Employee Participation

The proportion of West Virginia workers paid an hourly wage at or below the federal minimum standard declined in 2011, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday.

Weekly applications for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped 46,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 388,000, the highest in four months. The increase represents a rebound from the previous week's sharp drop. Both swings were largely due to technical factors.

Some of the nation's leading manufacturing companies announced a new program Monday to help veterans gain the skills necessary to fill some of the estimated 600,000 high-tech, manufacturing jobs that remain open because employers can't find qualified applicants.

Economists foresee only tepid growth for the coming year, with unemployment back above 8 percent for the first half of 2013.

Although so many people are affected by mental illnesses, few receive the treatment they need, and if an employer fails to help its employees overcome these illnesses, it can expect to see reduced productivity and engagement, says Michael Klachefsky, national practice leader of The Standards Workplace Possibilities program.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid plummeted last week to seasonally adjusted 339,000, the lowest level in more than four years. The sharp drop, if sustained, could signal a stronger job market.

U.S. employers advertised slightly fewer jobs in August while they filled the most positions in three months, a mixed signal for the job market.

Sixty-nine percent of workers admit they regularly search for new positions while 30 percent of workers say looking for new jobs is a weekly activity both of which is attributed to having instant access to so many digital resources, according to a new study by CareerBuilder and Inavero. ...