The U.S. Labor Department announced that 243,000 jobs were added in January, sending the unemployment rate to 8.3%, its lowest point since Feburary 2009. more ›

New Jersey governor Chris Christie is above partisan squabbling and name-calling. As he was trying to explain this to a group of Mitt Romney supporters at a campaign stop in Exeter, New Hampshire, he was rudely interrupted by a group of Occupy protesters who shouted "Christie kills jobs!" But thanks to his years on the stand-up circuit, Christie handled the hecklers like a pro. "You know, something may go down tonight but it ain't gonna be jobs, sweetheart!" We're guessing New Jersey's chief executive then ordered the group a round of strawberry daiquiris and told the bartender to "keep playing Buffett until I can get these ladies home." more ›

With job prospects increasingly dim for many Americans, thousands of moms around the country are reportedly turning to the phones to put food on the table. Specifically, they are working as sex phone operators. Y'know, like Jennifer Jason Leigh did in Robert Altman's classic Raymond Carver movie Short Cuts. "I look at what I do as a business," one a single mom explained to Good Morning America. "It happens to deal with sex." more ›

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that unemployment fell to 8.6% in November, the lowest since March 2009. According to Bloomberg News, "Payrolls climbed 120,000, after a revised 100,000 increase in October, with more than half the hiring coming from retailers and temporary help agencies." more ›

Even though everybody knows that the recession was over years ago, some people are still feeling its impact, especially those working for the much-demonized public sector, which is shedding jobs under the increasing pressure for fiscal austerity. However, there is one group that is hit particularly hard by the loss of public-sector employment: African Americans. The Times reports that one in five black workers are employed by the public sector, and they're also one-third more likely to hold such a job than whites. more ›

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that 80,000 jobs were added last month, which means the unemployment rate has dropped to 9.0%, from 9.1% in September. However, don't get too excited, because economists were hoping for more jobs. more ›

With the fabulous new Queens Racino open for business, you might be thinking that you don't need any other job than to pull the lever and order another scotch in a plastic cup. But all streaks eventually come to an end, and Governor Cuomo's office has created a new online job index containing 42,000 positions to keep us from robbing soda machines. WOO-WOO! Alllllll aboard the "Jobs Express!" First stop, Properhygieneburg! We'll be flush with cash and back at the Racino in no time! more ›

Besides the absence of baby pigeons, one of life's great mysteries is that in many cases you need to be gainfully employed so that someone else will hire you. No one likes a layabout, especially human resource departments who would rather not see that CRITICAL gap in your LinkedIn profile. But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer tells the Daily News that such discrimination "is an outrageous bias that has no place in New York," and says he will lobby city council and Albany for a bill banning the practice. more ›

In his weekly radio address, billionaire autocrat Michael Bloomberg took the opportunity to criticize the groups of students, labor unions, and other demonstrators who haven taken to Lower Manhattan to protest the state of our economy. "They're trying to take away the tax base we have, because none of this is good for tourism," Bloomberg said, apparently unaware that the tourists are eating it up and that some of the protesters are tourists themselves. He also claimed that those in Zuccotti Park were "trying to destroy the jobs of working people in this city." more ›

The United States added 103,000 jobs in September, which was more than what economists expected (Bloomberg News' survey put the increase at 60,000). Unemployment is still at 9.1%, which is what it was in August. more ›

Many economists believe that president Obama's $447 billion jobs bill will help stimulate the economy—albeit not quite as much as the administration is predicting—by bolstering the GDP and creating or keeping at least 275,000 jobs. To pay for the plan, the president has asked the wealthy to dig under their manatee-leather couch cushions and be taxed as much as middle class folk. New York Senator Chuck Schumer thinks this is a bad idea. "The main hangup is not the jobs bill itself," Schumer tells the Daily News, "[Obama] proposed ways of paying for it that are probably not the best way to garner the votes. We're looking for better ways." Schumer then began furiously scratching a stack of Instant Take 5s. more ›

If you think Wal-Mart would just plop down a store or two in East New York and call it a day, you don't know Wal-Mart. In order for the big box chain to gain 21% grocery market share, which is what they enjoy in the rest of the country, they would need to build 159 stores in New York City. That's 159 more places to get these fabulous hamster beds. more ›

As poll after poll shows his support eroding among independents and his base, perhaps President Obama has finally started losing some sleep. Tomorrow, Obama will propose a new tax rate for millionaires so that they will pay at least the same percentage as the 15 or so people still in the middle class. Dubbed the "Buffett Rule," after the billionaire grandpa you never had who has repeatedly said that the rich aren't taxed enough, Obama is seeking to force Republicans to choose between defending the wealthy and helping everybody else. Can you guess which side the Republicans will choose? Hint: it rhymes with "itch people." more ›

