Business

Economy

Jobless Rate Drops In First Post-Election Report

11:51am December 07, 2012

The Labor Department reported Friday that the nation's unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in November as employers added 146,000 jobs. In October, the jobless rate was 7.9 percent. Analysts had predicted weaker numbers for November, partly because of the storm's aftermath.

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In her series for The New York Times, reporter Louise Story says that the manufacturing sector — automakers, in particular — benefit the most from incentive packages.

Economy

A Thin Line: Economic Development Or Corporate Welfare?

8:59am December 07, 2012

In her new series for The New York Times, reporter Louise Story traces the complicated relationship between localities and the corporations they want to lure to their states, counties and cities to help promote economic growth.

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Politics & Government

Michigan Likely To Become A Right-To-Work State

5:42am December 07, 2012

by Rick Pluta

The Michigan House and Senate have passed the legislation in different versions, and may take final action on the bills next week. Michigan could become the 24th state to say workers cannot be forced to pay union dues even if they work for a business or government employer with union representation.

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Atlantic City's boardwalk, with its shops, restaurants, casinos and hotels, was mostly protected during Hurricane Sandy by a dune restoration project. But TV images of one small section that was damaged gave the impression that the whole thing was destroy

National

Post-Sandy: Atlantic City Wants Its Tourists Back

4:24pm December 06, 2012

by David Schaper

A month after Hurricane Sandy pounded the New Jersey Shore, Atlantic City is back in business. Even though most of the casinos, restaurants and the famous boardwalk sustained very little damage in the storm, they're now suffering from a lack of visitors.

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Why It's Easier To Scam The Elderly

4:23pm December 06, 2012

by Patti Neighmond

New research suggests older adults may have less activity in the area of the brain that processes risk and subtle danger. Another possible reason older adults don't pick up on warning signs is an increasing bias against negativity.

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French President Francois Hollande (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel take part in a bilateral meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on Nov. 22 as part of a European budget summit.

What Should The U.S. Learn From Europe's Woes?

4:21pm December 06, 2012

by Tom Gjelten

As President Obama and lawmakers try to find a formula for spending cuts and tax increases, they might look across the Atlantic for insights from those who have been wrestling with budget problems. The first lesson from Europe's "fiscal consolidation" experiences: It will hurt.

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House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, takes questions as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., look on during a Capitol Hill news conference on Wednesday.

Obama And House GOP Engage In Fiscal Cliff Talks, Only Briefly With Each Other

6:30pm December 05, 2012

by Mara Liasson

The president and House Republicans continued to snipe at each other Wednesday over the impending set of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts known as the fiscal cliff. President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner later spoke briefly by phone for the first time in a week, according to reports.

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Alan Krueger, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, warns that consumer spending will drop if Congress and the White House fail to reach a deal on spending cuts and tax increases.

Looming Spending Cuts Would Hit Hard All Over

6:09pm December 05, 2012

by Jim Zarroli

If Congress fails to reach an agreement on tax increases and spending cuts this year, it will mean sharp reductions in a broad swath of federal spending, from defense and Medicare to education and unemployment benefits. Economists say the cuts would be a serious setback for the economy as a whole.

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Social Security's COLA At Stake In 'Fiscal Cliff' Talks?

10:34am December 05, 2012

by NPR Staff

The Republican plan to avert the "fiscal cliff" includes a proposal that would change the way inflation is calculated. The change could result in savings of billions, but its getting pushback from Democrats and groups like AARP.

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The largest tax break in the federal code doesn't appear on the forms the average person fills out each year.

The Huge (And Rarely Discussed) Health Insurance Tax Break

9:56am December 05, 2012

by Julie Rovner

Most people don't realize that they don't pay taxes on the value of health benefits from their job. If employer-provided health insurance was taxed in the same way as wages, the federal government could gain $250 billion a year. But it would mean higher taxes for many people.

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