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July 1997

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Budget bill passes House (Thursday, 7/31/97)
The bill intending to balance the federal budget has taken a major step on its journey to the White House and the president's signature. There continues to be a flurry of interpretation of the bill that is likely to become law and what it will mean. For instance, syndicated columnist Robert Reno writes about its effect on the wealthy, and Peter Passell reports that many economists are worried about the long-term.

Employee sickness fund contributions to be reduced in Sweden (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Sweden's health insurance system has a surplus, so employee contributions will be reduced. However, employees will also make larger contributions to jobless and pension funds, which are running deficits. Dagens Nyheter has the story this morning.

Delta employees held on drug trafficking charge (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Current and former employees of Delta Airlines have been indicted on charges of smuggling cocaine into the United States.

Jobs creation plan in Egypt (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Egypt is moving toward a free job market, and this is causing stresses and strains for many individuals. An organization called the Social Fund For Development will use funds provided by international contributors to create 400,000 jobs over the next four years to help offset the effects of these structural changes. Many of the jobs will be directed toward development of infrastructure, such as the construction of schools and hospitals. The country is having difficulty providing enough jobs for new graduates. About 450,000 jobs are required each year just for that purpose.

Pilots and airline start talking again in Portugal (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Diario de Noticias reports that negotiations have started again at TAP Air Portugal.

Possibility of Teamsters strike at UPS is already having broad effects (Thursday, 7/31/97)
John Schmeltzer of the Chicago Tribune says UPS' competitors are getting ready for a possible overload. Stephen Michaud, Andrew Backover, and Bill Hornaday of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram write that businesses are wondering how they will keep their products moving, and Newsday's Randi Feigenbaum says other UPS customers are concerned too, and many are trying to change their plans.

Hotel connectivity no longer a luxury for business travelers (Thursday, 7/31/97)
An increasing number of business travelers need to be able to get on-line from their hotel rooms. Paul Lasley and Elizabeth Harryman report on what the hotels are doing about it. Also in the Christian Science Monitor today, a look at workfare fairness.

Natural resources in an information economy (Thursday, 7/31/97)
John Berry of the Washington Post looks at the general lack of scarcity of natural resources in the new world economy and why earlier fears haven't been realized...so far. Also in the Post today, still more on Medicare fraud, and a look at privacy issues when it comes to your health, particularly during a hi-tech era.

Better checks needed in the "Chunnel," officials say (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Too many illegal immigrants are getting into Britain through the tunnel under the English Channel, and the UK's government says that Eurostar has to do something about it or face financial penalties. London's Daily Telegraph has reported that asylum-seekers have been arriving in Britain from Paris.

Hiring may not be as difficult as some think (Thursday, 7/31/97)
The statistics indicate that it's a tight job market, but Greg Jaffe reports in today's Wall Street Journal that many employers are finding that hiring is easier than they expected. Also, Jeff Bailey and Robert Rose report on the continuing search for intelligent life on earth, or why sleeve length is so important in some job settings. Finally, Thomas Vogel writes that the boom/bust cycle may be evening out in Latin America as it has in the United States.

Talks resume on employment bill in South Africa (Thursday, 7/31/97)
According to Business Day, the Congress of South African Trade Unions has decided to soften its opposition to the Basic Conditions of Employment Bill in parliament. Representatives of business and labor are talking again. Meanwhile, Judith Matloff of the Christian Science Monitor reports on the obstacles that remain for women in South Africa.

Want a lousy job? (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Susan Harrigan reports on what it's like to work on the telephone for long hours in one of those "boiler room" situations.

Vacations are getting shorter (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Americans seem to be working longer and are more frazzled. Also, for a variety of reasons, they're not taking--or getting--vacations as much as they used to, and, when they do take time off, it's more abbreviated.

The limits of welfare reform (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Peter Passell of the New York Times writes about the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation's report on Ohio's effort to keep teen mothers in school.

Post-mortem on the budget balancer (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
Looks like we're going to have it, so what will it mean? Lawrence Goodrich of the Christian Science Monitor says it's historic, maybe Washington's equivalent of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Barbara Vobejda and Judith Havemann of the Washington Post write that, despite expectations that a balanced budget would have to mean government's withdrawal from the social arena, the new deal includes big increases in social spending. Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune editorializes that there's something for everybody, and that's the problem. Most other major news sources have something to say on the subject this morning, including the New York Times, which offers many articles that look at the big budget agreement and its implications from a variety of perspectives. One change likely to be noticed on many college and university campuses is the loss of tax-exempt status for IAA-CREF.

Demand for paid leave programs declines in Denmark (Thursday, 7/31/97)
Fewer people have been participating in "paid leave" programs sponsored by the government, according to a report from the National Labor Market Authority, and more are finding work. A reduction in benefits has contributed to the decline in both educational and child care leave programs, according to Berlingske Tidende.

Remember Somalia and Ethiopia? Now, look to North Korea (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
Moon Ihlwan reports that the growing famine in North Korea could cost at least 5 million lives. Incidentally, while the population explosion, combined with environmental changes and the growing pressure on available crop land, may produce genuine global food shortages before long, for many years now, most starvation in the world has been a consequence, not of insufficient food, but of distribution problems, and, of course, of politics. There is no particular reason that the North Koreans could not be among the best-fed people on earth by now. Once the North is merged with the South, which seems inevitable, the North's people should eventually enjoy the benefits of being part of one of the world's most successful economies.

Strike deadline approaches at UPS (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
United Parcel Service is laying off workers in anticipation of a strike that may begin tomorrow.

American workers' compensation up a bit, but the increase isn't inflationary (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
Pay and benefits have been increasing steadily but modestly, according to the latest Labor Department data. Here's the story from Reuters and the Washington Post.

Applying for college via the Internet (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
IBM and CollegeNET reach agreement on a system that may change the way college applications are submitted.

Spain may reduce pension escalator (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
Inflation in Spain has been better than expected, so the Spanish government is considering reducing the inflation adjustment for pension payments by 0.6 percent for next year, according to El Mundo.

What's driving American prosperity, and how long will it last? (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
After years of sluggishness, the American economy has pushed out ahead of Europe and East Asia, but will this advantage last? When will other major economies catch up, and what will it take? Here's an analysis from today's Christian Science Monitor.

Texaco chairman says they're working on changing racist attitudes in the company (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
Texaco has some of the same problems as other large companies, but recent events have made them more visible at Texaco, he says.

Culture conflicts in a shrinking world (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
The U.S. is concerned about human rights and individual freedoms in Asia, but many at the ASEAN meeting in Malaysia disagree. The clash reflects a difference in attitude toward the individual that goes back centuries.

Are Americans really working longer and harder? (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
Read Sue Shellenbarger's analysis in today's Wall Street Journal. No doubt we're frazzled, she says.

The importance of tribal colleges for Native Americans (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
A college president tells about the difference that college education makes and what it takes. Here's Thomas Shortbull's article from today's Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The end of Germany's post-war miracle? (Wednesday, 7/30/97)
German workers are worried about the return of the bad old days economically. Germany's been poor this century and it's been rich, and many people remember both. Alan Cowell writes today for the New York Times.

Many health care changes in budget deal (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
The White House and the Congress have reached a compromise on budget balancing legislation, and many people at both ends of the lifespan will see major health care changes as a consequence.

Pilots at TAP Air Portugal on strike; other staff side with management (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Diario Economico reports that other staff members at the Portuguese airline have expressed "regret" that there was no response from the pilots' union to a proposal that could help resolve the dispute over work hours.

Read this quick before your boss notices (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Too many people are wasting company time on the Internet, reports Laurent Belsie of the Christian Science Monitor. This doesn't include BNWW & NWN, of course, or, well, maybe it does. Finish reading today's NewWork News quickly and get back to work, or, better yet, pass our URL on to your boss.

U.S. population not the only one that's aging (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
One of the reasons there was so much social turbulence in the U.S. during the 60s and early 70s, in addition to real issues such as the Vietnam War, was that America had an enormous number of young people in relation to the population as a whole. The youthful energy level was very high, and, while older people may still have whatever energy they need, young people tend to have a surplus and scan the environment for opportunities to vent the excess. Over the years since, the median age in the United States has increased significantly. However, this is the case over much of the world, which means that budgets will be strained by increasing pension demands. Michael Holtzman writes about how the world is getting grayer.

Unemployment up again in Israel (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
According to Ha'aretz this morning, May unemployment in Israel reached 7.7 percent. The average for 1996 was 6.7 percent.

Parents who don't support their children (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Most parents who are supposed to make child-support payments haven't been doing it, according to a new report from the General Accounting Office. Persistent efforts to get delinquent parents to pay up haven't been working very well, says the GAO.

Not everything about the new economy is new (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Many experts seem to agree with us that we've been going through a genuinely historic economic transformation of the sort that comes around only every few centuries, and this is one reason so many lives are disoriented. However, it's possible to exaggerate the changes. Allan Sloan writes about some "old wrinkles" in today's Washington Post.

