Economy, Workers | featured news

U.S. companies got slightly more out of their workers this spring after scaling back on hiring. The modest 1.6 percent annualized gain in productivity from April through June signals employers may need to hire more if demand picks up.

These are anxious days for American workers. Many are underemployed. Others find pay that is simply not keeping up with their expenses.

At a time of lingering economic malaise, gyrating markets and high unemployment, it's not surprising that workers around the world are less than content at their jobs. They're also feeling a diminished sense of loyalty, according to a new global analysis of data gathered by Mercer, the giant New York City-based human resources consulting firm.

A sequel to the Great Recession in the United States just two years after the downturn is not likely because demand for temporary workers, a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns, remains steady, staffing industry executives say.

Economists think some of the missing workers have retired, have entered college or are getting by on government disability checks.

Employers appear to be laying off workers again as the economic recovery weakens. The number of people applying for unemployment benefits reached the half-million mark last week for the first time since November.

In today’s job market, many good-paying jobs are being lost but aren't being replaced. As a result, some workers are finding they need more than one job to make ends meet.

We can't get no job satisfaction. Even Americans who are lucky enough to have work in this economy are becoming more unhappy with their jobs, according to a new survey that found only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their work.

That was the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in more than 22 years of studying the issue. In 2008, 49% of those surveyed reported satisfaction with their jobs.

U.S. employers expect to hire more new workers in 2010 than they did in 2009, a sign the U.S. recession may be easing its grip, research showed on Tuesday.

French workers at a factory south of Paris free their boss after holding him hostage in a dispute over lay-offs.