Technology and recession kill middle-class jobs

Five years after the start of the Great Recession, the toll is terrifyingly clear: Millions of middle-class jobs have been lost in developed countries the world over. And the situation is even worse than it appears. Most of the jobs will never return, and millions more are likely to vanish as well, say experts who study the labor market. What's more, these jobs aren't just being lost to China and other developing countries, and they aren't...

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Video games help children become smarter: Study

Playing video games may help kids become smarter by boosting their self-esteem and problem-solving skills besides motivating them to exercise, a new Australian study claims. Researchers Penny Sweetser, Daniel Johnson and Peta Wyeth, from Queensland University of Technology's Games Research and Interaction Design (GRID) Lab, investigated the amount of time children spent watching TV and DVDs compared to video game and computer use. While watching...

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The Franchisor/Franchisee Relationship

As new franchisor, you may find the nature of your relationship with your franchisees to be unique and even, on occasion, daunting. While you have the right and the obligation to enforce system standards, your franchisees often view themselves as an independent business (which they are) with the ability to call their own shots (which they are not). And while the relationship is contractual in nature, if you are ever forced to bring out the contract,...

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5 Ways to Prepare for an Amazing 2013

With Xmas behind us, there are just a few more days before 2012 comes to an end and we begin a whole new chapter in our lives. Start your 2013 with a clear head and some inspiration in your heart. Here's a list of five ways to tidy up and ready yourself for the year. The first week of January is usually quiet, so if you don't finish your list by New Year's Day you will still benefit from spending a little time on these helpful tasks in the following...

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