Marketwatch (07/28/13) Jeffry Bartash

The government this week is expected to report that the U.S. gross domestic product grew only 1.0% in the second quarter, down from an underwhelming 1.8% in this year’s January-through-March period. Economists expect the latest overhaul will show that historic growth has been a bit faster than believed, although it will not change what has transpired in the past six years. J.P. Morgan economists write: “Even after the revisions, we will still be looking back at a deep recession and slow recovery.”

Most economists are forecasting U.S. growth will accelerate in this year’s third and fourth quarters. As for the employment picture, the U.S. has generated an average of more than 200,000 a month since the first of the year, which is more than most economists projected back in January. Attention must now be paid to how many hours employees work each week. A rising or unchanged number is good for the economy, while a decline could be a sign of trouble.

New York Times (07/27/13) Steven Greenhouse

U.S. low-wage workers have been using one-day strikes to draw public attention to the difficulties they face, which they attribute to earning only minimum wage. Companies such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Macy’s, and Walmart have kept their wages low, while their chief executives’ pay has significantly increased. Many Walmart locations in particular are allegedly hiring only temporary workers to fill openings, in order to save on wages and benefits. While strikers have been calling for a $15-an-hour minimum wage, a more realistic outcome is to push the low-wage work problem onto the national agenda. More walkouts are expected at fast-food restaurants in seven cities today.

Seattle Times (07/28/13) Cecilia Kang

Amazon plans to hire 5,000 employees in its U.S. distribution warehouses, and another 2,000 customer service employees in other locations, as part of an ambitious growth strategy. Amazon will hire immediately in 17 fulfillment centers. The positions are full-time and include benefits. Temporary workers, such as those hired during the holiday rush, can buy medical coverage through staffing firms.

President Obama will visit Amazon’s Chattanooga, TN, fulfillment center to outline policy proposals to spur middle-class job creation. Apple also recently announced that it would make certain Mac computers domestically.

Wall Street Journal (07/24/13) Angus Loten; Sarah E. Needleman; Adam Janofsky

As of July 20, 467,328 U.S. employers were enrolled in the E-Verify system, which matches job applicants’ social security numbers and other identification against a national database kept by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Since using the E-Verify system, many small business owners report it is more difficult to fill open positions, and some employers must hire extra staff or upgrade computer equipment to implement the system.

Georgia and at least 15 other states require at least some employers to run E-Verify checks during the hiring process, and under the U.S. Senate immigration bill passed on June 27, all employers would be required to do so.