners surveyed in the first quarter of this year believe that economic conditions are either improving or holding steady. In addition, 39 percent of small business owners report that their company’s financial situation is better than it was last year (an increase of 11 percentage points over fourth quarter results) while 38 percent say that the firm’s finances have been stable over the past 12 months.

As U.S. employers continue to digest the provisions within the health care reform law, a new survey by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company, found most companies that offer pre-65 retiree medical benefits intend to apply for the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) to offset a portion of health care claims costs for retirees ages 55 to 64 and their families.

A majority of U.S. workers plan to rely on their employer-provided health care coverage now and in the future, according to a survey of more than 3,000 American workers and their dependents, conducted jointly by the National Business Group on Health and Hewitt Associates. However, more than one-third would consider dropping their employer-provided health insurance if they become eligible to purchase similar coverage through other avenues.

Consumer confidence in the overall economy remained relatively unchanged in May, while confidence in technology showed a slight drop, according to the latest data released from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® and CNET.

A new Vanguard study on mutual fund and exchange-traded fund (ETF) purchasing activity revealed that lower-cost products have attracted the predominant portion of investor dollars over the past decade.

As summer approaches, temperatures are not the only thing rising. Consumers also appear to be warming up to vacations and road trips, according to a new Deloitte survey. Almost one-third (31 percent) of survey respondents plan to take a leisure trip during the Memorial Day weekend, up from the 24 percent who said they traveled a year ago during the same period. In addition, 17 percent of consumers surveyed expect to take a longer break than they did last year.

A new online survey commissioned by the National Apartment Association conducted in May finds 76 percent of consumers deem renting to be the more favorable option to owning a home in the current real estate market, a 5 percent increase from 2008.

Employers took 1,856 mass layoff actions in April that resulted in the separation of 200,870 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in April increased by 228 from the prior month, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 50,006. In April, 448 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 63,616 initial claims.

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed or slightly lower in April. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases, 6 states had increases, and 10 states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate increases from a year earlier, 10 states had decreases, and 2 states had no change. The national jobless rate increased by 0.2 percentage point to 9.9 percent, up from 8.9 percent in April 2009.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. decreased 0.1 percent, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.3 percent and The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index® (LAG) increased 0.1 percent in April.