Posts in category Business

At the time of the financial bailout in 2008, the number seemed impossibly high: $116 billion.

That’s how much of taxpayers’ money was used to bailout Fannie Mae, the government-controlled mortgage company that was hit hard by the Great Recession last decade.

However, Fannie Mae reported this week that its third quarter profit more than quadrupled this year, meaning it can repay another $10.2 billion of the federal loan it received in 2008. At this pace, the mortgage giant will have repaid most of the loan by the end of this year.

Starbucks has joined a list of companies that have policies in which they are hiring more veterans. The move comes as an increasing number of veterans are returning to the civilian workforce from duty overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Starbucks, which is based in Seattle, announced that it is willing to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses between now and 2018.

A new initiative from a Duke University professor – one who is known for challenging higher education traditions – seeks answers to the future of higher education through the use of, among other things, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

When it comes to trying to make a business plan, Hollywood studios should focus more on a handful of movies that have a mass audience rather than a wider range of feature films that serve niche audiences, according to a Harvard professor.

Professor Anita Elberse told Bloomberg BusinessWeek that the recent failure of some big blockbuster movies – such as “Lone Ranger” – does not sway her opinion.

The College Board recently released a report defending its findings that a higher education leads to more pay for American workers.

As a supplement to its 2013 Education Pays report, the College Board – a not-for-profit membership for colleges and universities across the country – addresses criticism that its reports may over-state the benefits of a college education.

The 2013 report finds that those who earn a bachelor’s degree will make 65% more in salary than those with just a high school education.

The U.S. Midwest experienced a surge in business activity in October, with new manufacturing orders hitting the highest level since 2004.

In other economic news, the number of weekly jobless claims fell by 10,000 to about 340,000, according to the United States Department of Labor. The jobless numbers indicate that the government shutdown is no longer affecting the economy as federal workers and government contractors return to work.

Workers with specialized talents in specific fields – including business systems analysts – could see pay increases in the coming year, according to a new report.

The report, by staffing company Robert Half International, bolsters the theory that specializing in a specific area and becoming an expert in that area can lead to better chances for improved pay and promotion.

Two reports this week indicate that the economy is improving – that is, if retail sales and home prices are considered good economic indicators.

U.S. home prices increased by the largest amount since 2006 in August, rising 0.9%, according to a report by S&P/Case-Shiller released this week.

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A new study has found that Baby Boomers are happier in their jobs – but also more stressed out.

The study, from PayScale, a company that compiles data on compensation and workplace issues, found almost 78% of Baby Boomers report having high job satisfaction. That is slightly better than Generation X (72%) and Generation Y (66.4%).

However, the study also found that almost 68% of Baby Boomers reported high job stress. That was more than Generation X (65.5%) and Generation Y (about 60%).

About 75% of female entrepreneurs are upbeat about their businesses, and 79% said their business was not impacted by the government shutdown.

A new Cox business survey showed women business leaders are concerned about the national debt ceiling not being raise. About 56% said in the survey that another recession is likely unless Congress finds a compromise and agrees to raise the debt ceiling.