RJ and Makay

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U.S. workers will on average forgo two of their vacation days by year’s end, according to an Expedia Vacation Deprivation survey.  Across the nation, that means 226 million vacation days, or $34.3 billion worth of time, will go unused, as calculated by CNN Money.  Workers’ main reason for not taking full vacation days was their inability to afford travel expenses, the Expedia survey found.

In an important sign that the economy is beginning to expand, companies are increasingly seeking loans and banks are more frequently saying "Yes."

In the last three months of 2010, for example, U.S. Bancorp wrote $8 billion in new business loans — its largest volume in two years — and JPMorgan Chase added 400 midsize companies to its client list. According to the Federal Reserve, bank loans overall grew for the first time in two years. "Companies are talking about growth in ways they haven't for three years," relates Perry Pelos, head of Wells Fargo's commercial banking unit.

According to a new hiring survey by employment research firm Morgan McKinley, more than half of financial services companies expect recruitment to rise in 2011.

Of the hiring managers surveyed at such companies, 54% anticipate a rise in permanent hires in the first half of 2011 compared with 29% who say that only temporary staff hiring will increase during that time. In addition, 34% expect their organizations to focus on replenishing staffing levels, while 36% anticipate equal focus on new headcount and replacement hiring.