Labor & Economic News - Institute for Research on Labor & Employment Library: February 2009

Labor & Economic News Blog

Friday, February 27, 2009

California's jobless rate tops 10 percent

California's jobless rate tops 10 percent
Nationwide unemployment hit a postwar high of 10.8 percent during that recession. California's unemployment rate was even higher, hitting a peak of 11

Disunite There

Disunite There
Civil war at UNITE-HERE, one of America's stellar unions.

A Condensed History of Labor Since the 1960s

A Condensed History of Labor Since the 1960s
The labor movement faced few extraordinary struggles during the second half of the 20th century. Now, an intra-union conflict is set to be the most dramatic clash in decades.

A Good Working Environment

A Good Working Environment
The labor and environmental movements have historically been at odds. But the creation of the green-jobs program may finally unite the two groups' interests.

Patient Money: Advice to the Jobless on Getting Health Coverage

Patient Money: Advice to the Jobless on Getting Health Coverage
Even if you can’t afford the insurance your job once provided, you may still have options to guard against medical bills.

A Textile Capital of China Is Hobbled by a Downturn Gone Global

A Textile Capital of China Is Hobbled by a Downturn Gone Global
Shaoxing, where 20,000 textile and garment factories once hummed, was a city that globalization built. Now, it is suffering as demand wanes in the U.S.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

When to Take a Federal Handout

When to Take a Federal Handout
For many of the unemployed, the refusal to accept federal aid seems mystifying. What are reasons to take the money — or not? How might the new requirements placed on the states outweigh the immediate benefits of pumping cash into pockets and the local economy? Gary Burtless and other experts discuss these questions in a New York Times op-ed.

The Future of Middle-Skill Jobs

The Future of Middle-Skill Jobs
Harry J. Holzer and Robert I. Lerman analyze the likely trends in supply and demand for workers with different levels of education and training over the next decade and beyond. They present data on the current distributions of jobs and wages, and how these distributions have evolved in the recent past, and also review projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on future demand by occupation.

Promoting Economic Security at Older Ages through Workforce Development : Written Testimony to the Senate Special Committee on Aging U.S. Congress

Promoting Economic Security at Older Ages through Workforce Development : Written Testimony to the Senate Special Committee on Aging U.S. Congress
The 2008-2009 collapse in the stock market wiped out trillions of dollars in retirement account wealth and forced millions of boomers to rethink their retirement plans. Working longer is commonly seen as the key solution to the retirement financing dilemma. However, poor job prospects prevent many older people with limited education from working into later life. This testimony for the Senate Special Committee on Aging argues that Congress could improve the economic security of these older adults in retirement and in the years leading up to retirement by increasing government-funded employment and training services.

New jobless claims by state for week ended Feb. 14

New jobless claims by state for week ended Feb. 14
List of jobless claims by state

Firm, Closing Plant, Advertises Workers' Skills

Firm, Closing Plant, Advertises Workers' Skills
NPR audio:
Electronics manufacturer Jabil Circuit Inc. is closing a plant in Massachusetts, and it's taking an unusual step. It has placed an ad in The Boston Globe urging other employers to contact the company if they want to hire exceptionally skilled and experienced employees.

The New Terms of the Labor Dialogue

The New Terms of the Labor Dialogue
TAP talks to Kate Bronfenbrenner, a labor specialist at Cornell, about what EFCA means for women, the media war over the bill, and Obama's trade team.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Small Businesses Want Affordable Insurance

Small Businesses Want Affordable Insurance
NPR audio:
In his speech to Congress, President Obama said bringing health care costs down would be a big step toward fixing the nation's economy. Small business owners are among the most eager for some kind of action. For them, the recession makes it even tougher to offer health insurance.

Unions do not undermine international competitiveness

Unions do not undermine international competitiveness
In Labor policy, Union Benefits and Right to Organize, Trade and Global Integration, Jobs and Wages

Utah's 4-day workweek draws out-of-state attention

Utah's 4-day workweek draws out-of-state attention
Six months after Utah became the first state government in the nation to adopt a four-day workweek, the money-saving experiment is ...

Automatic : Changing the Way America Saves

Automatic : Changing the Way America Saves
Automatic argues for a fresh approach to increase saving, simplify retirement planning, and help manage the risks associated with today's individual account environment.

Unpaid furloughs a trend for U.S. white-collar jobs

Unpaid furloughs a trend for U.S. white-collar jobs
Reuters - U.S. newspapers have done it. California police have too. Governments in California, New Jersey and Ohio say it will save the budget. Forcing workers to take unpaid time off is a new version of the American layoff.

US Government says 'mass layoffs' soared in January

Gov't says 'mass layoffs' soared in January
AP - Employers took a large ax to their payrolls in January, the government said Wednesday, and the cuts are likely to get worse over the next few months.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Ford Executives Cut Own Pay 30% for 2 Years

Ford Executives Cut Own Pay 30% for 2 Years
Ford Motor Company also told employee it will offer another round of buyouts and early retirements to all of its hourly workers.

In Silicon Valley, Recruiters Are Sending Out Their Own Résumés

In Silicon Valley, Recruiters Are Sending Out Their Own Résumés
Evidence suggests that the recession has slammed technology company recruiters particularly hard.

Couple Copes With California Budget Crisis

Couple Copes With California Budget Crisis
NPR audio:
California's budget crisis has had an impact on funding for a program that helped low-income farmworkers become first-time homeowners. One couple's story underlines the difficulties the program has encountered.