During his weekly radio address this morning, Mayor Bloomberg looked into his crystal ball and saw a grim, violent future if the masses don't get a job. "We have a lot of kids graduating college, can't find jobs," Bloomberg said. "That's what happened in Cairo. That's what happened in Madrid. You don't want those kinds of riots here." Especially not if you live in one of those extravagant mansions that angry mobs just loooove burning down, amirite Mike? The mayor then went on to voice his qualified support for Obama's jobs bill, acknowledging that "at least he's got some ideas on the table, whether you like those or not." Hopefully those ideas include federal funding for fireproof panic rooms. more ›

Besides whale bone back-scratchers, one of the best parts about being rich is that you make money because you're rich. In 2008, the 400 wealthiest taxpayers made 60 percent of their income in the form of capital gains (profits from investments), and 8 percent in salary and wages. Meanwhile, the rest of the country made 5 percent in capital gains, and 72 percent in salary and wages. Under the current tax code, billionaires pay less than anyone making more than $34,500 in wages on capital gains earnings. This is because, as one Yale professor tells WaPo, “the amount of lobbying that takes place on tax policy from the deep-pocketed interests that have the most at stake is enormous." Maybe all those unemployed people should just become lobbyists? more ›

"Mister Comptroller" and foe of Wall Street John Liu believes that President Obama's $447 billion jobs package "if enacted, will deliver significant benefits to New York City's economy." In a release, Liu states that the payroll and Social Security tax cuts cut proposed by the American Jobs Act "would provide a total benefit of $4.8 billion to New York City workers," and would save someone who makes $25K a year $775, and $3,100 for those making $100K. Liu's office makes no mention of Obama's scrapped proposal of "providing a dual Netflix account to every citizen through 2015." more ›

In a major speech tonight, President Obama is announcing a jobs and growth package that could top $400 billion, CBS reports. Excerpts of the speech were given to the press, and in addition to signature soaring rhetoric, Obama is outlining specific spending increases and tax cuts that he hopes will, among other things, lead to the hiring of one million unemployed construction workers. According to a copy obtained by CNN, Obama will tell the American people and Congress: more ›

The U.S. Labor Department's jobs report is worse than anticipated: for the first time in 11 months, there was no net increase in jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at 9.1 percent, and if you factor in people who are underemployed or have simply given up looking for a job, the real unemployment rate (at least in New York) is more like 15 percent. more ›

Democrats are wringing their hands over the latest apparent sign that President Obama is a wimp: After yesterday's public squabble—the White House announced Obama's jobs speech would be September 7, at the same time as the GOP debate, which then prompted House Speaker John Boehner to issue an angry letter!—now Obama will give his speech on September 8. White House spokesman Jay Carney said today, "Our intention was merely for the president to address a joint session of Congress as soon as possible upon Congress’s return from recess. Both houses are supposed to be -- will be in session next Wednesday, so we asked for that day," adding that Boehner's office never objected when September 7 was initially requested. more ›

Things are looking up for Coney Island—tourists are coming back, jobs are opening, and heck, reality TV is just around the corner! But the Brooklyn Paper tells us otherwise: their take on the whole situation is "Coney job growth is strong—but not for carnies." Intrigued by the prospect of freaks losing their jobs, we dug a little deeper. more ›

Yesterday we were reminded that just like the chupacabra or deciding on whether to run for president, sitting down kills you. At least we can come home every two weeks with a piece of paper that allows us to keep a (leaking) roof over our heads, buy a few more tallboys and more precious time before we die, right? WRONG. According to Time magazine's analysis of a recent study, "getting paid may be associated with a higher risk of death." Dammit, I guess we finally have to admit that volunteering is good for you. more ›

Fervently clutch your tear-soaked Irish cotton hanky and strike up the band of microscopic violins: Wall Street may have to let a few people go. Fears of what regulation might do to the market coupled with the reverberations of the financial crisis of 2008 are forcing firms to trim the fat. "It's a tense environment right now," an analyst told DealBook, describing the climate that has existed in the rest of the country for many years now. Most notably, Goldman Sachs is cutting "10 percent, or $1 billion, of noncompensation expenses over the next 12 months," which would be the first time the company had wide-scale layoffs since 2009. Bank of America, Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley are also tightening their belts. Where will these people find work? Wall Street, probably. Unless Wal-Mart can get their signing bonuses for greeters up to par. more ›

America, we did it! The homeless man that was interviewed by a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch—Brooklyn Native Ted Williams, the man with the golden voice—now has a slew of job opportunities, and will be in New York later today to make at least one big television appearance. more ›