The Federal Reserve made it plain on Wednesday that job creation had become its primary focus, announcing that it planned to continue suppressing interest rates so long as the unemployment rate remained above 6.5 percent. (The New York Times)

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/business/economy/fed-to-maintain-stimulus-bond-buying.html to view the full article online.

 

Have no doubt: Yesterday's Fed announcement will go down in the history books -- at least those texts covering central banking and monetary policy. It marks a major evolution in the activism, involvement and aspirations of the central bank. It is also a risky move, taking the institution much deeper into experimental and politically charged territory. (Fortune)

Visit http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/12/13/how-risky-is-the-feds-major-move/ to view the full article online.

 

Hurricane Sandy's effect on the nation's unemployment figures was less pronounced than expected. The reasons are complex, but one thing is clear: Thousands of victims are still struggling to rebuild their lives and get back to work. (NPR)

Visit http://www.npr.org/2012/12/12/167077181/post-sandy-newly-unemployed-struggle-to-stay-afloat to view the full article online.

 

Today I spent considerable time helping my VP craft two very important emails: one for a client and one for our payroll company. As I talked, she typed and we realized we both had a lot we wanted to say. And suddenly, there were just far too many words. (Inc.)

Visit http://www.inc.com/rene-siegel/brevity-is-the-soul-of-clarity.html to view the full article online.

 

Imagine that you've invested years of blood, sweat and tears at work, and have successfully climbed the corporate ladder, only to wake up one day and realize that you sort of hate what you're doing. Sure, you used to love it, and the more successful you became, the higher up the ranks of management you went. But now, instead of doing the hands-on work that you loved, you find yourself buried in managerial tasks like budgeting and supervising people that leave you feeling numb at best. (Harvard Business Review)

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/12/what_if_you_dont_want_to_be_a.html to view the full article online.

 

Want a survival manual for the new economy? Pay attention to the kids. Specifically, watch the millennials, a.k.a. Gen Y, who were born after 1981. Recently I moderated a panel discussion on millennials in the workplace. My preparation and the follow-up I've since done with experts and some of my own younger colleagues have convinced me that the rap on this generation – that they feel entitled and lack commitment – misses the point, which is this: In an era of "permalancing," disruptive technology, and nonstop globalization, those of us with a little gray (or little hair) can learn some lessons from the younger set. (CNN/Money)

Visit http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/01/pf/career-advice.moneymag/index.html?iid=SF_PF_River to view the full article online.

 

When I speak to students about career development and social media, I want them to take away that they need to be proactive if they want to increase their chances of post-graduate career success. In 2012, there are far too many university graduates annually for current students to put off thinking about their post-grad life until the day after their convocation. If you want to make a smooth transition from pupil to professional, you must constantly be seeking ways to set yourself apart from the cohort. (MacLeans)

Visit http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2012/12/13/six-steps-for-cultivating-a-career-in-the-digital-age/ to view the full article online.

 

Exclusive new research by Bloomberg Businessweek has found that the pay gap among graduates of elite business schools, virtually non-existent a decade ago, is widening. On average, women now earn a nickel less than they used to in their first post-MBA jobs for every dollar earned by men. Bloomberg/Businessweek)

Visit http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-11/at-elite-b-schools-the-gender-wage-gap-grows#r=hpt-fs to view the full article online.

 

Just days after the leaders of France and Germany held hands in a salute to mark the EU's Nobel Peace Prize honor it will be back to the hard grind of negotiations on Thursday. (BBC News)

Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20695129 to view the full article online.

 

More and more companies have the opportunity to use their supply chains to combat corruption, counterfeiting, trade secret theft, and piracy, and promote sustainability and ethical business practices. Indeed, businesses have a growing interest in doing so – using their purchasing power to protect the integrity of their brand and the quality of their products. (The Atlantic)

Visit http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/12/how-to-save-global-trade-from-thieves-pirates-and-black-market-kingpins/266110/ to view the full article online.

 

Business schools warn students against entering saturated markets. But they may not be following their own advice – at least not in the San Francisco Bay area, where a number of schools from around the country have recently opened or expanded satellite programs. (Wall Street Journal)

Visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324020804578149401469861448.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_careerjournal to view the full article online.

 

Bob Piazza, a former human-resources executive at manufacturer Danaher Corp., spends Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings advising students at the University of Richmond's Robins School of Business, visits classes and otherwise tries to, in his words, "demystify the career-search process" for students. (Wall Street Journal)

Visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323717004578159690912183964.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4 to view the full article online.

 

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Most productive people with a mind for the web know what Google Docs are about. Then Google Docs became Google Drive, with all kinds of storage space and collaboration folders and connected webapps. Most people just noted the new icon and kept on writing meeting agendas and filling small spreadsheets. (Fast Company)

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/3003863/4-fantastic-free-things-google-drive-will-now-do-you to view the full article online.

