Wal-Mart joins coalition in health care push Business leaders, including Wal-Mart Stores, announced Wednesday that they are joining forces with labor to campaign for health care reforms, with the goal of providing affordable health coverage for all U.S. citizens by 2012. "This is about engaging leaders at all levels to bring about real and meaningful change to the health-care system," a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said of the partnership. Bloomberg/ClipSyndicate (2/8), Wall Street Journal, The (2/8)

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By Jim Hopkins, USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — Fed up with rising labor costs, a new generation of entrepreneurs is launching millions of tiny companies differing from business in the past: They don't want employees.

The trend, building since the late 1990s, hit a milestone this year when the number of these microbusinesses reached 20 million — one for every six private-sector workers, a new analysis of government data shows.

In place of paid employees, owners harness new technologies to outsource work, often linking up with other like-minded entrepreneurs to get jobs done in a virtual assembly line spanning the globe.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/2006-12-10-micros-usat_x.htm