Employee Participation

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits tumbled 23,000 last week to 298,000, nearly a six-year low that shows companies are laying off fewer workers.

At a time when there's growing attention on economic disparities, labor unions, worker advocacy groups and Democrats hope to build public support to raise the federal minimum wage.

The figure suggests that hiring remained healthy in November after picking up in the prior three months.

This surge in corporate beneficence isn't an indication that employers are becoming kinder and gentler: It's about the bottom line.

Orange topped the list for the worst color (25 percent of employers) and was the color most likely to be associated with someone who is unprofessional.

There seems to be no getting around it: Wellness plans, properly designed and implemented, work.