Sunday, October 23, 2011
U.S. Unemployment Down Sharply in Early October
Posted by Linda H on 8:37:00 AM
PRINCETON, NJ -- Unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, is 8.3% in mid-October -- down sharply from 8.7% at the end of September and 9.2% at the end of August. A year ago, Gallup's U.S. unemployment rate stood at 10.0%. While seasonal hiring patterns may explain some of this improvement, the drop suggests the government could report an October unemployment rate of less than 9.0%.
Retail Sales Post Biggest Gain In Months
Posted by Linda H on 7:08:00 AM
Meanwhile, a separate report Friday said businesses added to their stockpiles for a 20th consecutive month in August. The 0.5 percent increase in inventories suggests businesses were confident enough in the economy to keep stocking their shelves.Stronger consumer spending could help tamp down concerns that the economy is at risk of a recession. Consumer spending is closely watched because it accounts for 70 percent of economic activity.
PNNL Breakthrough Leads to Less Foreign Oil, More American Jobs
Posted by Linda H on 6:58:00 AM
In the United States, the majority of this oil is imported from foreign countries -- but about a decade ago scientists at the Energy Department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, created a breakthrough catalyst that converts sugar alcohols from corn, soy, and sunflowers into propylene glycol so efficiently that plant-based, U.S.-grown propylene glycol products could finally be cost-competitive with the traditionally oil-based ones.
"It's great to help bring this renewable chemical process to the marketplace," said Alan Zacher, a chemical engineer at PNNL. "This technology not only reduces our dependence on foreign oil, but it actually competes economically with old process for making propylene glycol from petroleum."
Apple Needs to Make it in America
