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September 1998

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The Fed follows through (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
As expected, the Federal Reserve yesterday lowered interest rates, although not by as much as some would have liked. Additional cuts may be coming. Here's the story from Richard Stevenson of the New York Times and Knut Engelmann of Reuters. The effect of the rate cut on stock markets around the world was mixed, though, according to the Washington Post. Despite the cut, the Dow closed lower because of concerns with corporate earnings, while Japan's Nikkei index fell by 3 percent as well, which amounts to a 12-year low. Sandra Sugawara writes from Tokyo about the impact of a major business failure there, which is likely to make the Japanese recession worse. Caren Bohan writes that American consumers will be helped by the interest rate cut, but only modestly. Finally, here's the Washington Post's editorial this morning on what the Fed's action will mean for the larger picture.

Less expensive student loans (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
The United States Senate has approved a higher education bill that will make student loans less expensive and also provide more grants to low-income students.

Probably no tax cut, despite action in the House (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
The big tax cut that was approved in the American House of Representatives is unlikely to get through the Senate, observers say.

Greens want four minister posts (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
Gerhard Schroeder's SPD party intends to form a coalition government with the Greens in Germany. Today's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that the Buendnis 90/Green Party says it wants four minister posts. Also in Germany, Bild-Zeitung reports that Deutsche Bahn AG plans to cut an additional 3,500 jobs by March next year. Germany's national railroad had already planned to cut 20,000 jobs in 1998.

China backs off (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
China appears to be getting more worried about the Asian flu and how it might affect its economy, so, as Seth Faison reports, they're letting off on the accelerator a bit in their drive toward a full market economy.

Salaries will diminish because of 35-hour work week, survey says (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
France's 35-hour work week will push salaries to lower levels, according to a Hay Management survey. Le Figaro has the story this morning.

Too many Ph.D.'s in some areas (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
Daniel Greenberg reports that the glut seems greatest in biomedical fields.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Universal Currency Converter (tm) (Wednesday, 9/30/98)
If you want to know what your money's worth in another nation's currency, The Universal Currency Converter (tm) may be helpful. Is it accurate and up-to-date? We dunno, although we have no reason to believe that it isn't.

Now, post-mortem on the German election (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Helmut Kohl was considered a lightweight by many early in his career, but turned into a distinguished statesman who will cast his shadow over Europe for many years. However, his inability to fix Germany's economic problems resulted in his becoming the first post-war German chancellor to be turned out of office in an election. Gerhard Schroeder's SPD is moving ahead quickly to form a new government, which will probably involve the Greens, despite some widespread skepticism.

It all amounts to a shift toward the Left in German politics, but one must keep in mind that this is the late 1990s, in which many "leftist" politicians aren't quite what they used to be. In fact, Schroeder may have more in common ideologically with the UK's Blair and the U.S.'s Clinton than the "liberals" of 20 years ago, meaning that some sort of Heglian synthesis is occurring which may be genuinely synergistic, and historic. It's all very interesting that, in several Western European countries, as well as in the United States, highly influential conservative governments have been followed by slightly left-of-center governments that incorporate many of the previous governments' ideas.

Today's Christian Science Monitor has some thoughts about a post-Kohl Europe in which Spain has the only remaining conservative government among major European nations. Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Washington Post also have some editorial thoughts about what the German election results mean. Finally, Erik Kirschbaum of Reuters reports that Germany's new government plans to cut taxes quickly in order to stimulate the huge but sleepy German economy and also step up efforts to move the nation's government to Berlin, where most Germans think it's supposed to be.

Fed meeting today; interest rate cuts expected (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Knut Engelmann has the story on the meeting of Federal Reserve policy makers in Washington, D. C. today. Martin Crutsinger wonders if an interest rate cut will really help deal with the global crisis. Speaking of the Fed, James Thurman of the Christian Science Monitor has some thoughts about that remarkable elderly man who has served during both Republican and Democratic administrations and to whom nearly everybody listens intently.

Crisis plan nears completion in Russia (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Martin Nesirky reports that the new Russian government seems near to accepting a plan for dealing with its grinding economic problems, but, as Daniel Williams of the Washington Post reports, many outside Russia are very nervous about Primakov's apparent intention to print more rubles.

South Korean industry slows to a crawl (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Yoo Choon-sik reports from Seoul that South Korean industry is operating at its lowest capacity since records have been kept. Incidentally, an United States Assistant Secretary of State thinks the IMF has done a good job in South Korea, as well as in Thailand. Brazilian officials are on their way to Washington where IMF officials are meeting in order to seek help. Back in Asia, Japanese banks are running dry as they try to prop up struggling companies. Finally, several Asian foreign ministers point out the stake that wealthy countries have in helping Asia to rebuild.

South African labor minister offers help (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Sowetan reports that Labor Minister Shepher Mdladlana is offering to help end the dispute between the South African Motor Industries Employers' Association and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, which has been on strike for more than four weeks.

October strikes planned in Portugal (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
The Portuguese government is planning to revise the country's labor laws, and the General Workers Confederation doesn't like what it sees on the horizon, according to Diario de Noticias today. Strikes and demonstrations are planned for October to protest what the big labor confederation sees as a potential loss of worker rights.

Computing careers to get support from Time Warner (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Julian Barnes reports that Time Warner will support a new program in the New York City public school system to help students prepare for computer careers. About 300 students are expected to participate during the first year.

The downside of after school work (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Amelia Newcomb writes that kids can benefit from having jobs in addition to school, but it's not a sure thing. For some, the jobs may simply get in the way of their main business.

First ladies meet in Santiago (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
The Americas have no shortage of social problems, and first ladies from many countries are meeting in a conference in Chile to see what can be done about them.

Aid to "welfare fathers" doesn't work well, study says (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Here's the story from Judith Havemann of the Washington Post. Also from the Post today, Vernon Loeb reports that the National Security Agency is finding ways to "downsize" by transferring workers to some of its contractors.

Tight labor market moves perks downward in the food chain (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Martha Irvine reports that many in the rank and file are being offered perks that used to be reserved for the executive suite.

Levi Strauss cuts pants plants, while Gillette shaves jobs (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Here are some of today's job cuts at Levi Strauss, Gillette, Schein, and Smith Corona, which has been in the typewriter business as we near a time when you may have to go to the Smithsonian to see a typewriter.

That "grass is greener" career phenomenon (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
A new study finds that a lot of college-educated workers would do it differently if they had it to do over. The non-techs would like to be more tech, but the techs would take a different path too, they say. When the stack of unread career books reaches a height of four feet, it's time to start over. Here are some suggestions.

Jobs threatened by Y2K problem (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
As many as 300,000 jobs in the UK are threatened if the Y2K problem isn't solved, according to a major software firm. Corporations and government agencies in the U.S. are also scrambling to deal with what should have been one of history's most preventable crises, along with another involving a resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D. C.

A different spin on managed care (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Milt Freudenheim of the New York Times writes about the growing popularity of PPOs, which amounts to managed care which many think is managed best if it is managed least.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Natural Capitalism (Tuesday, 9/29/98)
Paul Hawkin is a successful entrepreneur who is also an environmentalist and well-known writer who doesn't believe that we have to choose between a vigorous economy with high levels of employment, on the one hand, and environmental quality, on the other. In 1997, he published Natural Capitalism in Mother Jones, a very smart, sassy magazine that makes no effort to conceal its point of view.

An abrupt left turn in Germany (Monday, 9/28/98)
Social Democrat Gerhard Schroeder will become the new chancellor of Germany. He has defeated Helmut Kohl, bringing the Kohl era to an end after 16 years. Kohl is the first German chancellor voted out of office during the post-war era. William Drozdiak of the Washington Post discusses the Kohl legacy. Among other things, the history books will note that Germany was reunified under the Kohl watch. Robert Mahoney of Reuters writes about the difference the election will make. For instance, Schroeder is expected to bring the Greens into the new government. American President Clinton has congratulated Gerhard Schroeder and has pledged the close cooperation of the United States. Germany has the third-largest economy in the world, but has had some difficulty managing its transition from an old heavy industrial economy to an information economy at the same time it has been undergoing the difficult and expensive process of reintegrating what had been two Germanys during the Cold War. Among the consequences has been record post-war unemployment levels, although Germany's economy appears to be growing at a solid rate now. Incidentally, as economics drives politics in many parts of the world, another conservative government is feeling pressure from its challengers. Jane Nelson reports on the upcoming election in Australia.

