How to Delete Empty Rows in Excel In 2 Simple Steps

In most spreadsheets, blank rows are undesirable. Microsoft Excel uses blanks to determine data ranges, and a blank row in the wrong place will inhibit many built-in features. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to remove blank rows from a data range in Excel — but this technique can potentially destroy data, so you must be careful. In this Excel tutorial, I’ll show you a quick and easy way to delete blank cells, which you might think of as rows, in the middle of a dataset without accidentally deleting adjacent data. Throughout the article, I use the term “row” to describe adjacent blank cells within the dataset. I use Microsoft 365 on a Windows 11 64-bit system, but you can use earlier versions. Excel for the web supports this easy technique. Step 1: Select blank cells in Excel Once you realize that your dataset has blank rows (cells), you’ll probably want to delete them. The first step is to select the blank rows, which is a tedious process if done manually. Fortunately, you don’t have to. To select all the blank rows in a dataset: Select the data range A3:E14 — or your own data range if you’re using a different dataset. Press F5. In the resulting Go To dialog box, click Special. Click the Blanks option, and then click OK. Doing so selects the blank cells in the selected range. In this case, that’s A7:E7 and A10:E10. Select the blank cells. (Screenshot: TechRepublic) Excel’s Go To feature lets you quickly select all the blank rows in the selection. Now, you’re ready to delete those rows. Don’t do anything to deselect the selection. SEE: Explore these Excel tips every user should master. Step 2: Delete blank rows in Excel Now, you’re ready to delete the selected cells. Until now, I’ve used the term rows, but deleting the actual rows will delete everything in that entire row, not only the selected range. This includes data that might be off-screen. To delete the selected cells — not rows — click Delete (not the dropdown) in the Cells group on the Home tab. This should delete only the selected cells. But if you don’t get the desired results, press Ctrl + Z to undo the delete, and then try the following: With the blank rows 7 and 10 still selected, click the Delete dropdown in the Cells group on the Home tab, and then choose Delete Cells. In the next dialog, click Shift Cells Up. You want to delete cells, not rows. (Screenshot: TechRepublic) Click OK. Excel will then delete the blank cells from the selected data range. The blank cells in rows 7 and 10 are gone. (Screenshot: TechRepublic) SEE: Learn how to parse time values in Microsoft Excel. Choosing Delete Cells removes only the blank cells in the selected range. If you choose Delete Sheet Rows in step two, you could potentially destroy data to the right. Choose carefully when using this option to delete blank rows when you really want to delete only the blank cells. It’s easy to think about rows and choose the wrong option. In such a small dataset, you could easily delete each row individually, but imagine doing so if you have dozens or even hundreds of records to review for blank cells. This method will save you time and effort, removing the possibility of missing blanks. More about Software How to avoid disaster when deleting rows in Excel Deleting rows, whether blank or not, can be hazardous. For instance, if you have data off-screen and out of sight, you won’t realize you’re deleting it when you remove the empty cells or rows right before you. Also, watch out for hidden rows that could be inadvertently deleted. In addition, many built-in features don’t work as expected when encountering blank rows. Let’s suppose you want to convert the example dataset to a Table object, so you click inside the dataset and press Ctrl + T. It just so happens that you click D5, expecting Excel to select the full dataset. However, it won’t. Excel selects the contiguous rows adjacent to the clicked cell, D5, which happens to be A3:E6 — a partial selection. The blank cells in rows 7 and 10 make it impossible to quickly select this whole data set. (Screenshot: TechRepublic) If you’re fortunate, you’ll notice that Excel doesn’t specify the entire data range. If you fail to notice, you won’t get the results you expect when using Table features. You must delete blank rows to use many of Excel’s built-in features. Can I also use keyboard shortcuts to delete blank rows in Excel? Fortunately, there is a way to delete blank rows using a combination of keyboard shortcuts. Instead of following the steps above, you can do some of the work with your keyboard. Here’s how to do it: Use Ctrl + A to select all data to avoid manually highlighting the range containing blank rows. Open the Go To dialog using Ctrl + G, then hit Alt + S to select Special. You must select Blanks and press Enter in the Go To Special dialog box. Press Ctrl + – with the blank cells highlighted to achieve the required deletion. Is using filters another good way to delete blank rows in Excel? Filters are another way to achieve the same aim in Excel. Here is how to use filters to delete blank rows: Click the Filter dropdown arrow in a column of your dataset where some rows are blank. In the Filter menu, deselect all options by unchecking Select All, then check only Blanks. Click OK to apply the Filter, displaying only rows with blank cells in that column. Highlight the rows by dragging your mouse down or pressing Shift and selecting rows. Right-click on any selected row and choose Delete Row, or press Ctrl + 1 and choose Entire Row. Be sure to choose a column where a blank cell means the entire row is irrelevant. As always, a good rule of

