(Reuters) – More U.S. companies plan to increase their work force over the next six months, a survey showed on Monday, which could lead to a stronger recovery. Read the full story HERE.

(Reuters) – New orders for durable U.S. manufactured goods excluding transportation posted the largest gain in over two years in March while home sales hit an eight-month high, hinting at a pick-up in the pace of growth. Read the full story HERE.

(Reuters) – U.S. non-farm payrolls, a key measure of the economy’s health, rose in March for only the third time since recession struck in late 2007 as the private sector stepped up hiring at the fastest pace in almost 3 years. Read the full story HERE.

(Reuters) – General Motors GM.UL posted a 43 percent jump in U.S. sales for March from a year earlier in its continuing brands, the first of expected sharp gains by automakers driven by incentives and better weather. Read the full story HERE.

(Reuters) – Factories in the United States, Europe and Asia cranked up production last month, suggesting recovery from a deep recession was taking root in economies around the globe. Read the full story HERE.

(Reuters) – Prices of single-family homes rose in January for the eighth straight month and the annual rate moved the closest it has been to an increase in three years, Standard & Poor’s/Case Shiller home price indexes showed on Tuesday.  Read the full story HERE.

While we have a ways to go to rebound completely, these charts would indicate positive changes in our economy and finally a little leveling of unemployment.  Unemployment will likely remain around 10% for some time according to most “experts” perhaps starting to decline towards the end of 2010.  The good news is the GDP seems to be picking up steam which means we’re producing more, which hopefully means to selling more.  And if the line of cars trying to get into our local Mall St. Matthews last weekend is any indicator, people are indeed beginning to losen their pocketbooks a bit.

Reuters) – Wynn Macau (1128.HK) on Wednesday posted a 77.6 percent jump in second-half earnings, as more Chinese gamblers placed their bets in the Macau operations of Las Vegas casino operator Wynn Resorts (WYNN.O), thanks to soaring economic growth.  Read the full story HERE.

Reuters) – Unacceptably high unemployment and well-contained inflation make it likely that U.S. monetary policy will remain accommodative for at least several months more, a top U.S. Federal Reserve official said on Tuesday.  Read the full story HERE.

(Reuters) – Sales at U.S. retailers rose unexpectedly in February despite a drop in vehicle purchases and inclement weather that was expected to curtail shopping, bolstering hopes of a sustainable economic recovery.  Read the full story HERE.