TRENTON, N.J. — Despite the nation's highest jobless rate in 26 years, American workers are seeing some encouraging trends this Labor Day, according to a report released today by Rutgers University.

In its second national labor scorecard, the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations said that for workers still collecting a paycheck, the average inflation-adjusted wages have actually increased and wage gaps for women and minorities have declined.

Still, nearly 17 percent of Americans are unemployed, discouraged from seeking work or underemployed. That's up from 10 percent last year, according to the study.

KUWAIT TO RETAIN STAKES IN U.S. BANKS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund said yesterday that it has no plans to sell stakes in Citigroup Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co. because it has faith in the potential of the U.S. banks.

"(The) authority's investment policies are based on a long-term vision," the Kuwait Investment Authority said in a statement. The KIA had pumped $5 billion into the two banking giants in January 2008 just as the financial crisis was gathering steam. Some Kuwaiti members of parliament criticized the deals when their value later tumbled.