By MarketWatch MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE The U.S. economy performed a lot better during the summer than most people expected it would, but it didn’t do nearly well enough, writes Rex Nutting. See full story. September data show improvement in jobs market Although the jobless rate holds steady at 9.1%, nonfarm payrolls expand by 103,000 in September, nearly double the growth expected by economists. See full story. 12 lessons for us all from the life of Steve Jobs Few have achieved so much, so quickly, and publicly., as Steve Jobs It got me thinking: What are the lessons we can all take away? What do his extraordinary achievements tell the rest of us? See full story. The cult of the superstar CEO Steve Jobs’ success was so phenomenal that it’s had the unfortunate consequence of creating a cult of the superstar CEO. See full story. How bad would a recession be? Bad enough There are reasons to think that a recession — if it comes — would be relatively mild, but there are also forces that could prolong the pain, writes Rex Nutting. See full story. MARKETWATCH COMMENTARY Instead of acknowledging that banks have become a part of government, we keep pretending they are private institutions, writes David Weidner. See full story. MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE Economists and bankers who follow mortgage rates religiously think that rates don’t have much farther to drop from their record lows. They expect that rates can only go up.

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