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Ah, summer; a time when kids spend their days playing sports and games outside and visiting local pools and beaches. But, with all the various forms of media now available, are these quintessential summer images still accurate? Many parents of those 17 or younger and living at home say their children consume various types of media more, including watching television and playing video games, during the summer months.

Employers took 1,579 mass layoff actions in July involving 145,000 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Each mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in July increased by 47, or 3 percent, from June, and the number of associated initial claims increased by 1,556, or 1 percent. In July, 342 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 35,460 initial claims.

The US mobile web population will be up almost 25% this year as 97.3 million mobile owners log on to the internet from their device at least monthly, eMarketer estimates.

After focusing closely on compliance aspects of health care reform legislation in 2011, employers are planning only moderate changes in their health care plans for 2012, according to a survey of 368 midsize to large companies by Towers Watson, a global professional services company.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being delivered by the thousands each month. The power delivery infrastructure that enables vehicles to charge at home, at the workplace, and in public spaces is simultaneously being rolled out. By 2017, a new report from Pike Research forecasts that more than 1.5 million locations to charge vehicles will be available in the United States, with a total of 7.7 million locations worldwide. The cleantech market intelligence firm anticipates that increasing demand for charge points will be driven in part by a rapid decline in electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) prices, which will require manufacturers to adapt their business models as volumes continue to increase.

Beyond.com, a Career Network focused on helping people grow and succeed, released its Second Quarter 2011 Career Trend Analysis Report which provides an in-depth look at the latest job market trends. While the U.S. economy continues to pose uncertainty, Beyond.com is reporting a positive outlook with the emergence of new job titles and growth sectors in a year over year comparison of Career Network data.

Reflecting uncertain economic conditions and a conservative cost-management environment, U.S. employers are projecting moderate pay raises for employees next year. Employers do expect to fully fund their annual bonuses for workers this year, as corporate profits have increased, according to new survey data by global professional services company Towers Watson.

Aviation Week's 15th annual Workforce and Young Professionals/Student Study shows that aerospace and defense (A&D) companies will fill 31,800 job openings in 2011, up from 19,500 in 2010. The hiring will slow again in 2012 to 22,000, a decline of more than 30%. Aviation Week's highly regarded Workforce Study, the industry's official report and a mainstay for A&D planning and trend analysis since 1997, identifies trends in technological challenges, leadership, demographics and compensation, and ranks the top universities for A&D recruitment, with Penn State at the top for engineering schools and George Mason University as the top business/finance school this year.

Office Depot announced the results of its latest Small Business Index, which shows that small businesses have become even more concerned about the nation’s economy.

A study released by Bankrate.com revealed a steep drop in consumers' financial security. Bankrate's overall Financial Security Index fell to a 2011 low of 92.3 amid a recent stock market correction, a U.S. credit downgrade and a barrage of poor economic data. Consumers' feelings about their savings, net worth and job security all established 2011 lows.