More on fraud in home health care (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Judith Havemann reports that Medicare investigators are finding that 40 percent of home health care services are not justified, meaning that taxpayers are paying for a lot of things they shouldn't be.

Clinton offers states advice on how to use their extra money (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Welfare rolls are shrinking across the United States and so are the costs to states, which is what lawmakers had in mind when they set the welfare revolution in motion a year ago. How should that saved money be used? President Clinton has a suggestion: help people find the work they need, he says. At the same time, the president again encourages the states to pay minimum wage to workfare participants.

Women protest job discrimination in Japan (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Women face discrimination in the workplace, particularly in job interviews, according to leaders of a protest by university students in Tokyo. Here's the story from Asahi Shimbun.

Novel work for unemployed youth (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Richard Macey of the Sydney Morning Herald writes about a new program that recruits unemployed youth for jobs as crime spotters.

The sad state of what remains of the once proud Red Army (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
It's not a good time to be a member of the Russian military. Michael Specter writes in today's International Herald Tribune about the desperate situation many are in. Incidentally, the IHT, published in Paris and sometimes referred to as the "Paris Tribune," is the leading English-language newspaper in continental Europe and has acted as a training ground for many famous journalists and novelists over many years.

Narrowing job market for grads in Korea (Tuesday, 7/29/97)
Today's Korea Herald editorializes on how a sluggish economy and job market are affecting new university graduates in that country.

Caution! Work may be hazardous to your well-being (Monday, 7/28/97)
Job-related illnesses and injuries are a very big deal in the United States, according to a new report, with costs as great as cancer or heart disease, in fact. Here's the story from Reuters and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

New contract ratified at GM to end the company's latest strike (Monday, 7/28/97)
A shutdown of much of General Motors' auto and truck production has been averted, because the strike has ended, and transmissions will be coming off the assembly lines. David Lawder reports.

Workers may attempt to buy Portuguese airline (Monday, 7/28/97)
Diario de Noticias reports this morning that American labor unions are advising workers at TAP Air Portugal on the possibility of worker ownership of the airline when it is "privatized" in 1998.

Take a close look at people's choices under new Medicare plans, writer says (Monday, 7/28/97)
Sue Blevins says some in Congress are saying that budget plans would give seniors more choices under Medicare, but she's not convinced. Look carefully, she says.

What if you're working for a pro-family organization? (Monday, 7/28/97)
Policies vary, if you become pregnant while on the job. Laurie Goodstein reports in today's Washington Post.

French government plans jobs for young people (Monday, 7/28/97)
According to La Tribune, France's Minister of Employment is finalizing a plan that would create 350,000 public sector jobs for young people over the next five years. France continues to have high unemployment as it attempts to bring budgets under control and qualify for the European monetary union.

Good timing for welfare reform, some say (Monday, 7/28/97)
It helps that the American economy is expanding and creating jobs at a high rate, say some experts. Here's David Francis' article on the good news and bad news of welfare reform, and how it's helping some people.

Mixed welfare reform results at Sprint (Monday, 7/28/97)
Dennis Farney writes in today's Wall Street Journal that Sprint promises more jobs for the poor and has been cited by President Clinton as a company helping to do its part. So far, though, results have been modest, Farney says.

Bankruptcies up in Holland (Monday, 7/28/97)
Bankruptcies increased by 6 percent in the Netherlands during the past year. Only Portugal and Belgium among 14 European countries surveyed by Dun & Bradstreet had greater increases, with 17.8 and 10 percent, respectively, according to a report in De Volkskrant.

Finally, help for procrastinators (Monday, 7/28/97)
Randi Feigenbaum describes psychologist Linda Sapadin's book for people who put things off.

Acquisition leads to concern that workers may leave (Monday, 7/28/97)
During recent years, mergers and acquisitions have often led to big job cuts. However, here's one case in which people are being offered bonuses to stay on.

Women directors sought (Monday, 7/28/97)
More and more, women are being recruited to serve on boards, perhaps reflecting the increasing prominence of women in business generally. For instance, more new businesses are being started by women than by men in the United States.

New approaches to drug testing in the workplace (Monday, 7/28/97)
New tests are harder to deceive, reports the Houston Chronicle's L.M. Sixel.

Who are the real thieves, writer asks? (Monday, 7/28/97)
Peter Rachleff responds to a Minneapolis Star Tribune commentary on internal theft on the job.

NAFTA in perspective (Monday, 7/28/97)
Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune editorializes on NAFTA. Its effects have been positive, they say, but are easy to exaggerate.

AFT president says teachers should help close bad schools (Monday, 7/28/97)
The new president of the American Federation of Teachers says teachers should stop trying to keep poorly performing schools open, and, instead, help to shut them down. Also in the New York Times today, David Gonzalez says the immigrant ladder is crowded, and Mexicans are trying to get a foothold, and Ian Zack reports on something that might really overload the Internet: post-graduate theses and dissertations.

Ratification vote today at GM (Sunday, 7/27/97)
UAW local members are scheduled to vote today on whether to end the transmission strike.

Greenspan and other economists puzzled (Sunday, 7/27/97)
The current American economy isn't fitting conventional economic models and expectations, and many economists are mystified. Fed head Greenspan seems to have gotten a little more comfortable, in part, because the economy isn't following conventional guidelines, so we may not necessarily have to pay for all our good fortune in conventional ways.

Economists know best about economics, of course, but we probably should point out that the whole point of BNWW & NWN for almost two years has been that we think we're in a fundamentally new world economy in which some of the old rules no longer apply. Theories are maps, and, so, are necessarily less complex than the realities they represent. Moreover, they're based on a set of assumptions. If the assumptions no longer apply, the theories won't work.

Peter Drucker has been saying for several years that economists will have trouble applying old ideas to the new realities. For one thing, "information," as a major factor in production, doesn't behave like the familiar factors, so conventional economic models don't know what to do with it. The situation faced by economists at this point may be in some ways similar to that of theorists in classical physics trying to account for realities at the subatomic level.

What on earth are "360-degree evaluations?" (Sunday, 7/27/97)
Steven Ginsberg of the Washington Post will tell you.

First New York, then Carolina, now Chicago (Sunday, 7/27/97)
The victims have been deaf illegal aliens, but now we find that at least two of the perpetrators are as well. Mark Fineman reports that many of the people involved have been fleeing even less friendly situations for the disabled in their home country. Tim Golden and Ian Fisher write that both opportunity and exploitation are involved, and Barbara Crossette examines the meaning of the term "slavery" in modern contexts. Incidentally, the Wall Street Journal's Ann Davis reports that many American courts have been rejecting many of the kinds of discrimination claims advocated by the EEOC involving workers with mental illnesses.

Want to sell your house? Want to sell somebody else's? (Sunday, 7/27/97)
"Nothing happens around here until somebody sells something," says the old poster found on a lot of office walls. Selling is honorable work, and the fact that there are so many sales people throughout the economy is good evidence that the economy still needs talented people to bring buyers and sellers together. In her "Job Hunt" column this time, Lisa Doll examines the role of residential real estate agent. If you're looking for a home yourself, Jay Romano tells how you may be able to use the web in your search. In other columns, Carrie Mason-Draffen offers help in understanding the complexities of jobless benefit rules, and Lynn Brenner tells how to pass it on when you pass on. Should you put your trust in a trust? Meanwhile, Albert Crenshaw advises retirees to check their pension payments.

Home care fraud (Sunday, 7/27/97)
The New York Times' Robert Pear reports that investigators are finding fraud in home care provided under Medicare. Also in the Times today, Laurie Flynn tells about how new-media entrepreneurs may be able to build financial security. Finally, here are some tips on salary negotiations. First, deciding what you're worth, and, then, making the deal.

GM and UAW settle (Saturday, 7/26/97)
A general shut down of General Motors automotive production across much of North America has been averted with the settling of the transmission strike.

U.S. economy accelerated during June (Saturday, 7/26/97)
New economic data show that the American economy has picked up steam again, after a slight slowing following a spectacular first quarter, still with no inflation on the horizon. Some authorities are beginning to say, not only that it's the best American economy in a generation, but also that there has never been an economy this good, anyplace, ever. Of course, the churning that is characteristic of such a vital, rapidly evolving economy is not comfortable for all participants, and large segments of the population are being left behind. Economic growth and high productivity are necessary, but not sufficient for ensuring broad-based well-being. Nonetheless, will the 21st century be an "American century" too?

Freddie Mac faces harassment charges (Saturday, 7/26/97)
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation has been maintaining a "racially offensive work environment," and the EEOC wants a court to intervene.

More "near-slavery" found in Carolina (Saturday, 7/26/97)
Following on the heals of the discovery the deaf Mexican immigrants have been forced to work in New York City under conditions described by the New York mayor as "bordering on slavery," a similar situation has been discovered in North Carolina. Authorities are beginning to suspect that these may be part of a nationwide racket. Meanwhile, Eric Pianin of the Washington Post reports that Republican negotiators have agreed to restore welfare benefits for disabled legal immigrants.

