Nearly all the increases occurred during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
In the past 25 years Americans have become more politically polarized than at any time, according to a major survey released Monday by the Pew Research Center.
Continue reading… “Political polarization hits 25-year high in the U.S.”
Today’s workers care intensely about how their employer operates in the community.
The notion that companies have an obligation to “give back” to the world in which they work and, especially, profit is an oft-debated topic of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Not every C-level executive is convinced of its importance. But the growing trend is for CSR to play an integral part in successful companies’ business planning.
Continue reading… “Debunking 4 myths of Corporate Social Responsibility”
First-time, full-time graduate enrollment in STEM programs registering a 50% increase over the decade.
A new report from the National Science Foundation (NSF) finds that the number of Americans pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering has risen sharply over the past decade and stands at an all-time high.
Continue reading… “Enrollment in U.S. graduate STEM programs increased 50% over last decade”
The average sales price of homes in foreclosure or bank owned was $161,214.
The leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, RealtyTrac® has released it Q1 2012 U.S. Foreclosure Sales Report™ which shows that sales of homes that were in some stage of foreclosure or bank owned accounted for 26 percent of all U.S. residential sales during the first quarter. The sales are up from 22% of all sales in the fourth quarter and up from 25 percent of all sales in the first quarter of 2011.
Continue reading… “Sales of foreclosed homes account for 26% of all home sales in the U.S.”
Thirty-two percent of surveyed consumers have made a purchase after seeing an image on a social image-sharing site.
Retailers have some new social commerce opportunities on the horizon. Consumers are spending more and more time with image-sharing social networks like Pinterest and Polyvore, and they are clicking through to product websites quite frequently.
Continue reading… “Pinterest leads consumers to online product purchases”
By 2016 we are on pace to generate 1.3 zettabytes of data, about four times more than we create today, according to the latest data out from Cisco. Cisco tells us that’s more than 38 million DVDs streamed in an hour. Or, you can think of it as a 1 followed by 21 zeros.
Continue reading… “What our web addiction will look like in 2016”
About 20 percent of the 1,400 or so daily papers in the U.S. will charge for online access by the end of the year.
Last week McClathy’s announced it will expand its paywall testing to four more sites and now the Chicago Tribune’s plans to charge readers for some of its online content. This further proof that a majority of large newspaper companies now believe in some form of paid online content.
Continue reading… “Majority of large newspaper groups experimenting with paywalls”
Do-it-Yourself Economy
Russell Howze was working as a creative at an advertising agency in Atlanta when he got laid off due to budget cuts years ago. For years he spent his time piecing together work through various corporate jobs, until he decided to follow his heart. Russell then founded a nonprofit organization for artists, and now supplements his income running street art tours through Vayable in his spare time.
Continue reading… “Micro-entrepreneurship a growing trend”
More than 89.6 million Americans bought an item from a catalog last year.
Spending online is increasing. But retail catalogs are not fading away. Catalogs are still an important part of business for retailers.
Continue reading… “Retail catalogs thrive in the Internet Age”
The amount of capital available for entrepreneurs when you count the customer market is much larger.
The startup community gave itself a high five in April when the JOBS Act was signed. Crowdfunding would enable startups to reach out to the whole world to get access to funding, not just a small cabal of investors living in a 20-mile radius of Menlo Park.
Continue reading… “Crowdfunding from customers – new class of investors for startup capital”
Futurist Thomas Frey: The insurance industry exists as a tool for mitigating the costs and damage associated with a single incident occurring for an individual or organization.
Continue reading… “Transforming the Future of the Insurance Industry”
American Idol
The “American Idol” finale hit a new low this week with nearly 22 million TV viewers tuning in to watch, down 31% from last year.
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.