Decline in unemployment in the first quarter in the UK

The number of unemployed people in the UK fell in the first three months of the year at their own pace strongest in nearly a year, according to figures released Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics.

The UK economy fell into recession at the beginning of the year, fueling fears that the private sector employees join the ranks of job seekers when State removes some 700,000 civil service posts as part of its austerity measures.

But following the methodology of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the number of unemployed fell by 45,000 in the first quarter to $ 2.625 million.

The unemployment rate actually fell to 8.2%, while the consensus gave unchanged at 8.3%. 

The number of unemployed youth, a very sensitive politically, also declined to 1.02 million, bringing the unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 to 21.9%.

British companies have also increased their workforce for the first time in a year, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (ICPD). The CIPD warns that the changing economic landscape could make it difficult in the short-term improvement on the labor market.

Recovery within 3 months of buyback of shares to the ECB

The European Central Bank (ECB) will resume its share buyback program of sovereign debt of countries in the euro area in the course of the next three months because of high yields on securities of different countries and relapse into recession in the block, show the results of a Reuters poll of economists from.

Three quarters of survey participants believe the central bank will resume its work on sovereign debt to lower yields and a large majority of them expect it to intervene in the three coming months. 

"The renewed tensions on the bond markets can provide an alarm loud enough to wake the share buyback program," said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec, in reference to the purchase program of sovereign debt in the euro area the ECB has shelved for six weeks.

"There is nothing imminent, but we feel that this should not be too far off," continued Philip Shaw.

The ECB had reactivated its share buyback program in August after four months of interruption while the sovereign debt of Italy and Spain were attacked. 

The lull caused by the announcement and the implementation of two unlimited refinancing operations to three years in December and February, which resulted in the injection of more of 1,000 billion euros liquiditésa led to a muting of the program.

The representatives of the ECB, and its chairman Mario Draghi himself Wednesday, had clearly said that the ball was now in the court of governments regarding new measures to support the activity.

Yields on sovereign debt in Spain ten years, however, have recently crossed the threshold of 6.0%, considered difficult to sustain over time. 

The ECB has already acquired the equivalent of 200 billion sovereign debt while sterilizing its interventions by a withdrawal of an equivalent amount of liquidity to the banking system avoid monetization of public debt that its statutes forbid it.

The first results of the survey from Markit purchasing managers (PMI) for the euro area in April released Monday showed an increased contraction of activity in the private sector.

According to a previous Reuters poll of economists from the euro area is expected to moderate recession until the third quarter of this year. 

The ECB lowered its main rate at a record low of 1.0% in December, should not change it in one way or another before 2014, according to the forecast EM diane of economists surveyed this week.

Only one economist told to expect the ECB to lower its main rate by a quarter point at the next meeting of its Board of Governors, May 3

Italy has revised downwards its growth forecast

The government of Mario Monti expects a decline of 1.2% of GDP for 2012, against an anticipated 0.4% decline in December. And return to a balanced budget is delayed. "Reforms should increase growth by 2.4% between 2012 and 2020," according to the government of Mario Monti.

The Italian government on Wednesday revised downwards its forecast for gross domestic product (GDP) for 2012, providing for a contraction of 1.2% against a 0.4% decline in the last official forecast from December. He at the same time delayed its planned return to balanced budgets, expecting a deficit of 0.5% in 2013 (instead of 0.1% predicted), in a statement issued at the end of a cabinet.

This forecast remains "in compliance" with the Covenant which provides that the European budget deficit must remain below 0.5%, says the text. One aspect stressed by the Head of Government Mario Monti at a press conference: "The Treaty (European Pact on budget) requires each Member State there is in each country a deficit not exceeding the 0.5% of GDP, "he said. "The government estimates that GDP will contract by 1.2% in 2012 to turn positive again in 2013 (0.5%) and speed over the two successive years (1 and 1.2% respectively)," the statement said . "This will allow the public debt (…) to fall to 120.3% (of GDP) in 2012 to 110.8% in 2015," said the government.

"The debt is on a path of gradual but sustainable," noted Mario Monti in its reasoning accompanying the new government's economic forecasts. "Despite progress, there is still a long way to go, in a more favorable but still characterized by elements of uncertainty," he adds.

For the government of Mario Monti, "the action of financial balance has been accompanied by the adoption of various reform measures aimed at removing the main obstacles that have hindered the growth potential of Italy. Based on estimates government, reforms should increase growth by 2.4% between 2012 and 2020, "said he. "We must revive growth in the context of a model of fiscal stability and this is the way to build a modern economy and social market," said Mr Monti, saying that "growth is the most large préoccuptation "Italians.