Entrepreneurs drawn to the inner city (Saturday, 7/26/97)
Melita Marie Garza writes in today's Chicago Tribune that not all businesses are running from America's inner city regions. Instead, some are finding interesting opportunities.

More on the Court of Appeals ruling on "independent contractors" (Saturday, 7/26/97)
A case involving Microsoft Corporation is being watched by nearly everybody because of its possible broad implications, given the larger role of temporary on contract workers in the new economy.

Minnesota to pay more for health insurance (Saturday, 7/26/97)
Glenn Howatt reports in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune that the cost of health coverage for state employees is going up, possibly signaling more general premium increases in the state. Also, in an opinion piece, Kip Sullivan challenges the newspaper's editorial assumptions about Medicare.

Companies search worldwide for programmers (Saturday, 7/26/97)
A shortage of technical expertise is holding back even greater growth in the new information economy, according to this Business Week article. Also, the magazine editorializes on the same topic in its international edition. In the old industrial economy, natural resources played a central, determining role. In the new information economy, information expertise has become a critical resource driving whole industries and determining success or failure.

Effects of transmission strike radiate through General Motors (Friday, 7/25/97)
General Motors is preparing to shut down operations at a number of car and truck plants throughout North America because of its latest strike.

British economy grows (Friday, 7/25/97)
Economists are worried that the UK's economic growth rate is beyond what can be sustained without kicking off a round of inflation. Interest rates are probably on their way up.

Strike could threaten existence of Portuguese airline (Friday, 7/25/97)
Diario Economico reports that TAP Air Portugal is saying that they may shut down the company if pilots strike as threatened.

U.S. job market still strong (Friday, 7/25/97)
First-time jobless claims were down last week to their lowest rate in nearly a year. The American job machine is still producing jobs at a high rate.

Microsoft loses on court ruling (Friday, 7/25/97)
The case has broad interest because of the increasing use of temporary and contract workers in the American economy. The court ruled against Microsoft, who had claimed that temps and contract workers were not entitled to the same benefits as permanent employees.

Judge rules that aliens can lose welfare benefits (Friday, 7/25/97)
Here's a story about the latest in the test of the new welfare law's constitutionality.

Good child care is hard to find, writer says (Friday, 7/25/97)
Linda Feldmann of the Christian Science Monitor reports on the high cost of quality child care facing working parents, when they can find it.

Bias case settlement at Army Corps of Engineers (Friday, 7/25/97)
Job promotions and compensatory payments are involved in the settlement. Sixteen workers had brought suit.

Pensioners to get a raise in Spain (Friday, 7/25/97)
The Spanish Labor Minister says that persons collecting government pensions will get a cost of living increase as part of the 1998 budget, according to El Mundo this morning.

Heart disease risk not highest in the executive suite (Friday, 7/25/97)
Lower echelon workers are at higher risk, according to a study. Feelings of not being in control contribute to the risk, researchers say.

Nationwide strike in Israel (Thursday, 7/24/97)
The Israeli government's privatization plans aren't popular with communications workers who have gone out on strike, and others in other fields are striking in support. Tel Aviv's international airport is especially hard hit this morning. Speaking of strikes, General Motors in the United States is coping with its fifth so far this year. Robyn Meredit of the New York Times ways it could idle most of GM's assembly plants, because there's not much demand for vehicles without transmissions.

Talks stall in Greece (Thursday, 7/24/97)
Talks intended to lead to labor market reform in Greece are hung up over wage demands and part-time work. Representatives of government, business, and labor are conferring, according to Kathimerini this morning.

Stress hormone greater with working mothers (Thursday, 7/24/97)
Women who work outside the home appear to have more of a stress hormone if they have children than if they are childless.

Keeping teen parents in school (Thursday, 7/24/97)
Barbara Vobejda reports on a study released yesterday showing that an Ohio program providing welfare incentives to keep teen parents in school has had some success.

Unemployment could hit 8 percent in Portugal (Thursday, 7/24/97)
According to Diario de Noticias, Portugal's Prime Minister says official figures also underestimate real unemployment in his country. Also, the leader of the Social Democratic Party wants an investigation into the legality of a loan guarantee to Portugal's largest union.

Teacher shortage may be coming because of retirements (Thursday, 7/24/97)
June Kronholz writes in today's Wall Street Journal that a lot of teachers will be retiring more-or-less at the same time, and this could cause an immediate and serious teacher shortage in the U.S.

No agreement yet on pension reforms in Austria (Thursday, 7/24/97)
Talks went on into the late hours yesterday, but members of Austria's coalition government failed to agree on proposed changes in the state pension system. The government is intending to including pension reductions in their overall budget cuts, according to Salzburger Nachrichten. Also in Austria, Der Standard reports that Peter Mitterbauer, head of the Association of Industrialists, says not to expect room for maneuvering in salary negotiations for next year. In fact, he says, employers may have to make salary cuts in order to keep Austria competitive, given the intended common European currency.

Merit pay in Africa (Thursday, 7/24/97)
Lara Santoro writes in today's Christian Science Monitor about how a mine in Kenya is making successful use of merit pay following privatization. Workers are making twice as much as before.

Here's real news: South Korean workers to work in North Korea (Thursday, 7/24/97)
Also of some interest is the fact that they will be working on the development of nuclear reactors, and it will soon be possible to make a telephone call across the border. Mary Jordan reports for today's Washington Post.

College no longer free in the UK (Thursday, 7/24/97)
Get your checks ready if you plan to study in Britain. No more free college tuition, reports Fred Barbash. Prime Minister Tony Blair's new Labour government rolls back a conspicuous part of the old British welfare state that his party helped develop during the years following World War II.

Another GM strike in Michigan (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
General Motors just ended one strike. Now, it has another. Here's the story from Reuters and the Washington Post. In other labor news, Claudia Banks of the Chicago Tribune reports that workers in a Chicago machine tool division have returned to their jobs.

The world's women face economic discrimination, but a whole lot more (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
Millions are victims of violence each year, according to a new UN report. Here's the story from Patricia Reaney of Reuters.

Big job cuts at TWA (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
Less maintenance is needed on the newer jets, and TWA also needs to cut costs. As a consequence, about a thousand jobs will go. Here's the story from Reuters and Newsday.

Clinton has a compromise in mind on Medicare (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
Charging the wealthy more will be unpopular, particularly if it looks like a tax. Clinton thinks it will help if the IRS doesn't collect it.Here's more from today's New York Times.

Greenspan largely optimistic (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
Fed Head Greenspan doesn't see an immediate need to raise interest rates and thinks the American economy has more good times ahead. Some have been worrying that the low unemployment rate could mean that inflation lurks, despite the current low numbers.

Spanish civil servants to get cost-of-living raise (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
According to Gaceta de los Negocios, Spanish civil servants will get a 2.1 percent raise next year, which is the expected inflation rate.

Number of people working in Switzerland down (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
Neue Zuercher Zeitung reports that the number of people working in the country has been declining, and the decrease has been greatest for foreigners working there.

Doesn't look like good news, but it is (Wednesday, 7/23/97)
Russia's economy shrunk by only 1.1 percent during the first half of the year, which is better than most of the years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Other indicators are improving too, so a turnaround may be on the horizon. Meanwhile, China reports that its economy is surging, and inflation is acceptable.

Pavarotti not qualified? (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
Luciano Pavarotti, one of history's greatest tenors, probably wouldn't be able to get a job as a junior music instructor, because, well, he can't read music. He's an additional good reason why we shouldn't confuse means with ends in the work world and should not allow ourselves to be distracted too much by so-called "credentials" at the expense of genuine competence and performance. Interestingly, even though they helped invent the modern worldwide computer industry, neither Bill Gates nor Steve Jobs would qualify for the most junior computer science faculty position at the most undistinguished American college or university. Reason? Neither has a college degree. Bill Gates is a college dropout, and Steve Jobs is said to have no credits at all in his college transcript, despite a brief period at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Even if neither accomplishes anything from now on, both will have a permanent place in the history books.

New law on working hours called for (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
Publico reports that Portugal's legal ombudsmen is calling for a new law that clarifies whether breaks should be counted in the 40-hour work week.

The value of mentors (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
Shelley Donald Coolidge writes in today's Christian Science Monitor about how mentors can help your career along.

Probably no "means test" for Medicare (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
For a time, it appeared that the overall plan to get Medicare's house in order and improve its future prospects would include a provision requiring the affluent elderly to pay more for some medical benefits. Not any more, say the Washington Post's Eric Pianin and Peter Baker. Why? Does the word "politics" provide a hint? Also, here's the Post's editorial on the Medicare issue, but it looks as though it was written before the "means test" story broke.