First Shokhin, now Fyodorov (Monday, 9/28/98)
As we reported last week, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Shokhin left the Russian government voluntarily. Now, President Yeltsin has fired Boris Fyodorov. It all adds up to less political stability than many would like during this critical period. Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov is still working to establish his government while the Russian economy remains mostly out of control. Jean MacKenzie of the Christian Science Monitor has identified another potential casualty of Russia's economic problems: a free and independent press.

Fed officials meet this week; lower interest rates expected (Monday, 9/28/98)
Based on a growing threat to the American economy from the global financial crisis, as well as hints dropped by Alan Greenspan last week, many experts are expecting the Federal Reserve to lower some key interest rates this week. Among the principal reasons: American workers are already being affected by the global crunch.

U.S. leans on Canada because of farm problems (Monday, 9/28/98)
Large numbers of American farmers are about to go out of business, because the prices they can get for their products in a glutted global market come nowhere close to covering their cost of production this year. Meanwhile, Canadian products are being imported into the U.S. at a high rate. American farmers have been objecting because of Canadian subsidies. We've reported on how some farmers and ranchers have blockaded highways in an effort to make themselves heard. Now, Doug Palmer reports that the governments have gotten involved. The U.S. wants Canada to change its farm trade policy.

World's top financial officials meet in Washington (Monday, 9/28/98)
Top officials are getting together for the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, but the mood isn't festive, even though there's quite a lot to talk about, given the global situation. Meanwhile, Louis Uchitelle of the New York Times tells how the U.S. and the IMF are working up a bailout plan for Brazil and why it's risky.

First annual Workforce 2020 Conference held last week (Monday, 9/28/98)
During the late 1980s, if you remained unaware of the Hudson Institute's Workforce 2000, you must have spent the decade on a different planet. Uncharacteristic of books from "think tanks," Workforce 2000 was a best-seller and was tremendously influential. Its sequel, Workforce 2020, which was published late last year, has also received wide attention, as nearly everyone in the new work world attempts to find a solid basis for choices and decisions for the years directly ahead. The Hudson Institute drew hundreds of leaders from academe, government, the corporate world, and other walks of work life to Indianapolis last week for its first annual Workforce 2020 Conference, at which it formally announced the establishment of its new Workforce Development Center. The two-day event was co-sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Federal Research Bank of Chicago, the United States Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations. Former Vice President Dan Quayle was co-chair of the conference. Among the speakers were Richard W. Judy, co-author of Workforce 2020, Michael R. Losey, President and CEO, SHRM, Richard McGahey, Assistant Secretary for Policy, U. S. Department of Labor, and Tom Saterfiel, Senior Vice President, American College Testing Service. Our own Gary Johnson spoke about what we may be able to expect during the 21st century.

Localities want federal help in dealing with the cost of immigration (Monday, 9/28/98)
Illegal immigrants are costing counties in several states a lot of money, and they are asking the federal government for reimbursement.

Pilots' union wants authority to turn up the pre-Christmas heat (Monday, 9/28/98)
The union representing FedEx pilots are asking its membership for authorization to conduct actions during the peak pre-Christmas delivery season.

Special report on world business (Monday, 9/28/98)
Today's Wall Street Journal contains a major section on world business today. Many articles. All worth reading.

What would a tax cut mean for Social Security? (Monday, 9/28/98)
Ann Scott Tyson says that budget experts are saying that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have it quite right on what a tax cut would do to the future security of the American Social Security system. Meanwhile, Ms. Tyson's paper editorializes in favor of a tax cut next year. Also in the Christian Science Monitor today, Shelley Donald Coolidge writes about how much American companies need technically sophisticated teenagers, and how much they're willing to pay for their services. Also, few young people are intending to choose hi-tech as a career, and a lot has to do with a prevailing...and inaccurate... "nerd" image.

Guaranteeing a poor future? (Monday, 9/28/98)
People coming off welfare are feeling a strong push to go directly into the workforce, rather than into school. For many, this means getting stuck in low-skill, low-pay jobs, rather than preparing for what the new economy will need and be willing to pay well for. Here's the story from today's Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Neither up nor down, but, how about sideways? (Monday, 9/28/98)
Sarah Schafer of the Washington Post explains why a lateral career move might make sense.

What happens to your 401(k) if your company goes out of business? (Monday, 9/28/98)
Susan Peterson writes that you shouldn't assume that you'll necessarily be able to get at your money with ease and speed.

Research head gloomy about Hong Kong (Monday, 9/28/98)
Vanessa Yeung is head of economic research at G.K. Goh Securities in Hong Kong and sees things getting worse before they get better in the former British colony.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Conference Board (Monday, 9/28/98)
Where do the Consumer Confidence Index and the Leading Economic Indicators come from? If you said "The Conference Board," you're the latest recipient of the venerated NewWork News handshake award. For most of the 20th century, The Conference Board has been a non-profit international association of senior executives. Among other things, it is a major research organization.

Is Primakov's government unraveling? (Saturday, 9/26/98)
Two weeks after becoming prime minister, Yevgeny Primakov is still trying to complete the formation of his cabinet. Now, things have been set back by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Shokhin, who had been in charge of relations with foreign creditors.

Fast track bill dead for now (Saturday, 9/26/98)
President Clinton had wanted authority to negotiate quick trade agreements on his own, but the so-called "fast track" bill has been rejected by the House of Representatives. Clinton says he will try again next year, which must mean that he expects to still be president at that time. In other action, the House has approved legislation that would allow an easing of visa restrictions on foreign workers with hi-tech skills. Many American high-technology companies have been pushing for a relaxation of the rules so that more hi-tech workers can be brought into the country. The new legislation is considered likely to get through the Senate and be signed by the President. Finally, the House of Representatives has voted to hold most of any federal surplus in reserve until a plan for fixing Social Security is in place.

Social workers walk out briefly in Sacramento County (Saturday, 9/26/98)
More than a thousand social workers engaged in a one-day strike Wednesday, and about 300 walked off the job on Thursday for a few hours as part of an organized effort to achieve higher pay. Here's that story from Pamela Martineau of the Sacramento Bee.

Incomes and consumer spending strong despite global fury (Saturday, 9/26/98)
The global financial crisis has not dampened consumer enthusiasm in the United States, and incomes are up too, according to new Commerce Department data.

Information economy offers opportunities to persons with disabilities (Saturday, 9/26/98)
Thomas York of CNN reports on opportunities that people are finding in the computer industry.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Law about Employment Discrimination (Saturday, 9/26/98)
Law about Employment Discrimination comes to you from the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University.

Near panic washes ashore in Europe (Friday, 9/25/98)
Some infections are airborne, some waterborne, maybe this one is transmitted online. At any rate, the Asian flu seems to be threatening European banking circles. Here's Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi's report from London. Also, Huw Jones reports on how Wall Street was shaken yesterday after the surge a day earlier following Chairman Greenspan's encouraging word. Here's an analysis from the Nando Times on how Alan Greenspan may have to take on the role of leading a drive to save the world's economic system. Speaking of panic, Gary Regenstreif writes from Buenos Aires about efforts on the part of a number of financial leaders to head off those who seem to be overinterpreting Latin America's problems and equating them with those of Asia and Russia.

Got your World Bank card? (Friday, 9/25/98)
Nobody does, and none will be made available anytime soon, because the World Bank isn't an ATM, say its leaders. However, the Washington Post's Paul Blustein tells how the World Bank's role has been changing in the midst of global crisis.

Russia says default could happen if it doesn't get more help (Friday, 9/25/98)
Celestine Bohlen of the New York Times reports on Alexander Shokhin's aggressive tone, while David Sanger says that IMF officials insist that they will not be blackmailed, and some holders of Russian debt move to recover some of their money, if they can. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Primakov continues work on building his cabinet, while revealing more about his government's plan for saving the Russian economy. A principal response: soaring inflation. David Hoffman of the Washington Post has more on that story .

Today's job cuts (Friday, 9/25/98)
The United States still has a strong job market, and there are labor shortages in many areas. However, layoffs continue too. It's all what we should expect from a turbulent, churning, dynamic new economy in which nearly anything you can imagine is going on someplace. Here's news of job cuts at Cirrus, Atlantic Richfield, and Manugistics. In California's silicon valley, laid off hi-tech workers relax for a while, knowing that they can get new jobs in about a nanosecond. Here's the story from the San Francisco Chronicle.