Who's Hiring These Days? The FDIC

Who's Hiring These Days? The FDIC
NPR audio:
The FDIC is bringing on hundreds of employees to help cope with increasing bank failures. When a bank collapses, agency employees quietly show up and take over. Some will secure the vaults. Some will audit files. All are told to keep quiet about it.

Noted economists: The Employee Free Choice Act is needed to restore balance in the labor market

Noted economists: The Employee Free Choice Act is needed to restore balance in the labor market
Although its collapse has dominated recent media coverage, the financial sector is not the only segment of the U.S. economy running into serious trouble. The institutions that govern the labor market have also failed, producing the unusual and unhealthy situation in which hourly compensation for American workers has stagnated even as their productivity soared.

Questions, answers on the Employee Free Choice Act

Questions, answers on the Employee Free Choice Act
For more than 70 years, the nation’s labor laws have proclaimed that working Americans’ right to join a union is a fundamental freedom, just like the rights to speak or worship. Indeed the freedoms to form unions and bargain with employers follow from other basic American rights-freedom of association and petitioning for the redress of grievances.

Organizing Prosperity

Organizing Prosperity
In Labor policy, Union Benefits and Right to Organize, Book

Some U.S. jobless find hope and solace as volunteers

Some U.S. jobless find hope and solace as volunteers
Reuters - When out-of-work accountant Jim Ammon tires of scouring for scarce job listings, he takes out his frustrations by driving in nails for new houses he volunteers to build for the working poor.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Can an Employer’s Past Follow Its Workers?

Can an Employer’s Past Follow Its Workers?
The taint of a company under suspicion can affect the profile of its former workers.

Actors Guild Rejects ‘Last’ Contract Offer

Actors Guild Rejects ‘Last’ Contract Offer
The Screen Actors Guild’s board of directors on Saturday rejected the “last, best and final offer” by Hollywood producers for a new contract.

Michigan Is the Latest University to End a Licensing Deal With an Apparel Maker

Michigan Is the Latest University to End a Licensing Deal With an Apparel Maker
The university said Russell had violated the university’s code of conduct by closing a unionized factory in Honduras.

U.A.W. Agrees to Concessions at Ford

U.A.W. Agrees to Concessions at Ford
Ford can substitute its stock for some of its payments into a retiree health care trust under a deal announced with the union.

The Quits Rate: Another Economic Indicator

The Quits Rate: Another Economic Indicator
NPR audio:
Lots of people are talking about the unemployment rate, but what about the "quits rate"? That's the rate at which people are quitting their jobs. And as the economy tanks, fewer people are quitting. Economist John Wohlford explains what this means for the work force. And two people who've made — and survived — huge career changes weigh in.

Gardeners, Housekeepers Feeling Economic Pinch

Gardeners, Housekeepers Feeling Economic Pinch
NPR audio:
The troubled economy is hurting housekeepers and landscapers in California as homeowners' budgets are tightening. In some cases, gardeners have kept working, not realizing a resident has left and the home is in foreclosure.

GAO-09-206, Older Workers: Enhanced Communication among Federal Agencies Could Improve Strategies for Hiring and Retaining Experienced Workers, Februa

GAO-09-206, Older Workers: Enhanced Communication among Federal Agencies Could Improve Strategies for Hiring and Retaining Experienced Workers, February 24, 2009

There is No Entitlement Crisis

There is No Entitlement Crisis
That the United States faces daunting long-term budget challenges is indisputable. But the very projections—those of the Congressional Budget Office—cited to document the long-term budget challenge, show that there is no general entitlement problem, says Henry Aaron. Rather, he argues, the nation faces a daunting health care financing problem that bedevils private insurers and public programs alike.

For families, layoffs shift responsibilities, roles

For families, layoffs shift responsibilities, roles
Wrangling over who takes out the trash is the least of their worries. When Steve Hartel lost his second job in five years last June, his wife, Lisa Alecci, again became the family's sole breadwinner. Now, she may have to give up her chosen role as the go-to parent working flexibly and look for a better paying job. His vision ...

For now, laid off and loving it

For now, laid off and loving it
A few days after David Adler's wife decided to leave her law firm in December, he was laid off from his job designing software at Brightcove.

Swelling ranks of US jobless yearn for health insurance

Swelling ranks of US jobless yearn for health insurance
AFP - For many among the growing ranks of unemployed workers in the United States, the scariest part of losing their job is losing their health insurance.

Financial job losses accelerating: U.N. agency

Financial job losses accelerating: U.N. agency
Reuters - Jobs in the financial sector are disappearing at an accelerating rate, with knock-on effects for the broader economy in financial centers such as New York and London, the United Nations said on Monday.

Workers say spending less on eating out: survey

Workers say spending less on eating out: survey
Reuters - U.S. workers, hoping to rein in personal spending to weather the recession, say they are most likely to spend less on food and dining out, according to a survey released on Monday.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Canada has nothing to worry about from Buy American rules in the Stimulus

Canada has nothing to worry about from Buy American rules in the Stimulus
Journalists and government officials in the U.S. and Canada have no reason for alarm over Buy American rules in the recently passed stimulus bill. Stewart and Drake report that the bill contains explicit language which permits governments to waive these requirements when they conflict with our international commitments.

Japan turns to 'work-sharing' to avoid layoffs

Japan turns to 'work-sharing' to avoid layoffs
Yasuo Igarashi spends a lot of time these days on the jungle gym with his daughter, after his employer joined the growing ranks of Japanese companies adopting "work-sharing" to ride out the global slump.

