NEW YORK - HALF of US workers laid off in the past year who were questioned in a survey released on Wednesday reported finding new jobs, but often with less pay and in a different field.

The survey of 807 adults who lost full-time jobs in the past year showed that 49 per cent had found new jobs but of those, 49 per cent now earn less money.

NEW YORK - US STOCKS edged higher in choppy trading on Wednesday after two days of declines as jittery investors appeared to hedge against possibly a tough corporate earnings reporting season.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 47.63 points (0.61 per cent) to 7,837.19 in final trades after it burst into positive territory just before the closing bell.

SHANGHAI - Preliminary figures show auto sales in China reached about 1.03 million in March, exceeding US sales for the third month in a row, state media reports said on Wednesday.

Data from 14 major auto makers, accounting for roughly 90 per cent of total sales, totaled 1.026 million according to Chen Bin, head of the Department of Industry at China's main economic planning agency.