But Absence of Sustained Job Growth Continues to Challenge Labor Market Recovery

In April, the unemployment rate remained stable in all European economies compared except the Netherlands, where it declined slightly from 7.3 to 7.2 percent, according to unemployment rates and employment growth data compiled and standardized by The Conference Board International Labor Comparisons (ILC) program.

According to International Data Corporation's (IDC) EMEA Server Tracker, vendor revenue in the EMEA server market hit $2.9 billion in 1Q14 — a $44 million increase over the corresponding quarter in 2013 (1.5% yearly). According to the tracker, 537,800 units were shipped in 1Q14 — 3.9% (or around 22,000 units) less than in 1Q13, due to the rise in market trends such as virtualization and integrated systems.

The quarter-on-quarter performance in the EMEA region between 4Q13 and 1Q14 highlighted an overall negative trend, with a 20.3% decrease in vendor revenue and a 10.8% decrease in units shipped.

An express appeal for the need for gas competitiveness and diversification in the region was heard today at a roundtable in Belgrade by key business and energy experts. Hosted by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, representatives of Bulgarian and Hungarian Chambers of Commerce, Natural Gas Europe, agreed that there was a need for more active cross-border cooperation that would facilitate a dialogue between various authorities on a local and regional level, and the business community on energy matters in the Balkans.

Natural gas has an important role in addressing the critical challenge of competitiveness that will increasingly touch upon all Europeans, including Serbia and therefore, moving forward, the region's energy strategy needs to focus on competitiveness.  

73% of small businesses are working longer hours than last year with 83% working at weekends

New research from eFax, a leading provider of digital faxing solutions and a brand of j2 Global, Inc (NASDAQ:JCOM), has revealed that while a staggering 98% of UK small businesses are optimistic about their company's growth in 2014, they are having to work their fingers to the bone to make that a reality.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area rose 0.2 percent March to 111.2 (2004=100), following a 0.1 percent increase in February and 1.4 percent increase in January.

"The Euro Area LEI increased in March, but its pace of growth has recently slowed, suggesting that the recovery in the Euro Area is not likely to pick up substantially in the months ahead," says Bert Colijn, senior economist at The Conference Board.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Germany increased 0.3 percent in February to 109.4 (2004 = 100), following a 0.6 percent increase in January, and a 0.3 percent increase in December.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Germany, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.3 percent in February to 108.5 (2004 = 100), following a 0.4 percent increase in January, and a 0.1 percent decline in December.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for France declined 0.3 percent in February to 117.7 (2004 = 100), following a 0.4 percent increase in January, and a 0.3 percent increase in December.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for France, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.1 percent in February to 103.7 (2004 = 100), following a 0.1 percent decline in January and a 0.1 percent increase in December.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Spain declined 0.2 percent in February to 106.0 (2004 = 100), following a 0.9 percent increase in January, and a 0.2 percent decline in December.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Spain, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.2 percent in February to 94.1 (2004 = 100), following a 0.3 percent increase in January, and a 0.1 percent decline in December.

A new survey by Glassdoor, a jobs and careers community, reveals that one in five (21 percent) UK employees[1]say that they fear losing their job in the next six months. The Q1 2014 UK Employment Confidence Survey[2], conducted online by Harris Interactive among UK employees, monitors four key indicators of employee confidence: job security, salary expectations, job market optimism/re-hire probability and business outlook optimism.

While 21 percent of employees are concerned that they may be made redundant, in the North East and North West, one in four (25 percent) employees report concern of this.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.K. increased 0.4 percent in February, after increasing 0.6 percent in January and remaining unchanged in December. Five of the seven components made positive contributions to the index this month. The index now stands at 109.9 (2004=100).

"The U.K. LEI continued to increase in February, with most components contributing positively," said Bert Colijn, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. "However, order book volume declined and stock prices were flat. The index's six-month growth rate suggests that the economy will continue to recover, but further acceleration in the months ahead seems unlikely."

Natural Gas Prices Declined Again in U.K. and Continental Europe on Mild Weather

Day-ahead electricity prices in continental Europe recorded a fifth consecutive monthly decline in March as surging German solar and wind output helped chase prices lower in neighboring countries, according to data just released by Platts, a leading global energy, petrochemicals and metals information provider.

In this briefing, Smithers Pira examines the state of the European printing industry specifically in terms of the performance and next steps for various printing equipment and processes.

Printing equipment

Challenges continue to present themselves throughout Europe for traditional printing equipment suppliers.