Concerns over the cost of the proposed “Build Back Better” bill delayed the House vote that was planned for Friday morning in Washington. Democrats added key provisions to the bill in recent days including a proposal added late Thursday that would lift the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions (SALT) to $80,000. They also added back a new paid family leave program. Once the bill goes to the Senate, more changes are expected.
The job market came roaring back in October. The U.S. Labor Department says 531,000 jobs were added to the economy last month, beating expectations. And the unemployment rate nationally dropped to 4.6%. In terms of the new jobs, most of the gains came in the leisure and hospitality sector as people have returned to restaurants and started taking vacations, and as numbers of COVID-19 infections continue to decline.
Stockton University on Friday hosted a business and economics conference on how the workplace is changing. CEOs spoke about how flexibility is key in the post-COVID-19 world, where hybrid schedules are in demand and strong communication is key. Dr. Alphonso Ogbuehi, Dean of the School of Business at Stockton, said that to prepare students for a post-pandemic workplace, educators need to focus on teaching soft skills, saying students need to learn how to deal with uncertainty and how to be empathic.
NJ Transit is adding more trains to accommodate growing ridership. Twenty-two weekday trains are being added across the system during peak travel times. Additionally, 14 new weekend trains will be added to the Main and Bergen County lines, and service will start operating hourly. The schedule changes take effect on Sunday, Nov. 14.
