NATION

NATION
Wealthy men, women givetheir take on economy
NEW YORK -- Is the U.S. economy ready to swing into prolonged prosperity, or is the current upbeat data a mere blip, taunting us with good news before reverting to the doldrums? Among the wealthy, men and women don't seem to agree on the answer to that question.
JPMorgan Fleming, the asset management arm of J.P. Morgan Chase & amp; Co., asked people with at least $500,000 in investment assets for their thoughts about where matters economic are headed.
More than half of men, 59 percent, said the economy will improve in the next year. But only 43 percent of female investors felt that way. The telephone survey involved 159 people.
Benefits take precedence
NEW YORK -- When it comes to our jobs, the value isn't truly in the salary for most of us, according to a recent survey. It's all about the benefits. More than three-fourths, 78 percent, said they would consider a job with less pay if the benefits package was sufficiently generous.
Of the types of benefits, 70 percent said health and dental insurance was the most desirable. Maternity/paternity leave was valued least -- only a quarter said that benefit was important.
And, in a perfect workplace, what benefit would we like most? More than a fifth, 21 percent, said an employer should offer to help pay tuition. The survey by TrueCareers Inc. compiled the answers of 365 people.
Associated Press