How to Delete Empty Rows in Excel In 2 Simple Steps Read More »

4. Job skills and training

Most workers (70%) say they currently have the education and training they need to get ahead in their job or career. Still, a sizable share (30%) say they need more education and training. Not surprisingly, older workers are more likely to say they have the training needed. The vast majority of workers ages 65 and older (86%) say this, larger than the shares among younger groups. Views also differ by educational attainment. While 80% of workers with postgraduate degree say they have the education and training needed, smaller shares of those with a bachelor’s degree only (70%) or with some college education (64%) say the same. Workers with a high school diploma or less education are more likely than those with some college education to say they have the education and training they need (70% vs. 64%). The best way to get training and education Of the workers who say they need more education and training to get ahead, views are mixed on what would be the best way to get it. 28% point to learning on the job as the best way. 24% point to a certificate program. 24% point to more formal education, such as a two-year, four-year or postgraduate degree. 13% point to classes or online tutorials. Another 10% of workers say they are not sure what would be the best way for them to get training. Preferences about the best approach for further skills development differ by age. Among workers who say they need more training, those ages 18 to 29 (31%) are more likely than those ages 30 to 49 (22%) or 50 and older (21%) to say the best way would be for them to get more formal education. In turn, workers ages 30 to 49 (15%) and those 50 and older (18%) are more likely than the younger group (7%) to say taking classes or watching online tutorials would be the best way to get the training they need. Workers with a high school diploma or less education stand out in their views about the best way to get further education and training. They are less likely than workers with some college or a bachelor’s degree only to see formal education as the best way to get the training they need (19% vs. 26% and 30%). Workers with a high school diploma or less education are also more likely than other groups to say they are not sure what would be the best way for them to get the training the need (15% vs. 7% to 9% among other groups). Who’s most likely to get training? Regardless of whether they say they need additional training, about half of workers (51%) say they have taken a class or gotten extra training in the past 12 months to learn, maintain or improve their job skills. Roughly the same share (49%) say they have not done this. Among workers who say they need more education and training: 53% say they have taken a class or gotten training in the past 12 months, while 47% say they have not. Most with a postgraduate degree (73%) say they got training in the past year, compared with 53% of those with a bachelor’s degree only and 50% of those with some college or less education. Reasons for getting training Among all workers who have taken a class or gotten extra training in the last 12 months, a majority say a major reason they did so was to keep up with field or industry requirements (62%). Many also point to employer requirements as a reason (45%). About half (52%) say a major reason they took a class or received training is to improve their job performance. And about three-in-ten or fewer point to wage or job opportunities – such as earning more money (31%), helping them get a new job (20%) or advancing them toward a promotion (19%) – as major reasons. Younger workers are more likely than older workers to point to wages and job opportunities as major reasons they got training. Among workers who have gotten training in the past year, those ages 18 to 29 are the most likely age group to say each of the following is a major reason they did so: Earning more money: 44% versus 34% of those ages 30 to 49, 16% of those 50 to 64, and 10% of those 65 and older. Helping them get a new job: 34% versus 21%, 9% and 3%. Getting a promotion: 30% versus 21%, 8% and 2%. Reasons for not getting training We also asked workers who have not taken a class or gotten training the past 12 months why they haven’t done this. About a third (35%) say they didn’t feel they needed to. Among workers who say they need more training but haven’t taken a class or gotten extra training in the last 12 months, many point to time and resource constraints as major reasons. 43% say they couldn’t find the time to do it. 38% say they couldn’t afford it. 28% say their employer wouldn’t cover the cost. Some 23% say a major reason is that they haven’t found the type of training they need, and a smaller share (16%) say they didn’t feel they needed it. Workers with lower and middle incomes are more likely than those with upper incomes to face economic barriers to training. Sizable shares of lower- and middle-income workers (41% and 43%) who report they need but didn’t get training say they couldn’t afford it. Just 11% of those with upper incomes say the same. What are the most important skills in today’s economy? We asked workers to rate the importance of nine skills a worker might need to be successful in today’s economy. Workers rate the following skills as the most important: Interpersonal skills (85% say this is extremely or very important) Written and spoken communication skills (85%) Critical thinking skills (84%) Smaller majorities place great importance on basic computer skills (72%) and management

