Employer-Paid

Activity at U.S. service firms accelerated in October behind a jump in sales and more hiring, suggesting businesses largely shrugged off the partial government shutdown.

South Dakota Democrats and labor unions said they've gathered more than enough signatures to force a public vote on a minimum wage increase in the state.

A little more than three months into the tenure of Thomas Perez, the departments agenda has in many areas continued on the path set by his predecessor.

A major gay rights bill has cleared its first hurdle in the Senate.

In Illinois, public employees still have their defined-benefit pensions. Unions still negotiate and collect dues. And little public blame has been heaped on labor for the state's financial problems.

Gay rights advocates from both parties are newly upbeat about the prospects for Senate passage of legislation that would bar employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.