More training needed in Europe to supply hi-tech needs (Friday, 9/25/98)
High-technology companies in Europe are experiencing a shortage of technically trained people too, and they're asking for help from the European Union. Step up technical training, they say.

A little deflation that many people welcome (Friday, 9/25/98)
Interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are at a 30-year low in the U.S.

A third of the world labor force is unemployed or underemployed, says the ILO (Friday, 9/25/98)
Vast numbers of people throughout the world need work or livable work, according to the International Labor Organization, an agency of the United Nations.

Total aid to American farmers might be in the area of $19 billion this year (Friday, 9/25/98)
Here's Charles Abbott's report on what it may take to save large numbers of American farmers from disaster and what may be forthcoming.

UK economy surprises some (Friday, 9/25/98)
London's Financial Times reports that the latest government figures indicate that the British economy is in better shape than expected.

America makes progress on poverty (Friday, 9/25/98)
The latest data from the Census Bureau show that more Americans have moved out of poverty. Here's that story from Reuters, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Strike brewing up in Switzerland (Friday, 9/25/98)
More than 15,000 public sector workers in Geneva and Lausanne are protesting wage cuts. A general strike is planned for October 6 in the canton of Waadt.

Is this an election year, or what? (Friday, 9/25/98)
Tabassum Zakaria reports that discussion over a possible tax cut has gotten a little less genteel around Capitol Hill. George Hager adds that Vice-President Gore seemed to be chief cheerleader on the Capitol steps yesterday as he tried to lead resistance to a Republican plan.

No minimum wage raise for now (Friday, 9/25/98)
The U.S. Senate, on a party-line vote, has rejected an increase in the federal minimum wage.

Melatonin apparently not the answer for shift workers (Friday, 9/25/98)
Melatonin supplements are taken by a lot of people with the expectation that they will help them sleep. The idea is that melatonin helps tune the "circadian rhythms." However, a new study published in the current edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine indicates that it probably doesn't help people on rotating shifts adjust to night work.

Somebody else who remains unconvinced about managed care (Friday, 9/25/98)
Former Surgeon General Koop fears the effects of managed care on the quality of medicine in the United States. Meanwhile, Glenn Howatt of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports on morale among physicians in one major HMO. Speaking of health, Lois Collins of the Deseret News tells about the tough job that industrial clinics have in keeping workers safe and healthy on the job.

IRS declares new mission statement (Friday, 9/25/98)
Here are 27 words that tell what a kinder and gentler Internal Revenue Service is all about.

A major Japanese labor leader dies (Friday, 9/25/98)
Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun notes the passing of Kaoru Ota, a leader of the Japanese trade union movement.

Okay, let's sing along with Brenda Lee (Friday, 9/25/98)
"I'm sorry," says Northwest's CEO. There could be another strike, though. Here's the story from Mike Meyers of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Steady as she goes: U.S. job market still doing fairly well (Friday, 9/25/98)
The American economy isn't cooking as fast as it was some months ago, but it's still creating jobs at a nice rate, according to the latest data from the Commerce Department.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Moody's Investor Service (Friday, 9/25/98)
Want to find out how you rate? After nearly a century, you can still check Moody's Investor Service, but now you can also do it online.

U.S. interest rates may come down next week (Thursday, 9/24/98)
Fed Head Alan Greenspan hinted yesterday, and stocks took off. Here are some of the things he said.

Compromise agreement on the foreign worker visa issue (Thursday, 9/24/98)
The deal will mean that hi-tech corporations will be able to hire more than 300,000 additional hi-tech workers from other countries over the next three years.

Some fear that Primakov will push inflation into the stratosphere (Thursday, 9/24/98)
A lot of Russian workers haven't been paid for a long time, and the new Russian prime minister intends to do something about it. However, what he plans to do worries a lot of people. For one thing, they say, inflation could go through the roof. The inflation rate has increased by 67 percent in one month, according to latest reports.

Second quarter slowdown not as bad as first thought (Thursday, 9/24/98)
The U.S. Department of Commerce has revised its original numbers for the U.S. economy's second quarter. Growth was down, but not as much as originally thought.

Fast track bill about to slow to a stop (Thursday, 9/24/98)
Donna Smith writes that the fast track trade bill seems headed for defeat in the Congress.

Too much standing early in pregnancy hazardous to child (Thursday, 9/24/98)
Mothers whose work requires a lot of standing shortly after conception may be at greater risk having a baby with birth defects, particularly "oral cleft defect."

New bankruptcy bill clears the Senate (Thursday, 9/24/98)
A declaration of bankruptcy will get harder if the new bill gets all the way through Congress and gets the president's signature.

Brazil may be next (Thursday, 9/24/98)
The Washington Post's Paul Blustein reports that the president of Brazil is open to International Monetary Fund support. Many observers have been worried that the Asian financial malaise will sweep into Latin America.

Man wins suit and will receive $1.5 million in touching incident (Thursday, 9/24/98)
He had been fired, and claimed that it was unjust. A court agrees, and DuPont is ordered to pay up.

Cuts at Occidental (Thursday, 9/24/98)
Occidental starts making cuts at its company headquarters first, but others are coming too.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Princeton Review (Thursday, 9/24/98)
We pointed to their graduate school guide earlier, but here's the Princeton Review home page with a variety of resources and links of interest to students.

Confucius laid off in China (Wednesday, 9/23/98)
In Chinese higher ed, at least. The current edition of Business Week reports on the move at Chinese universities to adopt Western-style MBA programs.

Jobs in, people out (Wednesday, 9/23/98)
Damien Murphy of the Sydney Morning Herald reports on a new study from the University of Queensland on how Sydney and other areas are doing with respect to jobs and population.

Hong Kong Telecom workers angry over pay cut (Wednesday, 9/23/98)
David Lague reports from Beijing on the increasing worker unrest in the former British colony over a 10 percent pay cut for the 14,000 people who work at Hong Kong Telecom.

Signing bonus not a sure thing (Wednesday, 9/23/98)
Not too long ago, only big-time athletes in great demand could expect a signing bonus. However, in a tight labor market, an increasing number of employers are finding that this is what it takes to attract the people they need. However, nationally syndicated career columnist Carol Kleiman advises a correspondent that a signing bonus shouldn't be considered an automatic done deal. Columnist Amy Lindgren, on the other hand, advises the employers on what they can do to hold on to valued workers in a market that is offering attractive alternatives to many.

The latest on the hi-tech visa issue (Wednesday, 9/23/98)
USA Today reports on the continuing effort on the part of American high-technology companies to get the lid lifted on the number of technically trained immigrants who can come to work in the U.S. The Sacramento Bee says that would be okay, but those visas should have strings attached.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Petersons.com (Wednesday, 9/23/98)
The Peterson guides to American colleges and universities have been a familiar fixture in academic libraries for years. Now, Petersons.com offers all that online, plus a good deal more of interest to students and prospective students.

Clinton administration wants nearly twice as much aid for farmers as the Republicans (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
The White House wants to provide record assistance to American farmers in order to help keep them in business. The Clinton administration is proposing a $7.3 billion package. Meanwhile, in Montana, farmers and ranchers have blockaded the Canadian border in order to prevent trucks from entering the U.S.

Russian military is standing aside for now, but seems ready (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
A major reason that many people in Russia as well as the rest of the world are hoping for the success of the new Primakov government is that failure might mean military rule, according to the head of Russia's communist party. Christopher de Ballaigue reports from Ankara about how Turkey's economy has been affected by Russia's economic problems.

Monitor says go with bankruptcy reform (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
The Christian Science Monitor thinks that it should be harder for consumers to declare bankruptcy, and supports the bill pending in Congress.

UK's Blair wants major changes in IMF and World Bank (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
Blair says that the current international financial crisis shows the fundamental weaknesses in the world financial system. Major changes are needed in both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, according to him.

Agreement at America West (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
A deal has been reached on a new five-year contract between America West and its mechanics. Also, in the airline industry, Northwest says that it's back to full flight schedule today, following the strike by its pilots.

Jobs cuts at Nortel in Britain (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
Nortel is a Canadian company, and it plans to close a plant in the UK, which is expected to cost 586 jobs.

Japan's economy to shrink 1.5 percent, official says (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
Japan's Economic Planning Agency director-general Taichi Sakaiya is saying that things are worse than originally thought.

How Florida firms are adapting to the worker shortage (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
It isn't business as usual, when it comes to recruiting in Florida, according to Dannis Blank's report. Also in the New York Times today, Jane Levere tells about the increasing number of young people who are applying for college online.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Overworked and Underemployed (Tuesday, 9/22/98)
Overworked and Underemployed was published in the American Prospect in 1997.

