The bottom line

Economy down, lottery tickets up

Lottery ticket sales have surged across the United States. Seventeen states, including Arizona, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, sold record numbers of tickets in the past fiscal year. “I think it has a lot to do with the economy,” said California gas station attendant Abel Reynoso. “People are getting desperate.”

USA Today

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The stock market's new volatility

Large stock market swings on the order of 3 or 4 percent are more likely now than at any time in recent history, according to an analysis of S&P 500 price changes since 1962. Faster computerized trading and the speed of news could be behind the greater volatility.

The New York Times

Electronic bill paying reaches new threshold

U.S. households paid more bills electronically than by mail for the first time ever last year, according to a U.S. Postal Service study. Only about 15 percent of the 48 billion bills sent each year are delivered online, but as that figure increases, the USPS’s current economic woes are expected to worsen further.

Bloomberg Businessweek

The world's largest employers

Seven of the world’s 10 biggest employers are run by governments. The U.S. Defense Department leads the pack, with 3.2 million employees, followed by the Chinese Army, with 2.3 million. Also in the top 10: China National Petroleum Corp. and Britain’s National Health Service.

The Economist

World Bank says U.S. business faces light regulatory burden

Businesses in the U.S. face the fifth-lightest regulatory burden among those in 183 nations, according to the World Bank. Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.K. tied for having the lightest regulations. China placed 79th, Brazil 127th, and India 134th.

MarketWatch.com