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Real average hourly earnings for all employees rose 0.5 percent from April to May, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This increase stems from a 0.3 percent increase in average hourly earnings and a 0.2 percent decrease in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

U.S. import prices declined 0.6 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, after rising 1.1 percent in April and 0.4 percent in March. The decrease was led by falling fuel prices, which more than offset a rise in nonfuel prices. In contrast, the price index for U.S. exports increased 0.7 percent in May following increases of 1.2 percent and 0.7 percent in April and March, respectively.

Mortgage rates held at record low levels this week, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 4.88 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.48 discount and origination points.

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods moved down 0.3 percent in May, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This decline followed a 0.1-percent decrease in April and a 0.7-percent increase in March. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods advanced 0.4 percent and the crude goods index fell 2.8 percent. On an unadjusted basis, prices for finished goods rose 5.3 percent for the 12 months ended May 2010. This was the second consecutive month of slowing year-over-year advances after a 6.0-percent increase for the 12 months ended March 2010.

Small-business owners’ work-related online activities correlate with above- or below-average sales, according to a study by American City Business Journals of owners, CEOs and presidents of US companies with fewer than 500 employees.

The nation's employers can expect medical costs to increase by 9 percent in 2011, a decrease of 0.5 percent from the 2010 growth rate, according to the annual Behind the Numbers report published by the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) Health Research Institute. For the first time, the majority of the American workforce is expected to have a health insurance deductible of $400 or more, as more employers return to "indemnity style" cost-sharing by raising out-of-pocket limits, replacing co-pays with co-insurance and adding high-deductible health plans.

In the latest Financial Professional Outlook (FPO), a quarterly survey of U.S. financial advisors by Russell Investments, advisors reported that clients are at risk of falling short of their financial goals if corrective action is not taken. Forty-four percent of advisors considered up to a quarter of their client base to be at “significant risk,” and an additional 36% considered a quarter to half of their client base to be at “significant risk.”

The market for mobile broadband connectivity for portable computers has been slow to gain momentum over the past several years. Only in the past 18 months has the U.S. market taken significant steps toward broader adoption beyond the traditional mobile worker. According to a new International Data Corporation (IDC) forecast, the U.S. mobile broadband market will grow from 6.5 million subscribers in 2009 to 30.2 million in 2014, which accounts for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.1% over the forecast period.

Prenova, Inc., the energy services firm managing over $2 billion in energy spend for dozens of national retailers, announces the results of the second-annual Energy Management & Sustainability Strategy survey. Findings indicate national retailers are increasingly concerned about energy efficiency and are refocusing efforts to promote cost-saving, sustainable business practices. Conducted in partnership with Chain Store Age, a leading industry trade publication, survey results are based on responses from nearly 200 retailers.

Fiserv, Inc. released an analysis of home price trends in more than 375 U.S. markets based on the Fiserv Case-Shiller Indexes®. The indexes are owned and generated by Fiserv, the leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, and data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).