"We fight every day to avoid the dramatic fate of Greece," he said. "This crisis requires a very high cost to families, youth, workers, businesses and sometimes these experiences are completed in despair," he said in a grave tone evoking directly to contractors suicides occurred recently. "There were 1,725 ​​suicides, it is the dramatic effects of the crisis," he said.

The President of the Council also strongly condemned tax evasion, promising a fight against this scourge in Italy. "The commitment to fight against tax evasion responds to reasons of justice. Evasion is between companies unfair competition and a way in which citizens dishonest cause harm to other citizens, causing pressure (fiscal note) higher, "he said.

The advertising Maurice Levy defends his bonus

Maurice Levy, chief executive of Publicis Groupe, Saturday defended the bonus of more than 16 million that has been granted and which had been criticized by Many political.

"This is a deferred compensation that is to say, it has been accumulated over the years," he said on RTL.

"It's nine years during which there was a requirement (…) which was to outperform (…) If I had my match bonuses each year, person never would have spoken, "he added, acknowledging that this was" big money "and understand that this saying may be shocking.

Maurice Levy said he regretted a form of political recovery of the amount of his bonus in full campaign period. 

Without naming them, he estimated that some politicians had decided to be seized "or because they were out of the program, either because they were out of political jurisdiction or simply because they wanted to flatter the base instincts of what is known as the populism ".

"We're saying success is prohibited when it is accompanied by an economic success," he said.

The advertising we found would have "done better" to ask him what he would do this bonus, but without any answer to this question.

Publicis revealed in its 2011 reference document that Maurice Levy would receive approximately 16.2 million euros in accumulated deferred variable compensation ; art since 2003. 

The PS candidate Francois Hollande felt it was "not acceptable" that people receive such a sum in times of crisis "where everyone has to make efforts." The government spokesman Valérie Pécresse also found "disproportionate" as a bonus.

As for Nicolas Sarkozy, who promised, if elected, to introduce stricter control of very high salaries, he expanded his conviction of the person Elisabeth Badinter, the daughter of the founder and main shareholder of the group Publicis. Stressing that it has "left heart", the president criticized the socialist candidate to condemn the bonus Maurice Levy without associate.

LIVE. Xavier Bertrand debate-Francoise Gri on youth employment

The Minister of Labour is currently a guest on Expansion and Business Institute for a discussion with Francoise Gri, Manpower France's patron. Follow the live chat with Dailymotion.

In anticipation of upcoming elections, the Institute of Business and Expansion Tuesday, April 10 to receive 8h30Xavier Bertrand, UMP Minister of Labour, and Francoise Gri, President of ManpowerGroup France. They discuss the theme: "Youth employment: how to meet (finally) the challenge?".

The debate is moderated by Beatrice Mathieu, a journalist at L'Expansion. It is broadcast live on Dailymotion. You can also comment on twitter and ask your questions or comments via or via the # debateco. Three questions will be selected and asked Xavier Bertrand on video.

Casino will be the sole controlling shareholder of Brazilian GPA

Casino announced that it would exercise its right to become the sole controlling shareholder of Grupo Pao de Acucar, a decision that could undermine the influence of the president's first distributor in Brazil .

The influence of the French retailer Grupo Pao de Acucar has intensified since President and member of the founding family Diniz attempted to mount last year a merger with Carrefour. 

"To prepare for the reorganization of the control of Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao (GPA) on 22 June, as provided in the shareholders of the company ; Wilkes (which controls GPA), Casino Guichard-(Casino) informed his partner that day Mr. Diniz it intended to exercise its contractual right to appoint the Chairman of the Board of Directors Wilkes, "said Casino in a statement released Wednesday evening.

"The decision to exercise this power Casino contract allowed him to obtain exclusive control of GPA, pursuant to the shareholders of the company Wilkes," says Casino, who said so confirm its "long-term commitment in Brazil." 

In the opinion of analysts, litigation with Casino qu'Abilio Diniz involves risks losing its control over a company founded by his father in 1948.

A spokesman representing the interests of the family Diniz said the right to control Casino was established in a shareholders' agreement and added that 'Diniz remain president Henrique.

But some analysts say it will not only be a minority shareholder of a corporation over which he exercised control once.

Its proposed alliance with Carrefour had received a time downstream of the Brazilian government, which subsequently withdrew its support. 

