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]

Speaking of unemployment, U.S. hiring was slow in August. The unemployment rate fell, but that's because more Americans dropped out of the labor force. The Department of Labor said the U.S. economy added 169,000 jobs in August, up from 104,000 added in July. Still, the average job growth pace was slower than the average pace over the last 12 months. [CNN Money]

Samsung unveiled its new technology this week in Berlin. The company revealed Galaxy Gear, a wrist watch with a 1.9 megapixel camera, that syncs with tablets and smartphones using Android software to make phone calls ($299). Samsung beat Apple to the tech-watch punch, but everyone is still anxiously awaiting the big reveal for the iWatch to see if Apple can trick us into buying an iPhone for our wrists. [Bloomberg]

BP isn't happy about the claims process it instituted over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. After the spill, BP said it had $20 billion set aside for claims. Now, the oil company says the claims process is corrupt. People have claimed they lost jobs they never had or businesses they never owned, etc. Some say BP should have been more careful drilling and this never would have happened. Safety first, BP. [NPR]