workers

Despite Stock Market Gains, Workers Worry About Retirement

The stock market has climbed back to a record high, but workers remain pessimistic about having enough money for retirement, a survey finds.

Saving America's Workers: Employers Are Getting More, Paying Less

The economy has been saved...but what about workers? Studies show that, when it comes to the spoils of economic growth, workers are getting the short end of the stick.

Can Poor Credit Cost You a Job? A Recent Study Says Yes

For many of the most desperately unemployed, credit checks may be standing between them and a job, a new study shows.

July Jobs Report: 4 Pieces Of Good News Buried In The Gloom

As the Labor Department reported, employers added 163,000 jobs last month -- far more than the 100,000 forecast and the biggest gain since February. But the nation's unemployment rate ticked up to 8.3 percent. Here are four pieces of good news buried in the report.

Walmart Is How Big? Think of It Like This ...

This year, for the seventh time in the past decade, Walmart is No. 1 on the Fortune 500. But how big is it? The numbers listed for largest American company are too immense to grasp in the abstract, so we've found some comparisons to put them on a more comprehensible human scale.

Are Federal Employees Paid Too Much ... or Too Little?

Workers' Rights 100 Years After the Triangle Fire

A century after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed the lives of 146 seamstresses in New York, worker protections are eroding around the world. As government and corporate interests from Bangladesh to Wisconsin wage war on the rights of labor, have the lessons of the Triangle disaster been forgotten?

GOP Wins Budget Battle, but May Lose Political War

The Republicans are winning this year's budget battle: Discretionary spending will decrease. But this is hardly the time for the GOP to take a victory lap: Next, the GOP will have to lower unemployment and improve the average American's daily life -- two areas where the party has historically come up short.

The Sorry State of America's Wage Earners

Everyone knows that the typical American household has been running in place or falling behind financially, thanks to stagnant wages and rising prices. But a new study from the the Economic Policy Institute shows that the problem has been endemic not for years, but for decades.

People@Work: Now, Governments Are Shifting Pension Burdens Onto Workers

During the past three decades, businesses of all sizes have shifted away from traditional defined-benefit plans to defined-contribution plans, also known as 401(k)s. Now, states and local governments are doing the same, even though many workers lack the necessary investing savvy.

People@Work: Collective-Bargaining Rights Are at Stake in Wisconsin

Since the 1930s, when the National Labor Relations Board was established, no state has ever sought to prohibit workers from organizing. But in Wisconsin, collective-bargaining rights are under "assault," in President Obama's words. And other states are watching.

People@Work: The Tough Job of Getting Disabled Veterans Back to Work

Veterans with disabilities have a staggering 41% unemployment rate. That's especially true for veterans who return from Iraq and Afghanistan with two signature disabilities: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, which frequently go undiagnosed.

People@Work: Winter's Blasts Affect Not Only Hiring but Output, Too

It's hard to fathom that something as mundane as weather could affect employment statistics. But it clearly does. And it also has big impact on how much work actually gets done. And beyond the snows of winter, there's distractions like the Super Bowl that keep worker from their duties.

Parts Shortage Forces Ford to Idle 3,000 Workers

People@Work: The Great Recession Reverses Recent Gains for Labor Unions

After increases during 2007 and 2008 in the number of unionized workers, 2010 is following 2009 in showing a big drop. Governments now employ more union labor than the private sector does, but both categories showed declines in 2010. It's a far cry from labor's glory years.

People@Work: These Days, Even Promotions Are Harder to Come By

Fresh data show that the number of promotions given to American workers has dwindled, suggesting that even those with jobs are having a tough time getting ahead. Fewer promotions are "a sign of the lingering impacts of the recession," one expert says.

People@Work: Boomers Are Turning 65 -- but Staying on the Job

The dawning of 2011 marks a milestone: The first of the nation's 76 million baby boomers turn 65, the traditional retirement age. New polls, however, show that for a range of reasons few boomers of this age are ready to retire. In fact, some don't ever expect to stop working.

People@Work: The Case for Modestly Higher Wages in 2011

Recession-weary workers may finally get some encouraging news: Private-sector annual wages will improve in the coming months, albeit modestly, according to data compiled by BNA, publisher of Daily Labor Report.

Economists: Jobs Are Coming.
The Unemployed: When?

An increasing number of observers, citing a preponderance of positive data, are optimistic that the stagnant labor market is finally beginning to gain momentum. But the pace is still way too slow for those desperately seeking work.

Hyundai Workers in South Korea Agree to End Monthlong Strike

Temporary workers at a Hyundai Motor manufacturing plant in South Korea reportedly have agreed to end a near-monthlong strike that was inhibiting domestic production of subcompact cars, such as the Hyundai Accent.

Holiday Hiring Takes a Hit, Despite a Brighter Economy

Retailers and shipping companies are adding fewer new jobs than they did a year ago. One reason: employers began shopping for seasonal workers earlier than usual, boosting hiring in October. But if holiday retail sales hold up, it could equal more hiring in December.

Millions of Unemployed Face a Loss of Benefits

Americans who have been jobless for long periods are keenly awaiting congressional action on the latest extension of benefits. With a midnight deadline looming, some 2 million people face losing their only source of income.

Qualified Good News From Initial Jobless Claims

The latest weekly initial claims report showed a small increase, some 2,000 higher to 439,000. The more-telling four-week moving average dropped by 4,000 to 443,000, and continuing claims fell another 48,000 to 4.3 million.

The Politics of Long-Term Unemployment

Come the end of November, some 2 million jobless workers won't be able to rely on their unemployment check unless Congress again extends the aid. But with the GOP regaining the House, the odds of that extension just got a lot longer.

People@Work: Housing's Slump Is Keeping Job Seekers Stuck in Place

The percentage of unemployed managers and executives relocating for new positions fell to a record low in the third quarter, according to analysis by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The relocation rate for the last four quarters has averaged just 7.3%.

Ford to Spend $850 Million to Overhaul Michigan Plants

People@Work: Jimmy John's Failed Union Vote Highlights Plight of Fast-Food Workers

Low pay, lack of benefits and other issues drove Ayo Collins and three other Jimmy John's workers to enlist the aid of the Chicago-based Industrial Workers of the World to help organize 10 targeted Minneapolis stores. The effort fell short, by a vote of 87 to 85.