Rise in Unemployment Rate: Bad News, and Good News
The nation's unemployment rate rose to 4.1 percent in February, up from 4 percent in January, with fewer jobseekers finding work than in any month since last May. But Wall Street investors were pleased by the news, since it may signal a much-needed slowdown in the economy. Investors have feared that with job growth and wages surging, the Federal Reserve would have to raise interest rates to slow the economy and prevent a rise in inflation.

Bill Passed to Protect Seniors' Wages
The House has passed a bill that eliminates a Depression-era law that penalizes senior citizens' who earn wages and collect Social Security benefits, and President Clinton has pledged to sign the bill into law if it passes in the Senate. Under the cap, a senior citizen loses $1 in benefits for every $3 earned over $17,000. Eight hundred thousand Americans between the ages of 65 and 69 are expected to benefit from the new law.

Clinton Wants Stock Options for All Workers
President Clinton has called for a change in the nation's labor laws to encourage companies to offer stock options to all workers, not just executives. Republicans say they're in full agreement with the plan. The number of American workers receiving stock options has grown to between 7 million and 10 million, with some large companies -- including Xerox, Starbucks, Microsoft and Proctor & Gamble -- already offering them to low-level workers as well as management.

All California Temps to Get Overtime
Though it was designed for lower-level workers, California's new overtime law will also benefit top-level temp workers -- even computer programmers and analysts who often earn more than $100 an hour. The new law, whose main purpose is to give the state's workers overtime pay after an eight-hour day instead of a 40-hour week, applies to all employees who are paid by the hour rather than on salary.