Online Advertising to Boom
Online ad spending is expected to grow by nearly 14 percent to $51.9 billion in 2011, compared with a year earlier, according to Borrell Associates. That far outpaces the 5 percent gain expected in total ad spending.
Office Rents Keep Dropping
Annual office rents should decline by another 2.1 percent in 2011 after falling 2.7 percent this year, says the National Association of Realtors. The group predicts commercial vacancies will peak early next year.
Business Travel Gets Another Boost
The average corporate travel budget is expected to rise by 4.5 percent in 2011 following a 5.5 percent increase in 2010, the National Business Travel Association forecasts. Rates on airfare, hotels, and car rentals are all expected to jump.
Tech Spending Ready to Rise
After two years of holding steady, IT budgets are poised to grow by 3.3 percent, according to the Corporate Executive Board. Nearly half of project budgets are expected to go toward business intelligence, collaboration tools, or customer interface.
No Stopping Health Care Cost Increases
The average health care premium increase for employers is expected to reach 8.8 percent next year, compared with 6.9 percent in 2010 and 6.0 percent in 2009, according to Hewitt Associations. The rise is the result of higher medical claim costs, an aging population, and changes brought on by health care reform.
Salaries to Rise – Modestly
Businesses budgeting salary increases expect to raise pay by 3 percent in 2011, following equally modest increases of 2.5 percent in each of the past two years, the Conference Board reports.
Employment Outlook Remains Bleak
U.S. businesses expect full-time employment to inch up by a scant 0.7 percent over the next year, while temporary employment will increase by 0.8 percent, according to a survey by Duke University and CFO Magazine. That won’t put much of a dent in the unemployment rate.
