This news certainly caught my eye since Toyota and its suppliers employ tens of thousands of Americans.  It is certainly a positive sign from our auto industry, and let’s hope the other’s forecasts reflect the same.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), has raised its global sales forecast for the year to March 2010 by 3 percent to 6.7 million cars, the Tokyo Shimbun daily reported on Saturday, in the latest sign of a nascent recovery in auto demand.

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By John Parry

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. consumer sentiment rose in late September to the highest since January 2008 as expectations of an economic rebound gathered momentum, a survey showed on Friday.

The data added to indications the economy is pulling out of a lengthy recession more powerfully than many analysts had expected a few months ago, although doubts persist about how much staying power the rebound may have.

The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its final index of sentiment for September rose to 73.5 from 65.7 in August. This was above economists’ median expectation for a reading of 70.3, according to a Reuters poll.

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BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese industrial output and other economic data surprised on the upside in August, suggesting its recovery is on a solid course but not so strong that Beijing will need to hit the policy brakes anytime soon.

Asian shares edged up as the data supported regional recovery hopes, while the Australian dollar cut losses against the dollar and yen and oil prices rose above $72 a barrel.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. employment picture will stay bleak well into next year long after the recession ends, but the worst of the labor market crisis is over, top private economists said on Thursday.

Private economists polled for the Blue Chip Economic Indicators September survey say the unemployment rate will reach at least 10 percent in early 2010 and “recede from that level only grudgingly over the second half of the year”.

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LONDON (Reuters) – The G20 will promise this weekend to keep economic support packages in place until recovery is certain and seek to reassure financial markets they have credible plans to withdraw the stimulus when appropriate.

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PARIS (Reuters) – The global recession is coming to an end faster than thought just a few months ago and may already be over, according to forecasts published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on Thursday.

The recovery may even prove a little stronger than previously predicted, OECD chief economist Jorgen Elmeskov told Reuters in an interview where he elaborated on the forecasts for several key economies.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – A monthly gauge of U.S. online labor demand soared in August at its fastest pace in four years, indicating steadier footing for nationwide labor demand, a private research group said on Thursday.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – A key gauge of U.S. manufacturing activity likely rose in August, which would bring the index into positive territory for the first time since the recession began, according to a Reuters’ poll of economists.

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Submitted by The City Wire staff on Mon, 08/31/2009 – 4:20pm.

A flood of potentially positive economic news hit the business wires Monday, suggesting Americans are more optimistic about the future of the economy.

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