This Week in Biz: September 6

Would you rather get fired or sit in a room and read a newspaper all day while getting paid? That answer might seem obvious... But that's what happens in Japan where it's taboo to fire an employee; lifetime employment is the norm. So, unwanted employees sit in “chasing-out rooms,” which are meant to get the employee to quit. Apparently, this practice could be bad for a company/the economy, but could be good culturally. Just think of all the unemployed recent grads in the U.S. that wish they got paid to sit and play on the computer... oh cultural differences. [New York Times]