BEIJING — The company that manufactures Apple’s iPhones has responded to an accusation that vocational students are forced to work in its Chinese factories by saying Wednesday its agreement with their schools allows them to leave. China Labor Watch, a ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. companies got more output from their workers this spring than initially thought. Productivity rose at a modest 2.2 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, largely because employers cut back sharply on hiring. Most economists expect productivity ...

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Not even McDonald’s Corp. has an iron stomach when it comes to the global economic downturn. The world’s largest hamburger chain has thrived in boom and bust times by selling cheap eats and constantly updating its menu with popular items ...

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Out of academy, into in-house For Allie M. Wright, fighting cases in-house at a company is just as challenging as combat in the courtroom. “I’m really here to battle everything that needs to be battled on behalf of the company,” ...

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Safeway and Giant Food workers in the Baltimore-Washington region have approved a new contract with wage increases. The United Food and Commercial Workers announced approval Tuesday of the agreement that also maintains key benefits and strengthens retirement security. The new ...

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WASHINGTON — Consumer prices rose modestly in January on higher costs for food, gas, rent and clothing. But economists downplayed the increase, saying inflation will likely ease in the coming months as prices for raw materials level off. Separately, a ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of available jobs in the United States jumped in December to near a three-year high, supporting other data that show a brighter outlook for hiring. Companies and governments posted 3.38 million jobs in December, the Labor ...

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DETROIT — Factory workers at Chrysler will get profit-sharing checks of about $1,500 next month as they share in the automaker’s improbable turnaround. About 26,000 union-represented workers in the U.S. should get the payments under Chrysler’s contract with the United ...

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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell last month because companies paid less for food and energy, evidence that inflation remains tame. The Labor Department said Wednesday that the producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach consumers, ...

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WASHINGTON — Retail sales barely rose in December, but the gain was enough to lift sales to a record level for 2011. It marked the largest annual increase in more than a decade. Sales inched up 0.1 percent in December ...

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