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The "Great Recession" may have ended, but its impact on the U.S. workforce and employment itself looks to be deep and longlasting, according to the results of new research from global professional services company Towers Watson. The Global Workforce Study (GWS) - a biennial survey of employee attitudes and workplace trends - confirms that the recession has fundamentally altered the way U.S. employees view their work and leaders today, while dramatically accelerating changes to the basic social contract that underpins employment here. In stark contrast to earlier Global Workforce Studies, the 2010 results indicate that U.S. employees have dramatically lowered their career and retirement expectations for the foreseeable future. On-the-job advancement now takes a back seat to a growing desire for workplace security and stability - at the very point in time when traditional employment safety nets are eroding.

Calling all Americans: Get an advisor. Get a plan. Get rebuilding. That’s the message from the Principal Financial Group® in its launch of the new multi-faceted America Rebuilds campaign including an online planning center at www.AmericaRebuilds.com.

Americans are split when it comes to how the recession has impacted their retirement savings strategy. A COUNTRY Financial survey reveals that while 48 percent have decreased the amount of money they are putting away for their golden years, an equal number have either increased (12 percent) or maintained their level of savings (35 percent).

Commercial real estate investors reveal a sense of hopefulness and improved sentiment with regard to the industry as the U.S. economy shows some encouraging signs of improvement, according to the first quarter 2010 findings of PricewaterhouseCoopers' Korpacz Real Estate Investor Survey™. The report notes that investors find it easier to envision a commercial real estate market recovery today than at any point during the past 24 months. At the same time, however, investors acknowledge that challenges and concerns still exist.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace is currently 4.78 percent, up two basis points from 4.76 percent compared to this same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose and fell the past week with a Monday spike to 4.85 percent.

As President Obama continues his push for health care reform legislation and tackles the issue of jobs, his job ratings have been holding steady over the past few months. Currently, two in five U.S. adults (41%) give the job the president is doing a positive rating while 59% give it a negative rating. In January, almost the same numbers gave him positive ratings (40%) and negative ones (60%).

Monthly retail sales figures released by the Department of Commerce show strong gains despite foul weather conditions that plagued much of the east coast in February, noted the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).

Property and casualty insurance industry net income nearly tripled in 2009, to $35 billion, according to the Highline Data Performance Monitor.

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly comScore qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace. In February 2010, Americans conducted 14.5 billion core searches, with Google Sites accounting for 65.5 percent search market share.

American attitudes towards Wall Street are ambivalent. Most people believe that Wall Street benefits the country and that what it does is “absolutely essential.” However, attitudes towards the people who work on Wall Street are overwhelmingly negative and are far lower than they were before 2008 and the bail-out of large banks and other financial institutions, with little or no improvement over the last year. The net result? Fully 82% of all adults believe that Wall Street should be regulated more toughly.