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Household saving rate at 14.4% in the euro area and 10.9% in the EU27. Business investment rate at 22.5% in the euro area and 22.0% in the EU27.

European companies are still lagging far behind in applying measures that would permit the conciliation of work and family life in response to workers' demands. According to research by Catenon Worldwide Executive Search, a European talent search company, barely 5% of companies offer some type of nursery service for their employees. Only one in ten have flexible work schedule measures in place, demanded by three out of every four workers surveyed in the "Annual Catenon Work Satisfaction and Quality of Life Study 2007". On the other hand, United Kingdom earmarks 1.7% of its GDP to family aid, making it one of the countries with a low rating in this area.

The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) declined in both the EU and the euro area in July, while remaining at high levels. It decreased by 1.7 points in the EU and by 0.7 of a point in the euro area, to 113.3 and 111.0 respectively.

Euro area (EA13) seasonally-adjusted unemployment stood at 6.9% in June 2007, unchanged compared to May. It was 7.9% in June 2006. The EU27 unemployment rate was also 6.9% in June 2007, compared with 7.0% in May. It was 7.9% in June 2006.

Economic growth in the euro area is running at its fastest pace since 2000 and is mostly generated by domestic factors, say the chief economists of the European Banking Federation’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (EMAC). Although they estimate that growth should start slowing at this point in the cycle, it should nonetheless reach 2.7% for 2007 as a whole.

A total of 72,051 job cuts were announced in Europe between 1 April and 30 June 2007 as a result of 335 company restructuring cases, the latest European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) quarterly reveals. The UK records the largest numbers of job losses, followed by Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. These five countries made up 67% of all announced job losses in this quarter.

Fitch Ratings expects major Austrian banks to continue benefiting from their exposure to Central and Eastern Europe ("CEE"), where demand for credit remains substantial on the back of accelerated growth in most CEE economies. However, rapid retail loan growth in CEE could - if not properly controlled - lead in the medium-term to asset quality problems if CEE economies turn down.

The advent of various emerging mobile broadband wireless access technologies and the adoption of multimedia and user-generated content are going to create new growth momentum across the European mobile communications market.

comScore released the results of their latest study into career-related Internet sites in Europe, based on data from its comScore World Metrix service. According to the study, sites dedicated to online career resources, job search, and training attracted an average of 51.7 million European visitors per month during Q2 2007.

The Bloomberg Eurozone Retail Purchasing Managers' Index ("PMI(R)"), an indicator based on a mid-month survey of economic conditions in the euro area retail sector and providing data one month ahead of government issued figures, fell from 48.2 in June to 46.2 in July. The latest reading signaled a fall in retail sales for the third straight month, with the rate of decline accelerating to the highest
since May 2004. Lower sales were partly the result of bad weather deterring shoppers.