Employer-Paid

More than 600,000 employees and dependents enrolled in health plans via Aon Hewitts exchange during the 2014 enrollment period last fall.

While employers are seeing some of the smallest cost increases in years, employees are shouldering higher premiums, surcharges, and other cost-sharing provisions.

Fewer Americans than projected filed applications for unemployment benefits last week.

Just 6 percent of employers who had offered it a year ago took it off the table.

Obama cited companies such as Costco Wholesale Corp. and Gap Inc. as he pressed lawmakers again to raise the U.S. minimum hourly wage to $10.10 from $7.25.

Companies with 50 or more full-time workers may be able to avoid penalties under the PPACA by offering these limited plans.