Primakov plans controls on foreign exchange markets (Monday, 9/21/98)
Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov has plans for intercepting the ruble's free fall, but he isn't sharing them in detail yet. Masha Gessen, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, reports on some contrasts in Moscow, while the Washington Post's Michael McFaul says it's too early to give up on Russia, because the Russians themselves haven't quite given up on democracy and a market economy. Besides, the stakes for the rest of the world are so high that it's hard to exaggerate them.

Organized labor gets a boost from the strong American economy (Monday, 9/21/98)
If American organized labor appears more bold lately, there are some reasons. Reuters' John Hanley explains. His article comes to you today via the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

How are the heads of the nonprofits doing? (Monday, 9/21/98)
Fairly well, according to a new survey of 230 hospitals, universities, charities and foundations. Average pay for the people who run the big nonprofit organizations is nearly $210,000. That's the median, though, which means that half make less, half make more, and some make a lot more.

Lawson Software experiments with office design (Monday, 9/21/98)
The St. Paul Pioneer Press' Amy Gage reports that a new building in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota will contain offices that might attract and please you.

A plan for Australia's youthful unemployed (Monday, 9/21/98)
Tom Allard reports for the Sydney Morning Herald on Labor's plan as a national election approaches.

Many think it's just not cool to pursue a career in computing (Monday, 9/21/98)
One of the reasons there is a shortage of workers with hi-tech skills in the U.S. is that computing majors are not popular on American campuses, despite high demand and high salaries. Robert Greene reports on various surveys.

France prepares for retirement boom(ers) (Monday, 9/21/98)
Baby boomers will begin retiring in 2005, and the French Employment and Social Affairs Minister intends to announce the creation of a new retirement fund to head off problems that would otherwise result from the large numbers.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Aspen Institute (Monday, 9/21/98)
Here's a selective school for top executives, the class size is right, and its "campus" includes a nice view of the Rocky Mountains. The Aspen Institute seminars for upper management are well known throughout the corporate world, and you can be sure that hot issues relating to work in the revolutionary new world economy are not neglected.

If it's not one thing, it's a half dozen more if you're a farmer (Sunday, 9/20/98)
A great many things can and often do prevent farmers from producing large crops, including weather, insects, and more. However, during those years when all the planets seem to be in alignment and the crops are good, prices often aren't. It's one of those years. With depressed farm product prices worldwide, many American farmers will lose money on each bushel of grain they produce and sell. The more they produce, the more they lose. It appears that help will be coming from Washington, D. C., from which all good things flow, as we all know, but, for the moment, the Democrats and Republicans are doing quite a lot of finger-pointing, even when they're not talking about the President. The Democrats are saying that the assistance the Republicans want to offer isn't enough, and the Republicans are blaming slumping farm product exports on the Democrats.

Salomon Smith Barney has more bad news about Japan (Sunday, 9/20/98)
The Japanese economy will slump more and longer than previously expected, according to analysis conducted by Salomon Smith Barney. Meanwhile, Japan's prime minister defends his actions so far in a Washington Post interview. Mary Jordan writes about the lightning speed with which things have turned sour for so many persons in Asia. The middle-class, which was growing so rapidly in several countries, is now in the process of evaporating. Jennifer Lin of the Philadelphia Inquirer offers Indonesia as an example, but it's happening many places, and not just in Asia. For instance, Vladimir Radyuhin reports from Moscow for The Hindu, and Diana Jean Schemo of the New York Times finds similar individual stories in Brazil, amid growing concerns that South America's largest economy could be swamped by the financial troubles sweeping across the world. While the U.S. economy remains strong and is still the envy of much of the world, Judith Crosson reports that the western states are being affected by events in Asia, because of the connections and mutual dependencies among the Pacific rim economies. Finally, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times reports that experts are beginning to reconsider their earlier interpretations of what globalization and capital that can move around the world at the speed of light can be expected to mean. Things haven't been turning out quite as many have anticipated, suggesting that the new economy is even newer than we thought, and that maybe we really don't understand it. But, then, maybe we've seen it all before.

Brave new baby-at-work world (Sunday, 9/20/98)
Kirstin Downey Grimsley answers a correspondent's question about bringing baby with her when she returns to work. Speaking of babies, Bill Lubinger of the Newhouse News Service says that babies require a lot of everything, including money. Finally, here's more on the perks many employers are offering now in order to attract and hold the help they need. You've heard of on-site child care, but how about a genuine school right there on the premises?

Are you MAL-adjusted and ready to lead? (Sunday, 9/20/98)
Do you have your M.A.L degree? That's Master of Arts in Leadership to those who attended college during prehistoric times. Actually, it may not be called that, but a growing number of schools are offering degrees in organizational leadership, which reminds us of the look on an Oxford don's face when he was told about one American university that has a master's degree in packaging. Incidentally, no matter what you're majoring in, odds are greater than ever that you're a woman. Women are in the majority at U.S. colleges and universities, and the gender gap is increasing. What are all those men who aren't in college doing, or are women still catching up from that long earlier period when they couldn't vote and couldn't go to school either?

Key economic cabinet posts remain vacant as currency chaos continues (Sunday, 9/20/98)
The Washington Post's Daniel Williams reports on the ongoing currency confusion in Russia, and says that Prime Minister Primakov still doesn't have a finance minister, an economics minister, or a top tax collector. Have a nice day.

Job switching has at least one downside (Sunday, 9/20/98)
While many people would like to see completely portable pensions, they aren't here yet, so, as a correspondent is advised, keep your pension in mind when you're considering that job shift, particularly if you're older.

Deciding what's rewarding in your work (Sunday, 9/20/98)
Patricia Kitchen examines the relative value of money and other sources of fulfillment on the job in the new late-90s economy. Her column is in the current edition of Long Island's Newsday.

Learning what deflation feels like (Sunday, 9/20/98)
We've worried about inflation for so long, it's hard to remember that deflation can screw everything up too, but it can. Government officials are saying that they haven't begun to even think about the possibility of deflation in the American economy, and you can believe them if you want to. However, the Nando Times reports that some things are deflating already, and, while falling prices can seem nice to some, what if the price of your labor were to take a similar turn?

More about retirees who aren't really retiring (Sunday, 9/20/98)
The San Francisco Examiner's David Steinberg tells about programs for the elderly that help prepare them for part-time work in the new economy.

Count twice, just to be sure (Sunday, 9/20/98)
The Clinton administration wants to incorporate sampling techniques into the year 2000 census, but Republicans in Congress don't like the idea, and say it's unconstitutional. By definition, a census means counting everybody, after all, and that's what the founders wanted, even though it may not be as accurate as sampling, which the founders never heard of. Herbert Sample of the McClatchy Washington Bureau reports that a compromise is brewing which would involve making two counts, one with sampling, one without. And, no, we don't know if that's the reporter's real name or not, but, if it is, he's certainly the man for the job.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Official Federal Government Web Sites (Sunday, 9/20/98)
Does the federal government maintain web sites? Does the sun first appear in the east? Are there any beer trucks in Germany? Here's a comprehensive listing of the fed's Official Federal Government Web Sites from the Library of Congress.

Political deal reached on the Japanese economy (Saturday, 9/19/98)
In what might mark a significant step toward getting the Japanese economy going again, the party in power has reached an agreement with its opposition on how to move ahead.

Bailing water from the sea into the boat (Saturday, 9/19/98)
Actually, the latest news is that Russia intends to use its reserve of rubles, not print lots of new ones yet. That may be coming a bit later. Here's the latest story from David Hoffman of the Washington Post and Timothy O'Brien of the New York Times. Timothy Heritage of Reuters has news that may not be news to you, which is that Russia's new Prime Minister Primakov is under pressure to make good things happen in his troubled country. Finally, David Hoffman notes the passing of a publication that has become a victim of the events it has been reporting.

Building barriers vs. tearing them down (Saturday, 9/19/98)
The global economy is supposed to be about deregulation, open markets, anti-protectionism, the removal of barriers to free trade, and so on, so that the global system can work its way for the benefit of everybody. However, we've been reporting on how many persons are thinking of ways that the U.S. might insulate itself from much of the rest of the world's financial problems, including actions that the Federal Reserve might be able to take to build a sea wall for protection against the Asian tsunami. John Tagliabue of the New York Times reports that many in Europe are having similar thoughts. Incidentally, one of the possible consequences for the American economy of being swept by the global financial crisis could be something that many of us haven't thought about for a long time: deflation. Here's that story from Svea Herbst-Bayliss of Reuters.