But Casino, who paid a premium to exercise its right to control when he came to the rescue of the distributor in 1999, had strongly opposed this and appealed to the courts.

The local press also wrote qu'Abilio Diniz wanted to propose a split of the subsidiary appliances, leaving the Casino supermarket division, which represents roughly half of turnover of the group.

HeidelbergCement sees 2012 profit up, dividend statement

HeidelbergCement said on Thursday anticipating a rise in operating profit in 2012 thanks to growth in demand in all markets except Western Europe and new measures cost reduction.

The fourth global manufacturer of cement did not specify the magnitude of the expected increase in profit, which should grow well for the third straight year.

"The growth rate expected to ease on most markets because of measures taken to strengthen public finances," said Chief Executive Bernd Scheifele said in a statement.

"Growth rates in emerging Asia and Africa are expected to remain significantly higher than those of mature markets of North America and Europe."

The competitor Lafarge will propose an increase of 40% dividend per share in 2011, to 0.35 euros. Analysts had forecast 0.38 euros, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine

.

The credit was sent back to U.S.

The consumer loans have almost regained their pre-crisis dynamism Some U.S. consumers during the "Black Friday", Friday, October 26, 2010 REUTERS / Adam Hunger

The consumer credit surged for the third consecutive month in the U.S. in January, according to figures released Wednesday by the U.S. central bank (Fed).

Outstanding consumer credit in the country (2,512.3 billion) grew by 8.6% annually and seasonally adjusted data for the previous month, the Fed said on its website .

Using this type of borrowing has accelerated compared to December, where the increase in consumer credit was 7.9%. The increase in assets was nevertheless lower than in November (9.8%). Volume, growth in January was 17.8 billion compared with December, according to figures from the central bank, which is well above the increase expected by the analysts ($ 12.0 billion according their median estimate).

The Federal Reserve, the January increase was the result of a new surge in non-recurrent (student loans or buying a car mainly), whose growth was 14.7%, the highest since February 2002.

Revolving loans (primarily those made by paying by credit card) have slowed progress of the Fed index backwards for the first time in five months, 4.4% from December.

After collapsing for two years, the consumer credit rose almost continuously in the United States since October 2010 (it fell only once since then, in August 2011). The Fed said that the whole of 2011, the consumer credit rebounded 3.6%.

Beiersdorf expects profits up in 2012

Beiersdorf expects earnings growth in 2012, having eliminated unprofitable products to focus on its flagship brand Nivea, waiting for a new chief executive next month.

The consumer products group general public has lost market share in recent years and attempts to remedy this by redesigning its product line dominated by Nivea, the first global brand of care the skin.

Beiersdorf, which also owns the range of luxury cosmetics La Prairie, announced in January and the results better than expected margin for 2011, suggesting that a slow movement of recovery maybe put on.

He believes that the operating margin of the consumer division should exceed that of 2011, stood at 11.4% against 12.7% in 2010. 

The new CEO Stefan Heidenreich will take the reins of the group in April, charging him with driving a change which, if it proved unsuccessful, could fuel speculation by Beiersdorf future operational able.

The group proposes an unchanged dividend of 0.70 euro per share, while analysts polled by Reuters had expected € 0.68.

Commerzbank increased its capital, earnings down sharply

Penalized by a $ 700 million spent on Greek sovereign debt, Commerzbank, the second German bank, said Thursday a sharp decline in profit while by announcing a capital increase to strengthen its balance sheet.

This capital increase, which will help meet the requirements of regulators, will be through the conversion of hybrid instruments and subordinated debt.

The bank said it was missing at the end of December 1.8 billion euros, the lack of capital to bridge having been reduced by improving the management structure of capital and the sale of risky assets.

It nevertheless recognizes that the crisis in the euro area is a potential threat to its results. 

"The high degree of uncertainty associated with the crisis of European sovereign debt will remain, however, a challenge for us," said the CEO of the bank Martin Blessing.

Commerzbank also said to be exposed to the tune of 12.3 billion euro sovereign debt Portuguese, Italian, Irish, Greek and Spanish.

The second German bank said it had depreciated its claims on Greece to 74% in late 2011.

In the last quarter of fiscal 2011, the bank generated an operating profit of 163 million euros after a loss of 855 million in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter 2010, operating profit was stood at 256 million euros.

For 2012, the group said it anticipates an improvement in balance and adds that it will concentrate on the German and Polish markets.