Business http://www.gallup.com/ http://backend.userland.com/rss Gallup WebTeam Job-market conditions improved in October, driven by improvements in the South and the East, with hiring up and layoffs down in both regions. Still, the job situation is unchanged in the Midwest and West. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124109/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-October-Jobs-Best-South-East.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124109/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-October-Jobs-Best-South-East.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:15:00 GMT Halloween may have buoyed consumer spirits as Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index, Job Creation Index, and Consumer Spending measure all rebounded from prior- week declines -- returning to or nearing their best levels of the past several weeks and reflecting the variability of today’s consumer economic perceptions. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124064/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Halloween-Raises-Spirits.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124064/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Halloween-Raises-Spirits.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup’s Job Creation Index increased to +3 last week, closing in on its high for the year. Gallup's Economic Confidence and Consumer Spending measures also improved compared with the prior week. http://www.gallup.com/video/124031/Weekly-Economic-Insights-2009.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/124031/Weekly-Economic-Insights-2009.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT As the White House claims 640,000 jobs have been saved or created by the economic stimulus package, Gallup finds American workers reporting slightly more hiring at their companies since July, but no increase in the percentage who say it is a good time to find a quality job. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124004/Despite-Positive-Signs-Americans-Negative-Job-Market.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/124004/Despite-Positive-Signs-Americans-Negative-Job-Market.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:15:00 GMT Investors remain slightly optimistic overall in October, but the Gallup Index of Investor Optimism -- a broad measure of investor perceptions -- shows investor optimism retreating slightly from September and falling back to its August level. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123938/Investor-Optimism-Down-Slightly-October.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123938/Investor-Optimism-Down-Slightly-October.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 GMT Economic confidence fell slightly last week from the prior week and now stands well below where it was a month ago. The job situation deteriorated from its 2009 high of the prior week, while consumer spending fell back to its 2009 trend line from its paycheck- and Halloween-inspired high. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123863/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Declines-Around.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123863/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Declines-Around.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup's Economic Confidence, Job Creation, and Consumer Spending measures all trended downward last week. http://www.gallup.com/video/123869/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Confidence-Jobs-Spending-Down.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/123869/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Confidence-Jobs-Spending-Down.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup finds that a median of 78% of respondents in 10 European countries support government intervention in the financial sector during times of economic crisis. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123824/Europe-Gov-Intervention-Financial-Crises.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123824/Europe-Gov-Intervention-Financial-Crises.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Americans spend the most on Saturdays, followed closely by Fridays; accordingly, weekend spending far exceeds weekday spending. More importantly, intensifying spending swings on payday weeks imply there may be a new “cash-based” spending pattern developing. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123839/Consumers-Spend-More-Weekends-Payday-Weeks.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123839/Consumers-Spend-More-Weekends-Payday-Weeks.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT As the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed past 10,000 last week, economic confidence was unchanged, but consumer spending surged and job-market conditions reached their high for the year. If these trends persist for the next few weeks, Christmas sales could surprise to the upside. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123737/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Spending-Jobs-Climb-With-Dow.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123737/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Spending-Jobs-Climb-With-Dow.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup's Job Creation Index rose to 4 last week, the most positive reading for this measure so far in 2009. http://www.gallup.com/video/123740/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Job-Creation-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/123740/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Job-Creation-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup finds 10% of Americans feeling that now is a “good time” to find a quality job, showing no improvement since February, and well below most of 2008. Job-market conditions have improved in every region except the South compared to earlier this year, but are still much worse than a year ago. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123683/Americans-See-Little-Hope-Finding-Quality-Job.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123683/Americans-See-Little-Hope-Finding-Quality-Job.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT Gallup surveys conducted before and after the global economic crisis last year show a sharp 35-percentage point drop in Russian consumer confidence as the economy suffered its worst decline in a decade. Eight in 10 Russians (79%) join Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in worrying about higher unemployment. