Jobless Numbers Point to Hiring Rebound

Unemployment benefit applications rose by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 366,000, the Labor Department said. The less volatile four-week average fell by 5,500 to 363,750. That was the lowest level since late March.

Applications have trended lower in the past two months, indicating companies are laying off fewer workers and hiring is picking up. When applications fall consistently below 375,000, it generally suggests hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.

The decline in the number of people filing for unemployment benefits has also been one of several signs that the economy and hiring rebounded in July after falling into a spring slump.

Employers added 163,000 jobs in July, the most since February. Job gains averaged only 73,000 jobs a month from April through June, not enough to keep up with a rising population. The unemployment rate blipped up to 8.3 percent, from 8.2 percent.

Americans boosted their retail spending in July by the most in five months, according to the Commerce Department. That suggests some are more confidence in the economy.

And factory output also rose in July for the second straight month, according to the Federal Reserve. A large jump in auto production drove the increase.

Slower growth in consumer spending was the main reason growth slowed in the April-June quarter to an annual rate of 1.5 percent, down from 2 percent in the January-March quarter and 4.1 percent in the final three months of 2011.

Most economists say stronger growth is necessary to create enough jobs to lower unemployment.

• <p> Rated No. 1 overall for offering its employees the best work-life balance, MITRE is a non-profit company specializing in systems engineering, information technology, operational concepts, and enterprise modernization. Its employees have raved that, &quot;Work-life balance is very real and everyone is encouraged to take time off and keep their work hours under control.&quot; And, &quot;MITRE walks the talk in work life balance. We work with smart respectful colleagues. We have flex hours and good benefits.&quot; In the career section of the company&nbsp;website<a href="#x__msocom_1">[S1]</a>&nbsp;, it notes, front and center, that, &ldquo;MITRE also provides flexibility in the workplace by offering benefit programs like the Flexible Work Arrangement Program and Paid Time Off Bank. These programs help employees navigate successfully between their responsibilities to home life and their professional responsibilities at work.&rdquo;</p>
• <p> Rated No. 4 overall for offering its employees the best work-life balance, SAS is a business software specialist, and is one of nine companies making the list for two years in a row. On its&nbsp;website<a href="#x__msocom_2">[S2]</a>&nbsp;, the company notes that, &ldquo;SAS has created an environment that fosters and encourages the integration of the company's business objectives with employees' personal needs.&rdquo; Its employees have commented, &ldquo;&quot;SAS offers countless benefits (not just health insurance) like aquatic center, onsite childcare, subsidized meals at the onsite cafes, gym, and list goes on and on and on.&quot; And, &quot;SAS is very thoughtful in looking at ways to improve your work/life experience.&quot;</p>
• <p> Rated No. 8 overall for offering its employees the best work-life balance, social network LinkedIn (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quote/nyse/linkedin-corp/lnkd" target="_blank">LNKD</a>) is in the business of connecting professionals with each other and employers with prospective employees. The company tends to workers&rsquo; minds and bodies with&nbsp;benefits&nbsp;<a href="#x__msocom_3">[S3]</a>&nbsp;such as educational and inspirational speakers, yoga, and &ldquo;plenty of organic fruit.&rdquo; A recruiter at the company has said, &ldquo;I love the workout sessions and work-life balance that is encouraged.&rdquo;</p>
• <p> Rated No. 9 overall for offering its employees the best work-life balance, FactSet Research Systems (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quote/nyse/factset-research-systems/fds" target="_blank">FDS</a>) provides financial data to the investment industry. Its website&rsquo;s career nook&nbsp;explains&nbsp;<a href="#x__msocom_4">[S4]</a>&nbsp;that, &quot;Our company's culture attracts and nurtures employees who want to help out and kick back.&quot; Employees have commented: &quot;Excellent benefits and extremely flexible scheduling (i.e., if you need to work at home, take time for a medical appointment). Length of work week is extremely reasonable (40-45 hrs. per week typically).&quot;&nbsp; &quot;Work-life balance is the best in the industry.&quot;</p>
• <p> Rated No. 12 overall for offering its employees the best work-life balance, Orbitz (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quote/nyse/orbitz-worldwide-inc/oww" target="_blank">OWW</a>) is a travel specialist with a&nbsp;page&nbsp;<a href="#x__msocom_5">[S5]</a>&nbsp;on its website entirely dedicated to its work-life balance commitment, noting that, &ldquo;We work on the leading edge. But we also find time to connect with each other,&rdquo; and listing a host of employee interest groups centered, for example, around biking, parenting, martial arts, Nintendo gaming, and gay-lesbian-bi-transgender issues. Employees have praised it saying, &quot;Very open on flexible working -- as I have a young family, that counts for a lot.&quot; And &quot;Work from home perks are really nice, where managers are supportive and open to work from home.&quot;</p>
• <p> Rated No. 22 overall for offering its employees the best work-life balance, the company once&nbsp;headed&nbsp;<a href="#x__msocom_6">[S6]</a>&nbsp;by Mitt Romney is a key player in the management consulting business, known for generous compensation but also very demanding hours. One worker noted that, &quot;Work-life balance -- obviously consulting stinks but at least Bain tried (weekly health checks, meetings on how to make life better).&quot; Bain&nbsp;offers&nbsp;<a href="#x__msocom_7">[S7]</a>&nbsp;part-time and job-sharing options, and even sabbaticals and leaves.</p>
• <p> Facebook (<a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quote/nasdaq/facebook/fb" target="_blank">FB</a>) is notable for being one of the companies that dropped off the list in 2012. It held the No. 7 spot in 2011. Facebook maintained a high score, though, and would likely make a list of top 50 companies. At&nbsp;<a href="http://Glassdoor.com">Glassdoor.com</a>, an employee in 2010&nbsp;summarized&nbsp;<a href="#x__msocom_8">[S8]</a>&nbsp;a bunch of benefits of working there: &quot;Never go hungry, always have clean clothes, &hellip; management focused on employee satisfaction, &hellip; flexibility in work hours.&quot; With the company now public, many employees are likely far richer than they were in 2010, too.</p>
• <h3> <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/top-25-difficult-companies-interview-consulting-firms-lead/" title="Permanent Link to Top 25 Most Difficult Companies To Interview; Consulting Firms Lead The Way">See the full list: </a><a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/Top-Companies-for-Work-Life-Balance-LST_KQ0,35.htm" target="_blank">Top 25 Companies for Work-Life Balance</a></h3> <p> <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/googles-marissa-mayer-good-yahoos-culture/" title="Permanent Link to Will Google’s Marissa Mayer Be Good For Yahoo’s Culture?">Will Google&rsquo;s Marissa Mayer Be Good For Yahoo&rsquo;s Culture?</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/social-media-find-job/" title="Permanent Link to How To Use Social Media To Find A Job">How To Use Social Media To Find A Job</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/13-signs-worklife-rebalancing/" title="Permanent Link to 13 Signs You Need Work-Life Rebalancing">13 Signs You Need Work-Life Rebalancing</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/10-starting-job/" title="Permanent Link to 10 Things You Should Never Do When Starting A New Job">10 Things You Should Never Do When Starting A New Job</a></p>
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The economy faces other challenges that may weigh further on growth.

Europe's financial crisis is expected to slow U.S. exports to that region, a direct strike against U.S. manufacturers. The 17 nations that use the euro saw their economies shrink, as a group, in the April-June quarter.

The U.S. may drive off a "fiscal cliff" at the end of this year as well. That's when a slate of tax cuts expire and big spending cuts are scheduled to kick in. If those changes aren't altered or delayed, recession is a very real possibility.