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While the impact of the economy can be felt across all industries, workplaces that continue to invest in employees during tough economic times reap rewards for employer and employees alike, reported the American Psychological Association (APA. Five organizations were recognized by the APA for their comprehensive efforts to promote employee health and well-being while enhancing organizational performance.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index™ for Mexico declined 2.6 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index™ for Mexico decreased 1.5 percent in December.

Annual average unemployment rates rose in 2008 in all 4 regions and in 46 states and the District of Columbia, declined in 1 state, and were unchanged in 3 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Employment-population ratios decreased in all 4 regions and in 45 states and the District of Columbia, increased in 3 states, and were unchanged in 2 states. The U.S. jobless rate climbed by 1.2 percentage points over the year to 5.8 percent, while the national employment-population ratio fell by 0.8 point to 62.2 percent. Most of the deterioration in the labor market occurred late in the year.

The outlook for the restaurant industry improved somewhat in January, as the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity bounced back from December's record low. The Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) - a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry - stood at 97.4 in January, up 1.0 percent from December's record low level of 96.4.

With nearly a third of Americans saying the current recession has made them more likely to consider a home-based business offer, consumer advocates have issued a warning that fraudulent pyramid schemes disguised as legitimate business opportunities are posing a greater threat than ever to consumers' wallets and financial health. While "pyramid" and "Ponzi" schemes have received some media attention recently, with Bernard Madoff's allegedly fraudulent investment scams making headlines, it's clear that even the most sophisticated consumers are vulnerable to business opportunity scams.

The deteriorating economy is evident in recent consumer credit woes as bankruptcies, past-due credit card payments and delinquent mortgages are beginning to pile up according to a new report by Equifax Inc.

The move to online tax filing continues to grow each year. And once consumers convert to online filing, they don't turn back, reports The Conference Board and TNS.

U.S. Total New Light-Vehicle Sales Forecast for 2009 Revised Downward by One Million Units to 10.4 Million

Retail new-vehicle sales in the first 22 days of February were down nearly 38 percent compared with the same period one year ago, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 10,000 dealerships across the United States.

The number of Americans traveling abroad for healthcare is on the rise. Medical tourism will be a major consumer trend as the recession worsens and more Americans are left without health insurance, facing huge medical bills at U.S. hospitals.

Two-thirds of Millennials are "somewhat" or "very concerned" about their personal finances, according to a just-released study by youth-research firm TRU, a TNS company, measuring the near-term buying intentions of 12- to 29-year-olds amid the worst recession in more than a quarter-century.