Leading indicators A Compendium of revealing stats
(FORTUNE Magazine) -- CHANGING OF THE GUARD $92.1 billion HP's expected revenue for 2006, revised upward after its surprising first-half sales jump. If the projection holds up, HP would surpass IBM (expected revenue: $89.9 billion) to become the world's biggest tech company. POWER UP 98,583 Gigawatt-hours of electricity consumed in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 5--an all-time record and the second new peak reached in six weeks. Five years ago, the energy demand in the U.S. was only 82,079 gigawatt-hours. DUST OFF YOUR RÉSUMÉ 640,000 New senior managers needed to staff the growing non-profit sector by 2016--double the number of managers today. Typical pay for executives at nonprofits is projected to crack six figures in 2006, but will still trail that of the average U.S. manager by about $60,000. RICE TO THE PEAK 48% Increase in the price of rice since August 2005. Inventories have shrunk to a 26-year low as big Chinese paddies are turned into homes and highways. Analysts expect prices to double by 2008, driving up the cost of foods like Budweiser beer and Kellogg's cereal. HARD AT PLAY $1.1 billion Projected value of work hours used for playing fantasy football this season. The players (there are 36.8 million of 'em in the U.S.) earn on average about $36 an hour and will spend about 50 minutes playing each workweek. SOURCES: COMPANY STATEMENTS; EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTE; BRIDGESPAN GROUP, THE NONPROFIT TIMES; BLOOMBERG; CHALLENGER GRAY & CHRISTMAS From the September 4, 2006 issue
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