Business for Life

Economists say there is a long way to go, but they liked what they saw.

The rate fell to 8.6 percent, the lowest since March 2009, two months after President Barack Obama took office. Unemployment passed 9 percent that spring and had stayed there or higher for all but two months since then.

The country added 120,000 jobs in November, the Labor Department said Friday. Private employers added 140,000 jobs, while governments cut 20,000.

The economy has generated 100,000 or more jobs five months in a row — the first time that has happened since April 2006, well before the Great Recession.

“Something good is stirring in the U.S. economy,” Ian Shepherdson, an economist at High Frequency Economics, said in a note to clients.

The stock market rallied at the opening bell, after the report came out, but finished flat for the day. It was still up 787 points for the week. The only bigger point gain in a week was in October 2008, when stocks lurched higher and lower during the financial crisis.

The report showed that September and October were stronger months for the job market than first estimated. F

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For the first time, chains such as Target, Best Buy and Kohl’s opened their doors at midnight on the most anticipated shopping day of the year. Toys R Us opened for the second straight year on Thanksgiving itself. And some shoppers arrived with sharp elbows.

Near Muskegon, Mich., a teenage girl was knocked down and stepped on several times after getting caught in the rush to a sale in the electronics department at a Walmart. She suffered minor injuries.

On Thanksgiving night, a Walmart in Los Angeles brought out a crate of discounted Xboxes, and as a crowd waited for the video game players to be unwrapped, a woman fired pepper spray at the other shoppers “in order to get an advantage,” police said.

Ten people suffered cuts and bruises in the chaos, and 10 others had minor injuries from the spray, authorities said. The woman got away in the confusion, and it was not immediately clear whether she got an Xbox.

On Friday morning, police said, two women were injured and a man was charged after a fight broke out at an upstate New York Walmart. Read more…

The European Union took a step towards open data this week, after a UK MEP’s proposal to extend citizen access to EU documents was backed by European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee.

Public access legislation currently under consideration by the European Parliament proposes that EU citizens should be allowed to access documents from the European Parliament, Commission and Council.

But Michael Cashman, Labour MEP for the West Midlands, proposed an amendment to the legislation that would extend its remit to any EU institution, and expand the definition of the word ‘document’, which he claims is currently restrictive. 

“What we are talking about is a right that allows citizens to make sure that we are accountable; parliamentarians accountable for what we do in their name, the commission for what it does in their name,” wrote Cashman in a statement.

The Civil Liberties Committee voted 33 to 17 in favour of Cashman’s amendment.

“A battle has been won today,” Cashman said. “We voted to open up Europe to her citizens.

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The power of proper interior design is evident. It can positively change the productivity of a workplace, employees’ mood, and overall outlook of a company. Design and redesign of an office become a strategic investment with lasting effects and implications. Regarding commercial interior design, many factors, such as sustainability, safety measures, convenience and comfort should be considered. Thus, the interior design is a combination of many details, elements and aspects. Working with the right professional team is the best way to build, design or redesign a workplace that reflects the needs and objectives of your business.

To create a safe, challenging, peaceful and productive work environment is not an easy task. It involves several phases, each requiring careful planning and strategic execution. Proper use of space, light, furniture and materials in professional interior design should be matched to create the right kind of environment connecting employees to each other when equipment, information tools and furniture are considered. Read more…

Most small company owners will expect to have access to business internet banking when they open a new bank account.

We have covered many aspects of comparing business bank accounts, and the basics of choosing a bank for your new business elsewhere in this section – so we won’t duplicate those points here.

With business internet banking a must for most new businesses these days, what should you expect to be able to do online, and what additional services are available via online banking?

Online business banking – typical benefits

Naturally, few businesses can conduct all their banking needs completely online, as you still need to visit a branch to pay in cash or cheques, to make changes to your banking services, or talk to a relationship manager. However, the technological advances being made in the banking industry can only be good for small businesses – saving both time, and money. Read more…

When choosing a credit card, as well as making practical considerations such as whether you’d prefer a credit card with 0% interest or a balance transfer card, there is also a more light-hearted side to proceedings. This is because many credit cards come equipped with rewards schemes that help to make them more appealing, and one popular example is the air miles credit card.

This is a type of credit card that gives you the chance to earn air miles for every pound you spend on your card. Typically, you can expect to get 1 air mile for each pound spent, but some items come with double points so you can earn even more air miles.

Over time, these air miles build up in your account and then, once you have built up enough to qualify, you can redeem them against various travel and flight related benefits. This is usually done through a flying club offered by your credit card company and there is a range of benefits on offer.

For instance, one popular option is a cash and air miles flight, which allows you to combine the air miles you have earned with cash in order to get money off your flight. A Read more…

The Conference Board’s index of leading economic indicators rose more than Wall Street analysts had expected Friday. That is a sign that the economy may pick up in coming months.

Stock indexes were also bolstered by easing borrowing costs for Italy and Spain, a signal that bond investors are less fearful of a default by those countries.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 38 points, or 0.3 percent, to 11,808 at 11:45 a.m. Eastern. The S&P 500 rose 2, or 0.1 percent, to 1,218. The Nasdaq composite slid 6, or 0.2 percent, to 2,582.