Report: China still key factory base amid downturn

Report: China still key factory base amid downturn
Multinational companies are still expanding operations in China despite the global downturn, but they are hurting from plunging exports and ...

New jobless claims by state

New jobless claims by state
A look at the number of new jobless claims by state for the week ending Feb. 7, compared with the previous week and year, and the total number of people receiving benefits for more than one week, not seasonally adjusted.

Wal-Mart Settles Lawsuit on Hiring

Wal-Mart Settles Lawsuit on Hiring
Wal-Mart Stores said Friday it had settled for $17.5 million a class-action lawsuit in which plaintiffs claimed the retailer had discriminated against African-Americans.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

A Tale Of Two Unemployed Auto Workers

A Tale Of Two Unemployed Auto Workers
NPR audio:
Troubles in the U.S. auto industry are affecting workers in Canada. But how do the two nations address unemployment? We get the story from Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Mich.

Surveying The Changing Workplace

Surveying The Changing Workplace
NPR audio:
Eight out of 10 layoffs in the past year have affected men, forcing more women to support families on single incomes. How are families adapting to a change in roles in difficult times?

Father, Daughter Face Life After Layoffs

Father, Daughter Face Life After Layoffs
NPR audio:
Gary Peterson was proud to get his daughter a job at the mill where he'd worked for the past 35 years. Now that the mill is closing, both of them are out of a job and they're not sure what to do next.

Morgantown, W.Va., Bucks Unemployment Trend

Morgantown, W.Va., Bucks Unemployment Trend
NPR audio:
Helped by a growing university population and a building boom, Morgantown, W.Va., had the nation's lowest unemployment rate at 2.7 percent in December — well below the 7.2 percent national rate.

Will Detroit Get Totaled?

Will Detroit Get Totaled?
It was a terrible omen: At the end of November, just as the American car industry was hitting a wall, my dear Saturn was totaled, around midnight, in front of my house.

As U.S. downturn deepens, repair business thrives

As U.S. downturn deepens, repair business thrives
Reuters - On a gritty corner in Tucson, Arizona, used tire store owner Andy Alexander says business is fine despite the economic downturn -- and partly because of it.

Nearly 5 million Americans drawing jobless benefits

Nearly 5 million Americans drawing jobless benefits
Reuters - The number of U.S. workers drawing unemployment aid jumped to a record high of nearly 5 million, the government said on Thursday, as a worsening economy made it increasingly hard to find jobs.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

cramento At Center Of California's Money Crisis

cramento At Center Of California's Money Crisis
NPR audio:
With double-digit unemployment rates and nearly 25,000 private sector jobs lost to a crumbled economy, Sacramento is at the epicenter of California's fierce economic crisis. Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star, is new on the job and talks about challenges facing the state's capital city.

Stocks Weigh Down U.S. Pension Funds

Stocks Weigh Down U.S. Pension Funds
American pension funds have a much higher percentage of their investments in stocks than pensions in other countries, a new study finds. Consequently, U.S. pension funds allocated far smaller percentages to less-risky bonds or other fixed-income investments.

A Blogger's 'Unemploymentality'

A Blogger's 'Unemploymentality'
NPR audio:
We've been asking laid-off and otherwise unemployed listeners to write in an tell us their tales for a series called "Help Wanted." Senior producer Steve Proffitt profiles one such listener who created a funny blog about his experience called "Unemploymentality."

Maine Lumber Company Switches To Toys

Maine Lumber Company Switches To Toys
NPR audio:
Robbins Lumber watched the market for its clothes-drying racks and other wooden housewares disappear to China. So the 125-year-old Maine company began making wooden toys, hoping to find favor with consumers who are anxious about the safety of Chinese toys.

Wisconsin Car Dealership Hiring Despite Times

Wisconsin Car Dealership Hiring Despite Times
NPR audio:
A Milwaukee area car dealer says, believe it or not, people are buying his GM cars. He held the second of a two-day job fair Wednesday to try to find dozens of new salesmen and auto techs to staff his dealership.

Once-Mighty UAW Yields to Market

Once-Mighty UAW Yields to Market
The United Auto Workers, which once set the standard for organized labor for wages and job protection, said yesterday that it is making concessions as part of the recovery plans submitted by General Motors and Chrysler.

UAW deal cuts bonuses, some raises

UAW deal cuts bonuses, some raises
The United Auto Workers' deal with Detroit's three automakers limits overtime, changes work rules, cuts lump-sum cash bonuses and gets rid of cost-of-living pay raises to help reduce the companies' labor costs, people briefed on the agreement said Wednesday.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Auto Industry Downturn Hurts Mom-And-Pop Stores

Auto Industry Downturn Hurts Mom-And-Pop Stores
NPR audio:
The restructuring plans submitted by GM and Chrysler have a lot of people in Michigan nervous. The plans would require substantial jobs cuts as well as reductions in benefits that many retirees rely on. And they would also make things harder for Michigan's mom-and-pop shops that do business with the Detroit carmakers.

Toyota's U.S. workers avoid layoff threat for now

Toyota's U.S. workers avoid layoff threat for now
Even though Toyota Motor Corp touts its mighty Tundra pickup as "the truck that's changing it all," workers who build it in San Antonio are not immune from the threat of layoffs that have beset the Big Three U.S. automakers.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Are Executives Worth Their Compensation?

Are Executives Worth Their Compensation?
NPR audio:
Here's a fact we learned this week: Nearly 700 Merrill Lynch employees earned more than a million dollars last year, even though the company lost $27 billion and was forced to be sold to Bank of America. Harvard Business School professor Rakesh Khurana says the highest paid person isn't always the best.