Hong Kong may use Singapore plan to import labor (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
The Hong Kong construction industry will need a lot more workers, and here's how they plan to get them, according to today's Hong Kong Standard.

More on the "Seinfeld" harassment case (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
A jury awards $26 million to a fired Miller Brewing Company executive.

Labor opposes proposed "independent contractor" change (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
Millions of workers could suddenly become "independent contractors," which is either good news or bad news, depending on who you are. Organized labor thinks it's bad news.

Businesses to pay more tax in France (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
The new Socialist-led French government will increase taxes on big business in order to try to qualify for the European common currency. Deficits are currently running beyond the government's targets.

More details on the exploitation of deaf Mexican immigrants in New York City (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
Joe Sexton of the New York Times reports that federal prosecutors are now offering a more complete picture of a highly organized criminal enterprise that borders on slavery.

Job market to be tight for grads in Korea (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
New college graduates are finding the best job market in years in the United States, but the picture is quite different in South Korea, according to this Korea Herald story.

Contracts approved, day care workers will get back pay (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
More than 250 day care centers contract with the City of New York. Contract renewals had been delayed, and many workers hadn't been paid. Now, the checks will be in the mail.

Okay, so maybe you can't stop worrying about inflation (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
Inflation hasn't been a problem in the American economy recently, but it has such capacity for fouling things up and has essentially destroyed so many of the world's economies, it's easy to find experts who are nervous, even when it isn't on the horizon. Peter Passell of the New York Times says some are seeing it on their scopes, though. Maybe unemployment is too low, he says.

Harassment claim, then discrimination claim arise from box of chocolates (Tuesday, 7/22/97)
Today's London Times reports on how a gift of a box of chocolates started something that's not yet over in the UK.

More on the near slavery in New York City (Monday, 7/21/97)
Here's more background from today's Minneapolis Star Tribune on the story that broke in New York yesterday. The New York Times' Deborah Sontag reports on arrests in relation to the case.

Payless Cashways Inc. in Chapter 11 (Monday, 7/21/97)
The big building materials company enters Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close nearly 30 stores and cut nearly 2,000 jobs. Chapter 11 doesn't mean going out of business or liquidating. It means reorganizing under the protection of the court. Creditors will have to lay off for a while so that the company can focus its energies on getting costs under control and developing a plan for returning to profitability and paying off debts.

Tax-cut deal by the end of the week? (Monday, 7/21/97)
The Congress and the White House may get together on a deal within a few days, according to the Senate Minority Leader.

End to forced arbitration urged in job discrimination cases (Monday, 7/21/97)
The National Association of Securities Dealers would like to see an end to forced arbitration in job bias cases, according to the Wall Street Journal and the Bloomberg News Service. Some feel that forced arbitration is unconstitutional because it deprives people the right to go to court in civil rights cases.

More teachers, nurses, and other workers to be hired in Turkey (Monday, 7/21/97)
Turkey's council of ministers is meeting today and is expected to okay the hiring of 20,000 teachers and 28,000 nurses, as well as additional workers in various other fields. The primary focus of the meeting will be education, according to reports from Bloomberg. There is a movement to increase minimum education requirements in the country from five years of school to eight.

Congress "ducked" on Medicare, writer says (Monday, 7/21/97)
Writing in today's Christian Science Monitor, Christopher Baker says Congress missed an important opportunity to improve Medicare's future. However, the New York Times' Robert Pear looks on the bright side, and says that legislation moving through Congress may reduce the cost of some medical services to the elderly.

A non-textbook approach to worker motivation (Monday, 7/21/97)
Paul Tulenko writes today for the Scripps Howard News Service on a worker motivation theory that doesn't go by the books. Here's his article via Newsday. Also, the Wall Street Journal's Hal Lancaster reports on some alternatives to what many career counselors suggest you should do to move ahead.

How failure can pay (Monday, 7/21/97)
Judith Dobrzynski writes about top corporate executives who are paid very big bucks to get lost.

People found working under near slavery conditions in New York (Sunday, 7/20/97)
Blaine Harden reports for the Washington Post that a police raid in New York has found 52 deaf Mexicans working under what the New York mayor calls "virtual slavery."

Negotiations slow at Northwest Airlines (Sunday, 7/20/97)
There have been a lot of stories recently about labor issues and the airline industry, including the strike last week at British Airways. Tony Kennedy writes today in the Minneapolis Star Tribune that talks are slow at Northwest Airlines.

Reno on health care hemorrhaging (Sunday, 7/20/97)
The American health care system apparently needs a tourniquet to stop the financial leaks, says syndicated columnist Robert Reno. Otherwise, why does America spend so much on health care, even though many other countries seem to have equally or more healthy people? Reno tells about the current investigation of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation. Here's more on that story this morning from Kevin Drawbaugh of Reuters. Incidentally, most seniors find that, despite the costs, Medicare isn't enough. Albert Crenshaw says that not all "medigap" insurance is created equal. Premiums can vary greatly, he says, so shop carefully.

Want to become an independent contractor? Think twice (Sunday, 7/20/97)
Among other things, the difference between "independent contractors" and "employees" is that the former aren't paid benefits, which makes them popular among employers. The proposed tax law could make a lot of people more independent than they might like, says Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times. Incidentally, Representative Jennifer Dunn thinks the Republican tax cut bill would be good for women. Speaking of women, the New York Times' Douglas Jehl tells about how changes in the Islamic world are giving women more options.

Ethical dilemmas at work (Sunday, 7/20/97)
There may be more than one way to get off the horns of a dilemma, according to one Harvard professor. The Washington Post's Kirstin Downey Grimsley writes about finding your moral compass.

Getting a good start out of college (Sunday, 7/20/97)
Tom Incantalupo of Newsday has some advice for graduates who are trying to get an economic foothold just out of college. If you've graduated with an MBA, the Wall Street Journal's Hal Lancaster says there are no guarantees that you'll get what you expect out of it. We would go farther and suggest that the beginning of a new millennium is a good time to give up inappropriate expectations, assumptions, and interpretations, some of which have been around since about the beginning of the last millennium. Don't think about degrees or other "official blessings." Instead, think about whether you really know anything or can really do anything. If the answer to both of these questions is "yes," it doesn't make any difference how you've gotten into this desirable state, but it will be good for yourself, your society, and your employer that, one way or another, you have managed to do so. Also, employers should de-emphasize the shadows and concentrate on the substance. Colleges and universities tend to emphasize so-called "credentials" for obvious reasons, and, in the United States, particularly, there has been a growing preoccupation with symbols at the expense of what the symbols are supposed to represent, but may not.

On being a nurse practitioner (Sunday, 7/20/97)
The role of "nurse practitioner" arose when there was a shortage of physicians. Now, it's becoming increasingly prominent as part of an effort to create a more cost-efficient division of labor in medical service. Lisa Doll tells about this career in her "Job Hunt" column. In other Newsday columns, Carrie Mason-Draffen responds to a correspondent's question about a possible illegal inquiry from a prospective employer, and Patricia Kitchen tells how to manage your skills in order to promote your own progress through the ranks. In the Chicago Tribune, Lindsey Novak tells a correspondent that a foreman should be reported, and Carol Kleiman tells how to get the most out of informational interviews.

Why a member of the United States Navy lives in Mexico (Sunday, 7/20/97)
A member of the American armed forces, and you have to live in poverty? It happens frequently, says Ian Fisher of the New York Times. Also in the Times today, Roy Furchgott writes about employees who sign away their right to sue, and here's an article on salary negotiations.

Ratification at GM (Saturday, 7/19/97)
A UAW local's members vote overwhelmingly to accept a new agreement that ends one of General Motors' longest strikes.

Proposed Medicare changes bring out the fight in many interested health care people (Saturday, 7/19/97)
One way or another, Medicare is probably going to end up costing the government less, and that will mean somebody will have to take a pay cut. Many health care factions would be happy to pass the loss on to somebody else, and they're getting organized to fight for their piece of the action. David Hilzenrath reports for today's Washington Post. Also in the Post today, while any people are concerned about not being paid enough, other workers aren't being paid at all. Debbi Wilgoren reports that 400 school employees in the D. C. region did not receive their paychecks yesterday. Along similar but more extreme lines, Dmitry Zaks of the St. Petersburg Times reports that Russian President Yeltsin is saying that back wages in that country will be paid by January 1. Some workers, including military personnel, have not been paid for many months. The Russian economy has been in gridlock. People haven't been paying their taxes because they haven't been getting their wages, and the government hasn't been paying wages because people haven't been paying their taxes, and so on.

Republicans in Congress want to exempt workfare from labor laws (Saturday, 7/19/97)
President Clinton wants workfare workers to be covered by the minimum wage and other labor laws. Some in Congress don't. Stay tuned.

Toolmaker to cut 4,700 jobs (Saturday, 7/19/97)
Stanley Works feels that it needs to re-focus its energies and reorganize its activities. As part of this plan, 24 percent of its work force will be cut.

