The flexibility to live hundreds of miles from the office is emerging as a key perk in the bailout era.

The economy lost 36,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate was steady at 9.7%. Stormy East Coast weather last month may have temporarily hit payrolls and work hours.

The economy lost 36,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate was steady at 9.7%. Stormy East Coast weather last month may have temporarily hit payrolls and work hours.

The U.S. economy shed 36,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate was steady at 9.7%, despite stormy weather on the East Coast last month, which the government said may have temporarily hit payrolls and work hours.

The unemployment rate dropped sharply last month, but employers continued cutting jobs in January as businesses remained insecure about the economic outlook.

The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly declined to 9.7% in January, but the economy shed 22,000 jobs, casting doubt over the labor market's strength.

Employers cut another 85,000 jobs last month, dashing hopes of a turnaround in employment, even as the U.S. economy grows.

The economy shed 85,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate remained at 10%, but November was revised to show a small jobs gain.

The economy shed 85,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate remained at 10%, but November was revised to show a small jobs gain.

The jobless rate jumped to 10.2% in October, the first time above 10% since the early 1980s. A total of 15.7 million Americans are out of work.

Companies are resisting hiring new workers in spite of rising profits, deciding they can do more with less labor.

The recession has accelerated changes that are eroding employer-subsidized retirement benefits and employer-paid health care.

Employers and workers are clashing, as lawyers say companies are trying to avoid hiring full-time employees by tapping contractors.

Major U.S. banks and securities firms are on pace to pay workers about $140 billion this year, a record that shows compensation is rebounding.

Initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 25,000 to 584,000 last week, but they remain below peak levels reached in the spring.

The U.S. job market isn't deteriorating as much as earlier this year, but companies continue to cut workers at a rapid clip.

Companies are shedding workers at an accelerating rate, pushing jobless claims to a 26-year high.