Hi-tech layoffs (Saturday, 9/19/98)
There is supposed to be a major shortage of people with hi-tech skills in the United States, and this may very well be true. However, it doesn't mean all hi-tech companies are hiring. Some are laying off, in fact, including Hewlett-Packard and Tektronix. It's an additional indicator of the churning and turbulence that is characteristic of the new economy.

More on the Administration's unilateral move in the direction of a "patients' bill of rights" (Saturday, 9/19/98)
Before everything blew sky-high in Washington over the Clinton sex scandal and the Starr treatment, the President and Congress were wrestling over what to do to provide more assurances for patients--who are also voters--who have lost enthusiasm for managed care. That's been put on the back burner along with nearly everything else, and, in a greatly weakened Clinton presidency, may not happen at all. So, the White House is doing what it can on its own. Here's more on a proposal at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Work and heart disease (Saturday, 9/19/98)
Too much work isn't good for the heart, but too little isn't either, according to new research.

Court decides that workfare workers can be paid less (Saturday, 9/19/98)
Judith Havemann of the Washington Post reports on a court of appeals decision that throws out a lawsuit filed by workfare participants.

Honeywell and others work to strengthen their immediate neighborhood (Saturday, 9/19/98)
The world headquarters of Honeywell, Inc. is located in an underprivileged part of south Minneapolis. The company and some of its corporate neighbors are contributing to the development of their community and expect tangible benefits in a tight labor market.

Agreement with flight attendants may be coming at Northwest Airlines (Saturday, 9/19/98)
Settlement of the pilots' strike doesn't mark the end of labor conflict at Northwest Airlines. Additional strikes are possible, but things are looking up in its negotiations with its flight attendants. Meanwhile, at United Airlines, unions oppose the appointment of the company's president as CEO, which results in his leaving the airline.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Obsessed With Work (Saturday, 9/19/98)
Obsessed With Work is a five-part series on work from ABC News. It was published a while back, but it's still worth a read.

Finalist for "most influential man in the world" (Friday, 9/18/98)
American Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said that there were no plans for coordinated interest rate cuts, and stock markets all around the world quaked. Here's the story from Henry Engler of Reuters and Jeanne Dugan of the Washington Post. Austria's Der Standard reports that Vienna stocks were among those hit hard following crushed hopes for an interest rate cut, and London's Independent reports that the UK's PM Tony Blair has told union leaders that he would like to see interest rates come down next month. President Clinton favors a coordinated effort to stimulate global economic growth, but, it may be a measure of his weakened position that, while his remarks were reported, it was what Greenspan had to stay that may have bumped the earth slightly out of its regular orbit. The New York Times' David Sanger explains what happened. Greece's Kathimerini reports that the International Monetary Fund is forecasting slower global economic growth for next year. They've revised their forecasts downward from 3.2 percent to 2.6 percent. Also, from today's Christian Science Monitor, David Francis reports that experts are becoming less confident that the U.S. will be able to remain largely insulated from the suffering global economy, and Cameron Barr has more on Japan's struggles, as well as the pressure it's getting from the U.S.

The world may be on fire, but D.C. is thinking other thoughts (Friday, 9/18/98)
For various reasons, the world may be the most dangerous place it's been since the end of the Cold War, but, if it's looking for leadership from the last superpower on earth, which also happens to have the world's largest economy, it may have to wait a while. Washington, D.C. is preoccupied with a scandal that may convince those who think they've seen everything to think otherwise. The President is making every effort to appear presidential, making speeches, and so on, as though nothing has happened, but Congress seems fully absorbed by the Clinton debacle, not necessarily aware that there are other things to worry about.

Some in Congress seem to feel that they are faced with a delicious opportunity to destroy the President, grind him into small pieces, and feed him to the sharks, no matter what the cost, while cooler heads are scrambling to find some way out of the most serious American Constitutional crisis in a long time. It's looking increasingly likely that Clinton will leave office prematurely, one way or another.

While some may be tired of hearing how smart he is, given all that's been in the news recently, the fact is that he's pretty smart...most of the time. He's not an evil man. He is a brilliant, talented, charming man who is also greatly conflicted, contradictory, and troubled. Those who, during recent days on American television, seemed to have been wondering out loud whether he has any psychological problems remind us of a court case about 20 years ago in which a woman had stabbed another women about 97 times. This led to the entertaining spectacle of lawyers arguing about whether there might be something wrong with her. If she had stabbed the other women only 45 times, it might have been sufficiently convincing for some people.

Clinton's case seems similar only in that it's hard to imagine any more spectacular evidence of a problem. When stupid people do stupid things, there's nothing to explain. However, when brilliant people do stupid things, it's a bit more troublesome. Is it all simply a matter of character? Only if you believe that most of the rest of us could hardly wait for an opportunity to do the things he's done, except that we have too much will power or character. Or, maybe it's because the motivation is lacking in the first place.

History has been filled with remarkable persons who have been remarkably flawed. Still, nearly everybody seems to be wishing there were a presidential election in November.

Did anybody tell him that this might be a tough job? (Friday, 9/18/98)
Russia's most qualified people aren't necessarily clamoring to be part of Primakov's new government. It's probably not going to be quite enough fun for him either, given the magnitude of the country's troubles. For example, Russia's currency has lost most of its value, so, its central bank plans to print more of it. Needless to say, many Western economists think this is like pouring gasoline into the toaster, while Russian Soviet-era economists are expecting to be called out of retirement. Here's more on the new supply of rubles from Reuters and the Nando Times. Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers warns of hyperinflation. Finally, Judith Matloff of the Christian Science Monitor discusses the mixed signals that are coming out of Moscow, suggesting that somebody may not really know what to do.

Job cuts at Citigroup (Friday, 9/18/98)
About 8,000 jobs are likely to be cut as Citicorp and Travelers Group come together.

Can you believe it? There's still inequality in the U.S. (Friday, 9/18/98)
President Clinton's advisory board on race has completed its studies and has submitted its report. Those familiar with it say there are few surprises.

Will immigration rules for hi-tech workers be relaxed? (Friday, 9/18/98)
Today's Washington Post looks at where things presently stand in Congress.

Workers want a greater share, writer says (Friday, 9/18/98)
John Hanley writes that unions have gotten increasingly bold, in large part because they believe workers should be sharing in America's strong economy. In other labor news, good reason to believe that Northwest Airline's troubles aren't over, a strike-ending agreement at Southern New England Telecommunications, and a federal judge has upheld Carey's expulsion from the Teamsters.

How CalPERS has been doing since July 17 (Friday, 9/18/98)
CalPERS is America's largest pension fund, and it's lost more than $11 billion in the stock market during the past two months. Leaders wondering what to do about Social Security are taking notice, but CalPERS's head seems calm and confident.

Big changes in bankruptcy law may be coming (Friday, 9/18/98)
The U.S. Senate continues work on a bankruptcy reform bill that could make things quite different for persons whose debts have gotten out of control.

Nike workers sent, ah, walking (Friday, 9/18/98)
The big athletic shoe company is having earnings problems. About 300 jobs will be cut.

Republicans accuse Clinton of inaction on farm crisis (Friday, 9/18/98)
Congressional Republicans want to pay struggling farmers directly, while the White House has favored price supports. Stay tuned.

British study finds workplace prejudice against the depressed (Friday, 9/18/98)
Depression is s very real illness that affects millions of people, including large numbers of workers. It's also quite treatable now in most cases. Nonetheless, traditional attitudes change slowly, as a new study in the current edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports. Among the well-known people who were once disabled by clinical depression but are now performing at the top of their games is CBS-TV's Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes." He's 80 years old now too, if you're also worried about the age of workers.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: GRE¨ Online (Friday, 9/18/98)
Graduate schools have used Graduate Record Examinations¨ as standard selection tools for many years. Their web site contains information of interest to the graduate schools themselves, as well as individuals hoping to gain entry to the graduate program of their choice.

Clinton administration wants coordinated action, but Greenspan says there are no such plans (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan says there are no plans for a coordinated interest rate cut across the world's largest industrial economies, which throws an obstacle in the path of the White House, which has been worrying about Brazil, in particular. Glenn Somerville reports that the Fed is also getting more concerned about the American economy's immediate future. Michael Weinstein of the New York Times feels that the threat to the U.S. economy from the turmoil in other parts of the world may not be as great as Chairman Greenspan seems to think, while Murray Weidenbaum has some suggestions for how changes in U.S. policy could help the global economy. Finally, the Christian Science Monitor's David Francis reports on the growing backlash around the world to unrestrained capitalism.

