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Identity Theft High As Shoppers Gearing Up for "Cyber Monday" and "Black Friday"
ST. LOUIS, MO, (PRNewswire-USNewswire), November 22, 2009 - With the holiday shopping season just around the corner and consumers gearing up for "Cyber Monday" and "Black Friday" sales, identity theft is also running high.
According to Identity Theft 911's statistics, anywhere from two to four identity theft crimes are reported every hour of the holiday shopping season.
"The annual holiday shopping season is a peak time for identity theft, so it's critical that consumers be on high alert and educate themselves in order to help reduce the risk of becoming victims," said Adam Levin, Chairman, Identity Theft 911. "The last thing anyone wants is to become an identity theft target, and by taking the necessary precautions shoppers nationwide can help ensure they'll have a more enjoyable holiday season."
Identity Theft 911 offers these tips for safer holiday shopping:
1. When shopping online, look for a small "padlock" icon in your browser -- often in the address bar or in the lower right-hand corner of your browser window. If the icon appears, it means the site has been verified to be secure (and is likely legitimate).
2. Use credit cards instead of debit cards. Debit cards are the gateway to your bank or checking account, while credit cards offer greater liability protections.
3. Keep your credit card numbers to yourself. Don't store credit card and personal information in any online accounts, especially if you use the same password for several different ones.
4. Check your bank and credit card statements and accounts every day to make sure each transaction is yours. And remember that shopping Web sites have no reason to ask you for your Social Security number or passwords, so do not ever provide them.
5. Never send payment information via e-mail; these communications are not secure.
6. Don't use ATM machines that are in secluded areas. They are more likely to be equipped with card readers than an ATM in or near a bank. And when shopping in stores and malls, be sure to safeguard your purse or wallet -- and your credit cards.
Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Sector May Stabilize as Signs of an Economic Recovery Take Hold
ST. LOUIS, MO, (PRNewswire-USNewswire), November 22, 2009 - With just a little more than two weeks to go until the traditional Black Friday shopping blitz, consumers are showing more interest in purchasing personal electronics. One quarter (24.9%) of Americans are planning to buy small or personal electronics this month, up five percentage points from October, according to the Consumer Reports Index.
The Consumer Reports Next-30-Day Retail Index shows that planned retail purchasing for November was up slightly to 9.0 from 8.3 for the prior month. Planned purchasing of personal electronics in November has surpassed the near-term high in July '09 (22.1). Major home electronics ticked up slightly to 10.7 percent from 10 percent in October -- its highest level since June.
However, overall the bulk of consumers are reluctant to increase their retail spending habits as we approach the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Retail purchases in the past 30 days, as well as the overall outlook for the next 30 days remain soft, with little interest in increasing spending in other areas like appliances, yard and garden tools, cars or new homes.
"While relative stability has returned to the Retail Index, it has not been able to demonstrate growth for three straight periods. With the holiday season fast approaching, this has dire implications for expectations this season," said Ed Farrell, a director of the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
Overall the Past 30-Day Retail Index fell slightly to 9.0 from 10.4 in October and was significantly behind September (11.0). The Next 30-Day Retail Index stands at 9.0 relatively unchanged over the past 3-months.
The Consumer Reports Sentiment Index appears to be stabilizing, an improvement that coincides with a decline in personal financial difficulties and the Consumer Reports Trouble Tracker has fallen slightly to 62.1 from 65.5 in October and is down significantly from September's high of 68.7. The Consumer Reports Stress Index stands at 60.5, down slightly from October (62.3) but well below September (65.4). Additionally, the Employment Index is at 49.0 virtually unchanged from October's 48.4 reflective of a market that is still shedding jobs.
"The economy remains in a precarious position where further decline is possible but is slightly less likely. Unless consumers can see concrete improvements in their lives and retail activity picks up, any near-term recovery is improbable," Farrell added.
Missouri Receives $1.2 Million for Green Jobs Training
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), November 22, 2009 - The state of Missouri, through the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED), has been awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant for $1,227,192 in the area of "green" jobs training. DED's key partners in receiving the State Labor Market Information Improvement Grant are the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), Regional Workforce Investment Boards, the State Workforce Investment Board, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The grant proposal seeks to inform training providers of the critical skills that job seekers need to be successful in green industry careers. Product will include a green industry demand survey and report, green occupation projections, training provider survey and report, green pathways competency model, rapid response career guidance publications, and enhanced career exploration tools.
"This grant program will allow us to analyze labor market data to assess economic activity in green industries and identify occupations and skill requirements within those industries," said Governor Jay Nixon. "Our state workforce agencies can then use this information as the foundation on which to build and implement effective workforce development strategies, so we meet our goal of having a skilled workforce that is ready to fill the next-generation, green jobs of the 21st Century."
Under the grant, MERIC will use the funding to collect, analyze and disseminate labor market information to assess its impact in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. The research compiled by MERIC will be utilized to guide worker training and retraining efforts in Missouri's 43 Career Centers, administered by the DED's Division of Workforce Development.
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