Stimulus Jobs: Where They Are, How To Find Them

Stimulus Jobs: Where They Are, How To Find Them
NPR audio:
President Obama says the stimulus will create or save 3.5 million jobs. Career expert Laurence Shatkin talks to host Jacki Lyden about where those jobs are, and what unemployed Americans should be doing to find them.

Economic Crisis, Unemployment Take Emotional Toll

Economic Crisis, Unemployment Take Emotional Toll
NPR audio:
During this economic downturn, there have been a staggering number of layoffs, and almost every day brings news of more. While many people are resilient in the face of unemployment, for some it means depression and panic.

Some smaller airlines' pilots have less experience

Some smaller airlines' pilots have less experience
Pilots and co-pilots for smaller, feeder airlines such as Colgan Air generally earn lower salaries and start with less experience than their counterparts at the bigger mainline carriers.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Squandering the blue-collar advantage

Squandering the blue-collar advantage
Why almost everything except unions and the blue-collar workforce are hurting U.S. manufacturing

Worker-friendly stimulus plan offers wealth of job-related aid

Worker-friendly stimulus plan offers wealth of job-related aid
Nearly 70,000 new or saved jobs in Missouri. An additional 33,000 in Kansas. Tax cuts of up to $800 for more than 2 million families in Missouri and more than 1 million in Kansas.

Strengthening American Competitiveness: Regaining Our Competitive Edge

Strengthening American Competitiveness: Regaining Our Competitive Edge
As U.S. policymakers focus on how to strengthen the U.S. economy in the midst of the financial crisis, Brookings competitiveness experts stress the need for a longer-term view with policy priorities focused on how to rebuild American competitiveness through investments in people, infrastructure, ideas and green transformation.

Great News! $500 million for green jobs! — Green For All

Great News! $500 million for green jobs! — Green For All
Congress just passed the FINAL version of the economic recovery bill. And guess what? $500 million for green jobs training is included in the package! This is a huge victory. And together, we've been fighting for it for more than a year.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

New jobless claims by state

New jobless claims by state
AP - A look at the number of new jobless claims by state for the week ending Jan. 31, compared with the previous week and year:

In recession, U.S. MBA students seek backup plan

In recession, U.S. MBA students seek backup plan
Reuters - For decades, investment banking was a well-worn path to affluence for business-school graduates. But as Wall Street teeters, many are scrambling to find alternate routes into a brutal job market.

Companies challenging unemployment benefits

Companies challenging unemployment benefits
It's hard enough to lose a job. But for a growing proportion of U.S. workers, the troubles really set in when they apply for unemployment benefits.

New jobless claims drop slightly to 623,000

New jobless claims drop slightly to 623,000
AP - Nearly 5 million Americans continued to draw jobless benefits late last month, and new requests again exceeded 600,000 as companies lay off scores of workers amid a deepening recession.

Starbucks begins announced layoffs to cut costs

Starbucks begins announced layoffs to cut costs
Starbucks Corp. on Wednesday told about 1,370 employees that their jobs will be cut as the company sheds costs by closing stores and laying off employees.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

utsourced federal jobs more likely to be low-wage

utsourced federal jobs more likely to be low-wage
The federal contract workforce—government workers paid with federal dollars but employed by private business—is swelling in size. Although the number of directly employed federal workers has remained steady at 2.7 million since 2000,1 federal contract workers have grown from 1.4 million to 2.0 million

It's Not Easy Being Gray: The New Rules of Retirement

It's Not Easy Being Gray: The New Rules of Retirement
Older Americans face an uncertain retirement future. Policies are urgently needed to shore up Social Security and Medicare, get health care spending under control, and make staying in the labor force at older ages easier, while still protecting disabled workers. This policy brief summarizes a wide-ranging discussion of retirement issues to explore how public policies might adapt to an aging population.

The Economic Recovery Package Will Help Poor Older Adults, but More Could Be Done

The Economic Recovery Package Will Help Poor Older Adults, but More Could Be Done
Older adults often are left out of policy conversations on poverty because many believe that relatively few of them experience economic hardship. Yet an updated measure of poverty indicates that the rate for adults ages 65 and older matches the rate for children.

Radio Free Asia: A Look at Labor Issues in China

Radio Free Asia: A Look at Labor Issues in China
In a conversation with Executive Editor Dan Southerland in Hong Kong, RFA's on-air labor specialist Han Dongfang discusses a range of topics on China, including workers’ rights, corruption, and the Chinese media.

Wal-Mart Cutting Jobs At Arkansas Headquarters

Wal-Mart Cutting Jobs At Arkansas Headquarters
NPR audio
The world's largest retailer is eliminating up to 800 jobs at the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., where it employs about 14,000 people. The poor economy is crimping Wal-Mart's sales growth. However, the company still is profiting as consumers flock to its stores in search of lower prices.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Poverty and Economic Stimulus

Poverty and Economic Stimulus
Rebecca M. Blank And Mark H. Greenberg agree that while in the short run, economic need is rising rapidly and we need to address the short-run problems as well as think about the long-term reforms, and that the parts of the recovery plan that are directed to low-income and unemployed families are good economics and good social policy. They say that it would only be the beginning of any serious effort to deal with poverty in America.

Thousands march in Paris against university reform

Thousands march in Paris against university reform
AP - Some 43,000 students, researchers and professors took to streets in Paris and other French cities Tuesday to demand an increase in scholarship funds and protest government plans to cut university jobs amid the economic downturn.