Korean electronics companies employ thousands overseas (Saturday, 7/19/97)
More than 70,000 local workers are employed in Korean electronics plants operating overseas, according to this Korea Herald story.

Families of workers killed on the job protest (Saturday, 7/19/97)
Enoch Wong of the Hong Kong Standard writes that families of workers killed in industrial accidents are unhappy with consequences for their employers. Also in the Standard today, unemployment is declining and salaries are rising in Hong Kong, an international labor organization wants labor laws reinstated, and Priscilla Cheung reports that an official believes that more foreign workers should be brought into Hong Kong to assist in the construction of a large housing development.

New taxes intended to help France qualify for EMU (Saturday, 7/19/97)
The Socialist-led French government wants to tax rich individuals and companies more to bring down the country's deficit in order to qualify for the proposed common currency, according to today's London Times.

Millions of workers to get a raise in India (Saturday, 7/19/97)
The Deccan Herald reports that more than 5 million Indian government workers will get a raise. Also, members of the armed forces in hazardous areas will get extra pay.

BA still working on getting fully back in the air (Saturday, 7/19/97)
British Airways is still trying to recover from last week's three-day strike by cabin workers. Here's the story from the Detroit News.

Russia working toward membership in the European Union (Saturday, 7/19/97)
It may be a while yet, because the Russian economy is still struggling to recover from decades of communist mismanagement, but at least one Russian official is optimistic that ambitious reforms will move the country along the right path.

Nurses' strike continues in California (Saturday, 7/19/97)
Thousands of nurses went on strike Thursday at Kaiser Permanente, the largest HMO in the United States, and the strike continues today.

How to get the most out of today's job market (Saturday, 7/19/97)
Here's advice from US News for US workers in a strong seller's market.

Which American workers would you expect to be least concerned about Mexican competition? (Saturday, 7/19/97)
American postal workers say their jobs are being exported to Mexico. Yes, we said American postal workers. Here's the story from the current edition of Business Week. Also, it appears that American workers are getting a bigger slice of the pie. New data seem to show that demand for workers is finally putting upward pressure on wages. Finally, why Chile's welfare system seems to work better than those in many other countries in North America and Europe.

End of an era at Woolworth (Friday, 7/18/97)
Four-hundred stores and over 9,000 jobs will go. Here's the story from Reuters and today's Washington Post. For many years, Woolworth's was the leading "five and dime" discount chain, with the expression coming from a remote time when a nickel or dime would actually buy something. For years, Woolworth's principal competitor was Kresge's, which helped invent the concept of the modern discount store in the early 1960s when it opened its first Kmart store. By the end of that decade, Kmart had become a dominant feature on the American scene, while Woolworth's, sticking with the older type of "dime store," began to wither. By the late 70's, Kresge changed its corporate name to Kmart and became a major threat to Sears, long the nation's largest retailer. During the past few years, however, Kmart has fallen on hard times because of competition from Wal-Mart, which has become the largest retailer in the United States through the use of highly efficient computerized "just-in-time" techniques which have enabled aggressive pricing.

Strike at Eiffel Tower ends (Friday, 7/18/97)
You can go to the top of the Eiffel Tower for a spectacular view of Paris again, if you want. A brief strike arising from a dispute over a fired worker has ended.

New jobless claims decline last week in the U.S. (Friday, 7/18/97)
The data for last week have been released by the U.S. Department of Labor. Usually, though, weekly data are the ripples, not waves or tides.

GM plant prepares return to production following strike (Friday, 7/18/97)
A UAW strike at a General Motors plant is over, and truck production will resume soon.

Senators turn away pay raise (Friday, 7/18/97)
U. S. Senators have decided not to give themselves a raise at the present time.

Some military personnel disagree with government about racism (Friday, 7/18/97)
Black military personnel at the NAACP's national conference say racism still exists in all branches of the American military.

Lead exposure still a problem in work settings (Friday, 7/18/97)
Here's a story about a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workplace accidents and sleep deprivation (Friday, 7/18/97)
Fatigue and alcohol have similar effects on work performance, according to an Australian study. Also from Reuters today, why HMOs aren't helping keep Medicare costs under control, and an investigation of hospital executives who may have given false information to Medicare. Lawrence Goodrich of the Christian Science Monitor says that "waste patrols" are on alert because of Medicare fraud.

Swiss union insists on reduction in work week (Friday, 7/18/97)
The Journal de Geneve reports that the Swiss Machinery Workers Union wants a 10 percent reduction in the work week without a pay reduction before beginning discussions of a new contract.

Cut in Spanish income tax coming (Friday, 7/18/97)
According to El Pais, Spain is planning broad changes to its tax system, including a reduction of the maximum income tax rate from 56 to 50 percent. Speaking of taxes, Naftemboriki reports that Greece is planning tax breaks for lower income persons and most businesses.

INS under pressure (Friday, 7/18/97)
The Immigration and Naturalization Service is trying to cope with the great flow of immigrants into the U.S., but the system seems overloaded and in danger of unraveling around the edges.

Police move in on workers' demonstration in China (Friday, 7/18/97)
One of the problems with a free economy is that businesses are free to go out of business. Workers in southwestern China aren't used to the idea and, like workers everywhere, don't like it. However, workers in China aren't quite as free to complain about it as in some places. Leaders of a protest have been arrested, as this International Herald Tribune story reports. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports on capitalism's progress in China. One indicator is private home ownership and all that will mean in a growing consumer economy. Here's the story via today's Christian Science Monitor.

Clinton "shocked" by consequences of affirmative action curtailment (Friday, 7/18/97)
President Clinton finds what has been happening to minority college admissions in California and Texas to be "shocking" and vows to fight for affirmative action, although he offers no details. Also in the Washington Post today, Judith Havemann reports on proposed welfare bonus rules, Kenneth Cooper writes about caste quotas in India, and E. J. Dionne Jr. tells how the health care issue hasn't gone away in Washington.

Downsizing feared at the UN (Friday, 7/18/97)
The United Nations Secretary General has announced a fundamental restructuring of the international organization, and workers are worried, despite assurances. Also in the New York Times, Steven Greenhouse reports that raids on sweatshops are making some persons skeptical of "self-policing."

Strike settled at GM truck plant in Pontiac, Michigan (Thursday, 7/17/97)
General Motors and the United Auto Workers have reached an agreement that will end the three-month strike in Michigan. In other labor news, thousands of nurses at the nation's largest HMO are on strike today and tomorrow because contract negotiations have broken down .

Clinton wants hundreds of millions to train teachers for the poor (Thursday, 7/17/97)
President Clinton will ask Congress for $350 million to finance the training of teachers to serve poor areas in American society. Here's the story from today's New York Times. Also in the Times today, Rachel Swarns writes about New York child care providers caught in budget squeeze. Many workers have continued working without pay because the city has delayed renewing its daycare contracts, she says. Also, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor attempts to appeal to city police and teachers in her campaign, and, across town, the UN Secretary General announces that fundamental restructuring will come even to the United Nations. Also on the international scene, Jane Perlez reports that the European Union has issued invitations to several additional countries to join the club, and, finally, David Halbfinger reports that a securities brokerage faces additional discrimination charges.

Want employers chasing you? Become a computer scientist (Thursday, 7/17/97)
Business Week reports that a Stanford Computer Industry Project predicts that the growing gap between the domestic supply of computer scientists and domestic demand probably won't close for at least a decade. Part of the problem is that the U.S. has been graduating fewer computer scientists lately, not more, at a time when demand has been increasing. Many employers are shopping overseas. One might be Microsoft, which intends to expand its workforce by nearly 19 percent during the next year.

Offer rejected at Kmart (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
Apparel distribution center workers at Kmart have rejected the company's "final offer." Nationwide "labor action" may be on the horizon.

Rapid increase in economic inequality in the U.S., says "think-tank" economist (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
An economist at the Hudson Institute says that the wealthiest 500,000 American households increased their net worth by $1.6 trillion between 1992 and 1995. A major reason for the increased concentration of wealth has been a surging stock market. Incidentally, the Hudson Institute recently published Workforce 2020, the sequel its highly influential book of 10 years ago, Workforce 2000. We had one of the first reviews in wide distribution, and it's still available right here.

Another indicator of the new world economy: supershoppers in Thailand (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
Thailand had the world's fastest growing economy between 1985 and 1995 with an 8 percent annual growth rate. One of the consequences has been a rapidly growing market for consumer goods. Here's Alison Jahncke's Christian Science Monitor story about megamalls as an increasingly prominent feature on the Asian landscape.

As NAFTA expands, so does the European Union (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
There have been major changes in the world's political organization in recent years, and these changes continue. However, economic re-organization at all levels is helping to define the imminent transition to a new millennium. As we've reported daily for 19 months, some of these changes are occurring at the "micro" level, meaning the way work is conducted by individuals. However, large-scale reorganization is also continuing. For instance, President Clinton would like to extend NAFTA to include countries other than the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and the EU is likely to include a number of Eastern European countries as well. Speaking of NAFTA, the Washington Post looks back on its first three years. Also, Paul Blustein reports that a number of Hispanic members of Congress will oppose extending NAFTA to other Latin American countries unless changes are made to help American workers affected by the regional trade association.

