state government

Massive layoffs were both a cause and a symptom of the recent recession, but job creation began to revive late last year. Unfortunately, in May, the U.S. added only 58,000 jobs, and layoffs may be on the rise again. This time, they're taking a particular toll on state and local government workers.

As wages and benefits shrink, state workers are retiring in droves. On top of all the layoffs, these retirements amount to a huge brain drain, and the problem will only get worse given the yawning budget gaps of states from coast to coast.

The markets may have had a rough weak as U.S. GDP growth was revised down and Middle East unrest caused oil prices to rise, but the consumer sentiment index rose to its highest level since January 2008. Sentiment has risen for about six months -- an encouraging sign -- but oil prices could sour the mood.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has made autism services a priority in his proposed budget for the 2012 fiscal year. But some services may still suffer cuts: nonprofit Autism NJ says it's set to lose a state contract -- and Medicaid cuts also could reduce autism services, activists say.

Common sense suggests that as home prices decline, the property taxes based on their valuations ought to as well. But property taxes nationally are clicking higher. Why is this occurring? Several factors are at work -- and they bode ill for state budgets.

Payday loans can wreak havoc on a person's financial life. These loans carry sky-high APRs and the penalties for late or missed payments can be extreme. Many consumers, who turned to payday lenders in a time of need, later find themselves worse off than when they started. In this series, WalletPop...

Thousands of office workers are taking out their own trash, as employers seek to save money and boost recycling efforts. In Texas, 20,000 state workers now haul their own garbage and recyclables to common receptacles, The Wall Street Journal reported. In the past, that was a duty for the night...

Highway robbery has taken on a whole new meaning with local and state governments now jacking up the fines to such an extent that it's leaving people destitute, and in some cases, homeless or even incarcerated. In California, the cost of a ticket for a broken headlight nearly tripled to $100 this...

Got a good idea for how to pull California back from the brink of financial failure? Twitter it to Arnold.Last month, Governor Schwarzenegger visited Twitter's HQ for a live chat and announced the launch of MyIdea4CA.com, a state Web site that lets Twitter users submit their ideas for improving...