ThinkstockNext year, U.S. wages will increase by about 1.5% after adjusting for inflation, according to ECA International estimates. In some parts of the world, wages will grow at double this rate, and in several…
Thinkstock How well run is your state? It can be difficult to objectively assess the quality of a state’s management. The economy and standard of living can be affected by decisions made decades ago,…
courtesy Wal-Mart Stores Inc.Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, looms, and once again retailers are offering holiday deals in an attempt to get more shoppers into their stores. Several of the…
ThinkstockAmericans are likely to trim their budgets this holiday season. According to Gallup, consumers estimate they will spend just $704 on gifts this year, on average. This is down from 2012, when the average…
courtesy of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.This summer, thousands of fast-food workers in the United States went on strike in cities across the country, demanding their wages be increased to $15 an hour and the ability…
ThinkstockAs the NFL season moves past the halfway point, most teams have already established themselves as either a playoff contender or an also-ran. Those teams that are winning games are generating excitement among their…
courtesy Wal-Mart Stores Inc.Holiday shoppers are expected to spend about 3.9% more this year than they did last year, according to a National Retail Federation estimate. And in order to facilitate the shopping experience,…
ThinkstockInvestors have been told over and over to love dividends, as they provide income and stability to a portfolio. While those themes are often true, there can be a dark side to dividend investing.…
ThinkstockGasoline prices are close to their lowest levels in nearly three years. They have plummeted from more than $3.60 per gallon at the end of the summer to just $3.22 per gallon. The cost…
The residents of Switzerland are the most satisfied with their lives, according to the latest Better Life Index report, released this week by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Switzerland has moved…
ThinkstockIt has been a slow and painful process, but the housing market is now in recovery and foreclosures have been dropping. Since the housing bust, regulators have focused on preventing borrowers from entering into…
ThinkstockThe gender wage gap has narrowed over the years. In 1979, women made an estimated 62% of what men earned. In 2012, the wage of a full-time female employee was roughly 81% of her…
ThinkstockThe national housing market is by most measures recovering at a healthy clip. Home prices in some of the hardest-hit markets — places like Reno, Nev., and Phoenix, Ariz. — were up by more…
The American middle class is shrinking. According to a report released earlier this year, an estimated 51% of the population was in the middle class at the start of the decade, down from 61%…
courtesy of McDonald'sThe Dow Jones Industrial Average is up more than 19% so far this on the year. The DJIA, an index of 30 stocks from some of the country’s largest companies, is a…