Senate compromise on stimulus flunks economics test

Senate compromise on stimulus flunks economics test
The bipartisan amendment to the Senate recovery plan eliminates several of the best targeted, most stimulative provisions in the bill. Nothing is more important at a time of cascading job losses than to help states avoid the need to lay off employees as a way to balance their budgets.

'Green' education offered from Calif. to Europe

'Green' education offered from Calif. to Europe
If the growing number of schools offering courses in sustainability and environmental issues is any indication, the market for green jobs is looking rosy.

What Kind Of Green Jobs Will Stimulus Spawn?

What Kind Of Green Jobs Will Stimulus Spawn?
NPR audio:
The economic stimulus plan will provide roughly $70 billion for the nation's energy economy, most of it for "green" energy. Whether that will buy more jobs than spending the money elsewhere is open to debate, but green energy advocates view it as good news.

Cambodian Garment Workers Face Poor Prospects

Cambodian Garment Workers Face Poor Prospects
NPR audio:
Two-thirds of Cambodia's export earnings come from the garment industry, which employs about 360,000 people, mostly women. Most earn less than $100 a month. Now, slowing orders from the United States threaten even those paltry earnings.

GM cuts 10,000 salaried jobs, trims employees' pay

GM cuts 10,000 salaried jobs, trims employees' pay
General Motors Corp. is planning to slash another 10,000 salaried jobs this year, saying the cuts are unavoidable with a government restructuring deadline looming and industrywide sales in one of the worst downturns in history.

Counting The Dollars, One Paint Job At A Time

Counting The Dollars, One Paint Job At A Time
NPR audio:
Because body shop workers are paid by commission, not by the hour, paychecks go up and down with the volume of cars out the door. At Quality Colors, an auto body shop in Dallas, one painter is trying to keep his life on track despite the drop in business.

Mexico deploying guards to protect commuter routes for Americans

Mexico deploying guards to protect commuter routes for Americans
As violent crime surges, this border city and international manufacturing center is deploying security forces to create safe commuter routes for U.S. executives and others who work in industrial parks.

More people turn to food service jobs in tough times

More people turn to food service jobs in tough times
With today's economic meltdown, the restaurant life raft is rapidly filling with applicants from inside and outside the restaurant industry.

Good Work, If You Can Get It

Good Work, If You Can Get It
Every national politician, in good times and bad, will talk about "jobs" -- creating jobs, building jobs, saving jobs, bringing jobs. Or as they sometimes put it, "jobs, jobs, jobs." But as the current debate on the Obama administration's stimulus package has shown, not everybody has the same understanding of what a "job" is. The problem is that philosophy is getting in the way of reality.

Upcoming Conference: Asian Asbestos Conference 2009

Upcoming Conference: Asian Asbestos Conference 2009
Asian Asbestos Conference 2009 (AAC): Strengthening the Grassroots Asbestos Movement in Asia, April 26-28, Hong Kong
The mission statement of the AAC 2009 is: "to have a gathering of grassroots activists, academics, medical and legal experts in Asia to develop concrete strategies towards a complete ban of asbestos in Asia."

Monday, February 09, 2009

GAO-09-24, Social Security Administration: Service Delivery Plan Needed to Address Baby Boom Retirement Challenges, January 9, 2008

GAO-09-24, Social Security Administration: Service Delivery Plan Needed to Address Baby Boom Retirement Challenges, January 9, 2008
Millions of people rely on the services of Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices. In fiscal year 2008, SSA's approximately 1,300 field offices provided service to about 44 million customers. People visit field offices to apply for Social Security cards, apply for retirement and disability benefits, establish direct deposit, and a host of other services. Over the last several years, staffing reductions have challenged field ...

Financial Times: China’s migrant workers face bleak outlook

Financial Times: China’s migrant workers face bleak outlook
China’s army of the rural unemployed has begun its long march back to coastal manufacturing centres. A year ago many of the annual migrants rapidly found work. But this year, in a sign of the impact of the global economic downturn, they are facing a bleaker scenario.

Measure in House Recovery Package ? But Not Senate Package ? Would Help Unemployed Parents Receive Health Coverage

Measure in House Recovery Package ? But Not Senate Package ? Would Help Unemployed Parents Receive Health Coverage
The economic recovery package that the House passed on January 28 would establish a temporary option for states to provide Medicaid coverage to certain workers (and their families) who have become unemployed during this recession. This provision, which is not in the Senate package, would help address a problem many parents face when they become unemployed.

Income of the Population 55 or Older ( from SSA )

Income of the Population 55 or Older ( from SSA )
This report provides a broad income picture of a cross section of the population aged 55 or older, with special emphasis on income of the population aged 65 or older.

Collins Cuts Women's Jobs from Stimulus

Collins Cuts Women's Jobs from Stimulus
Economist Heidi Hartmann at the Institute for Women's Policy Research has analyzed the compromise stimulus package that came out of the Senate on Friday and finds that compared to the House version, it cuts deeply into the parts of the package that would most help women workers.

Despite tough times, some Austin companies still hiring

Despite tough times, some Austin companies still hiring
When Austin advertising agency EnviroMedia Social Marketing hired a new account executive in December, Executive Vice President Ted Burton said it was "one of the hardest hiring decisions I've ever had to make."

