News tagged with 'Employment'

Staying on the job longer, may offset the mind-robbing effects of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new British study, which shows that cognitive reserves can be modified later in life. This study adds weight to the “use it or lose it” concept. 

On the day the Labor Department announced another half-million job losses, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health are releasing their findings about unemployment’s impact on health. Losing a job can translate into compromised health, researchers found, even if a new job is secured. 

With unemployment at 7.2 percent for December and predicted to be over 8 percent in 2009, this report from the Commonwealth Fund finds that only about one in ten former employees take advantage of COBRA, generally those who are in the middle class. Only 3 percent of low-income workers can afford it. 

As the economy worsens, more employees are filing wrongful termination lawsuits, some labor lawyers note.  And employers are turning to insurance to shield themselves from the losses.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has settled 63 class action lawsuits that accused the world's largest retailer of wage violations for at least $352 million but no more than $640 million. The settlement ends pending actions in several state courts and in Nevada federal court.

100,000 current and former hourly workers joined a class-action against Wal-Mart, and on Tuesday the giant retailer agreed to settle with Minnesota employees. They will receive more than $54 million after Wal-Mart cut into worker's breaks and had them working off the clock, a violation of state labor laws.   

Americans injured by the financial collapse of this country have to look at the housing industry and specifically Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve. He predicts more layoffs and says he was "shocked" that free markets did not act in the shareholders best interest.