4. Job skills and training Read More »

Enter the next phase of Industry 4.0 with edge AI

The business world is changing at a rapid pace. Less than 10% of the FTSE 500 companies that existed fifty years ago are still around today and less than half of the companies founded since 2000 are still operating. Company executives are well aware that their businesses need to adapt to keep up with the rapid transformation now taking place. Two things play an essential role in a firm’s ability to adapt successfully: its data and its applications. If these don’t have a modern foundation, then the whole transformation project will be doomed to failure. That’s why the issue is so important today. What companies need to do in order to cope with future challenges is adapt quickly: slim down and become more agile, be more innovative, become more cost-effective, yet be secure in IT terms. Which is why modernising applications is so important, especially for traditional businesses – they need to keep pace with the challenges facing trade and commerce nowadays. The matter is particularly pressing in view of the stiff competition from tech-savvy companies working in the cloud as it is much easier for them to be creative and agile. What is also important is saving the “intellectual legacy” of the more mobile but aging workforce and drawing on it in the new era. All kinds of things can be automated The question is, how should businesses go about modernising their own applications effectively? Generally speaking, a healthy application and data architecture is at the heart of successful modernisation. This requires understanding the current state of an organisation’s applications and data by conducting a thorough baseline analysis. Aligning modernisation with the firm’s business results and corporate vision is another key factor. The prioritisation and implementation of steps have to be adapted accordingly in order to achieve specific business objectives. A high-street bank in the UK shows just how necessary it is to tackle the challenges that modernisation poses systematically. Only three employees were left to maintain the IT system and run the company’s core processes at the time. They were no longer able to meet customers’ needs, and as a result, customer service at the bank suffered and its ranking dropped dramatically – a case where it would not have been enough to move the bank’s applications into the cloud. Stabilisation and extensive modernisation were called for to boost its business results. AI can accelerate processes What exactly is stopping companies from taking this kind of action, then (apart from the potential costs involved)? The thing that makes modernising applications so difficult is the complexity of the heterogeneous systems that companies have developed over the years. On top of that, there is a shortage of skilled workers capable of dealing with this degree of complexity. The good news is that these days, modernising applications is a discipline that draws on a wealth of experience, and much of it can now be harnessed automatically. For example, IBM has developed hundreds of tools and approaches (or “journeys”) over the last 25 years which facilitate the modernisation process in organisations and meet a broad range of requirements. These have all been grouped together now on a platform known as the IBM Consulting Cloud Accelerator. This can provide users with specific execution and transformation steps that accelerate the modernisation process rapidly – by around forty per cent in terms of planning alone. AI is another technology IBM employs that helps speed up the process – and fits into the existing framework as well. Take IBM Watson Code Assistant for Z, for example. Among other things, this AI-based solution helps developers change from COBOL to Java code quickly and efficiently. This makes their work easier and reduces new applications’ time-to-market. IBM Watson Code Assistant for Z is the first of a series of AI technologies that can help accelerate the modernisation process in the future. Partnerships and co-creation Business partnerships are another factor in accelerating application modernisation. After all, in many cases, modernisation is about creating the perfect interplay between secure core systems on a company’s premises with the capabilities that hyperscalers possess in the hybrid cloud. IBM and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have partnered up to make this easier. Both companies offer a wide range of joint services, spanning from the migration and modernisation of applications and databases to overhauling the apps available, developing modern applications, and DevOps on AWS. This benefits customers in several ways: the partnership between the two tech giants means considerable industrial know-how and technical capabilities can be combined to get their modernization on track strategically – and quickly. “Collaboration” is the key word when it comes to getting started in application modernisation. IBM’s garage method has proven its worth here, for example. Jointly developed by IBM consultants and their customers with the help of design thinking, pilot projects, use cases and standards are created in order to begin the modernisation process. Combined with using templates and architectural guidelines, this collaborative approach can be followed successfully through the whole modernisation process. Learn more about NTT DATA and Edge AI source

Enter the next phase of Industry 4.0 with edge AI Read More »

