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Mortgage rates remained below the 5 percent mark, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate inching lower to 4.95 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.37 discount and origination points.

Sniff, sniff. Achoo! With cold and flu season in full swing, these sounds are likely to be heard around the office. A new CareerBuilder Canada survey finds that 66 per cent of workers typically go to work when they are sick. Workplace pressures and “presenteeism” may be causing workers to go in under the weather, as more than 60 per cent of workers said they feel guilty if they call in sick. The CareerBuilder survey was conducted across Canada from November 15 to December 2, 2010 among 550 workers.

Unemployment rates were lower in March than a year earlier in 317 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 44 areas, and unchanged in 11 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Fourteen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while eight areas registered rates of less than 5.0 percent. Two hundred sixty metropolitan areas reported over-the- year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 101 reported decreases, and 11 were unchanged. The national unemployment rate in March was 9.2 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 10.2 percent a year earlier.

With personal debt continuing to mount, Americans are feeling even less secure about their finances this month and struggling to find funds to cover expenses. A new study released by Bankrate, Inc. shows that that 19% of Americans have admitted to tapping into retirement funds over the past 12 months to cover emergencies.

CareerBuilder's annual college job forecast finds that employers are gradually hiring more recent college graduates this year. Forty-six percent of employers said they plan to hire recent college graduates in 2011, up from 44 percent in 2010 and 43 percent in 2009. Of those who plan to hire recent college graduates, 26 percent reported they will offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2010, an improvement from 16 percent who said the same in last year's survey and 11 percent in 2009. The survey was conducted online from February 21 to March 10, 2011 by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder, among more than 2,800 hiring managers and human resource professionals.

Workers’ top three concerns last year - having job security, making ends meet and having appropriate health insurance - remain the same as in 2009 as Americans put off thoughts of saving and planning for retirement to deal with more immediate issues. According to “The Realities of Getting Ready for a Secure Retirement,” the fourth in a series of research briefs stemming from Prudential’s Fifth Annual Study of Employee Benefits: Today & Beyond, the need to save for retirement is not recognized as one of the top financial needs and concerns. However, 64% of workers did rank it as “highly important.” As expected, 58-59% of those under 45 years old ranked it as “highly important,” below the more immediate need to reduce stress levels and improve emotional well-being (67%).

Consumer confidence in technology and the overall economy both increased in April, according to the latest CEA Indexes released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had decreased in March, improved in April. The Index now stands at 65.4 (1985=100), up from 63.8 in March. The Present Situation Index increased to 39.6 from 37.5. The Expectations Index rose to 82.6 from 81.3.

After two consecutive quarters of increased optimism, the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey revealed a decline in small business owner optimism from Q1 2011 levels. Conducted April 4-8, 2011, the Index score dropped 12 points from last quarter and now sits at a score of zero indicating that small business owners, as a group, are neutral - neither optimistic nor pessimistic - about their companies’ situations. Credit availability concerns remain unchanged with about one-third reporting that obtaining credit would be somewhat or very difficult. Fewer business owners demonstrate confidence in their financial situation, revenues and cash flow over the next 12 months.

Employers took 1,286 mass layoff actions in March involving 118,523 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.