Employment outlook gets a little brighter - Towers Watson

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City of Industry, CA The employment picture will brighten a little in 2010, with most employers saying they will hire this year and the percentage planning workforce reductions down a bit, according to a survey published Thursday.


Towers Watson, a global human resources consultancy, said its survey of about 450 large and medium-sized businesses worldwide found that 92% of employers plan expand to payrolls this year.

At the same time, the survey found that 36% of employers are planning "targeted workforce reductions" this year, down from the 58% that have cut workers since the financial crisis began in 2008.

"While there are signs of improvement, it's clear we're not going back to 'business as usual' anytime soon," Laura Sejen, a rewards practice leader at Towers Watson, said in a statement.

The survey was released a day after President Obama called on Congress to pass legislation aimed at boosting job growth. The U.S. [Read the full article]

Paying for child care, saving for college, and caring for a parent can weigh heavily on a struggling family's budget. In an effort to convince the nation he understands their struggles, President Barack Obama laid out a plan to help.

The plan, mentioned briefly in Wednesday's State of the Union address, increases tax credits and cash available for child care and provides millions of dollars to boost services for dependent parents. It also sets repayment limits on college loans to allow students to keep more of their money.

The plan was created by the president's Middle Class Task Force, which is chaired by Vice President Joe Biden. A preview of the plan was released in advance of the speech, but more details are expected next month.

None of the proposals are extremely costly compared to overall federal spending, but the impact for some may be similarly narrow. [Read the full article]

President Barack Obama is launching an effort to help Americans save more for retirement, hoping a government nudge or two can get them to do what many are unable to do on their own.

The package includes programs to guarantee all workers access to a retirement plan through their jobs; expand the tax credits that reward saving for retirement; and tighten 401(k) regulations to make them safer and more efficient.

Most of the proposals have broad support at a time when retirement security is increasingly in jeopardy. Pensions are rapidly disappearing, 401(k) balances have taken hits and nearly half the work force has no way to save at work.

The centerpiece of the push, the so-called automatic IRA, appears to have particularly strong backing. This would require employers who do not offer a retirement plan to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit individual retirement account unless the employee opts out.

Other elements are sure to run into resistance. [Read the full article]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Gov. Mike Rounds said Thursday he supports the idea of restricting state investment in companies that have significant involvement in Iran.

Rounds did not endorse any particular bill, but he said he could support a measure that was properly worded and could be enforced to prevent investment in Iran or other nations that support terrorism or other efforts to harm U.S. military personnel.

"If any of that money is going a country that is turning around and using it against our soldiers and our citizens, then that's where we draw that line," the Republican governor said.

A bill filed Thursday and sponsored by nearly half the members of the Legislature would require the state to get rid of its investments in companies that do substantial business in Iran and are subject to sanctions under the 1996 federal Iran Sanctions Act. [Read the full article]

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