Sales of previously occupied homes rose in 2009 for the first time in four years, despite a December slump that was due to a tax credit that led many buyers to complete sales earlier.

Still, prices plunged more than 12 percent last year -- the sharpest fall since the Great Depression. The price drop for 2009 -- to a median of $173,500 -- showed the housing market remains too weak to help fuel a sustained economic recovery.

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Companies worried about losing their all-star employees have good reason to be... Some savvy firms are already trying secure their cream of the crop employees, and when the job market improves, more workers will gratefully seize the opportunity to jump ship.

A recent survey from The Conference Board shows that 22% of workers want to switch jobs as soon as they can—not a comforting prospect. Recruiting and training a replacement plus the loss of productivity can cost up to three times a wage earner’s annual pay.

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The economic slump has even taken a toll on Super Bowl ads, pushing the price down for only the second time in the game's history... but they're still the most expensive on television, narrowly beating out ads for Jersey Shore.