News & Commentary

January 10, 2014

The L.A. Times reports that the U.S. economy added just 74,000 jobs in December, the smallest increase in three years. The news was accompanied by a drop in the unemployment rate to 6.7%, the lowest level since October 2008. However, this decrease was driven by the number of Americans who have given up on looking for work, rather than by those who left the ranks of the unemployed after finding work.

The New York Times features stories of domestic workers who have alleged mistreatment by their diplomat-employers. The story comes after Indian deputy consul general Devyani Khobragade was granted immunity and allowed to leave the country rather than face charges of visa fraud related to allegations of exploitation and wage theft made by her housekeeper.

Trucking company YRC Worldwide faces more difficulties, according to the Wall Street Journal, after Teamsters voted to reject a contract extension that would have continued pay and benefits cuts negotiated in a previous agreement. The company owes nearly $1.4 billion to creditors, some of whom have conditioned refinancing on a renegotiation of YRC’s labor contracts.

 

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