More firms use furloughs in tough economy

More firms use furloughs in tough economy
To keep its workers off the unemployment line, Atlanta sheet metal contractor Gardner & Son has gone to shorter workweeks. Marietta businessman Jimmy Miller is considering doing the same next month if business doesn't improve. In the meantime, he keeps his 60 employees working, doing odd jobs around his two fence firms. Just last week, Georgia lawmakers said 100,000 state workers will likely be furloughed to rein in the state's $2 billion budget deficit.

Utah's Four-Day Workweek

Utah's Four-Day Workweek
NPR audio:
This past August, Utah became the first state to mandate a four-day workweek for many of state employees. All state offices are closed on Fridays. Scott Simon speaks with Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman about what this means for the state, its citizens and its government workers.

Crafting A Plan B For Tough Economic Times

Crafting A Plan B For Tough Economic Times
NPR audio:
People of all ages are coming with a Plan B in the event that their current job becomes another casualty of the recession. Rising unemployment, the declining Dow and a failing financial system are causing people a lot of stress because of the uncertainty they face.

Employees Take To Cyberspace To Vent

Employees Take To Cyberspace To Vent
NPR audio:
These days, employees are increasingly going online to find out what's really going on at their company and to let off steam about the frustrations of corporate life. Workers across industries find the Web — and its anonymity — a friendly place to share frustrations.

High School Grads Face Even Tougher Workforce

High School Grads Face Even Tougher Workforce
NPR audio:
In today's economic downturn, recent high school graduates are having a hard time finding employment with unemployment rates higher than the national average. Carri Martinez, who recently earned a GED; Youth Radio's Rynesha Snowden, who is finishing her high school degree, and career specialist Laura Councilor, discuss the harsh reality.

`Temporary' workers bear brunt of Japan recession

`Temporary' workers bear brunt of Japan recession
Fired engine plant worker Kouichirou Fukudome shouts slogans with dozens of protesters outside truck maker Isuzu's towering headquarters, all demanding they get their jobs back.

More co-worker couples losing both incomes at once

More co-worker couples losing both incomes at once
It is a well-known risk to lack diversity in an investment portfolio. Now, couples employed by the same company are learning a similar lesson, the hard way.

Women to take to employment helm in the US

Women to take to employment helm in the US
AFP - Women in the United States may soon, for the first time, hold more jobs than men, if the economic crisis continues to eliminate jobs in male-dominated industries, according to experts.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

IBM's Project Match Draws Criticism

IBM's Project Match Draws Criticism
NPR audio:
IBM's Project Match allows employees facing layoffs to be transferred abroad to countries such as India, Brazil and the Czech Republic to work at local wages. Not all workers are happy, however. Julie Moran Alterio, senior business reporter for The Journal News in the Lower Hudson Valley, offers her insight.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Statement: Chad Stone, Chief Economist, on the January Employment Report

CBPP Statement: Chad Stone, Chief Economist, on the January Employment Report
With job losses mounting and the recession deepening, there is no time to waste enacting the economic recovery package now before the Congress. That package will provide needed benefits to unemployed workers, and it would help stem the tide of job losses and moderate the severity of the downturn.

Black Male Jobless Rate: 15.8% In January

Black Male Jobless Rate: 15.8% In January
As bad as the general official unemployment numbers are, the real jobless rate for Black males appears to have no bottom. From Bob Feldman.

State's Can't Afford To Pay Jobless Benefits

State's Can't Afford To Pay Jobless Benefits
NPR audio:
President Obama's stimulus plan includes additional unemployment benefits for workers who have been laid off. As the package awaits approval by Congress, the number of jobless Americans continues to swell. States are running out of cash to pay unemployment benefits. The Wall Street Journal reports seven states have emptied their unemployment insurance trust funds.

Young Bosses Push Elders To Embrace Technology

Young Bosses Push Elders To Embrace Technology
NPR audio:
As baby boomers delay retirement, they are finding themselves with bosses who are younger — and more tech-savvy — than they are. For many older workers, that means learning to live with a BlackBerry, Facebook and other high-tech tools.

French unions criticize Sarkozy's reform plans

French unions criticize Sarkozy's reform plans
AP - French unions and leftist politicians on Friday lambasted President Nicolas Sarkozy's latest proposals to fight the deepening economic crisis, calling his ideas tepid and hesitant.

Canada lost a record 129,000 jobs last month

Canada lost a record 129,000 jobs last month
AP - Canada lost a record 129,000 jobs last month as the unemployment rate surged more than half a point to 7.2 percent, the single-worst monthly job loss figure in the country's history.

Productivity surges and labor pressures ease

Productivity surges and labor pressures ease
AP - Productivity was increasing at the end of last year at three times the expected pace while labor costs slowed significantly, underscoring that a deepening recession has taken away the threat of inflation.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Who Should Make The Most Money?

Who Should Make The Most Money?
NPR audio:
President Obama has ordered that the annual salaries of senior executives at companies receiving bailout money must be capped at $500,000. But Wall Street players aren't the only ones raking it in — many actors, athletes and entrepreneurs make millions. Which jobs should pay the most? Why?

Is Welfare Doing Its Job When the Need Is Great?

Is Welfare Doing Its Job When the Need Is Great?
NPR audio:
Eighteen states have cut their welfare rolls in the last year amid the worst economic crisis since the Depression. These cuts are drawing attention to welfare's efficiency and effectiveness. Celia Hagert, senior policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, Texas, talks about how the state's welfare program is faring.

Program Provides Over-50 Crowd Training For Jobs

Program Provides Over-50 Crowd Training For Jobs
NPR audio:
The current economic crisis is offering many people the "opportunity" to change jobs and career fields — whether they like it or not. The American Association of Community Colleges has joined with organizations across the country to provide new directions in employment specifically for people over 50.