Tech Firm Says Unpaid Expenses Suit Belongs In Arbitration

By Emmy Freedman ( December 6, 2024, 4:09 PM EST) — A customer experience technology company urged a Colorado federal court Friday to throw out a lawsuit from a remote worker who said the company required her to purchase high-speed internet and a computer but didn’t reimburse her for these costs, saying the former employee signed a valid arbitration agreement…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Tech Firm Says Unpaid Expenses Suit Belongs In Arbitration Read More »

3. Job security

Most workers (69%) feel that they currently have at least a fair amount of job security, with 33% saying they have a great deal of security. Another 17% say they have some job security, and 13% say they have little to none. White workers and those with upper incomes are among the most likely to say they have a great deal of job security. About four-in-ten White workers (39%) say this, compared with 25% of Black workers and 22% each among Hispanic and Asian workers. And among upper-income workers, 43% say they have a great deal of security in their job. About a third of those with middle incomes (34%) and a smaller share of those with lower incomes (22%) say the same. Perceptions of job security also vary by the type of employer workers have. Government workers are the most likely to say they have a great deal of job security (47%), followed by those who work at nonprofits (39%). The survey was conducted before the announcement of possible cuts to the federal workforce in the next presidential administration. About three-in-ten of those who work at a private company (29%) or who are self-employed (28%) feel they have a great deal of security in their job. These patterns also hold when looking at those who say they have at least a fair amount of job security. Workers’ sense of job security is virtually unchanged from 2022, when we last asked this question. In that survey, 69% said they had at least a fair amount of job security, with 35% saying they felt a great deal of security. Some 16% felt they had some job security, while 15% said they had little or none. Looking for a new job For the most part, workers have no near-term plans to look for a new job: At the time of the October survey, 63% said they were unlikely to do so in the next six months. A quarter said they were at least somewhat likely to look for a new job, while 12% said they were neither likely nor unlikely to do so. These figures are similar to what they were in 2022. The shares who said they’re very or somewhat likely to look for a new job in the coming months are higher among some groups: 37% of Black workers and 30% each among Hispanic and Asian workers versus 20% of White workers 37% of workers ages 18 to 30 versus 26% of those ages 30 to 49, 16% of those 50 to 64 and 10% of workers 65 and older 37% of workers with lower incomes versus 23% of those with middle incomes and 17% of those with upper incomes It’s perhaps not surprising that workers who are not too or not at all satisfied with their job are far more likely than those who are extremely or very satisfied to say they’re likely to look for a new job (64% vs. 11%). About a third of those who are somewhat satisfied with their job (31%) say the same. The share saying they’re likely to look for a new job decreases as perceptions of job security grow more optimistic. About six-in-ten of those who say they have no job security at all (58%) say they’re likely to look for a new job, compared with: 50% of those with a little job security 33% of those with some job security 21% of those with a fair amount of job security 14% of those with a great deal of job security How easy or difficult would it be to find a new job? While the shares of workers who feel their job is secure and who say they’re likely to look for a new job in the near future are unchanged from two years ago, workers are now much more likely than in 2022 to say it would be very or somewhat difficult for them to get the kind of job they would want if they were to look for a new one today. About half of workers (52%) now say it would be difficult for them to find the kind of job they want, while 26% say this would be easy and 21% say it would be neither easy nor difficult. In 2022, similar shares of workers said it would be difficult (37%) as said it would be easy (39%) for them to find the kind of job they want if they were to look for a new one. The shares of workers saying it would be difficult for them to find a new job are up by double digits among men and women and across racial and ethnic groups, income tiers, and levels of educational attainment. This is also the case among workers in most age groups. (The increase has been more modest, at 8 points, among workers ages 65 and older.) Still, some groups are more likely than others to say it would be difficult for them to find a new job if they were to look for one. A majority of workers ages 18 to 29 (58%) say this would be difficult, compared with about half of those in older age groups. And while 62% of those with lower incomes say it would be difficult for them to find a new job, 51% of those with middle incomes and 45% of those with upper incomes say the same. source

