Yuki Noguchi

A 'Wake-Up Call' To Protect Vulnerable Workers From Abuse

Yuki Noguchi — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:04:00 +0000

Four years ago, 21 men with intellectual disabilities were emancipated from a bright blue, century-old schoolhouse in Atalissa, Iowa. They ranged in age from their 40s to their 60s, and for most of their adult lives they had worked for next to nothing and lived in dangerously unsanitary conditions.

Earlier this month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission won a massive judgment against the turkey-processing company at which the men worked.

Furloughs Only The Latest Blow To Federal Worker Morale

Yuki Noguchi — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:51:00 +0000

Federal workers say they don't have much to celebrate these days.

Furloughs began in April, exacerbating already low morale for many government agencies as budgets have tightened. Downsizing has meant more work for those who remain, and talk of further cuts has many worried about job security. This year is also the third that federal workers haven't received a pay increase, contributing to discontent.

Jenny Brown is in her 27th year as an examiner for the Internal Revenue Service, where she answers peoples' tax questions.

Some Net Retailers Aren't Buying Online Sales Tax Proposal

Yuki Noguchi — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Congress is considering a bill that would allow states to collect sales taxes from online retailers. Proponents say a law is necessary to level the playing field with brick-and-mortar stores and to raise revenue for states.

Simply put, the Marketplace Fairness Act would require any online retailer with more than $1 million in annual sales to collect and remit sales tax. But Joseph Henchman, a vice president at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, says it's not that simple. He says the bill, at about five pages of text, is unusually brief.

As Health Law Changes Loom, A Shift To Part-Time Workers

Yuki Noguchi — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:14:16 +0000

Nearly all of the remaining provisions of the new health care law go into effect next January, including one that requires businesses with 50 or more full-time employees to pay for their health care or pay a penalty.

Some businesses may already be making personnel changes to save money when that provision of the Affordable Care Act kicks in. One option on the table: shifting full-time workers to part time.

Duane Davis thinks that's what happened to him.

When It Comes To Productivity, Technology Can Hurt And Help

Yuki Noguchi — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:07:00 +0000

Even when people think they're buckling down, studies show the average office worker wastes over a third of the day. There's Facebook, of course, and the email from a friend with a YouTube link.

Shifting Retail Landscape Tilts Support For Online Sales Tax

Yuki Noguchi — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:32:00 +0000

The U.S. Senate may vote this week on the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bill that would allow states to collect sales tax from more online retailers. And as the political and retail landscape has shifted from the last time around, the Senate is expected to approve the measure.

The proposal to require online sellers to collect out-of-state sales tax has been kicked around for many years. For a decade, Amazon was a fierce opponent.

And Amazon had U.S. Supreme Court precedent on its side.

After Missteps, Does J.C. Penney Stand Another Chance?

Yuki Noguchi — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:53:48 +0000

A year and a half ago, J.C. Penney's then-brand new CEO Ron Johnson undertook what was supposed to be a transformation of the 110-year-old department store. Yesterday, the retailer cut his tenure short.

J.C. Penney lost nearly $1 billion last year as customer traffic dropped off.

Now, it's bringing back former Chief Executive Officer Myron Ullman to try to stanch the bleeding.

The fanfare that originally accompanied Johnson seemed well-placed.

Although Unemployment Dropped In March, Job Growth Slowed

Yuki Noguchi — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:38:00 +0000

The March unemployment report disappointed analysts with very weak job growth, and perhaps more significantly, a huge drop out in the labor force.

As Housing Industry Builds Up, Other Sectors Follow

Yuki Noguchi — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:46:00 +0000

When fortunes rise in the housing industry — as they currently are — it tends to lift sales for other businesses, too. Home construction, sales and prices are all improving. And according to many analysts, the market is gaining steam.

For nearly two decades, Scott Gillis has owned his own moving company, Great Scott Moving in Hyattsville, Md. Moving high season is just around the corner, which means Gillis is hiring.

"I'm doing it right now, I'm calling up all my old employees.

For Some Ready To Buy, A Good Home Is Hard To Find

Yuki Noguchi — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:07:00 +0000

The first day of spring typically signals the high season for open houses and home sales.

The season seems to have arrived early in some places where homebuying is already frenzied, and in many markets, the pendulum has swung from an excess of homes on the market a few years ago to a shortage.

In Baltimore, Patrick and Britney Bove are fighting on two fronts, so to speak. On one hand, they're hosting an open house in the city's Hamilton neighborhood, and on the other, they're trying to find a house to buy.