Cost-Containment

A poll shows that almost half of small-business employers are optimistic about economic improvement this year. This is a cautious optimism, however, as the majority also expressed concern about revenue and hiring plans for the next six months.

Proposed cuts to pension payouts and health care would save Detroit about $120 million annually over four years and help leave the city with a budget surplus of $89 million, according to Mayor Dave Bing's deficit elimination plan.

A health insurance proposal popular with business groups but not all conservatives survived important tests Tuesday in Colorado's Republican House.

Drugstore operator Walgreen Co. said Wednesday a key measure of revenue rose in April, but the growth was slightly below Wall Street expectations.

Officials at a public hospital district have come under fire after awarding the former CEO nearly $4 million in retirement payments in addition to his $150,000 annual pension after staffing was reduced by hundreds of people.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is once again taking the urgency of the city's financial plight to union leadership.