Russia needs another week (Thursday, 9/17/98)
It will take an additional week to form a new government in Russia, as a group of European Union ministers arrive in Moscow to hear about plans for pulling the Russian economy back from the brink. Many are concerned that, even as large numbers of people try to get rid of their rubles, the government will simply print more of them, which could mean that during the harsh Russian winter that lies ahead, people may find that burning the rubles themselves will provide more heat than the firewood the rubles would buy. Judith Matloff reports on how the Russian economic mess is affecting what, for a brief time, had been a growing middle-class in the country.

Republicans and Democrats seem to be getting together on farm aid bill (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Farm product prices have been driven down by excess supply throughout the world, and many American farmers are in desperate circumstances, as a consequence. Farm industry leaders say that American farmers will need billions in aid, and the Clinton administration has been pushing Congress to act promptly. Now, it's beginning to look as though that will happen. Charles Abbott reports that $4 billion in assistance may be made available before Congress adjourns in a few weeks.

Municipal workers strike ends in Israel (Thursday, 9/17/98)
About 100,000 municipal workers have gone back to their jobs. They had been demanding a one-time 30% salary bonus. Agreement hasn't been reached on that issue, but the sides did agree to end the strike and keep talking, according to Yediot Ahronot this morning.

Job cuts in Indonesia (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Among the Asian countries with trouble, Indonesia has been toward the top of the list for months, not only economically but also politically. Jay Solomon writes in today's Wall Street Journal that the nation's largest automobile company will restructure and cut 25,000 jobs.

Underground economy to begin floating to the surface in Turkey (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Aksam reports that the Turkish government's plan to offer an amnesty on undeclared wealth is expected to bring about $10 billion from the country's underground economy out into the open, about one-tenth of the estimated total.

Nearly a half-century later, veterans still seek compensation for nuclear exposure (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Witnessing an atomic bomb explosion at close range is now understood to be a very bad idea. Forty-five years ago, many American military personnel were directed to do just that, and many now have cancer that they attribute to their exposure to harmful radiation. So, the government has provided compensation, right? Negative, reports Lisa Richwine, but the veterans are still trying.

Clinton moves ahead on protections for HMO patients (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Given Washington's preoccupation with the Clinton scandal, the White House and Congress may or may not get together on the so-called "patient bill of rights" legislation . However, the President has decided to go ahead on his own, and, today, will announce new protections for 15 million Medicaid patients. Here's that story from Robert Pear of the New York Times.

The cost of obesity (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Research reported in the current edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine shows that as average excess weight of employees increases, so do the employer's health care costs.

NBC cuts jobs (Thursday, 9/17/98)
Network television programming costs have been going through the roof at the same time that the networks' share of television audience has been steadily declining, which means an overall reduction in advertising revenues in the long-run, and that means that something's gotta give. For example, it appears that a single episode of "ER" will cost $13 million this season, which was about what the average feature film cost to produce not so many years ago. Bill Carter reports that NBC intends to cut several hundred jobs in an effort to get things under control.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The GartnerGroup (Thursday, 9/17/98)
The GartnerGroup has hundreds of analysts keeping track of the information technology industry worldwide. Their web site offers access to voluminous information about the industry that is the cornerstone of the revolutionary new world economy.

That's "depression" with a "d" (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
The financial problems that started in Thailand a year ago last July have swept over much of Asia, exposing various weaknesses in the once-mighty "Asian tiger" economies. We've been reporting on resulting recessions, but, now, Sheryl WuDunn of the New York Times reports that some experts say it's more serious than that. The "D" word is being used for the first time, and they're not talking about future possibilities. The Singapore Business Times reports on Standard and Poor's identification of 16 weak economies. while financier George Soros paints a grim picture of the global situation for U.S. lawmakers. The capitalist system is "coming apart at the seams," according to him. Ronald Scheman says the IMF has to play a central role in trying to fix things, and he has some suggestions, while Paul Blustein wonders about what the G7 can do. Incidentally, George Soros expects that Malaysia's currency controls will set back Asia's overall recovery, but Eddie Toh writes from Kuala Lumpur says that Salomon Smith Barney sees the Malaysian economy growing again within 12 months.

Fyodorov leaves Russian government (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
Celestine Bohlen reports that many are wondering what the departure of the reformer implies about the direction that the new government will take. President Yeltsin puts on a happy face, despite further weakening of the ruble, while the head of the Russian central bank wants to simply print more of them. Finally, Nicole Gaouette reports that if you want to know how to survive on nearly nothing at all, many Russian citizens probably have some tips for you born of hard experience.

Clinton wants prompt action to help farmers (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
President Clinton is urging Congress to act fast in order to provide necessary aid to American farmers. Without, many will go out of business soon, he says. Clinton spoke to leaders of the National Farmers Union. Many marvel that the President is able to continue working, given the firestorm that is swirling around Washington because of his personal behavior. However, the compartmentalization probably reflects similar contradictions in his own make-up, in which contrasting elements remain fairly isolated from one another. At the same time that he's continuing his presidential activities, there are other stories about his wanting to counsel with clergy on a regular basis in order to deal with his personal crisis. It's probably time to start thinking the unthinkable, if anything is still unthinkable. If his situation becomes more hopeless and desperate, those who care about him had better keep a close eye on him.

Turkish civil servants to get a raise (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
Yeni Yuzyil reports that the Turkish government plans to raise civil servant wages by 10 percent next month. The increase was announced in July along with a previous 20 percent increase. The IMF has been critical of the increase, which brings the lowest monthly income of a civil servant in Turkey to US$362.

Some immigrants find life in America to be a threat to their mental health (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
Many immigrants aren't finding quite what they expected, according to this USA Today article.

Municipal workers continue strike in Israel (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
About 100,000 municipal workers are still on strike in Israel as talks continue. The union wants a one-time 30 percent salary bonus, according to Ha'aretz.

Employment measures point in different directions (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
John Berry if the Washington Post says two widely watched measures of employment aren't telling the same story.

Turning back the social welfare clock in Germany (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
William Drozdiak reports that Germany's generous social welfare system may be diminished in order to make future prosperity a greater likelihood. Here's what it will mean for individuals.

Physicians strike in Venezuela (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
Serge Kovaleski reports from Caracas for the Washington Post.

Nonstrikers denied unemployment benefits (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
Tony Kennedy reports that thousands of nonstriking employees of Northwest Airlines apparently won't be able to collect unemployment benefits.

Most California vineyards in violation of labor laws (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
Federal investigators find that 80 percent of vineyards in California have been violating federal labor laws.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Center for Strategic & International Studies (Wednesday, 9/16/98)
Here's a major nonpartisan Washington "think tank" that keeps a close eye on economic and business trends throughout all regions of the world. The Center for Strategic & International Studies has dozens of research specialists and has been hard at work since the early 1960s.

Surprise: Primakov says Yeltsin likes his plan (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
Russia's new prime minister has called for national unity and says that, as a start, he and President Yeltsin are of one mind on what to do about Russia's economic problems. Meanwhile, Daniel Williams reports that the IMF is deciding whether to send another loan installment to Russia. IMF officials aren't happy about Primakov's plans, though. The PM is getting plenty of advice, as well as promises of additional support if he takes it. For instance, Ashley Seager reports that the G7 is willing to help IF Russia sticks with the reforms. American President Clinton has told them essentially the same thing. Incidentally, Clinton also calls the current global financial crisis the worst in 50 years, and, as Arshad Mohammed reports, offers some ideas for revving up the world's economic engine.

Air Canada strike is history (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
In addition to the Northwest Airlines strike, pilots at Air Canada also stopped work for nearly two weeks. They've ratified the new contract, though, and the planes have returned to the air.

Another strike in Israel (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
Municipal employees will strike today in Israel over a retroactive salary payment. Yediot Ahronot reports that about 100,000 workers will participate in the work stoppage, which will affect kindergartens and garbage collection, among other things.

Farmers say they need billions (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
The global economy is offering low prices for farm products at the moment, and this has put large numbers of American farmers in acute jeopardy. Charles Abbott reports that Congress is being urged to provide billions of dollars in aid to keep the farmers in business.

