The number of tattooed Americans in the workforce has hit nearly mainstream levels in recent years. The number of stodgy MBAs making corporate hiring decisions, however, hasn't budged in the least.

The New York Times took a look at the plight of corporate America's inked employees and found that, with few exceptions, the rule of thumb is still to cover it up. An annual survey from the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania found that 61% of human-resources managers said a tattoo would hurt a job applicant’s chances. That's up from 57% in 2011 despite an increasingly tattooed labor pool.

And 23% of Americans have a tattoo, according to a Pew Research poll from 2010. That number goes up among Generations X and Y, as 32% of people ages 30 to 45 have at least one tattoo.

 

The first dictionary definition of "sample" is "a small part of anything or one of a number, intended to show the quality, style, or nature of the whole; specimen." Boulder, Colo., jam-rock band The Samples took their name from the free bites they subsisted on at a nearby King Soopers grocery store.

 

Minnesota shopper Erwin Lingitz feels his interpretation of "sample" falls somewhere between the two. It's the crux of a lawsuit he has filed against supermarket chain Supervalu (SVU) alleging that it violated his civil rights by using force to arrest him on grounds he was stealing deli meat samples.

 

Here's some heartening news: There's a good chance your doctor is as cost-conscious as you are when it comes to the bills for your treatment.

 

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say if hospitals would be more transparent about costs and show physicians the prices of the lab tests they order, those doctors would order fewer tests or look for less expensive alternatives.

According to the study, conducted at Johns Hopkins Hospital, offering upfront price information lessened the overall ordering of diagnostic lab tests by about 9%. The researchers say most hospitals keep both patients and health care providers in the dark when it comes to the cost of their medical services -- which in turn contributes to the soaring price of U.S. health care.

 

Remember when automakers in Detroit were racing to build the largest, least fuel-efficient "light truck" sport-utility vehicle on the road? My, how times have changed.

With Hummer dead, the SUV crowd shifting to smaller crossovers and companies such as Tesla (TSLA), Toyota (TM), Nissan (NSANY) and Honda (HMC) encroaching on both the luxury and commuter markets with plug-ins and hybrids, the folks at Ford (F) and General Motors (GM) had to adapt quickly.

And GM showed just how quickly it has caught up by announcing Thursday that its 2015 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel will get a whopping 46 miles per gallon on the highway, beating previous estimates.

 

Toyota's (TM) luxury Lexus ES will soon be "Made in the U.S.A.," and all it took was $146.5 million in tax breaks from Kentucky. 

The automaker is adding production capacity to its Georgetown plant, where it will build the Lexus ES starting in 2015, Reuters reports. Toyota's website touts two models for the Lexus ES, starting at about $36,000 and $39,000.

The plan marks the first time the luxury model will be made outside of Japan, with the Kentucky plant eventually producing nearly all ES models sold in the U.S. and Canada. The hybrid version of the ES will continue to be manufactured in Japan, however. 

The plan could bring a long-term investment of $531 million over 10 years from Toyota and create 750 jobs, Consumerist reports. 

 

The U.S. Postal Service is known for delivering the mail no matter if hurricanes or blizzards are obstructing the way. But now it's pleading with lawmakers to deliver something for the agency: reforms that will stop the bleeding. 

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe appeared before Congress on Wednesday and warned that the USPS is "losing $25 million every day, and we are on an unsustainable path." He added that the agency could become "a significant burden" to taxpayers if it's not allowed the flexibility to make changes. 

His appearance was the first since the USPS put off a plan to cut back to five-day delivery. But it doesn't appear that Donahoe has given up on the idea, according to the Washington Post. 

 

PepsiCo (PEP) posted better-than-expected​ quarterly earnings Thursday, and Coca-Cola (KO) did the same thing Wednesday. The common elements in both reports are higher prices and sluggish soda sales.

The beverage giants have been able to boost profits while maintaining and in some cases increasing prices for their products, which underscores the resiliency of U.S. consumers amid uncertain economic times. Still, their core soda businesses continued to stagnate as Americans consumed less carbonated beverages.

PepsiCo was able to offset declines in American soda volume with price hikes, and it saw gains in premium-price snack products such as Sabra hummus and Stacy's Pita Chips. CEO Indra Nooyi has also been ratcheting up spending in recent quarters to take business from Coca-Cola and other rivals. 

Regal Entertainment Group (RGC) is finding itself at the center of a drama worthy of a big-screen blockbuster. 

The country's biggest movie theater chain has stirred a hornets' nest of controversy after announcing in a company memo that it's cutting hours for thousands of nonsalaried employees to avoid providing health care insurance under Obamacare, according to Fox News.

But that isn't going over well with some customers, who point to Regal's hefty $334 million in 2012 profits and its chief executive's massive 31% pay hike. The company's shares rose 17% last year.

"SHAME on you for cutting employees' hours to avoid giving them healthcare while your CEO made $4.4 million and other executives were given large bonuses. You lose my business," one person wrote on Regal's Facebook page.