3. Job security Read More »

ADIB-Egypt announces 1 billion EGP digital transformation plan

ADIB-Egypt has announced plans to invest 1 billion EGP in technological infrastructure and digital transformation by 2025. This ambitious initiative is poised to position ADIB-Egypt at the forefront of the digital banking revolution, transforming how customers interact with their financial services. In recent years, ADIB-Egypt has already made substantial strides in integrating technology into its operations. The bank has been dedicated to enhancing its digital platforms and improving customer experience. From the launch of its mobile banking app in 2020 to the enhancement of its internet banking services, ADIB-Egypt has consistently focused on providing convenient, secure, and user-friendly digital banking solutions. The investment in digital infrastructure is not just an extension of these efforts, but a strategic move to drive efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction to new heights. The EGP 1 billion investment will be used to bolster the bank’s technological capabilities, including the development of state-of-the-art data centers, the adoption of cloud technology, and the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning solutions. These technologies will allow ADIB-Egypt to better serve its growing customer base, offering more personalized products and services while ensuring that all transactions are secure, swift, and seamless. Additionally, the investment will help improve the bank’s internal operations, streamlining processes and reducing costs. source

ADIB-Egypt announces 1 billion EGP digital transformation plan Read More »

NC Hospital Gets Initial OK For $1.1M Data Breach Deal

By Hayley Fowler ( December 6, 2024, 5:07 PM EST) — A North Carolina Business Court judge has given his initial seal of approval to a $1.1 million settlement agreement in a data breach class action against Columbus Regional Healthcare System…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

NC Hospital Gets Initial OK For $1.1M Data Breach Deal Read More »

Qodo’s fully autonomous agent tackles the complexities of regression testing

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Code is continuously evolving in the software development process, requiring ongoing testing for quality and maintainability. This is the root of regression testing, in which existing tests are re-run to ensure that modified code continues to function as intended. However, regression testing can be time-consuming and complex, and may often be neglected in favor of other priorities. Easing the pain of software testing Qodo (formerly CodiumAI) says it can ease headaches in the process with the release today of its new fully autonomous AI regression testing agent, Qodo Cover. Its agent creates validation suites to ensure that software applications are, essentially, behaving. The two-and-a-half-year-old startup announced its new tool at AWS re:Invent, where it also pitched as a finalist in an AWS Unicorn Tank competition. “We’re moving toward a place where AI doesn’t just write code — it helps tackle the majority of developers’ workload by proving that code functions correctly,” Qodo CEO Itamar Friedman told VentureBeat. Supporting the next big leap in software development Qodo explained earlier this year at VentureBeat Transform that it is approaching AI agents in an incremental fashion — taking on competitors such as Devin that offer more end-to-end suites. The Israeli startup offers numerous small agents that handle specific tasks within software development workflows.  Qodo Cover is the newest of these. The fully autonomous agent analyzes source code and performs regression tests to validate it as it changes throughout its lifecycle. The platform ensures that each test runs successfully, passes and increases the amount of code it covers — and only keeps those that meet all three criteria.  It’s estimated that enterprise developers spend only an hour a day actually writing code; the rest of their time goes to other crucial tasks such as testing and review, Friedman pointed out. However, “many companies are rushing to generate code with AI, focusing on that one hour while ignoring the rest of the equation.” Traditional testing approaches simply don’t scale, he noted. This can stall the next leap in software development, where AI can reliably generate 80% or more of high-quality code. “Just like how hardware verification revolutionized chip manufacturing a few decades ago, we’re now at a similar inflection point with software. When 25% or more of code is AI-generated, we need new paradigms to ensure reliability.” Hugging Face-approved Demonstrating its ability to generate production-quality tests, a pull request generated fully autonomously by Qodo Cover was recently accepted into Hugging Face’s PyTorch Image Models repository. Pull requests are a means of quality control in software development, allowing collaborators to propose and review changes before they are integrated into a codebase. This can keep bad code and bugs out of the main codebase to ensure quality and consistency. The acceptance by Hugging Face validates Qodo’s offering and exposes it to more than 40,000 projects in the popular machine learning (ML) repository.  “Getting a contribution accepted into a major open-source project is a signal that AI agents are beginning to operate at the level of professional developers when it comes to understanding complex codebases and maintaining high standards for quality,” said Friedman. “It’s a peek into how software development will evolve.” Qodo Cover is built on an open-source project that Qodo launched in May. That project was based on TestGen-LLM, a tool developed by Meta researchers to fully automate test coverage. To overcome challenges with large language model (LLM)-generated tests, the researchers set out to answer specific questions:  Does the test compile and run properly? Does the test increase code coverage? Once those questions are validated, it’s important to perform a manual investigation, Friedman writes in a blog post. This involves asking:  How well is the test written? How much value does it actually add? Does it meet any additional requirements? Users provide several inputs to Qodo Cover, including:  The source file for code to be tested Existing test suite Coverage report Command for building and running suites Code coverage targets and maximum number of iterations to run Additional context and prompting options Qodo Cover then generates more tests in the same style, validates them using the runtime environment (i.e., do they build and pass?), reviews metrics such as increased code coverage, and updates existing test suites and coverage reports. This is repeated until code either reaches the coverage threshold or the maximum number of iterations is reached.  Giving devs full control, providing progress reports Qodo’s agent can be deployed as a comprehensive tool that analyzes full repositories to identify gaps and irregularities and extend test suites. Or, it can be established as a GitHub action that creates pull requests automatically to suggest tests for newly-changed code. Qodo emphasizes that developers maintain full control and have the ability to review and selectively accept tests. Each pull request also includes detailed coverage progress reports.  Qodo Cover supports all popular AI models, including GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. The company says it delivers high-quality results across more than a dozen programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, C++, C#, Ruby, Go and Rust. It is intended to integrate with Qodo Merge, which reviews and handles pull requests, and coding tool Qodo Gen. source

