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Business

Most Recent Releases

August 28, 2006

Small Business Owners Rate Economy Strong but See Worsening Business Conditions Ahead

Discover Business Card released the results of the inaugural Discover® Small Business Watch (SM) today, a new monthly Index of economic confidence of the nation’s 22 million small businesses with five or fewer employees.

August 28, 2006

Discover ® Card Survey Finds 67% of Small Business Owners Happy to Remain Small

Nearly 67% of owners of businesses with five or fewer employees are quite happy to have their companies remain small and 61% don’t expect to work for anyone else before they retire.

August 2, 2006

U.S. Worker Confidence Unaffected by Mideast Turmoil, Stock Performance and Gas Prices

The Hudson Employment Index (SM) held steady at 101.9 in July, marking the third consecutive month that the measure of worker confidence has remained essentially unchanged.

July 26, 2006

General Motors Still a Giant?

Discussions about a possible alliance among General Motors (GM), Nissan and Renault have ignited sparks among union leaders and elected officials in Michigan and cast a renewed focus on the state of America’s auto industry.

July 19, 2006

Home and Office - Workers Want It All

While only 23 percent of U.S. employees work from home or are given that option, most of the work force (59 percent) believes that telecommuting at least part-time is the ideal work situation.

July 12, 2006

Private Business Owners Split on Economy

An inaugural survey of more than 600 private business owners in the United States whose companies employ at least 50 people showed decidedly mixed views on the current and future state of the U.S. economy.

July 5, 2006

Chicagoland Residents Less Confident About Economy

Chicagoland consumers are less confident in the U.S. economy than the national average, according to the Rasmussen Consumer Index for Chicagoland released today by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

July 5, 2006

Workers Confidence Holds Steady in June

After declining in May, U.S. worker confidence in the employment market held steady in June, as the Hudson Employment Index(SM) shifted up 0.1 points to 102.4.

June 28, 2006

Most Americans Wild for Walmart

A Rasmussen Reports survey conducted on June 28, 2006 found that 69% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Walmart, including 29% who have a very favorable opinion of the retail giant.

June 27, 2006

Americans Concerned About Inflation

Thirty-six percent (36%) of Americans are very worried about inflation over the next year or so.

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June 27, 2006

Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce To Be First Regional Sponsor of Rasmussen Consumer Index

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce announced today that it will be the first regional sponsor of the Rasmussen Consumer Index, a consumer economic confidence measure. As a sponsor, the Chamber will be the region’s exclusive provider of a quarterly Chicagoland Consumer Index based on nightly polls of adults conducted by Rasmussen throughout the quarter.

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June 27, 2006

Rasmussen Reports Offers Local Consumer Index Surveys

Rasmussen Reports said today that it will offer sponsorship opportunities for state and local market editions of the Rasmussen Consumer Index™, the company’s national measure of economic confidence.

June 21, 2006

Americans Unfamiliar With Bernanke

When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks, financial markets tremble. In recent weeks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has fallen hundreds of points in response to the new Chairman’s comments on the state of the economy.

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June 14, 2006

Real Estate Investing Less Attractive

Given a choice between four different options for investing new money, just 44% of US Investors would now put that money into real estate.

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June 13, 2006

Good Investment Advice Only for the Rich

Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of investing Americans believe that those with more money are able to get better financial advice than those with less money.

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May 31, 2006

Worker Confidence Falls Five Points

U.S. worker confidence in the employment market declined in May, as the Hudson Employment Index fell 5.4 points to 102.3. Lowered optimism regarding personal finances and less anticipated hiring contributed to the drop.

May 9, 2006

Tax Views

A quarter century after Ronald Reagan rode the tax revolt to the White House, Americans continue to believe that tax cuts help the economy and tax hikes hurt.

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May 3, 2006

Worker Confidence Strong

Worker confidence in the U.S. labor market remained strong in April as the Hudson Employment Index(SM) climbed 1.5 points to 107.7. The April reading, which is 5.3 points higher than this time last year, was fueled by a surge in hiring expectations among employees and managers.

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May 3, 2006

72% of Workers Satisfied with Compensation

The number of workers expecting their employers to boost headcount in the coming months rose two points in April to an all-time high of 34 percent. Private sector workers were even more optimistic with 40 percent expecting their firms to add staff.

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April 5, 2006

Worker Confidence Cools, But Remains Hot in March

Coming off of a 15-month high of 108.2 in February, the Hudson Employment IndexSM fell two points in March to 106.2. While none of the factors influencing the Index reported any noteworthy changes, there was a slight easing of optimism virtually across the board.