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With holiday planning already underway, retailers are looking for different ways to reach consumers and drive sales during the 2011 holiday season. Typically, retailers play to the traditional themes of the season to engage with consumers. However, new data released by Motista suggests that retailers should look beyond the traditional set of holiday emotions such as family and giving to understand what’s really motivating consumers to spend more. The data also reveals different ways in which men and women interact and connect with retailers, which may be useful as retailers plan their holiday marketing campaigns.

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in July. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate increases, nine states recorded rate decreases, and thirteen states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Thirty-seven states posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, seven states and the District of Columbia reported increases, and six states had no change. The national jobless rate was little changed at 9.1 percent but was 0.4 percentage point lower than a
year earlier.

After weeks of bad economic news and battling Congress over the debt ceiling and deficit discussions, President Obama is heading off for a little vacation time with his family to end the summer. Unfortunately, he is also ending the summer with the lowest approval ratings of his presidency so far. This month, just one-third of Americans (32%) give the president positive ratings on the overall job he is doing while two-thirds (68%) give him negative ratings. Last month, almost two in five (38%) gave the president positive marks while 62% gave him negative ones.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in July on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.6 percent before seasonal adjustment.

Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.1 percent from June to July, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. A 0.4 percent increase in average hourly earnings was more than offset by a 0.5 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

The July 2011 RE/MAX National Housing Report, which surveyed 53 U.S. metropolitan areas, shows signs of a continuing, but uneven, recovery in the housing market. After rising for two straight months, Home Sales fell 12.7% in July when compared with sales in June, following a traditional summer trend. However, for the first time in six months, Home Sales were higher than one year ago, up an impressive 13.1% from July 2010. Strict lending standards, bad appraisals and concern about the economy all contributed to lower than normal sales in July. Many lenders are already using the lower GSE and FHA loan limits set to take effect on September 30. Home Prices were even and inventory levels continued to fall for a thirteenth straight month.

With the cost of employee health care benefits expected to increase next year at more than twice the rate of inflation, large U.S. employers are planning to have workers share more of the cost next year, according to a new survey by the National Business Group on Health, a non-profit association of 329, mostly large employers. The survey also found that more employers are adopting consumer driven health plans and making other changes to their benefit programs as various components of the health care reform law take effect.

Generation Opportunity, the new, non-profit, non-partisan organization educating, engaging, and mobilizing young Americans 18-29 years old on the immediate and long-term economic challenges facing the nation, such as the lack of job opportunities and increasing debt and federal spending, is highlighting polling numbers outlining the views of young people on their preferred solutions to address record unemployment and the bad economy.

Mortgage rates declined for a third straight week, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate now 4.45 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.45 discount and origination points. The record low of 4.42 percent was set in October and November of 2010.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.5 percent, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.3 percent and The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index® (LAG) increased 0.2 percent in July.