Everyday Low Benefits (Wall Street Journal)

Wal-Mart has gotten a lot of press in these past few days, as it did back in 2009, the last time the company made a significant announcement about its employee benefits program. Then, CEO Mike Duke extolled the virtues of President Obama’s health care plan, saying it would “remove the burden that is crushing America’s businesses and hampering our competitiveness in the global economy.” Now, several days after the nation’s largest private employer announced dramatic cuts to its benefits program, questions are beginning to arise over just what impact PPACA will actually have on businesses. When the new law goes live in 2014, what will it mean for the labor market?