New Chinese Premier may be economic reformer (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
Patrick Tyler of the New York Times reports that Zhu Rongji may become Premier of China, which would be interesting timing, given the recent handover of Hong Kong and the rampant speculation about what Hong Kong and China will mean for each other.

Agreement may be near for partial "means test" for Medicare (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
The President and Congress may be able to reach agreement on a way to charge the affluent elderly more for Medicare. Here's the story from Robert Pear of the New York Times.

Look below the surface in the Czech Republic, Journal writer advises (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
Robert Frank in today's Wall Street Journal writes that superficial appearances can be deceiving in the Czeck Republic, where large businesses are still run about as inefficiently as during the bad old communist days. A new model and new approach may help. Also in the Journal today, John Harwood writes about welfare workers who offer the perspective of having been there themselves, Hal Lancaster advises on how to get more out of your MBA degree, Ellen Schultz says you may need your spouse's consent to draw from your 401(k) plan, Thomas Ricks says the Army's less macho image is making recruiting harder, and Dana Milbank writes that Marriott is trying to use a finer screen in selecting workers in its welfare-to-work program. They need more stable workers, among other things.

Big cover story on retirement (Wednesday, 7/16/97)
Business Week is running a major cover story on retiring successfully. Many articles. Worth a look.

New move on labor rights in Hong Kong (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Peter Humphrey of Reuters reports this morning that the new Chinese-controlled government in Hong Kong is set to roll back labor rights laws passed before the handover. Expectations are that the laws will be frozen until new ones can be drafted in September.

The world continues to watch developments in Hong Kong with great interest, and there is much speculation about whether China will change Hong Kong, whether Hong Kong will change China, or whether China can continue as a single political entity, given the growing regional economic differences first, and now, the "two systems, one country" arrangement that China insists it will maintain with respect to Hong Kong. The Communists, under Mao, used a mixture of modified Western ideology and an appeal to traditional attitudes de-emphasizing the individual to unify the country after more than a century of chaos and dismemberment by foreign powers. This included the key role played by Britain, which seized Hong Kong during the Opium Wars around the middle of the 19th century.

However, a unified China under centralized control has not been the norm over most of its history. One of the reasons the family and tradition have been so influential for centuries is that central government has been relatively weak. Chinese history helps explain the near-paranoia of Communist Party leaders, who seem to fear chaos and a breakdown of central authority more than anything. The great difficulty, from their point of view, will be to bring China fully into the new era and make it a leader in the new world economy without precipitating processes that can shatter the unity of the country, which, once again, would make China highly vulnerable to foreign exploitation and control. Incidentally, to put things into perspective, Chinese population has tripled since about the time of the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s.

Dollar gains strength on fears that the euro may be "funny money" (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
A European common currency may or may not really happen on schedule. One troubling sign is that a lot of currency traders don't seem to have much confidence in the idea, and seem to want to hold American dollars, just in case, as Edmund Andrews of the New York Times reports this morning. The dollar has reached a six-year high against the German and French currencies. Good news for American tourists traveling in those countries, less good for American businesses exporting to those countries, because it makes American products more costly to the French and Germans. The European common currency is intended to be part of an increased integration of European economies which many feel is necessary in order to make Europe more competitive with North America and Asia in the new world economy. Many European countries have been having problems with unemployment and large deficits, and have been trying to cut back on the traditionally strong post-War "safety net" which has reflected a high degree of state involvement in many European economies in recent decades.

Unemployment may go down in Portugal (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecasts a decline in Portuguese unemployment this year and next. The OECD expects rates of 7.1 and 7.0 this year and next, respectively. Diario Economico has the story in Portugal today.

Women who earn more than their husbands (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Shelley Donald Coolidge of the Christian Science Monitor reports on the increasing number of women whose earnings are greater than their husbands', and how this influences relationships at home.

Workers at Forges de Clabecq SA to vote on takeover proposal (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Forges de Clabecq SA is a bankrupt steelmaker in Belgium where hundreds of jobs have been threatened. A Swiss-Italian company has proposed taking over Clabecq, and workers are participating in a referendum on the plan with results expected by the end of this week. The takeover could save 900 jobs, according to analysts, but the referendum has been opposed by the head of the Socialist labor union, who says many workers won't cast allots because they're on vacation. The story is reported today by De Financieel Economische Tijd.

The next stage in the Westernization of Japan (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times examines the sputtering Japanese economy which seems to be going through another transition. The post-War economic "miracle" in Japan was based in part on a high degree of collectivism internally that allowed for fierce and effective competition internationally. The new world economy seems to be demanding a greater degree of Western-style free-wheeling capitalism, and this is shaking things up in Japan, decreasing security, increasing tensions.

So far, so good at BA, but more strikes could come (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Things have returned more-or-less to normal at British Airlines following the three-day strike of cabin workers last week. Strikes are not necessarily at an end, however. Also from Reuters today, a story about working mothers who breast feed.

Union threatens strike in Germany (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Frankfurter Rundschau reports that IG Metall threatens to strike in southwestern Germany in October unless the work week is shortened for older workers in metal and engineering jobs.

Big drop in UAW receipts (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Receipts have declined by 42 percent since 1978 for the United Auto Workers. Here's the story from Reuters.

Writer assails tax cut legislation (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
The tax cut bills passed by the House and Senate will benefit the rich, says Iris Lav.

NBC report on higher ed challenged (Tuesday, 7/15/97)
Brian Mitchell says that the Pennsylvania Independent College and University Research Center has data that challenge conclusions presented in a recent NBC report on college student debt, the job market for graduates, and related topics. Over the months ahead, we'll further examine some of these issues, including the concept of "degree" itself and what it means in the revolutionary new world economy.

Is Hong Kong a lab exercise? (Monday, 7/14/97)
After 156 years as a British colony, Hong Kong returned to China at the first of this month. The Chinese government says they will maintain Hong Kong as a democratic capitalist part within an enormously larger collectivist, totalitarian whole. Many have been skeptical, and some have been saying that Hong Kong is a "Trojan horse" that will eventually change China. Now, Kevin Platt of the Christian Science Monitor suggests another possibility: China may be intending to use Hong Kong as an experiment on how to gradually introduce changes into China itself, he says.

One thing is sure: no one should underestimate the subtlety and innovation of the Chinese people who have provided one of the most interesting stories on earth for thousands of years. Even alien European communist doctrine was quickly modified into something that Marx might not recognize and of which he probably wouldn't approve, and Mao, the founder of modern communist China, may be seen by history as just one more of the distinctively Chinese emperors guided by his own agenda. It's been said that Mao didn't even read Das Capital until he was already far along in the development of his own political movement for unifying his country. China has had no democratic traditions as we understand them in the West, but many features of Western democracy, such as freedom of speech, were part of enlightened periods of Chinese history millennia before arising in Europe and North America.

Financial knowledge is financial power (Monday, 7/14/97)
Toni Call writes that, sooner or later, most women will be responsible for their household finances. It's important that they prepare themselves with knowledge. Incidentally, Teresa Callies will edit our WITNE: Women in the New Economy site that will go far beyond what Ms. Call describes.

Shopping for education overseas (Monday, 7/14/97)
Many students are trying, not only to broaden themselves by studying outside the United States, but also to prepare for careers requiring a global perspective. Here's the story from Laura Lipscomb of the Christian Science Monitor, who also suggests some things to learn about before you pack. Incidentally, with the growing number of colleges and universities offering on-line programs for credit, it will also become easier to access overseas educational sources without leaving home.

Service cuts for seniors in Denmark (Monday, 7/14/97)
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten reports that its survey of Danish municipalities finds that about 30 percent intend to cut various services for senior citizens. Reasons given include the need to redirect resources in order to care more adequately for the most needy.

Gingrich looks at tax cut legislation (Monday, 7/14/97)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives offers his views on the proposed tax cut, which he says will benefit the middle-class.

Spanish broadcasters to lose jobs (Monday, 7/14/97)
Radio Television Espanola is the state-owned broadcast facility in Spain, and it has a major debt problem. About 1,300 jobs will be cut as part of an effort to get the debt under control. Many of these cuts will be accomplished through early retirement and a shifting of personnel to a state-owned telecommunications company that is to be sold off, according to Gaceta de los Negocios.

Population important, but not the key issue, writer says (Monday, 7/14/97)
Agencies such as the World Bank are barking up the wrong tree by emphasizing population stabilization, Asoka Bandarage says. Of higher priority right now is economic inequality.