Qodo’s fully autonomous agent tackles the complexities of regression testing Read More »

How Americans View Climate Change and Policies to Address the Issue

Mixed views of how climate policies impact the U.S. economy The coal-fired Oak Grove Power Plant in Robertson County, Texas, in April 2024. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand how Americans view climate change and policies to address the issue. For this analysis, we surveyed 9,593 U.S. adults from Oct. 21 to 27, 2024. Everyone who took part in the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection. Surveys were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology. Here are the questions used for this report, the topline and the survey methodology. The United States and countries around the world continue to grapple with the impacts of climate change, including record heat and more intense extreme weather events. A Pew Research Center survey of 9,593 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 21-27, 2024, takes stock of Americans’ views on climate change, including its impact on their own lives, their support for policies to address the issue and the emotional reactions they have to climate news. Key findings Americans are split over the economic impact of climate policies Economic issues like inflation have been front of mind for many voters in this year’s election. The survey finds that U.S. adults are just as likely to say that policies aimed at reducing the effects of climate change usually help the economy as they are to say these policies usually hurt it (34% each). Among Republicans and those who lean to the Republican Party, 56% think climate policies usually hurt the economy. By contrast, 52% of Democrats and those who lean Democratic say they usually help. Large businesses and corporations seen as doing too little on climate change Overall, 69% of Americans say large business and corporations are doing too little to help reduce the effects of global climate change. Six-in-ten also say state elected officials are doing too little on climate. Broad support for a number of policies to address climate change Sizable majorities favor tax credits for Americans who improve their home’s energy efficiency (83%) and tax credits for businesses that develop carbon capture technologies (79%). Notably, majorities of both Republicans and Democrats support these policy actions. Widespread frustration with political disagreement over climate change Eight-in-ten Americans say climate news makes them feel frustrated about the level of political disagreement on the issue. A large share (73%) also say climate news has made them feel sad about what’s happening to the Earth. At the same time, 51% of U.S. adults say they’ve felt suspicious of the groups pushing for action on climate change (a view expressed by 75% of Republicans). 64% say climate change currently affects their local community either a great deal or some Among Republicans, 41% say climate change is currently impacting their own community. For Democrats, a large majority (86%) holds this view. These wide partisan differences in perceptions exist across geographic regions. Relatively few expect to make major sacrifices in their lifetime due to climate change Three-quarters of U.S. adults expect they’ll have to make at least minor sacrifices in their everyday life during their lifetime because of global climate change. But the share who expect to make major sacrifices remains modest, at 23%. Emotional reactions to climate change news Climate change news and information sparks a mix of feelings among Americans. Large shares express frustration with the partisan nature of climate debate. Eight-in-ten say they’ve felt frustrated by the level of political disagreement when they’ve seen news and information about climate change. Climate change is not an easy subject for all Americans to make sense of: 48% report feeling confused about all the information out there on the issue. For some, climate news sparks a sense of skepticism: 51% say they have felt suspicious of the groups and people pushing for action on the issue. A 2023 Center analysis of qualitative interviews with U.S. adults who do not see climate change as an urgent issue found one theme was skepticism about the motives of those calling for more action on climate change. Many express sadness about what’s happening to the Earth. About three-quarters (73%) say climate news has made them feel this way. A sense of anxiety about the future because of climate news also registers with 56% of Americans. Just under half (45%) say climate news and information has made them feel optimistic we can address the issue. The share who say climate news has made them feel optimistic is 7 percentage points higher than it was in an October 2023 Center survey. Partisan differences in reactions to climate news There continue to be wide differences between Republicans and Democrats – including those who lean to each party – in their reactions to climate news and information. Large majorities of Democrats say climate news has made them feel sad about what’s happening to the Earth (91%), and 75% say it has made them feel anxious about the future. At the same time, 75% of Democrats also say climate news has made them feel motivated to do more to address the issue. For Republicans, a top reaction is a sense of suspicion toward the groups and people pushing for action on the issue (75% say they’ve felt this way). And 52% say they’ve felt annoyed there is so much attention on the issue. Republicans are much less likely than Democrats to say climate news has made them feel sad about what’s happening to the Earth; still, 54% of Republicans say they’ve felt this way. Large majorities of Democrats and Republicans share a sense of frustration over the level of political disagreement over climate change: 88% of Democrats

