RealtyTrac reported on Thursday that U.S. foreclosure filings occurred on about 572,900 properties during the first quarter of 2012, down 2 percent from the previous quarter and down 16 percent from the first quarter of 2011.

The latest “Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District” reported that “hiring was steady or showed a modest increase across many districts,” which may or may not contradict the March jobs numbers reported by the government earlier this month.

Wall Street was feeling upset on Tuesday, with investors heading for the exits, driving stocks down the most on a single trading day so far this year.

After the disappointing jobs numbers on Friday, attention turned to the price of gas, which has bedeviled the U.S. economy since the beginning of the year (and during part of last year and in 2008).

The headline number for employment in March was the creation of 120,000 new jobs by the U.S. economy. Since the eligible-to-work population grows roughly that much each month, that means that the economy treaded water for the month, following a few months when job growth exceeded population growth.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday that the U.S. economy created a net of 120,000 new jobs in March, less than expected after a run of months in which employment gains were over 200,000.

The ADP National Employment Report, which always comes out two days before the official U.S. government unemployment numbers, said on Wednesday that the American private sector added a net of 209,000 positions in February.

The Federal Open Market Committee, which released notes from its March 13 meeting on Tuesday, dampened expectations of some kind of QE3 in the not-too-distant future.

U.S. consumers were feeling peppy in February, according to the Reuter’s/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index. Consumer sentiment in March was at 76.2, its highest level since early 2011, notes the survey of 500 households on their financial condition and outlook.