Recently, Walmart announced plans to increase the starting wage rate for all hourly associates in the U.S. to $11, expand maternity and parental leave benefits and provide a one-time cash bonus for eligible associates of up to $1,000. Read more
We begin 2018 with a national feeling of optimism as the economy is looking up. Read more
Positions eliminated at each of chain's 570 restaurants Read more
Outwardly, the McDonalds restaurant just off Highway 101 in Pismo Beach doesn't look any different from the 1,500 or so others in California. Read more
The shale gas boom in Pennsylvania and other Appalachian states has been the chief driver of growth in U.S. natural gas production since 2012, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Monday. Read more
Federal lawmakers have proposed tax reform legislation that provides long-overdue relief to small business job creators, which create two-thirds of new jobs in the country. Read more
State leaders are listening to concerns about problems facing the workforce. Read more
The potential for a tax on Marcellus shale natural gas production gained new life Wednesday, as a bill emerged from a state House committee and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf urged leaders of the Republican-controlled chamber to speed it to a floor vote. Read more
A proposed severance tax on natural-gas drilling in Pennsylvania cleared the House Finance Committee today on a 16-9 vote, setting up a possible floor vote next week. Read more
In order to keep paying Pennsylvania's bills without a revenue bill from the Republican-controlled Legislature, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf intends to raise $1.25 billion from future profits of the state's liquor system. Read more
Moody's Analytics has ranked Philadelphia and Pittsburgh among the top five potential Amazon HQ2 cities after analyzing data in five broad categories. Read more
The Liquor Control Board has taken the first steps to borrow $1.25 billion to help balance the state budget, but many lawmakers remain unconvinced of the strategy. Read more
The House had an opportunity to force consideration of a shale tax to help fund the 2017-18 budget by using a rarely used tactic to force the discharge of severance tax bill from the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. Read more
Efforts to fix Pennsylvania's unbalanced state budget hit a new flashpoint Monday, as industry and some lawmakers pushed back against a plan to end a longtime sales tax exemption for commercial storage. Read more
Gov. Tom Wolf has placed a priority on supporting and growing Pennsylvania's middle class and is looking to education, workforce development, labor and business leaders to develop a plan to do it. Read more
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr has been selected by Gov. Tom Wolf to serve as one of four co-chairs for the governor's Middle Class Task Force. Read more
Pond Lehocky is the biggest player in town for workers' compensation cases, targeting employees who get hurt on the job with TV ads and billboards that seem to loom on every stretch of Philadelphia's highways. Read more
Pennsylvania legislators looking to impose higher taxes on shale gas extraction under the guise of substantively closing the commonwealth's multibillion-dollar budget shortfall should look elsewhere, say researchers at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. Read more