Joshua Feinman, chief economist at Deutsche Bank Asset Management, noted that the Labor Department payroll report indicated fewer hours worked and no signs of an upward trend in wages.

CNN: Bush, Kerry present differing takes on economy

Central to the U.S. pension problem is the fact that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, charged with protection of investors in the securities markets, has seldom provided advice specifically for protection of participants in pensions and the U.S. Department of Labor lacks sufficient understanding of the securities and asset management industries to provide guidance to sponsors of and participants in pensions.

FORBES: International Campaign to Eliminate Pension Consultant Abuses (November 2, 2004 )

Corporate plans: The Department of Labor, the agency charged with regulating corporate pensions, generally lacks knowledge of the money management and securities industries, has offered little meaningful guidance to corporate sponsors on these issues and has been even less effective in investigating wrongdoing and enforcing the laws.

FORBES: The Growing Scrutiny of Pensions ( August 22, 2005)