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Lingering cash and debt management challenges continue to dilute employee confidence and overall financial wellness. Almost half (49 percent) of working American adults find it difficult to meet their household expenses on time (up from 43 percent in 2010), according to PwC U.S.'s 2011 Financial Wellness Survey, and even those earning $100,000 or more annually say it's a challenge (36 percent).

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in March. Thirty-four states recorded unemployment rate decreases, seven states registered rate increases, and nine states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, five states reported increases, and one state had no change. The national jobless rate was 8.8 percent in March, little changed from February but 0.9 percentage point lower than a year earlier.

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, released its annual Online Credit Card Report, which provides a comprehensive look at the U.S. online credit card industry over the past year. The report focuses on shifts in the industry related to improving consumer perceptions of the economic environment, card features most likely to influence card shopping decisions, and the growing importance of online servicing for issuers. The report draws its analysis from comScore’s research panel of 1 million U.S. consumers and a comScore survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. Internet users conducted in December 2010. Among its findings, the study reveals a greater percentage of card shopping activity among consumers who reported having a more positive view of the economy.

Median weekly earnings of the nation's 98.3 million full-time wage and salary workers were $755 in the first quarter of 2011 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This was 0.1 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 2.1 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period.

Despite largely positive forecasts for the U.S. auto industry based on a recent uptick in sales, a new survey reports that auto executives are still pessimistic about the industry’s outlook. Conducted by management consulting firm Booz & Company, the survey found that auto manufacturers and suppliers expect vehicle sales to reach 14.5 million units by 2015, compared to predictions by leading industry forecasters of sales exceeding 16 million vehicles in the same timeframe. However, auto executives balanced this overall pessimistic view with upbeat growth forecasts for their own companies.

Most large employers are now beginning to rethink their retiree health care strategy as a result of federal health care reform, according to a recent report by Aon Hewitt, the global human resource consulting and outsourcing business of Aon Corporation.

A new survey released by Deloitte shows that 78 percent of consumers in the United States would consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) when fuel prices reach $5.00 per gallon. The study, "Gaining traction: Will consumers ride the electric vehicle wave?," surveyed 12,000 consumers globally, including more than 1,000 in the U.S., and finds that the higher the price of fuel, the more interested consumers are in EVs.

Nearly 55 percent of U.S. executives say their organization has a formal sustainability strategy in place, according to the recent KPMG International study, Corporate Sustainability: A progress report. Another 12 percent say they are working on a strategy and an additional 19 percent expect to eventually develop a formal plan.

Chief financial officers are markedly shifting their focus from cost cutting to revenue growth, but they remain wary of increased hiring at home, according to the results of the Deloitte CFO Signals quarterly survey for the first quarter of 2011. Specifically, the CFOs surveyed said nearly half of their companies' strategic focus is on revenue growth—substantially ahead of their 30 percent focus on cost reduction.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.5 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.7 percent before seasonal adjustment.