American Airlines and its pilots may be close to an agreement on a new contract, following a decision Nov. 1 to freeze all of the company's pensions.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is returning to lawmakers this week to ask for approval to outsource a state employee health insurance plan.

Express Scripts reported a 20 percent boost in profit for the third quarter, but executives for the pharmacy benefit manager cautioned that the company faces a weaker outlook heading into 2013, and its shares plunged in aftermarket trading.

In a bid to cut down on risk, Hartford Financial has offered some of its annuity clients cash for their contracts. The move is based on market volatility.

WellPoint Inc., the nation's second-largest health insurer, will issue on Wednesday its first quarterly earnings report since Chairwoman and CEO Angela Braly abruptly resigned in August.

The U.S. economy added 171,000 jobs in October, more than September's upwardly revised gain of 148,000. Yet the unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent.

Federal officials have added Bergen and Somerset counties to the list of New Jersey counties where residents left jobless because of Sandy are eligible for unemployment benefits.

A University of Maine study says the medical costs of obesity for children and adolescents in the state could reach $1.2 billion over the next 20 years.