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123647/Russians-Confidence-Crumbles-Economy.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123647/Russians-Confidence-Crumbles-Economy.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Hiring improved a little last week -- bouncing back to its best level of the year, and suggesting less deterioration in the job market -- but consumer confidence was flat and consumer spending fell back, staying within its new normal, and is down 33% from a year ago. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123632/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Job-Market-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123632/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Job-Market-Improves.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT The average $740 consumers predict they will spend on Christmas gifts this year is down from $801 recorded at this time a year ago, but higher than the $639 prediction Americans gave two months later in the economically troubled 2008 holiday season. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123608/Christmas-Spending-Forecast-Down-Year-Ago.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123608/Christmas-Spending-Forecast-Down-Year-Ago.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Consumer spending remains down 30% across income groups, suggesting retail sales and profit challenges this Christmas. This is the case even with consumer confidence hitting a new high in September and layoffs easing over the past five months. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123590/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-Confidence-Up-Wallets-Shut.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123590/Gallup-Economic-Monthly-Confidence-Up-Wallets-Shut.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:15:00 GMT Confidence in financial institutions and banks fell significantly in 10 of 12 European countries Gallup surveyed before and after last fall’s economic downturn -- with Ireland and Romania, the United Kingdom, and Portugal seeing some of the biggest declines. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123482/Crisis-Hurts-Financial-Institutions-Credibility-Europe.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123482/Crisis-Hurts-Financial-Institutions-Credibility-Europe.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT Consumer confidence took a tumble last week after three good weeks; job layoffs continued to reflect a weak job market; and while spending is up slightly from the prior week, it remains down 30% from a year ago. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123476/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Consumer-Confidence-Tumbles.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123476/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Consumer-Confidence-Tumbles.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup's Consumer Confidence Index fell to -29 last week, the lowest level recorded since mid-July of this year. http://www.gallup.com/video/123479/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Downtick-Consumer-Confidence.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/123479/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Downtick-Consumer-Confidence.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT The Gallup Index of Investor Optimism -- a broad measure of investor perceptions -- reached another new high for 2009 in Sept. 28-30 polling, but the month-over-month increase was modest, as views of the U.S. economy’s direction were unchanged. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123434/Modest-Increase-U.S.-Investor-Optimism.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123434/Modest-Increase-U.S.-Investor-Optimism.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:30:00 GMT Gallup’s Consumer Confidence Index for the month of September improved modestly over August, with most of the gains coming in the last half of the month. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123410/Consumer-Confidence-Slightly-Higher-September.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123410/Consumer-Confidence-Slightly-Higher-September.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 GMT Consumer spending last week was down 17% from the prior week and 39% from a year ago, even as Gallup’s Job Creation Index tied its best level of the year and Gallup’s Consumer Confidence Index hit a new 21-month high. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123212/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Spending-Trails-Confidence-Jobs.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123212/Gallup-Economic-Weekly-Spending-Trails-Confidence-Jobs.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT Gallup's Consumer Confidence Index rose to a new 21-month high of -20 last week and Job Creation remained positive (3), tying its best level of the year. http://www.gallup.com/video/123224/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Consumer-Confidence-Jobs-Improve.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/video/123224/Weekly-Economic-Insights-Consumer-Confidence-Jobs-Improve.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT While 84% of Americans believe the economy is in a recession, most (65%) expect it to improve in the next year. Still, 6 in 10 are at least somewhat worried that an economic crash could occur in the next 12 months. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123209/Cautious-Optimism-About-Economy-Year-Ahead.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123209/Cautious-Optimism-About-Economy-Year-Ahead.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:45:00 GMT Gallup’s economic measures show the Midwest improving so far in September, with job creation increasing (25% of employees now report their companies are hiring) and consumer spending (down 26% from a year ago) down the least for any region. http://www.gallup.com/poll/123200/Midwestern-Economy-Improving-September.aspx?CSTS=tagrss http://www.gallup.com/poll/123200/Midwestern-Economy-Improving-September.aspx?CSTS=tagrss Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:15:00 GMT