Employees pay larger share of health benefits
Workers are spending 28 percent more on health benefits—including premiums, deductibles, and copays—than they did three years ago, according to a survey of almost 600 U.S. businesses. Health costs for employers, meanwhile, have gone up only 14 percent in that period as employees shoulder a greater share of their benefit costs.
CNN.com
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Will pay-TV customers cancel subscriptions?
Ten percent of pay-TV customers vow to “cut the cord” this year by canceling their cable subscriptions. Last year, 8 percent of consumers made a similar vow, but just 0.1 percent actually quit.
Qz.com
Job-related moves increase
The number of new hires who relocated for work increased 35 percent in 2013, thanks largely to an improving labor market and better housing prices. The average interstate household move costs $5,630; only about one third of companies pick up employees’ relocation costs.
MarketWatch.com
Pet industry sees steady growth
Americans spent $55.7 billion on their pets last year, hitting a record-high for a steadily growing industry. The largest share—$21.6 billion—was spent on food, which experts say has become more expensive as humans become more health-conscious.
Associated Press
Retail food prices to rise
Retail food prices are expected to rise as much as 3.5 percent this year, marking the largest annual increase since 2011. In the U.S., much of the food inflation is due to spikes in meat and dairy prices linked to droughts, tight cattle supplies, and rising demand for milk in Asia.
WSJ.com
