Small Business News You Can Use (5/4)

New claims for unemployment benefits tumbled more than expected in the latest week, raising hopes that the job market remains on the mend. Many small business owners aren't hiring or expanding because the outlook for the economy, or their own companies, is uncertain. The pace at which new businesses are created in the United States dropped to a record low in 2010, a troubling development for an economy that is struggling to achieve higher growth rates necessary to reduce high unemployment. Average rates for 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgages fell to new record lows this week.