Hopes for the fledgling economic recovery got a boost Monday from better-than-expected news on manufacturing, construction and contracts to buy homes. U.S. manufacturing activity grew in October at the fastest pace in more than three years, according to a private group’s measure.

By Ashley M. Heher, AP Retail Writer CHICAGO ( AP ) — Sears took “Christmas creep” one step further Wednesday, pitching its weekly sales as “Black Friday doorbuster” deals before Halloween.

As National Work and Family Month and Mental Health Awareness Month draw to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on the impact of flexible work arrangements on the health and well-being of employees and their families. Years of psychological research provide a strong foundation for flexible work arrangements, demonstrating the benefit to employees’ physical and mental health, as well as their family life. To promote this knowledge, the American Psychological Association created an Office on Work, Stress and Health that promotes research, training, practice and policy addressing these matters, including: a) Promoting understanding of work stress and its impact on the well-being and productivity of workers; b) Exploring organizational and behavioral interventions to reduce stress, illness and injury in the workplace; c) Studying the impact of changing work force demographics (e.g., aging workers, increasing proportions of ethnic and racial minorities and women) on health and safety in the workplace; and d) Building collaborative partnerships among psychology, industry, labor and federal agencies to reduce stress and health and safety risks in the workplace


 
 Stocks are snapping back from Friday’s big losses as stronger-than-expected reports on manufacturing and housing allay concerns that the economy’s recovery won’t last. Major indexes rose more than 1 percent in early trading Monday, including the Dow Jones industrials, which jumped about 130 points, erasing a chunk of Friday’s 250-point loss. The gains came after the Institute for Supply Management said the manufacturing industry grew at the fastest pace in October since April 2006.

A lobbying war between two pharmaceutical companies vying to market a generic blood-thinner has prompted an inquiry by Sen. Chuck Grassley and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, reports the Wall Street Journal.


 
 
 
 
 They are having growth problems because their suburban stores have more competition than they are used to in their rural stores. The sales sometimes don’t match their initial projections in some suburban areas.

Those who were enjoying a weekend of high sports drama or familial bliss might have missed another media obituary this past Sunday — David Carr’s persuasive au revoir to business journalism in the New York Times. Carr cites several “technical reasons underlying the collapse — and that’s what it is — of business journalism.” It’s hard to argue with him, not to mention dangerous. You don’t want a guy like Carr mad at you.