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Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses among private industry employers in 2006 occurred at a rate of 4.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers - a decline from 4.6 cases in 2005. Similarly, the number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses reported in 2006 declined to 4.1 million cases, compared to 4.2 million cases in 2005. These findings were reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor.

American companies view mortgage brokers and lenders as the primary culprit for the subprime mortgage mess, according to a recent survey of CFOs conducted by Financial Executives International (FEI) and Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business.

A recent study of initial public offerings (IPOs) from Ernst & Young LLP has identified several similarities among companies that had successful IPOs and strong subsequent performance. These similarities include the age of the company (and their CEO), whether it has a global operation, breadth of investor support, and transaction activity post-IPO, among other findings.

Three out of every 10 U.S. consumers improved their credit score by up to 50 points in a six-month period from January to June 2007, according to the latest National Score Index(R) study by Experian Consumer Direct(SM), the leading provider of online direct-to-consumer credit reports, scores and monitoring products.

The COUNTRY Financial Security Index continued it's upward swing in October, rising 1.3 points to 69.9, as Americans felt more confident in nearly all aspects of their financial security. The latest boost took the Index to its second highest reading of the year, just short of the 70.2 recorded in February.

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 1.1 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. This advance followed a 1.4-percent decrease in August and a 0.6-percent rise in July. The index for finished goods excluding foods and energy moved up 0.1 percent in September after increasing 0.2 percent in August. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods turned up 0.4 percent after declining 1.2 percent a month earlier, and the crude goods index rose 0.1 percent following a 3.0-percent drop in August.

This holiday season consumers will spend more than $35 billion on gift cards, according to Archstone Consulting.

Same-store sales growth fell in September to 1.3% from the month before and the prior year, according to TNS Retail Forward.

Close to 16 percent of American households who use the internet watch television broadcasts online, The Conference Board and TNS report. The number of consumers viewing entire episodes/shows on the internet has doubled from a year ago.

As more data come in, it looks increasingly as if September was as good a month as August was bad. Talk about a housing slump leading to an economic slowdown has become more muted, as it becomes clearer that the pace of economic activity isn't that weak, and potentially might not be weakening. If a recession isn't just around the corner, what is?