Journalism Students Uneasy About Job Prospects

Journalism Students Uneasy About Job Prospects
NPR audio:
Hit with a recession, many newspapers and other media outlets are announcing additional cutbacks and layoffs. At the University of Missouri at Columbia, one of the nation's top journalism schools, many aspiring young reporters expect to graduate without a job in hand.

Do Education and Training Belong in the Recovery Package?

Do Education and Training Belong in the Recovery Package?
Ramped-up education spending should be part of an economic stimulus package, Institute Fellow Harry Holzer argues, because it will increase the gross domestic product, lead to more hiring, add income to local economies, and contribute to future productivity.

New Jobless Claims Surge to 626000

New Jobless Claims Surge to 626000
New claims for unemployment benefits spiked to a quarter-century high of 626000 last week, as businesses continued shedding workers to ...

U.S. survey shows executives delaying retirement

U.S. survey shows executives delaying retirement
Reuters - As the U.S. economy buckles, executives are delaying retirement, cutting back on their pension savings and trimming contributions to their children's college funds, according to a survey released on Thursday.

Rising unemployment hits 98 percent of metro areas

Rising unemployment hits 98 percent of metro areas
AP - Metropolitan areas across the Southeast and Midwest are seeing some of the steepest increases in joblessness, stung by their dependence on factories serving the struggling housing and auto sectors.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

California Recovery and Federal Stimulus

Date:		February 18, 2009
Time:		Half-day a.m. event--more information to follow
Location:		Sheraton Grand Hotel
		1230 J Street, Camellia Room
		Sacramento, CA

ABOUT THE PROGRAM: California stands to receive a large and rapid investment from the federal stimulus package. How will these funds influence California's green economy? How will they help the state face its many challenges in areas such as education, health care, and infrastructure? Prominent state leaders will gather to discuss these opportunities for California.

This event is co-sponsored by The James Irvine Foundation, The New America Foundation, and the California Research Bureau. There is no charge to attend.

Unemployment Insurance: Current Situation and Potential Reforms

This short paper summarizes the current situation of state unemployment insurance (UI) programs in the United States. It describes benefit recipiency, UI trust fund balances and administrative financing. Policies are recommended to increase solvency of the trust funds, raise recipiency rates and to improve the adequacy of administrative funding.

US companies bleed jobs as service slump slows

US companies bleed jobs as service slump slows
The US economy is haemorrhaging jobs and may not stop bleeding for at least another year even if the government acts ...

Steel-state lawmakers vow to save 'Buy American'

Steel-state lawmakers vow to save 'Buy American'
Lawmakers from steel-producing states insisted on Wednesday that a "Buy American" plan remain part of the huge ...

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

The Future of Middle-Skill Jobs

The Future of Middle-Skill Jobs
Event Information:
February 26, 2009, 9:00 AM to 11:45 AM
America’s shortage of highly-skilled workers is well known, but less attention has been focused on “middle-skill jobs,” such as plumbers, electricians, health care workers, legal assistants, machinists, and police officers. On February 26, the Center on Children and Families at Brookings will release a policy brief analyzing the demand for these jobs and their potential for helping disadvantaged workers move up the income ladder. Speakers will examine ways to improve education and training programs to ensure the demand for skilled workers is met.

Double Jeopardy: What the Climate Crisis Means for the Poor

Double Jeopardy: What the Climate Crisis Means for the Poor
Climate change and global development are two of the most critical challenges facing global policymakers. In a new report, "Double Jeopardy: What the Climate Crisis Means for the Poor" Brookings experts detail these interrelated issues based on discussions at the most recent Brookings Blum Roundtable on Poverty, featuring Dr. Steven Chu and former Vice President Al Gore, among others.

Big jump in Spanish unemployment

Big jump in Spanish unemployment
The number of people out of work in Spain increased by 199,000 in January, a record monthly jump, government figures show.

EU attacks 'Buy American' clause

EU attacks 'Buy American' clause
The EU puts more pressure on the US to withdraw the "Buy American" clause in its recovery plan over fears of protectionism.

Vo-tech schools can be paths to work

Vo-tech schools can be paths to work
Because many businesses are stalling in this difficult economic climate and laying off workers at all levels, employees are scrambling to find training as fast as possible to fill open positions in such job-rich industries as technology and health care.

'Green' jobs can be found in many industries

'Green' jobs can be found in many industries
Now that we experienced what was touted as the "greenest inauguration in history," let's examine more of what green means in terms of jobs. Picking up where I left off last week discussing what green jobs mean, let's talk more about where they exist.

What Layoff Survivors Can Expect At Work

What Layoff Survivors Can Expect At Work
NPR audio:
Liz Claiborne and Macy's are two of the latest companies to announce layoffs. The employees who remain at companies after staff cuts don't exactly have it easy. They will likely face a heavier work load and a rumor mill in overdrive.

The Job-Loss Butterfly Effect: From Peoria To Vegas

The Job-Loss Butterfly Effect: From Peoria To Vegas
NPR audio:
Job losses at a Caterpillar plant in Illinois are impacting workers in nearby towns and far away cities. As a result, tightened spending is putting the pinch on businesses large and small alike as workers readjust their spending habits and priorities.

Stimulus for America’s Community Colleges

Stimulus for America’s Community Colleges
Enrollment in community colleges is surging, driven by a tough economy and Increasing skills requirements for gainful employment. Sarah Goldrick-Rab and Alan Berube explain that his environment, as well as longer term economic growth, calls for a focused federal commitment to community colleges in order to boost educational attainment.

