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Roughly three-quarters of executives expect both commercial property values (76 percent) and asking rents (73 percent) to continue to fall in 2010, according to a recent online survey of more than 325 executives conducted by Deloitte.

Online advertised vacancies slipped 29,600 to 3,927,000 in March, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine™ (HWOL) Data Series. Following three months of large increases, totaling about 750,000 advertised vacancies, February and March have shown a small combined decline of 97,000. In February, the latest month of unemployment numbers, there were 10.9 million, or 3.76 unemployed for every online advertised vacancy.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.93 percent, up thirteen basis points from 4.80 percent compared to this same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage spiked late Wednesday at 4.98 percent, before leveling off just above 4.90 percent over the weekend.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had decreased in February, rebounded in March. The Index now stands at 52.5 (1985=100), up from 46.4 in February. The Present Situation Index increased to 26.0 from 21.7. The Expectations Index improved to 70.2 from 62.9 last month.

Consumer confidence in consumer electronics climbed in March as confidence in the overall economy continued to drop, according to the latest figures released today from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® and CNET.

Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed or slightly higher in February. Twenty-seven states recorded over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 7 states and the District of Columbia registered rate decreases, and 16 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the year, jobless rates increased in 46 states and the District of Columbia and declined in 4 states. The national unemployment rate in February, 9.7 percent, remained unchanged from January, but was up from 8.2 percent a year earlier.

According to a new survey, social responsibility remains a high priority for consumers, regardless of the recession. The second annual Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions Survey, conducted by research-based consultancy Penn Schoen Berland in partnership with brand consulting firm Landor Associates and strategic communications firm Burson-Marsteller, analyzed consumer views of companies operating across 14 industries ranging from Apparel to Telecommunications. The survey finds that more than 75 percent of consumers say that it is important for companies in each of the industries tested to be socially responsible.

There is little spring optimism in the hearts of more than half of America’s small business owners, who see conditions for their businesses getting worse in the next six months, according to the Discover® Small Business WatchSM. After some upward trends for most of last summer and into the fall, Discover’s monthly check on the pulse of small business owners measured 75.7 in March, down 9.2 points from February and back to the levels of a year ago.

Small businesses continued to hire more employees in March, extending a trend that began in mid-2009. The monthly Small Business Employment Index from Intuit Inc., shows that employment for small businesses grew slightly more in March than in February.

Most Americans - 59 percent - believe Congress and the President need to reform our financial system now, according to a national poll commissioned by the Pew Financial Reform Project and conducted by a bipartisan team consisting of The Mellman Group and Ayres, McHenry & Associates.