 

As you jet off on a winter vacation or a holiday season trip to see family, chances are you’ll face a 21st-century problem: mobile device battery angst. It’s a never-ending itch at the back of your thoughts. Though we all love to use our smartphones to stave off boredom, or to navigate a new city, every moment of use eats precious battery time. And, particularly during a journey, you never know when you will find power next. (The New York Times)

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/technology/personaltech/apps-help-extend-the-battery-life-of-devices.html?ref=business to view the full article online.

 

After nearly six years of deflating home prices, the housing market is finally, firmly on the path to recovery. For the year ended September 30, home prices nationwide rose by 4.9%, and the median price for existing homes jumped by almost $14,000, to $185,000, according to Clear Capital, a provider of real estate data and analysis. Buyers turned out in greater numbers in 2012, driven by affordable homes and historically low mortgage rates. Strict guidelines for getting a mortgage, however, continue to hinder the ability of some would-be buyers to close the deal. (MarketWatch)

Visit http://www.kiplingers.com/magazine/archives/housing-outlook-2013.html to view the full article online.

 

Thousands of the long-term unemployed lost extended benefits this year when Congress modified the unemployment program. Another 2 million are set to lose them in January. How do people survive after checks stop coming? Readers share their stories. (CNN/Money)

Visit http://money.cnn.com/gallery/news/economy/2012/12/12/unemployment-benefits/index.html?iid=Lead to view the full article online.

 

Planning for the holidays can be hectic and time consuming. While the holiday season expresses a spirit of giving, holiday tipping may be difficult to manage in terms of who should be tipped and how much should be given. (Yahoo! Finance)

Visit http://finance.yahoo.com/news/holiday-tipping-guide-2012-190918182.html to view the full article online.

 

This holiday season, many good girls and boys surely hope Santa will help them cope with the ever-rocky economy. To give the gift of greater spending power with something more thoughtful and fun than a stocking full of cash, consider our annual list of personal gifts that will save the recipients money in the long run – either by eliminating some of their recurring expenses or boosting their earning power. Your friends and family will be sure to remember your sentiment all year long as the savings keep rolling in. (Kiplinger's)

Visit http://www.kiplingers.com/slideshow/2010GiftsThatKeepGiving/1.html to view the full article online.

 

While traditionally hotels offering "day rates" conjure up seedy, by-the-hour hovels reserved exclusively for illicit trysts, the last couple of years have seen a rash of upmarket accommodations adopting the practice. (CNN International)

Visit http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/14/travel/day-rate-hotel/index.html?hpt=ibu_bn2 to view the full article online.

 

Wealthy Americans are scrambling to transfer their riches before the end of the year when gift taxes are set to jump. Currently gifts and estates of up to $5.12 million are exempt from taxes, but as part of the fiscal cliff, any bequest of more than $1 million will be taxed next year – and at a 55% rate (currently the rate is 35%). That will kick in unless Congress and the President agree to extend the current exemption or agree on a new one. Many older Americans are not waiting to see if that happens. (CNN/Money)

Visit http://www.money.cnn.com/2012/12/13/pf/gift-estate-tax/index.html?iid=Lead to view the full article online.

 

Talks to avoid the "fiscal cliff" showed little progress on Wednesday, with Republicans publicly rebuking the Obama administration and one House member saying "it's getting worse, not better." (CNBC)

Visit http://www.cnbc.com/id/100305489 to view the full article online.

 

Now that Michigan has become a right-to-work state, unions in this stronghold of organized labor confront a new and urgent problem: convincing members to continue paying for their services instead of taking them for free. (Yahoo! News)

Visit http://news.yahoo.com/law-gives-michigan-unions-task-215143264.html to view the full article online.

 

Thought leadership isn't just for individuals. Here's how your business can use thought leadership to shape people's perception of your company and its products – the right way. (Fast Company)

Visit http://www.fastcompany.com/3003897/golden-rules-creating-thoughtful-thought-leadership to view the full article online.

 

One problem that constantly recurs in changing organizations is what we might call the last mile dilemma. The term comes from the telecommunications industry, which struggled for many years with how to efficiently extend their networks the "last mile," or into individual homes. In large organizations the analogous challenge is how to make sure that important changes actually reach the most remote stakeholders, whether they be front-line workers or customers. (Harvard Business Review)

Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/ashkenas/2012/12/in-a-change-effort-start-with.html to view the full article online.

 

This holiday season, we decided to list several of the charity initiatives that have sparked our interest. Each of these projects takes a different approach, but they have three things in common: they're innovative, committed to transparency and accountability, and they're getting good results.(Huffington Post)

Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-gates/post_4170_b_2287030.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business to view the full article online.

 

Holiday gatherings can be anything but festive for people who are out of work. Even an innocuous "How's it going?" can feel like a tender topic – especially for the legions of long-term unemployed Americans whose ranks have swelled since the last recession. (Wall Street Journal)

Visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324478304578173113703812842.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_careerjournal to view the full article online.