East to west: A joint effort by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Louisiana Office of Tourism is aimed at bringing more Chinese tourists to Louisiana. The Associated Press reports the two agencies on Wednesday announced the hiring of China-based East West Marketing Corporation to support the effort. The agencies say the Chinese travel market is the fastest growing inbound travel market to the United States. East West Marketing Corporation’s efforts are to include support for public relations, consumer marketing, and social media promotions.
Out of the office: The percentage of U.S. women participating in the labor force has steadily declined since the turn of the millennium, Gallup reports. Citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gallup says 56.7% of women aged 15 and older were in the labor force at the end of 2015, down from 58.6% in 2010 and 59.9% in 2000. “It is impossible to define one single underlying reason why women are opting out of work,” Gallup says in a report accompanying the data. “But this slow, steady exodus certainly calls into question the appeal of U.S. workplaces and what they provide for women.” Read the full story.
Plan on it: Even though employee contribution limits for 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts will stay the same this year—$18,000 for workers under 50 and $24,000 for those 50 and older—there are two changes you should know about, Money Talks News reports. First, lower- and middle-income Americans will be able to save more for retirement because of higher income limits for the saver’s credit. Also, employer contribution limits have increased this year to $54,000 from $53,000 last year. This is due to a cap on employee earnings from $265,000 to $270,000. Read the full story.
