Loose change

SPEND OR SAVE? A majority of Americans getting a tax refund say they plan to spend it. In a nationwide poll by Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp., 62 percent of respondents said they'll use their refund to buy everyday items or pay off debts. Twenty-three percent said they'll put their refunds in savings.

JOBS GONE: Wall Street shed 43,300 jobs in the year ended in February, marking the biggest reductions in more than 25 years. Some experts expect more cuts, given that mergers plunged by two-thirds last quarter and stock sales slumped 15 percent. The latest job cuts put U.S. securities industry employment at 733,100.

NOT OVER TILL IT'S OVER: Despite signs the economy is improving, the nation's chief executives are reluctant to declare the recession over. But 60 percent of nearly 1,200 CEOs surveyed by TEC International expect a recovery to start by year-end; 26 percent say a rebound has begun.

JOB-HUNTING ON THE JOB: Many people who have jobs are looking for the next one, usually while they're at work. In a poll of more than 8,000 users of HotJobs Inc.'s Web site, about two-thirds said they look for a new position while at work despite fears they could get fired if caught.

DOUGHNUTS TO GO: Krispy Kreme is hitting the road with its "doughnut-mobile," a 53-foot trailer that transforms into a small doughnutmaking store. The mobile shop is part of the company's strategy to expand into new markets. Krispy Kreme expects to have the trailer on the move about 200 days a year, visiting fairs and festivals across the nation.

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