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In October 2012 compared with September 2012, seasonally adjusted industrial production fell by 1.4% in the euro area (EA17) and by 1.0% in the EU27, according to estimates released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In September production decreased by 2.3% and 2.1% respectively.

In the EU27, money sent by migrants to their country of origin, usually referred to as workers' remittances, amounted to 39.1 billion euro in 2011, up by 2% compared with 2010.

Nowadays, enterprises have the possibility to provide portable devices, such as portable computers or smartphones, to members of staff, which allow them to connect to the internet while on the move and work from places outside the office. In January 2012, 48% of enterprises in the EU27 reported that they provided some type of portable device to at least some of their staff for business use. This was the case for 88% of large enterprises, compared with 71% of medium and 43% of small enterprises.

Ongoing access to capital and financing, strengthened balance sheets and divestiture activity will continue to fuel deal activity in 2013, according to PwC US. An acceleration of deals taking place during the final months of 2012 may result in a lull in activity during the first quarter; however, these sound deal fundamentals are creating optimism that the balance of 2013 will be a stronger year for U.S. mergers and acquisitions (M&A). According to PwC's U.S. M&A outlook, dealmakers remain hyper vigilant on diligence during the M&A decision making process, analyzing each outcome and the various impacts on investment and return scenarios to achieve certainty of deal success.

The EU27 external current account recorded a surplus of 28.4 billion euro in the third quarter of 2012, compared with a deficit of 9.1 bn in the third quarter of 2011, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical
office of the European Union.

GDP fell by 0.1% in the euro area (EA17) and increased by 0.1% in the EU27 during the third quarter of 2012, compared with the previous quarter, according to second estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the second quarter of 2012, growth rates were -0.2% in both zones.

In October 2012 compared with September 2012, the volume of retail trade fell by 1.2% in the euro area (EA17) and by 1.1% in the EU27, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In September retail trade decreased by 0.6% and 0.2% respectively. In October 20124, compared with October 2011, the retail sales index fell by 3.6% in the euro area and by 2.4% in the EU27.

In October 2012, compared with September 2012, the industrial producer price index rose by 0.1% in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU27, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In September prices increased by 0.2% and 0.3% respectively. In October 2012 compared with October 2011, industrial producer prices gained 2.6% in the euro area and 2.5% in the EU27.

In 2011, 119.6 million people, or 24.2% of the population, in the EU27 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 23.4% in 2010 and 23.5% in 2008. This means that they were at least in one of the following three conditions: at-risk-of-poverty, severely materially deprived or living in households with very low work intensity. The reduction of the number of persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU is one of the key targets of the Europe 2020 strategy.

The euro area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 11.7% in October 2012, up from 11.6% in September. The EU27 unemployment rate was 10.7% in October 2012, up from 10.6% in September. In both zones, rates have risen markedly compared with October 2011, when they were 10.4% and 9.9% respectively. These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.