Employee Participation

The economy is showing signs of modest improvement not enough to reduce high unemployment but enough to ease fears that another recession might be near.

According to a Globoforce survey, 38 percent of employed Americans are considering leaving their jobs, regardless of the current economic climate and job prospects.

Factory workers at General Motors have overwhelmingly approved a new four-year contract with the company that includes profit-sharing instead of raises for most workers and promises thousands of new jobs.

Consumers' confidence remained weak in September after dropping to a post-recession low during the month before. That's left economists to wonder just what it'll take to get Americans feeling good about the economy again.

Fifty-three percent of employers find recruiting nonmanagerial employees with the skills, training and education their companies need is a challenge, according to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and University of Phoenix.

The average length of unemployment among American households in August of 2011 was 40.3 weeks the longest on record.