Wall Street Journal (12/11/12) Damian Paletta; Carol Lee

Budget negotiations between the White House and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) have reportedly progressed steadily in recent days, though no specifics regarding the talks have been released, as both sides have agreed to keep details private. Boehner visited the White House on Dec. 9, four days after speaking with President Obama on the phone. Obama also met with U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Dec. 7, the same day he spoke with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Obama and Reid also spoke on Dec. 10. Neither side appears sure a deal will be reached.

Dothan Eagle (12/10/12)

Kelly Services on Monday outlined a plan to the Dothan, AL, school board involving outsourcing substitute teaching jobs so the school system would not have to offer health insurance to some substitute teachers who may be eligible for it under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Kelly Services representative Patrick Mallory said Kelly employees would fill substitute teacher jobs, and the city would be spared from having to pay Social Security and employment-related taxes, administrative costs, and possible liability for health insurance under federal health care reform. Dothan City Schools chief financial officer Mike Manuel said that over the long term, utilizing Kelly would be cheaper than hiring substitute teachers directly.

Los Angeles Times (12/10/12) Tiffany Hsu

In October and November, retailers added 619,700 seasonal workers to their payrolls, a 19% increase year-over-year, according to consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That hiring pace is nearing a record set 12 years ago. If retailers hire just 140,300 additional employees in December, they will match the aggregate numbers seen during the 2000 holiday hiring season. Last year retailers hired 147,600 employees in December.

“Despite all of the uncertainty, all the talk of fiscal cliffs, the widespread damage to retail epicenters on the east coast by Hurricane Sandy, and the continued growth of e-commerce, retailers are hiring holiday workers in record numbers,” says chief executive John A. Challenger. However, whether the hiring will translate to sales is unclear. Consumer confidence is at its lowest point in four months.