GM, Chrysler offer new buyouts

GM, Chrysler offer new buyouts
Offers are latest effort to reduce job expenses.

Why Ledbetter Isn't Enough

Why Ledbetter Isn't Enough
The passage of the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a victory for workers' rights. But the legislation doesn't correct big loopholes in gender-discrimination law that leave workers vulnerable to unfair pay.

Monday, February 02, 2009

The Disappearing Defined Benefit Pension and Its Potential Impact on the Retirement Incomes of Boomers

Over the last three decades there has been a steady shift from DB to DC pensions. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 may accelerate this trend. This paper examines the impact of an accelerated freeze on the retirement income of boomers. Simulations suggest that such a scenario would produce more losers than winners and reduce average retirement incomes. Income changes will be substantial among high-income workers, who have the highest DB coverage and pension incomes. Late boomers will experience the largest impacts, as they lose their high DB accrual years and have inadequate time to accumulate DC wealth before retirement.

Job Differences by Race and Ethnicity in the Low-Skill Job Market : Brief No. 4

Job Differences by Race and Ethnicity in the Low-Skill Job Market : Brief No. 4
This brief uses data from the 2007 Survey of Employers in the Low-Skill Labor Market to examine differences in the noncollege jobs held by workers of different races and ethnicities and the impact of these differences on wage rates.

Unemployment Rate Soars for Older Men with Limited Education

Unemployment Rate Soars for Older Men with Limited Education
As the recession enters its 15th month, job losses continue to accelerate. The downturn has not spared older workers. The January 2009 unemployment rate reached 6.0 percent at age 55 to 64 and 5.7 percent at age 65 and older. Hispanic men, older men working in construction and manufacturing, and those with limited education have been hit hardest.

Expand National Service?

Expand National Service?
Hudson Institute's Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal cordially invites you to a panel discussion entitled Expand National Service?
February 9, 2009, 12:00 - 2:00 PM - Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters

IBM To Open Center, Bring New Jobs To Dubuque

IBM To Open Center, Bring New Jobs To Dubuque
NPR audio:
IBM says it will open a remote computer services center in Dubuque, Iowa, that will employ up to 1,300 people. The company has been criticized in the past for shipping jobs offshore. It says the Dubuque site would be its biggest U.S. facility in 10 years, but getting IBM there was costly for Dubuque.

Are Outsourced Jobs Coming Back?

Are Outsourced Jobs Coming Back?
NPR audio:
Some U. S. companies that have sent jobs overseas are bringing those positions back. Christine Ferrusi Ross is research director at Forrester Research, which tracks outsourcing and inshoring. She talks with Linda Wertheimer about why jobs that were once outsourced could be returning.

Upcoming Conference: Organising for Change: Lessons and Strategies From Below

Upcoming Conference: Organising for Change: Lessons and Strategies From Below
AMRC
Organising for Change: Lessons and Strategies From Below
March 9-11, Bangkok

Will family's 4th generation at GM be its last?

Will family's 4th generation at GM be its last?
As a 10-year-old, Rollin Green was awestruck when he saw the line of hulking orange-and-silver robotic arms swinging ...

As unemployment rises, Uncle Sam has jobs

As unemployment rises, Uncle Sam has jobs
The economic downturn has forced private industry and state and local government to shed jobs, but one major employer in the country is ...

Housing bust hits hard in small NC factory town

Housing bust hits hard in small NC factory town
When this Appalachian town's light-switch plant went dark, fortunes dimmed for Jeff and Amanda Ruegsegger, and hundreds of their ...

Workers scramble for safer jobs as layoffs rise

Workers scramble for safer jobs as layoffs rise
Reuters - With layoffs happening all around her, automotive worker Ellen Whittington is doing what many worried Americans are doing: trying to find a safer, better job before she loses the one she has.

China, France add to global jobs gloom

China, France add to global jobs gloom
AFP - China and France became the latest leading economies to announce sharp increases in unemployment on Monday as US President Barack Obama tried to steer a huge stimulus package through the Senate.

How Can Mathematicians Have Best Job In U.S.?

How Can Mathematicians Have Best Job In U.S.?
NPR audio:
A recent job survey tells us that mathematicians have the best job in America while lumberjacks have the worst. We visit an Ivy League math department and the timber lots of New Hampshire to investigate how this can be.

Shipping industry runs short of young mariners

Shipping industry runs short of young mariners
Long a symbol of romance and adventure, the seafaring life is attracting fewer young adults these days, creating a worsening personnel shortage for those hauling cargo across oceans and the Great Lakes. Some shipping companies have told the U.S. Maritime...

Taiwan unveils $9.5 billion plan to create jobs

Taiwan unveils $9.5 billion plan to create jobs
Taiwan's government has unveiled a 320 billion New Taiwan dollar ($9.5 billion) plan to create thousands of jobs amid waves of layoffs and company closures caused by the global economic slowdown.

China's work-related deaths drop below 100,000

China's work-related deaths drop below 100,000
China's work-related deaths fell below 100,000 last year for the first time in more than a decade, amid an increased government focus on accident prevention, state media reported Monday.

Preoccupations: Handing Out the Pink Slips Can Hurt, Too

Preoccupations: Handing Out the Pink Slips Can Hurt, Too
The president of Accolo said that while he may have sounded calm while explaining layoffs to his staff, he was shell-shocked like everyone else.