Thursday, January 08, 2009

Quick Overview

  • The U.S. Labor Department said that jobless claims were down 24,000 last week to 467,000.

  • The Bank of England cut rates from 2% to 1.5%, the lowest since 1694.

  • Chancellor Alistair Darling denies he is planning to "print money" in order to boost the UK economy.

  • Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon promised nearly $150m to struggling industries in a bid to save hundreds of thousands of jobs.

  • Euro zone business sentiment fell to 67.1 from Novembers 74.9 - the lowest level since records started in 1990.

  • Euro zone GDP fell 0.2% QoQ,

  • Euro zone unemployment rate rose from 7.7% to 7.8%.

  • Australia's building approvals fell 12.8% in November.

  • The Japanese central bank is providing banks with emergency loans ($13bn) in a new bid to stimulate its worsening economy.

  • Brazil cut its corn production estimate by 85 million bushels. Soybean production forecast was lowered by 36.8 million bushels.

  • (WSJ) The No. 1 problem facing US taxpayers? A tax code so complex that Americans spend $193 billion per year just trying to figure out how much they owe.

  • In a report just published, "The Digital Road to Recovery: A Stimulus Plan to Create Jobs, Boost Productivity and Revitalize America," the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) finds that a $30 billion investment in America's digital infrastructure -- broadband networks, health IT, and a smart power grid -- will spur significant job creation in the short run, creating approximately 949,000 U.S. jobs while leading to higher productivity, increased competitiveness, and improved quality of life

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