Weekly Jobless Claims (Seasonally Adjusted), Week Ending 2/13 (reported 2/18) 473,000
Weekly Jobless Claims Change from Previous Week (seasonally adjusted) 31,000
Payroll Employment (Nonfarm Jobs Created or Lost), January -20,000
Unemployment Rate, January 9.7 percent

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Bonuses Up 17%

Bonuses Up 17%
While it's true that Wall Street bonuses were up 17 percent in 2009 versus 2008, do not forget that 2008 was the worst year perhaps in Wall Street's history, and thus the $20.3 billion in bonuses paid last year represented a 47 percent fall when compared to the $32.9 billion in bonuses paid in 2007. For more on Wall Street's bonus rise, read Vault's finance blog, In the Black, or follow @vaultfinance.

Goldman Sachs Gets A Facelift
It wasn't that long ago that Goldman Sachs was revered as a tight-lipped, no comment, secret society made up of go-getting men and women with pedigree, perfect GPAs and more drive than Richard Petty. Lately, though, the great vampire squid's rep has been severely tarnished, and now it's become so dull that Big Poppa Blankfein has enlisted an outside PR firm to help improve its image. For more on Goldman's new PR help, read Vault's finance blog, In the Black, or follow @vaultfinance.

Undercover (Big Banking) Boss
CBS' new reality TV series "Undercover Boss" has apparently tested well with audiences and already resulted in the development of a host of other similar series, including one called "Undercover Big Banking Boss." The treatment for its premiere just came across our desk, so for the skinny on the series go to Vault's finance blog, In the Black, or follow @vaultfinance.