FEDERAL DEBT: U.S. budget deficit narrowed to $40.5 billion in April as revenue climbed
Only in America can more than a $40 billion deficit be good news. “The U.S. government’s monthly budget deficit narrowed to $40.5 billion in April,” Bloomberg reports. “Last month’s figure compares with a shortfall of $82.7 billion in April 2010.”
JOBS: Job openings rise to highest level since September 2008
The latest figures are out, and the news is good: “Job openings rose by 99,000 to 3.1 million in March,” USA Today reports. “That’s the highest level of openings since September 2008 and the second straight monthly increase.”
CARS: Chrysler may hire more than 3,000 workers
Speaking of new jobs, only a few days after GM announced it was going on a hiring spree, Chrysler said the same. “Chrysler may hire more than 3,000 workers and add production shifts at plants in Michigan and Illinois in coming months to increase sales of some of its most popular vehicles,” Bloomberg reports.
HEALTH CARE: Your family’s health care costs: $19,393
Alas, it’s not all good news today. “American families who are insured through their jobs average health care costs of $19,393 this year,” CNN reports, “up 7.3 percent, or $1,319 from last year.”
FOOD: World wastes 1.3 billion tons of food a year
If you think you’re being green, think again. According to the United Nations, food waste – defined as food that is literally thrown away – tops 1.3 billion tons per year, and “consumers in rich nations waste a combined 222 million tons a year,” CNN reports. “That’s almost as much as all the food produced in sub-Saharan Africa.”
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