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BUSINESS A25
Wednesday 21 October
Amazon boosts holiday hiring, signaling shift in retail jobs
M. CHAPMAN pany recently hired more on the sales floor and be- retailers is emerging during tion predicted earlier this
A. D’INNOCENZIO than 25,000 people for hind the cash register, said a dicey period for the U.S. month that holiday spend-
AP Business Writers regular, full-time positions. CEO said John Challenger. Labor Department report- ing, including online sales,
NEW YORK (AP) — Ama- It hired 80,000 workers last “These extra workers would ed earlier this month that will rise 3.7 percent to $630.5
zon plans to hire 100,000 year for the holidays. also help pick up the slack a sharp slowdown in hir- billion, which is slower than
people for the holidays, a Amazon stands out among in the backroom, helping ing occurred in Septem- the 4.1 percent increase
25 percent jump from last retailers, with holiday hiring to receive and stock in- ber. Average hourly wages last year in November and
year that reveals a shift in expected to remain largely creased deliveries. Now, as slipped by a penny and December. The NRF does
the way we shop. unchanged, according to more and more shopping is have risen a tepid 2.2 per- expect online spending
The online retailer said a report from Challenger, completed online, the holi- cent in the past year. to increase 6 percent to 8
Tuesday that it will be hiring Gray & Christmas. day hiring is shifting away Meek wages and weak hir- percent to $105 billion. On-
across the country for jobs “It used to be that the bulk from stores and into the ing may take a toll on con- line sales grew 5.8 percent
in its fulfillment and sorting of holiday hires would be in warehouses.” sumer spending. during last year’s holiday
facilities. The Seattle com- customer-facing positions A mixed hiring picture from The National Retail Federa- season.q
Yahoo’s revenue slips again in 3Q as turnaround falters
MICHAEL LIEDTKE declined or remained un- This photo shows a sign outside Yahoo’s headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. Yahoo reported quar-
AP Technology Writer changed from the previous terly financial results on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ya- year. Meanwhile, revenue
hoo’s revenue is still evap- at Yahoo rivals Google, (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
orating three years into Facebook and Twitter has
CEO Marissa Mayer’s turn- been steadily surging as estimates of analysts sur- on the fate of Yahoo’s plan ing the spin-off as part of a
around attempt, magnify- advertiser spend more of veyed by Zacks Investment to place its remaining Al- plan to prevent the remain-
ing worries that the Internet their marketing budgets Research. Yahoo’s stock ibaba holdings — 384 mil- ing profits from its $1 billion
company will be stuck in a on the Internet. Analysts dipped 38 cents to $32.45 lion shares currently worth investment in Alibaba from
financial sinkhole after spin- are projecting third-quarter in extended trading after about $28 billion — into a being taxed in the U.S., but
ning off its lucrative stake in revenue increases ranging the numbers came out. new company called Aab- it’s now unclear whether
China’s Alibaba Group. from 14 percent to 55 per- Investors are now focused aco Holdings. Yahoo is do- that will pan out.q
A third-quarter report re- cent at Google, Facebook
leased Tuesday showed and Twitter when those
Yahoo took another step companies report their re-
backward during the sum- sults during the next two
mer as its revenue slipped weeks. Yahoo’s earnings
8 percent from the same also plunged 99 percent
time last year to $1 billion. to $76 million, or 8 cents
The figure reflects how per share, during the three
much revenue that Yahoo months ended in Septem-
keeps after paying its ad- ber. The steep decline re-
vertising partners — a bill flected huge windfall that
that has been climbing Yahoo pocketed from sell-
since the company struck ing some of its stock in the
a deal late last year to Chinese company’s initial
serve as the built-in search public offering. If not for ex-
engine in the U.S. on the penses covering employee
Firefox browser. stock options and other op-
It marked the ninth time in tions, Yahoo said it would
the past 11 quarters that have earned 15 cents
Yahoo’s net revenue has per share to match the
Russell Simmons’ card glitch keeps thousands from their cash
KEN SWEET tant items for their families. company says the software Facebook page and have the card had been around
AP Business Writer “I’ve had to depend on glitch was mostly resolved messaged Simmons on for so long that he trusted it.
NEW YORK (AP) — Thou- my sister to buy things for over the weekend, though Twitter, pleading for access “I saw RushCard as being
sands of customers of pre- my child,” said Deandra thousands remain affect- to their money. stable and the best,” he
paid debit cards backed Slater, a 31-year-old single ed. The company says that “I was fortunate that I had said. Now, he says: “I’ve
by hip-hop mogul Russell mom from Chicago, who even if customers are un- some money stored away, spent hours upon hours on
Simmons remain without hasn’t been able to access able to get at their money, but that money has dwin- hold being lied to, hung up
access to their money her child support money. “I it remains safely housed in dled away,” said Daniel on and so on.”
more than a week after shouldn’t have to rely on MetaBank, the custodian Sites, a 29-year-old single Simmons, who started the
technical problems first be- her.” bank used by RushCard. father of three from Adrian, company and threw his
gan plaguing the cards. The problems with the Rush- MetaBank is insured by the Pennsylvania. name and brand behind
Customers of the so-called Card started October 12, Federal Deposit Insurance Sites, who works for a com- the card, has been ac-
RushCard, a pre-paid debit when a software upgrade Corp. pany that makes military- tive on Twitter and other
card aimed mostly at peo- in the card’s transaction The money may be there, grade glass, wasn’t able social media and says he
ple without bank accounts, processing system caused but that does little good to open a traditional bank has been talking with cus-
say they have missed car many RushCard accounts when people can’t get it. account because of credit tomers to help resolve their
payments and worse. Some to show a zero balance or RushCard customers have problems stemming from a problems, according to
say they have been unable left customers unable to flooded the company’s divorce. He got a RushCard messages posted in his ac-
to purchase food or impor- access to their funds. The customer service lines, its in February, partly because counts. q
