In the Senate, a jobs bill passed 68-29 with 11 votes from Republicans. This new bill will increase tax breaks for small businesses by providing them with incentives to hire the long term unemployed (those who have been out of work for more than 60 days). Business tax breaks add up to about $15 billion. It also adds about $20 billion to the country’s infrastructure programs. The Transportation Department furloughed 2000 workers in early March due to a freeze.

Good news for the markets too — they are up due to a .6% drop in the producer price index for finished goods.  This has lessened fear about inflation and has kept the Fed’s  interest rates reassuringly near 0%. The 52 week intraday high was set today at 10731 and comes after a six day string of growth for the DJIA.

Over the past few months the volatility of the markets has been much lower, with indices dropping to a quarter of where they were a year ago.  Triple digit intraday jolts occurred 14 out of 19 days last month and 11 of 19 days in January. For the first four months of last year every day had 100 point swings. The steady markets, although more boring for investors, suggest that steady rises are ahead.