Jobs

State and local budget deficits led to a surge in job cuts in education, and high gas prices hobbled the transportation industry, sending monthly planned layoffs up in April, according to job firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas

So we all know that some people are more motivated to work hard than others — whether in school or at the office. But now, a new clue as to why that could be the case.

The job placement company Challenger, Gray, and Christmas is predicting that teens will have an easier time finding jobs this summer. Employment in this age group won't be back to pre-recession levels, but nothing like the summer of 2010 where youth employment had fell to a 60 year low.

In just a little while, we'll hear the latest on how many people were forced to sign up for unemployment benefits. But how's the job market doing if you actually ask people?

The number of people signing up for unemployment benefits rose by 13,000 over the last week — a surprise and not a good one. But more people voluntarily leaving their jobs can also be a good sign for the economy.

The National Consumer Law Center says it's the wild west for background-screening report companies that provide shoddy reports.

Social Security claims came down last year, an intriguing sign that older workers are feeling better about their job prospects.

The economy's doing better, but unemployment is still at over 8 percent. Lots of jobless workers have turned to federally-funded retraining programs, but as New York Times reporter Motoko Rich reports, funding is running dry.

Employers hired many fewer workers in March than in previous months, but the unemployment rate fell for the first time since January.