Executive Briefing

• Investor's Business Daily
• On 6:37 pm EST, Friday November 6, 2009

HIRING

Online Job Listings Decline In October

Dips in U.S. labor demand caused advertised online job vacancies to fall by 82,200 to 3.28 million in October.

The survey by the nonprofit Conference Board says the October drop followed one in September, pointing to continued weakness in employment.

"The September and October numbers are a further indication that, thus far, the recovery is weak," said Gad Levanon, the group's senior economist. "Labor demand is a leading indicator of employment, and the numbers indicate that employment is not likely to rise for the rest of the year."

Levanon says that while there are fewer layoffs and some states like Maryland and New York have a modestly upward trend, overall the labor market remains quite anemic.

"The gap between the number of unemployed and the number of advertised vacancies is about 11.8 million, with 4.5 unemployed for every online advertised vacancy," Levanon said.

RETAILING

CMOs See Lift In Holiday Sales

Chief marketing officers at top U.S. retailers expect both overall sales and comparable-store sales to rise by 2.6% and 1.4%, respectively, for the 2009 holiday season. Comparable stores refers to stores that have been open for at least 12 months.

The survey by consultant BDO Seidman found that 60% of CMOs from the largest 100 retailers expect to see a "meaningful" turnaround in the economy by the second quarter of 2010.

Virtually all (96%) of CMOs expect to offer more discounts and promotions during the holidays. That's up from 88% last year and 73% in 2007. Half of CMOs say the discounts will take the form of in-store promotions, followed by 41% who favor markdowns and 9% who are using online promotions. Fifty-four percent of retailers say they've cut inventory for the holiday season.

EXECUTIVES

C-Level Turnover Falls Sharply In Q3

Changes at the top ranks of U.S. public companies fell by double-digit rates in the third quarter as the economy seemed to put the worst of the financial crisis behind it.

Tracker Liberum Research says chief executive turnover declined 23% from a year earlier in the third quarter. Changes at chief financial officer fell 36%, while changes from directors down to vice presidents declined 24%.

SMALL BUSINESS

Solid Recovery In Two Years?

Looking out 12 to 24 months, most small-business owners are confident that they'll emerge from the recession strong and positioned for growth within the next two years.

The study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute found that 92% of owners expressed optimism about their enterprises, with 54% expecting to maintain business as usual. Thirty-eight percent were looking forward to expanding their business in the next 12 to 24 months.

Buzz up!