Will the economy finish 2010 stronger than 2009? Most people think it will.

BusinessWeek and Moody's Economy.com teamed up to identify metros where the highest job growth is projected for 2010. Prashant Gopal summarized the findings on November 5, 2009. The list was packed with communities that are closely linked to the energy industry, colleges and universities, and military installations. None of the metros on the list experienced a housing bubble as disastrous as Miami, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

Another positive outlook can be found in the one-year forecast for job growth prepared by Moodys.com and published by USA Today. The forecast compares 3rd quarter 2010 to 3rd quarter 2009 and the results make it clear that institutions remain the strongest sector of the economy.

Education & Health Services	+0.4%
Government	+0.3%
Leisure & Hospitality	+0.2%
Professional & Business Services	-0.1%
Other Services	-0.4%
Construction	-1.1%
Financial Activities	-1.1%
Wholesale Trade	-1.1%
Transportation & Warehousing	-1.2%
Information	-1.3%
Retail Trade	-1.5%
Utilities	-2.2%
Manufacturing	-2.4%
Natural Resources & Mining	-2.5%

Click here to view the graphic at USA Today.

Education marketers will need to pay close attention to state budget deficits and where cuts will be made to eliminate the shortfall. Social media and e-mail will continue to impact the education community. The Center on Education Policy published an excellent report that focuses on state leaders' perspectives about ARRA and Education. Click here to download "An Early Look at the Economic Stimulus Package and the Public Schools."

Healthcare marketers are going to be impacted by reform legislation currently under consideration. ARRA Electronic Health Records will receive a lot of attention in 2010. The Department of Health and Human Services has until December 31st to define the term "meaningful use" as it relates to the Electronic Healthcare Records (EHR). The mandate for Electronic Health Records will also mean revisions to current HIPAA regulations.

BtoB's "2010 Outlook: Marketing Priorities and Plans" sets forth the results of an online survey of 376 B2B marketers. They found "nearly 40% plan to increase spending next year. Almost half plan to keep budgets flat, while only slightly more than 13% plan to cut them next year. The biggest increases will be in online, as marketers shift more of their dollars to the lower-cost, more measurable medium. Direct marketing and events spending will also rise."

Click here to read the article and download the report.