California Will Not Sell Salary Info
California governor Gray Davis has blocked a law that would have allowed confidential salary information to be sold by the state to private lenders and debt collectors. Privacy advocates said the law could result in systematic privacy violations, as payroll data became available on the open market. Selling wage information is allowed in Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina and Texas, and soon will be in Pennsylvania.

Unemployment Down Again
The national unemployment rate for May fell to 4.2 percent, but job creation slowed down slightly. U.S. economists had predicted that unemployment would stay steady at 4.3 percent The 4.2 percent mark matches the 29-year low that was hit last March.

Clinton Parental Leave Plan Faces Hurdles
Benefits experts are casting a skeptical eye on President Clinton's proposal to let states use unemployment funds to offer paid leave to new parents. As many as 6 million workers a year could be eligible, with advocates proposing an average $200 a week benefit to come straight from unemployment rolls. Benefits analysts say that under the plan, a rise in unemployment would create a spiral of budget problems.

Student Credit Card Debt May Lead to Employment Problems
The consequences of college student credit card debt range from a higher dropout rate to future problems landing a job, a study by a Georgetown University sociologist has found. The researcher noted that credit card debts are often scrutinized during the recruitment process and may be used to evaluate a future employee. While the study blamed credit card companies for wooing students, the companies insist that they educate student cardholders about debt.