Facts That Make A Difference
1. BUSINESS - The annual revenues of the companies in the S&P 500 stock index are almost evenly produced from both inside and outside the USA, i.e., a 50/50 split. Eight years ago (2001), just 30% of sales for the S&P 500 companies came from outside the USA (source: Financial Times). 
2. NEEDS - The government borrowed $67 billion in 3, 10 and 30-year Treasuries last week, the largest amount ever borrowed by the US in a single week (source: Treasury Department). 
3. BANKS - 25 banks failed in 2008 across the USA (out of 8,384 banks nationwide) and were taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, i.e., 1 out of every 335 banks failed. By comparison, 217 banks failed per month (i.e., 7 banks per day) in the 3 ½ years following the October 1929 stock market crash (source: FDIC). 
4. UNIONS - 7 out of every 8 American workers do not belong to a union (source: Department of Labor). 
5. JOBS - Over the last 12 months, 3.4 million Americans have lost their jobs. However, 526,000 jobs have been added in education and health services over the same 1-year period (source: Department of Labor).
Categories: bank failure, treasury department, unions, unemployment, government borrowing, international business
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