Men who lost jobs in recession help at home, but experts don’t see long-term change

Unemployed husbands help at home but will it last?

Competition for jobs at highest level since recession began, 6 unemployed pursue each opening

WASHINGTON — The number of job seekers competing for each opening has reached the highest point since the recession began, according to government data released Friday.

Early retirements swamp Social Security, easing federal benefit program into projected deficit

WASHINGTON — Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that’s happened since the 1980s.

Big job losses, spike in early retirements claims from seniors swamp Social Security system

WASHINGTON — Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that’s happened since the 1980s.

Social Security swamped by early retirement claims, pushing program into projected deficit

WASHINGTON — Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that’s happened since the 1980s.

Hundreds of Soviet-era, single-factory towns suffer amid Russia’s languishing economy

YASNOGORSK, RUSSIA — Three decades ago, the Yasnogorsk Machine-Building Factory stamped out thousands of pounds of steel and iron into parts for wagons, pumps and locomotives for Russia’s mining industry.

Chinese factories face labor crunch but experts say it’s not necessarily sign of full recovery

XINTANG, China — During the first half of this year, Yang Zongfu’s blue jean factory had few customers. Now, as his business picks up, he can’t find enough workers.

Managing your credit; your spouse may think your job loss is a blessing; sleep distractions

SWIPING PLASTIC: It can sometimes be difficult to make a purchase if you don’t have a credit card — or impossible, in the event that you need to make a hotel reservation or rent a car.

In this job market, even slaughterhouses and sewage plants look good to long-term unemployed

Some of the dirtiest, smelliest, most dangerous jobs are suddenly looking a lot more appealing in this economy.

Unlicensed contractors draw more scrutiny from legitimate builders, officials in slow economy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When custom homebuilder Bob Liddell started seeing the decline in the housing market more than three years ago, he decided to supplement his business with home remodeling. But he ran into a different problem — competing with unlicensed contractors.

Economists: Latest wage hike arrives at tough time for businesses, could prolong recession

ATLANTA — A federal minimum wage increase that takes effect Friday could prolong the recession, some economists say, by forcing small businesses to lay off the same workers that the pay hike passed in better times was meant to help.

Starting a home-based business after a layoff means making some personal adjustments

NEW YORK — First, they had to deal with being laid off. Then the challenge became figuring out how to run a business from a spare bedroom while the kids are fighting and the dog is barking.

Meltdown 101: A by-the-numbers look at why the unemployment rate rose as job losses slowed

If the recession really is ending, someone forgot to tell the nation’s employers.

AP News in Brief