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Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.5 percent from January to February, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This decrease stemmed from a 0.5 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), while average hourly earnings remained unchanged.

Despite a historic real-estate market upheaval that sent foreclosure rates skyrocketing and home values plummeting, Americans still have a deep attachment to homeownership. Furthermore, they consider homeownership an integral part of an American Dream in which they still believe, according to poll results announced by The Allstate Corporation and National Journal.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.8 percent in February to 113.4 (2004 = 100), following a 0.1 percent increase in January, and a 1.0 percent increase in December.

Member satisfaction with health plans that share characteristics of integrated delivery systems (IDS) is considerably higher than member satisfaction with plans in which the provider and payer are not part of the same organization, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Member Health Insurance Plan Study(SM).

Mortgage rates posted a sharp decline, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling to 4.91 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.38 discount and origination points.

The Producer Price Index for finished goods increased 1.6 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This rise followed advances of 0.8 percent in January and 0.9 percent in December, and marks the largest increase in finished goods prices since a 1.9-percent advance in June 2009. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods moved up 2.0 percent, and the crude goods
index climbed 3.4 percent. On an unadjusted basis, prices for finished goods advanced 5.6 percent for the 12 months ended February 2011, the largest 12-month increase since a 5.9-percent rise in March 2010.

According to this year's fifth annual Total Employee Mobility® (TEM) Benchmark Report from Runzheimer International, the mobile workforce remains vitally important to U.S. businesses as a means for driving growth and retaining clients. The increased desire to more effectively manage mobile employees was one resounding theme from this year's report. In addition, cost remains significant with spending holding steady and even projected to increase in many areas.

U.S. import prices rose 1.4 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, following a similar 1.3 percent advance in January. The price index for U.S. exports increased 1.2 percent in February after rising 1.3 percent the previous month. Higher agricultural and nonagricultural export prices each contributed to the overall advance in February.

A new survey finds a record number of Americans have lost confidence in their ability to afford retirement.

Fidelity Investments® released results of its fourth Fidelity® Millionaire Outlook, an in-depth survey analyzing the investing attitudes and behaviors of more than 1,000 millionaire households , which reveals that while millionaires’ near-term confidence in the U.S. economy remains negative, their outlook is at the highest level since Fidelity began tracking their sentiment in 2006.