More on the growing teacher shortage (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
Here's Gail Russell Chaddock's Christian Science Monitor story about the shortage of K-12 teachers in the United States. The problem is compounded because of record school enrollments at the same time the economy is offering job-seekers a variety of attractive opportunities. Mark Clayton reports that many colleges and universities are experiencing high enrollments as well, and some are wondering if they're a bit too high.

President popular despite problems (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
No, we're not talking about President Clinton in the United States. We're referring to Brazil's President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and his problems are economic, not, well, you know.

New unemployment pact in Vienna (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
Wiener Zeitung reports that the first Austrian provincial unemployment plan has been put together in Vienna, calling for the creation of 8,500 jobs in the city next year. The plan will target mostly women and the long-term unemployed.

Get ready to pay more for health care (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post says that a new federal study shows that, while health care costs have moderated a bit during recent years, it's not likely to continue. Health care costs will double over the next ten years, says the report. Also from the Post, William Schwartz calls for accountability for HMOs.

When veterans look for jobs (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
In today's Wall Street Journal, Carl Quintanilla writes that the formerly military must learn how to act like civilians again when they approach the civilian employment market.

IRS finds that quotas were used after all (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
A kinder and gentler Internal Revenue Service is changing the criteria by which IRS agents are evaluated, given their new mandate.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Researchpaper.com (Tuesday, 9/15/98)
Hey, you millions enrolled in colleges and universities, here's help with your course research projects and papers. No, they won't write them for you, but Researchpaper.com is a good place to find topics, ideas, and help.

Primakov calls for unity, says stability top priority (Monday, 9/14/98)
Russia's new Prime Minister Primakov has chaired his first cabinet meeting, but has signaled a change of policy that may displease many in the West. Judith Matloff of the Christian Science Monitor says that the new Russian government involves some new faces plus some old ones, but has mostly old ideas. In fact, the Washington Post's Adrian Karatnycky sees a resurrection of "Gorbachevism" but without the man himself. David Hoffman writes that, among the Russian people, hope is not entirely gone, but you have to look carefully to see it. Finally, Paul Casciato reports that G7 officials are meeting in London today to discuss Russia's problems. It's an emergency meeting, he says.

Er...let's talk about economics (Monday, 9/14/98)
President Clinton seems to wish we'd shift our attention to the world's serious economic problems, and there is a lot to be concerned with. Still, many Americans are having difficulty thinking about anything other than the President's self-inflicted injuries which may also have injured the institution of the presidency. USA Today, in an editorial, has called for him to resign, thinking that it would be better to have a grownup in the White House at this particular perilous time. However, speaking of the world's economic condition, Janet Guttsman writes about the IMF's shortage of funds for further bailouts. It paid out record amounts last year, particularly in Asia. All the problems aren't in Asia and Russia, though. Brazil is desperately trying to avoid devaluing its currency, according to Noriko Yamaguchi, writing from Sao Paulo. Finally, Jacob Park of the Christian Science Monitor looks at what a difference a few years have made in Japan.

Whitebread fears recession in Britain (Monday, 9/14/98)
London's Guardian reports that Whitebread Plc has decided to delay plans for expansion of its pub and restaurant business, fearing that a recession may be approaching. The expansion would have created an additional 5,000 jobs.

What's the biggest industry in the D.C. area? (Monday, 9/14/98)
The federal workforce may still be the largest, but, as Peter Behr reports, information technology may be a close second now, employing over 300,000 people. Also in the Washington Post today, Sarah Schafer discusses the problem of sticking to your priorities, despite all the distractions, as you move through your work day. Finally, here's Maryann Haggerty story about special programs for training people to manage shopping centers.

Emergency car loans help people choose work over welfare (Monday, 9/14/98)
Robert Franklin says that a car that actually works is an absolute essential for Minnesota women trying to get off welfare. He tells about an emergency loan program that helps the wheels keep turning.

Where oh where to look for those skilled workers? (Monday, 9/14/98)
Some companies are finding just the help they need...in prisons.

Northwest gets ready to fly, but has other labor problems (Monday, 9/14/98)
The pilots of settled at Northwest, but other workers are still struggling in their negotiations with the company. Incidentally, both sides in the recent strike give credit to top Clinton administration officials for moving things along toward a new contract.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: World Competitiveness On-Line (Monday, 9/14/98)
World Competitiveness On-Line comes from Switzerland's International Institute for Management Development. The world's countries are ranked according to a variety of criteria. Quick--before you look, in the 1998 competitiveness rankings, which country's on the top, and which country's on the bottom?

Northwest strike officially over (Sunday, 9/13/98)
Northwest Airlines will return to the air soon. Both sides have agreed on a new contract. Northwest pilots have ratified the new deal while claiming victory in their long, bitter dispute with America's fourth largest airline. It will take more than a week to get Northwest's more than 400 planes into the air throughout the world.

Primakov rolls up his sleeves (Sunday, 9/13/98)
Russia's new prime minister seems to be wasting no time in an effort to address his country's severe economic problems. He has moved quickly to reassure creditors, saying that the country intends to pay its debts. He also seems to be trying to reassure people throughout the world that, despite the fact that communists will occupy key roles in the new government, Russia does not intend to resurrect all of the statues of Lenin throughout the country. Russia will stay on track with the reforms, he says. Sharon LaFraniere of the Washington Post writes from Yaroslavl, Russia about anger and resentment on the part of people who have seen anything but benefits from Russia's free-market experiment so far.

The difference 10 years have made with HMOs (Sunday, 9/13/98)
Albert Crenshaw writes that the history of HMOs seems to have been put on fast-forward. Moreover, despite pledges to make things better, more than 35,000 complaints from patients are expected this year. Stephen Barr reports that federal workers can expect a big increase in the cost of health insurance.

The 100 Best (Sunday, 9/13/98)
Here are the 100 best companies for working mothers from Working Mother magazine.

Recession on the horizon? (Sunday, 9/13/98)
John Cunniff writes that nobody really knows whether the U.S. is nearing the end of its long economic expansion, including him. Still, there are signs...maybe.

Retirement costs vary, depending on where you are (Sunday, 9/13/98)
Scott Burns of Worth Magazine advises future retirees to take location into account as they make their retirement plans.

First, on-site child care, then elder care, now pet care (Sunday, 9/13/98)
In a tight labor market, employers have gotten creative in their effort to offer perks that will attract and hold the people they need. Among the latest: pets on the job.

Inconsistencies in welfare reform (Sunday, 9/13/98)
There have been various reports recently about the different ways in which the states are handling welfare reform. The Minneapolis Star Tribune editorializes this morning about similar differences among counties in Minnesota.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Business Monitor (Sunday, 9/13/98)
Business Monitor offers a rich collection of articles as well as access to various specialists and experts of interest to persons doing business in the global economy. You'll need to register.

Russia has a new prime minister (Saturday, 9/12/98)
Russia's lower house of parliament, the Duma, has approved President Yeltsin's compromise choice for prime minister, and Yevgeny Primakov is moving ahead quickly to form his government. Yeltsin's role has been diminished by the deal that seemed required for resolving the recent political paralysis, and communists will occupy several key roles. Among other things, the new PM is a former KGB official, and the country's new economic chief will be a communist. It is a measure of how grim things have gotten in Russia that many people are able to look back to the Soviet period as "the good old days."

Economists more nervous about Brazil (Saturday, 9/12/98)
If you're tired of worrying about Asia's financial problems or about Russia's, it's probably time to begin worrying about Latin America. For instance, South America's largest country may have one of the "emerging economies" for the 21st century, but, for the moment, at least, economists worry that Mexico's recent history could repeat itself in Brazil, where a big interest rate increase is seen only as a stop-gap measure.

Volkswagen agrees to compensate former slave laborers (Saturday, 9/12/98)
The Volkswagen beetle and its company were created during Germany's catastrophic Nazi period. During that era, Volkswagen made use of slave laborers. Fiona Fleck reports that the company has agreed to begin making amends. Here's more from William Drozdiak of the Washington Post.

Japan seen in "unprecedented emergency" (Saturday, 9/12/98)
Major Japanese newspapers are calling on the country's government to take more dramatic action now that data are showing that the Japanese economy is contracting much faster than expected. Because Japan's economy is more than twice the size of all of the other Asian economies put together, many eyes are on Japan. Also, a Milken Institute study says that the Pacific Rim economies that will be affected will not exclude California. In fact, expect a significant slowdown there, they say.