South African mineworkers union may lose millions (Monday, 7/14/97)
Job cuts in South Africa's gold mines may also cut into National Union of Mineworkers subscriptions and cost the union millions of rand, according to Business Report. The price of gold has been slumping, which has resulted in a cut back in gold production. Also in South Africa, Business Day reports that the Office For Serious Economic Offenses has a shortage of workers which is reducing its effectiveness in the investigation of white collar crimes.

Why the move from welfare to workfare may not work (Monday, 7/14/97)
Here's an opinion piece from today's New York Times on all of the potholes in the road to full implementation of the welfare reform act.

Italian government to propose pension cuts (Monday, 7/14/97)
According to Italy's La Repubblica, the Italian government, in its negotiations with union representatives, will propose spending cuts on pensions totaling 5 trillion lire. Included would be a rise in the age of pension eligibility. Also, Il Sole/24 Ore reports that the government is set to finalize rules for the establishment of private pension funds four years after beginning the process of authorizing them.

Attracting gifted minority youth to business careers (Monday, 7/14/97)
Caitlin Liu of the Washinton Post tells about Leadership Education and Development's summer program for gifted teenagers. Corporations want them to consider careers as business executives.

Young people explore work world virtually (Sunday, 7/13/97)
Pamela Mendels of the New York Times reports on "virtual reality" training in the classroom for children who are preparing for the new world of work.

BA takes off again following strike (Sunday, 7/13/97)
British Airways was able to function at only partial strength during the 72-hour strike by cabin workers, but now, as talks proceed, the company is getting back to normal. A major question is whether more strikes lie ahead.

Company receives permission to restart severance payments (Sunday, 7/13/97)
A bankruptcy court has told Montgomery Ward & Co. Inc. that it can resume severance payments to workers it fired earlier.

Job reductions at USDA (Sunday, 7/13/97)
Over the next five years, the United States Department of Agriculture expects to cut about 1,300 additional jobs.

Clinton says Republican tax cut plan would "explode the deficit" (Sunday, 7/13/97)
Republican tax cut legislation that is brewing in Congress is a "time-bomb," says President Clinton. However, the Senate Majority Leader thinks there's something wrong with the president's arithmetic. Moreover, both the Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House urge the president to compromise.

Some may be able to retire in more comfort than expected (Sunday, 7/13/97)
A surging stock market is one of the factors that have changed the retirement picture for many. Here's a Washington Post story the examines what it takes to retire in comfort in the United States.

How summer jobs can pay off in the long-run (Sunday, 7/13/97)
Here's a story about several summer jobs programs in Washington, D. C. and how they are benefiting D.C.-area youth. Benefits can be more than immediate.

How about a career in civil engineering? (Sunday, 7/13/97)
Here's a look at the role of civil engineer in Newsday's "Job Hunt" column. Also, here's how to develop a resume that draws attention to your talents.

More on "good bosses" who get it (Sunday, 7/13/97)
Patricia Kitchen offers more about bosses who understand what it takes to have a family-friendly workplace.

Senator Kennedy wants more minimum wage increases (Saturday, 7/12/97)
The minimum wage will increase again on September 1 because of a law that Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy helped get passed last year. Now, Senator Kennedy is introducing another bill that would further raise the minimum wage in stages to $7.25 by September 2002.

On NAFTA, you ain't seen nuthin yet, Clinton administration says (Saturday, 7/12/97)
The Clinton administration released its report on NAFTA to the American Congress yesterday. Donna Smith of Reuters writes that, while some disagree about the trade agreement's effects on the American economy, particularly on employment, the administration says the U.S. has benefited during the past three years, and the best lies ahead.

Strike ends, talks heat up at BA (Saturday, 7/12/97)
The three-day strike at British Airways ends today, and there are signs that negotiations may progress more rapidly toward an agreement that would head off further strikes.

Chrysler profits fall, in part due to Mound Road engine plant strike (Saturday, 7/12/97)
A twenty-nine day strike earlier this year shut down Chrysler Corporation assembly plants throughout North America and cost the company $438 million. This contributed to a 53 percent decline in profits for the second quarter.

Psychotherapy and the job search process (Saturday, 7/12/97)
In a report published in the current edition of The Lancet, psychologists say their research indicates that group therapy sessions are sometimes more effective in helping the long-term unemployed find jobs than sessions intended to train job seekers in search strategies. Other research supports the expectation that therapy sessions can help halt or reverse the "downward spiral" that can result in depression, including lowered expectations, that can greatly reduce a job seeker's effectiveness and prospects of success.

American economic growth helping the cities (Saturday, 7/12/97)
Strong economic growth is capable of covering a multitude of sins and also of making many problems evaporate. The strongest American economy in a generation is a fundamentally new economy with a variety of novel structural changes, and not all problems have gone away. Nonetheless, American cities are feeling the impact. Kevin Sack reports for today's New York Times.

How to use pension funds to save jobs (Saturday, 7/12/97)
Steven Greenhouse reports on how a hospital workers union plans to use some of its accumulated pension funds to offer early retirement incentives that will help preserve jobs for younger workers.

Get set for higher airline ticket prices (Saturday, 7/12/97)
If you travel in your work, be advised that new taxes are coming which will be passed on to, well, guess who. Ron Scherer writes for the Christian Science Monitor.

What's coming on the Korean peninsula? (Saturday, 7/12/97)
Politically, South Korea has been getting more democratic, while North Korea has been getting more incompetent, irrational, and paranoid. Economically, it would be difficult to exaggerate the differences between the two countries. South Korea is one of the world's most successful and powerful industrial economies, while North Korea has been in economic collapse for years, to the point where millions could die from spreading famine if a resolution does not come soon. The whole thing makes for an extremely unstable and dangerous situation on the Korean peninsula. A recent high-level defector says that the North has little to lose by attacking the South, and is making plans. Militarily, the difference between the two countries is about as great as the economic difference, so there is little doubt about how a military contest would end. Still, Seoul is only a few miles from the border and is a modern, prosperous, but highly congested city. Even a brief, unsuccessful attack from the North would could cause great destruction and loss of life in the South. Moreover, the Korean people on both sides of the border continue to have strong ties, including familial ones. A retaliatory response from the South in order to crush the North's military capability would cause great suffering to the North Korean people which the South wants to avoid. Along with the Middle East, Korea continues to be one of two most dangerous places on earth.

New strike possibility at British Air (Friday, 7/11/97)
Today is the third day of a planned three-day strike by cabin workers at British Airlines, which has disrupted flight operations worldwide and stranded thousands of passengers. Further three-day strikes are a possibility. However, ground crews are in conflict with the airline now too over a plan to sell the airline's catering service. Here's that story from Patricia Reaney of Reuters. Incidentally, the London Times reports that airline officials have been suspicious of employees calling in sick. They're saying that workers will have to report illnesses directly to mangers, or it will be assumed that they are on strike. Company officials already have been checking with physicians about employee illnesses, and doctors have been critical of company requests for medical certificates.

NAFTA report to be released today (Friday, 7/11/97)
The Clinton administration will report to Congress today on the economic impact of NAFTA, and will paint a fairly pretty picture. Others aren't so sure, however. The trade agreement linking Canada, the U.S., and Mexico has been controversial from its beginning.

Reno's plan to help some immigrants (Friday, 7/11/97)
United States Attorney General Janet Reno has a three-part plan to modify the effect of the new immigration law on some persons who have been facing deportation. The Clinton administration has been particularly concerned about the law's effect on some persons from central America whose cases were pending when the new law went into effect.

American unions reviving (Friday, 7/11/97)
Once largely given up for dead, the American union movement has been showing new vitality, according to this story from Reuters this morning. Unions have been modifying their approaches to bring them more in line with the realities of the new economy.

Swiss economy picking up speed again (Friday, 7/11/97)
The Swiss economy hasn't been growing for six years, but signs of a revival are popping up all over. One of the consequences is an expected reduction in the country's unemployment rate. Jean-Luc Nordmann, director of the Federal Department of Industry, predicts that unemployment will fall from the expected 5.3 percent rate for 1998 to a 2.7 percent rate within five years, according to Tages-Anzeiger.

Thousands stranded as BA strike continues (Thursday, 7/10/97)
It's the first of what could be several three-day strikes called by cabin workers at British Airways, and it's in its second day. At least 25,000 passengers have been left stranded.

Surging labor force (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Louis Uchitelle writes in today's New York Times that the American labor force has been growing at twice its typical rate.

Insurers accused of bias (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Four insurers are accused of housing bias in the greater Washington, D. C. area. Here's the story from the Washington Post.

Prosperity, but not for all, writer says (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Laura Tyson comments on the continuing expansion of the American economy at the same time that key structural changes continue. Increasing income inequality and stagnant or declining earnings continue for many, despite the robust American economy, she says.

President urged to address discrimination in federal work settings (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Some members of Congress are urging President Clinton to respond to the growing number of discrimination complaints in the federal workplace. Much racism continues, they claim.

Is school "work?" (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Judith Havemann writes that it's a key issue left over from the passage of the new welfare reform law, and how it is decided will affect a lot of people.

