The nation’s unemployment soared to 8.5 percent in March, the highest since late 1983, as a wide swath of employers eliminated 663,000 jobs.

Economists say there’s no relief in sight.

The average work week in March dropped to 33.2 hours, a new record low.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 5.1 million jobs, with almost two-thirds of the losses occurring in the last five months.

Home sales in recent months fell to their lowest point, but there are signs of a spring resurgence.

In the 10-county region, 63 homes sold in January and 76 sold in February. That’s down from 89 and 113 for the same months a year earlier.

But Realtors say recent weeks have seen an upsurge in customers looking and buying, thanks to interest rates at 50-year lows, lower housing prices and tax incentives (see related story).

So far, new home construction has not seen a rebound. The number of new home starts in Mankato and North Mankato has been sliding since the high of 24 starts last April.

Businesses haven’t been building new, either, but that has made remodeling existing facilities more popular.

There was more than $1.8 million in commercial renovation in Mankato and North Mankato in February, the most recent month for which information is available.

A continuing bright spot for consumers is the relatively low gasoline prices. The federal government’s Energy Information Service is predicting stable prices in the Midwest throughout the spring and summer.

With consumption expected to continue lagging, prices are expected to stay around $2 a gallon into the fall.