How Americans View Climate Change and Policies to Address the Issue Read More »

市場關注: 美國11月非農就業數據超預期加大了降息可能性

道指跌123.19點,跌幅為0.28%,報44642.52點;納指漲159.05點,漲幅為0.81%,報19859.77點;標普500指數漲15.16點,漲幅為0.25%,報6090.27點。 美股周五收盤漲跌不一,納指與標普500指數再創歷史新高。 上周道指累計下跌0.6%。納指上漲3.34%,標普500指數上漲0.96%,二者均為連續第三周上漲。 美國11月非農就業數據超預期,失業率升至4.2%,平均時薪漲幅超預期。這份數據使市場加大了對美聯儲12月降息的押注。 美聯儲官員們將於12月17日至18日召開貨幣政策會議,決定是否連續第三次降低借貸成本。 交易員們押注明年還會有兩次降息,到2025年底第三次降息的可能性超過一半。 交易員現在認為12月美聯儲降息的可能性為85%,而就業報告發布前為67%。 花旗經濟學家放棄了對美聯儲12月降息50基點的預期,轉而押注降息25個基點,與多數其他機構的預測一致。 美國2025財年國防授權法案最終協議文本公佈生物安全法案未被列入。 南韓總統避過彈劾但遭刑事調查 南韓股匯早市下滑。 中國央行: 中國11月末黃金儲備7,296萬盎司,10月末為7,280萬盎司,此前央行連續六個月暫停增持黃金。 國家金融監管總局:支持符合條件的境外金融機構投資中國財險市場。 香港旅遊業議會:料本月訪港旅客同比增5%-10%。 2024年澳門出入境通關人次創歷史新高,超2億人次。 《新華社》12月6日發布文章《12萬億元地方化債「組合拳」怎麼看——當前中國經濟問答之四》。文章指出,我國政府槓桿率明顯低於主要經濟體和新興市場國家,中央財政還有比較大的舉債空間和赤字提升空間。事實上,一系列更加積極的政策已經在緊鑼密鼓謀劃推進中。 《新華社》12月7日發布文章《貨幣政策發力穩增長怎麼看——當前中國經濟問答之五》。文章指出,可以預見,未來的貨幣政策將繼續加大逆周期調控力度,不斷提升支持實體經濟的精準性、有效性,為經濟穩定增長、結構優化調整創造良好的貨幣金融環境。 《新華社》12月8日發布文章《房地產市場走勢怎麼看——當前中國經濟問答之六》。文章指出,從房地產市場的中長期趨勢來看,滿足剛性和改善性住房需求仍有發展空間。我國仍處於城鎮化發展中後期,持續推進以人為本的新型城鎮化,將釋放房地產市場更大需求潛力。 據《中國證券報》報道,12月2日至6日華爾街資金通過槓桿ETF買入包括A股在內的中國股票,相關槓桿做多A股產品的規模創出了歷史新高。與此同時,多家著名外資機構近日發布了對2025年中國股市的展望。「超配」和「正收益」成為關鍵詞,展示出了外資對中國股市和中國資產的積極態度。 LinkedIn Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp source

市場關注: 美國11月非農就業數據超預期加大了降息可能性 Read More »