Employer-Paid

The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to seasonally adjusted 324,000, the lowest since January 2008. The drop points to fewer layoffs and possibly more hiring.

Unemployment rates fell in nearly 90 percent of large U.S. cities in March, though most of the declines likely occurred because more Americans stopped looking for work, rather than found jobs.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday stood by its extraordinary efforts to stimulate the economy because unemployment remains high at 7.6 percent. The Fed said the economy and job market have been improving only moderately, held back by government spending cuts and tax increases.

Americans' confidence in the economy jumped in April, helped by a better outlook for the job market and expectations for higher pay.

Cancer remains the top long-term disability claim, according to 2012 claims data from Unum.

Employers need to take a closer look at their benefits packages because the nondiscriminatory clause of PPACA has the potential to cost some employers a lot of money.