Menu

The non-profit Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) released a preliminary result from a survey of more than 400 employers indicating that less than five percent plan to reduce or eliminate health and productivity programs. This flies in the face of recent reports that employers are likely to eliminate wellness programs as a cost-saving measure.

Food banks across the nation report that the current recession and the continuing rise in unemployment are having a profound effect on their ability to feed millions of Americans living at risk of hunger, according to a new survey released by Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief charity.

The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index moved up again in August, reaching its highest point since before the start of the recession. The Index attempts to track consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.

Women presidents have shown they can adjust to the changing economic climate. Results from the surveyed membership indicate 55% of women presidents and CEOs of multi-million dollar companies have maintained or grown their employee base, according to the annual economic survey by the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), the premier peer advisory organization for women entrepreneurs. Despite the economic downturn, 82% of these CEOs and presidents are optimistic about their company's performance for 2010.

Advisors Trusted Advisor recently surveyed financial advisors on the state of their business-building efforts. Survey responses provide an in-depth view into what's working and what's not.

As American consumers shift their buying behavior towards more fuel efficient vehicles, turbocharging - already in use by roughly half of new vehicles in Europe - has emerged as the engine technology U.S. consumers "didn't know they wanted."

Re-entering the workforce in today's job market can be a daunting task, especially for those returning from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, the Labor Department reported an 11.2 percent jobless rate for Gulf War veterans over 18 years old, 4 percentage points higher than the previous year. A new survey from CareerBuilder is offering some encouraging news with 41 percent of employers reporting they have hired U.S. veterans or members of the National Guard in the last six months. One-in-five (21 percent) are actively recruiting veterans and members of the National Guard for open positions today.

RealtyTrac released its August 2009 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report(TM), which shows foreclosure filings - default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions - were reported on 358,471 U.S. properties during the month, a decrease of less than 1 percent from the previous month but still an increase of nearly 18 percent from August 2008. The report also shows one in every 357 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in August.

Employers spent an average of $1.29 for employee retirement and savings plans for every hour worked in June 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This accounted for 4.4 percent of total compensation.

On the last business day of July, the number of job openings in the U.S. was little changed at a series low level of 2.4 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. The hires rate was little changed and remained low at 3.1 percent in July. The total separations rate remained at a series low of 3.3 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.