Employer-Paid

A legislative plan to shore up Oklahoma's underfunded pension systems by requiring any cost-of-living increases to be funded by the Legislature received final approval on Tuesday and is heading to the governor's desk.

Drugstore operator Walgreen Co. said Wednesday a key measure of revenue rose in April, but the growth was slightly below Wall Street expectations.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that employees ages 45 to 64 will make up a full third of the workforce by next year. Along with job responsibilities, many in this age group also juggle family care-giving responsibilities.

Officials at a public hospital district have come under fire after awarding the former CEO nearly $4 million in retirement payments in addition to his $150,000 annual pension after staffing was reduced by hundreds of people.

Like thousands of others in a region already struggling with high unemployment, Rapley now faces the prospect of trying to recover with no way to earn a living.

Some of the hardest hit areas by recent devastating tornadoes are those that have the highest unemployment rates.