Firms come out streamlined; still slow to hire
(NEWSER) - For some of America's biggest companies, the recession amounted to growing pains: They're now "leaner, meaner, and hungrier," says one economist. Indeed, sales, profits, and employment among S&P 500 companies last year beat figures from 2007—before the crisis began, the Wall Street Journal notes in an extensive analysis. Careful planning and cost cutting have allowed these companies to beat out the rest of the economy, helping put the Dow Jones Industrial Average at its highest in four years. More»