Jack Kemp's alternative to affirmative action (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Jack Kemp and J. C. Watts Jr. offer an opinion on President Clinton's views on affirmative action. Mr. Kemp was Republican Bob Dole's vice-presidential running mate in the last presidential campaign.

A non-stereotypical view on welfare (Thursday, 7/10/97)
E. J. Dionne Jr tells how Marcia Widmer sees welfare reform, and she knows it from the inside and the outside, says Dionne.

A physician looks at the changing role of doctors in American society (Thursday, 7/10/97)
He's a doctor, not a "provider," he says.

Many retirees are losing their health care in the new economy (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Here's more specific information on one of the less talked about consequences of structural changes in the American economy. Also in the current edition of Business Week, evidence that the long-term boom in Asia isn't slowing, despite short-term appearances, regional inconsistencies in the American job boom, the two-tiered decline in American unemployment, and how Europeans could match American living standards: work longer hours and take less time off.

Multiple views on the "Dilbert society" (Thursday, 7/10/97)
Newsworks, not to be confused with "newwork," or, well, us, is an important consortium of major newspapers, and they offer a valuable web site. Of particular interest this time is an interesting collection of work-related stories

Strike hits British Airways (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
As expected, cabin crews went out on strike at British Airways today. London's Daily Telegraph reports that the company hopes to be able to operate at half strength, and Newsday says that travelers are scrambling to change their plans.

Big paper cuts (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
International Paper plans to sell off a large chunk of its assets and cut about 10 percent of its work force. Here's the story from Reuters.

Retired employees in Turkey get a raise too (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
The Turkish government has already announced a pay increase for current state employees to help compensate for a high inflation rate. Now, they're saying that retired employees will get a 35% boost in their pensions, according to Sabah.

More on the stress, pay, heart risk connection (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
Research indicates that 'hardening of the arteries' is accelerated if you have a stressful job that pays poorly.

Big publishers buy into Swiss Human Line (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
Swiss Human Line works to get job seekers and employers together by distributing job offers on the Internet. Two of Switzerland's largest publishers, Ringier AG and Berner Tagblatt-Medien AG, have announced that they are investing in SHL. Neue Zuercher Zeitung has the story this morning.

Many Israelis don't pay income tax because they don't earn enough (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
Yediot Ahronot reports that nearly half of the workers in Israel don't earn enough to pay income tax. Persons in the highest tax bracket pay 50 percent tax. About 5 percent of Israeli taxpayers fall into that category.

Criticisms of NAFTA continue as Clinton administration prepares report (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
David Francis reports on the "comprehensive study" of NAFTA's effects, and also that the Clinton administration wants to extend the agreement to other countries. Also in the Christian Science Monitor today, John Challenger writes about self-managing workers on the front lines in the new workplace. That is, you can be your own boss without starting your own business.

Temp firms to recruit urban poor (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
Rochelle Sharpe and Carl Quintanilla report in today's Wall Street Journal that Manpower Inc. is attempting to profit from welfare reform and also provide jobs to people in inner-city regions. It is expected that the urban poor will become the next big labor pool for temporary service firms.

Professors slipping behind inflation (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
The American Association of University Professors reports that pay increases for college faculty have slipped slightly behind the inflation rate in the United States. Here's the story from today's New York Times. Also in the Times today, Robert Pear reports that President Clinton seems to be warming to the Senate means test plan for Medicare.

More on the UK pension fund mess (Wednesday, 7/9/97)
More than a half million people in Britain were wrongly persuaded to leave behind pensions with their employers during the late 80s and early 90s, and take out private pension plans. The Association of British Insurers is saying that losses may rise from the originally expected 500 million pounds to more than 4 billion pounds, because tax credits for pension plans have been abolished. The British government says that only two of the 24 companies regarded as worst offenders have settled more than 10 percent of the cases after three years of working out compensation arrangements, according to London's Financial Times.

Hong Kong turning workers' rights law around (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
The new Hong Kong government has begun to suspend legislation recently passed by the old British colonial government, including a law relating to workers' rights. Meanwhile, the new edition of Business Week claims that Hong Kong's new leader is "making all the right moves."

Hi-tech merger will cost about 800 jobs (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
3Com Corporation has acquired U. S. Robotics. As a consequence of the merger, about 800 jobs will be eliminated.

Strike likely at British Airways (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
A strike is expected at BA, and preparations are being made. Tony Blair's government says they will stay out of it.

EU official reassures French about job creation (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
The European Commissioner for Monetary Union is telling the French government that meeting criteria for membership in the union won't penalize job creation, reports Liberation. Also, France's Minister of Education says his government will emphasize education to the extent that 40,000 new jobs will be created as part of the intended 350,000 new public-sector jobs for young people. Finally, 1,200 workers at a Renault subsidiary's car-body plant have been on strike since Thursday. Renault wants to cut 335 jobs at the ETG plant and retire 176 workers early.

Increasing role of part-timers in labor negotiations (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
The Christian Science Monitor's Ron Scherer reports that part-time workers are moving to center stage in labor contract talks. Current talks between the Teamsters and UPS are an example. Also, Shelley Donald Coolidge writes that young job applicants are asking new kinds of questions of prospective employers, such as how often employees see their families. She also says that, while there is some sensitivity to the younger generation's interest in balancing work and family, it's not an even balance from the boss' point of view. Also, here's a story about how Xerox has found that flexible work hours seem to be to the company's benefit.

Retired execs lend a hand (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
Gloria Goodale reports that retired executives are helping various causes through the Executive Service Corps.

Report card on NAFTA (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
Paul Kengor looks at NAFTA's impact on the American economy. Incidentally, this is the week that President Clinton is likely to report back to Congress, as is his obligation. He's likely to bring good news.

The costs and benefits of workplace equality for women in Japan (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
Japanese work settings are beginning to respond to calls for equality for the sexes, but what will this really mean? Andrew Pollack of the New York Times says that Japanese men are notoriously overworked. Will women "look dead" at the end of the week now too?

Risky Medicare strategies (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
The Washington Post's Judith Havemann examines risks she feels are inherent in Senate proposals for fixing Medicare.

Bottom-line effects of worker well-being (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
Randi Feigenbaum tells about consultant Constance Hallinan Lagan's programs for improving the personal and spiritual well-being of both employees and employers in the workplace.

Layoff following injury (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
In her "Help Wanted" column, Carrie Mason-Draffen advises a correspondent on the legality of being fired while recuperating from a work-related injury.

Pressures of being pregnant on the job (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
Sue Shellenbarger writes that the new workplace isn't greatly compatible with motherhood. Here's her Wall Street Journal article via Newsday.

The real reason for the balance of trade problem (Tuesday, 7/8/97)
While does the United States import far more manufactured goods than it exports? It's all because of a skills shortage, according to one American executive. Sherwood Ross reports in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Economists think U.S. economy will "rebound" (Monday, 7/7/97)
Nearly everything is relative to something else, it seems. The American economy is the envy of the world at the moment, but because the 2nd quarter wasn't as hot as the 1st this year, many people are asking whether the American economy will "rebound," rather than whether it needs to. The Bloomberg News Service reports that 55 economists in the Wall Street Journal's semiannual survey expect at least one more year of strong growth. Incidentally, despite the growth and low unemployment rates, inflation has been low and getting lower. David Francis of the Christian Science Monitor writes that some experts are even daring to ask whether the problem of inflation has been permanently solved. Others are wondering, tentatively, whether the old boom-bust cycle has been tamed so that recessions will be of only historical interest from now on. Clearly, we're in a new economy in many respects, and, clearly, recent years have certainly seen tamer fluctuations than during most of the late 19th and early 20th century decades. Still....

Long Island booming (Monday, 7/7/97)
Speaking of a booming economy, Long Island has been participating vigorously. Kirk Johnson reports for today's New York Times.

Cabin crews closer to strike at BA (Monday, 7/7/97)
Talks intended to avert a strike at British Airways have broken down. The first of several planned three-day strikes by cabin crews may begin on Wednesday.

Going nowhere fast, or commuting while sitting still (Monday, 7/7/97)
David Lazarus reports that more than 11 million Americans are "telecommuting." If you need an explanation, this New York Times story will help you build an argument in favor of the increasingly popular new work mode.

Turkish government employees get a raise (Monday, 7/7/97)
Turkey's Prime Minister Yilmaz offers a 35 percent increase in pay for the second half of the year, which is more than the Turkish government had offered previously, Hurriyet reports.

Women's colleges increase status, enrollment (Monday, 7/7/97)
The Christian Science Monitor's Lee Lawrence reports that enrollments have increased at most women's colleges in the United States during the past five years, and six were ranked among U.S. News & World Report's top 25 this time around.

LSAT under fire (Monday, 7/7/97)
Darien McWhirter of the Christian Science Monitor questions the correlation between LSAT scores and performance in law school. Some are questioning why LSAT scores are used as a basi