Clinton has another "sorry day," but markets feel better (Saturday, 9/12/98)
President Clinton spent more time apologizing yesterday, but the American stock market, which had taken a big hit the day before, recovered considerably, although it's been swinging up and down rather erratically for several days. London's market recovered yesterday as well.

Incidentally, by listening to lawyers, religious figures and others discuss the Clinton debacle on television, one might be struck with the extent to which traditional ideas, largely grounded in the information base of our remote ancestors, offer an inadequate perspective on complex contemporary events.

For instance, much of the criminal law rests on assumptions from a time when even the brightest people didn't know that the blood circulates or what the heart is for. Also, if the whole thing were not so serious in its implications, it would be amusing to hear presumed experts saying that they can't "psychoanalyze" the President. "Psychoanalyze" is the wrong word, of course, but to try to make sense of Clinton's self-induced firestorm without being psychological is like trying to talk about pharmacy without being chemical.

Modern research has told us quite a lot about these things, so we need no longer look to our remote ancestors for leadership, who, while not stupid, had zero access to modern information. For one thing, we know that, at any particular time, about 20 percent of the population would meet diagnostic criteria for one or more psychological disorders, ranging from mild and temporary, on the one hand, to severe and disabling, on the other. Given such a high incidence in the population overall, we should not be surprised to find well-known people affected now and then.

Air Line Pilots Association examining proposed deal with Northwest today (Saturday, 9/12/98)
A tentative agreement between Northwest Airlines and its pilots was reached Thursday, and it could end the strike that has grounded more than 400 Northwest planes for more than two weeks. No one has signed on the dotted line yet, though. The union is studying the proposed agreement, so we should know soon if the strike will end.

Anheuser-Busch goes ahead on its own (Saturday, 9/12/98)
The big beer company and the Teamsters are at an impasse in their negotiations, so Anheuser-Busch has decided to implement their latest proposal as if it were a new contract.

Job cuts at The Learning Company (Saturday, 9/12/98)
One software company has purchased another, and 500 jobs will go as part of the resulting restructuring.

Privatizers unfazed by market gyrations (Saturday, 9/12/98)
The recent ups and downs, particularly the downs, have not changed the minds of many people who would like to see the American Social Security system tied to the stock market.

The growth of Hispanic-owned companies (Saturday, 9/12/98)
Hispanics in America are becoming entrepreneurs at an ever-increasing rate.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Business Reference Services (Saturday, 9/12/98)
If you're looking for information on business or economics, the Library of Congress can help with their Business Reference Services on the web.

Tentative agreements at Northwest Airlines and Air Canada (Friday, 9/11/98)
Murphy's Law could kick in and the deals could still fall through. However, for the moment, it appears that the two big pilots' strikes in North America will soon be over. Here's the Northwest story from Benno Groeneveld of Reuters and Tony Kennedy and Jon Tevlin of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Jeffrey Hodgson has the Air Canada story.

Yeltsin expresses confidence in his new prime minister-designate (Friday, 9/11/98)
If you've ever wondered what all those old KGB sweethearts are doing now, we may soon be able to answer that question in relation to at least one. However, President Yeltsin expects good things from him, and he seems sufficiently acceptable to the communists in the Duma to make his confirmation as prime minister likely, despite his overall lack of economic experience. However, Philip Shenon of the New York Times reports that he is someone that U.S. officials feel they can work with too, so why should the rest of us worry? Ah, well, today's Washington Post seems to be worrying a little. Incidentally, as part of the compromise deal, communists will get some key positions in the new government.

U.S. investors nervous about Clinton, and they're not the only ones (Friday, 9/11/98)
Experts attribute much of the big decline in stocks on the U.S. market yesterday to uncertainties swirling around the Clinton administration, and economists are saying that a major casualty of the Clinton scandal could be the strong American economy overall. Markets over much of the rest of the world didn't do much better yesterday, and political uncertainty in the U.S. probably is influencing investor confidence in other countries too.

One of the principal reasons people from around the world have wanted to invest in the U.S. and to hold American dollars has had to do with America's tremendous political stability by world standards. Short of an armed attack on the United States, the current mess in Washington could not possibly be more grave.

On the one hand, perjury absolutely cannot be tolerated because it undermines the law itself, and the opposite of lawfulness in a society is lawlessness. The law is one of the supreme creative achievements of the species, painfully developed over many centuries.

On the other hand, regularly scheduled popular elections are the cornerstone of democracy, and, typically, during this century in particular, the opposite of democracy has been some form of totalitarianism. Both the elective process and its outcomes must be held absolutely sacred. Negating the results of a presidential election, even by Constitutional means, is, as one U.S. Senator remarked the other day, the most serious thing that the Congress can be involved in other than possibly a declaration of war.

Also, many observers are extremely nervous about the possibility of having two presidents leave office prematurely under pressure within less than 25 years out of more than 200 years of the American presidency. A revolving door on the White House would not do a great deal to instill confidence in American political stability. In addition, in this particular case, with Vice-President Gore also under fire, a scario scenario could be that, if he were to become president following Clinton's resignation or removal from office, Gore could end up leaving office prematurely too. The man who would then become president has already been formally reprimanded by the U.S. House of Representatives on ethics violations. Stay tuned, and take a couple more aspirin.

Clinton administration accused of dragging its feet on aid to farmers (Friday, 9/11/98)
Without quick action, large numbers of American farmers are doomed, according to Senate Democrats. As a slight indicator of what the problems are, wheat was selling for more than $6.00 per bushel in 1974 dollars. It's about $2.50 per bushel now, in 1998 dollars. American agriculture is now part of a global economy, so, like never before, events far away are determining what happens on American farms.

More bad news from Japan (Friday, 9/11/98)
A third consecutive quarter of economic contraction has occurred in the world's second largest economy. Economists are saying that it does now appear that Japan has slipped into a deflationary vortex. Meanwhile, the council advising Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has identified 14 issues that need to get top priority, in its judgment, in order to bring about complete recovery of the Japanese economy within two years. David Francis of the Christian Science Monitor reports on the growing number of economists and national leaders who fear worldwide recession. Also, Keith Richburg of the Washington Post reports that a number of Asian economies are watching efforts on the part of both Hong Kong and Malaysian to insulate themselves from the larger world economy and its turbulence.

Supremes decide to rule on sampling issue (Friday, 9/11/98)
Will sampling procedures be incorporated into the big year 2000 count in the U.S.? We'll soon know, because the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to settle the matter.

Keeping African Americans in college (Friday, 9/11/98)
Suzi Parker reports that it's not easy for African Americans to stick with and complete college, particularly in the South. Various programs are underway to help more succeed.

Take a close look at that homeless person. Odds are greater that s/he's a teenager (Friday, 9/11/98)
Jean Hopfensperger writes about a new study that finds an increasing number of Minnesota teenagers are homeless, and there's no particular reason to presume that things are worse in that state than in most others. Speaking of families, the current edition of Business Week has a big section on work-family issues, particularly as these relate to fathers.

More South Korean companies are cutting costs by cutting jobs (Friday, 9/11/98)
Here's the Korea Herald story on a new report from the Korea Labor Institute.

Pensions to be raised to minimum wage equivalency in Portugal (Friday, 9/11/98)
Diario de Noticias reports that the Portuguese government has announced that pensions in that country will no longer pay less than the minimum wage. The changes will go into effect by July 1999.

Imports worry U.S. steel companies and their workers (Friday, 9/11/98)
Donna Smith reports on a new coalition that has been formed to fight to save American jobs in the steel industry.

New poll on managed care (Friday, 9/11/98)
According to new polling results, Americans don't like managed care but don't expect the government to fix things either.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Aging Well Village (Friday, 9/11/98)
Among the principal concerns of most retired people is their health. Here's a new web site intended to provide the elderly with much health-related information. Aging Well Village comes to you from the State of New York.

New Yeltsin nominee (Thursday, 9/10/98)
If Russian President Yeltsin had nominated Viktor Chernomyrdin for prime minister a third time, and the Duma had rejected the nomination a third time, it would have dissolved the Duma and triggered early elections, which Yeltsin might have considered a good thing. However, according to the Russian constitution, this could not happen while impeachment proceedings were in progress, and impeachment was threatened. The whole thing could have resulted in an even more serious political paralysis and constitutional crisis that would further delay the formation of an effective government as well as any hope of dealing with Russia's desperate economic problems, and that could make popular revolt more likely. In fact, many are wondering if Russia is about to undergo "smithereening" as did the old Soviet Union a few years ago. So, Yeltsin is trying to work out a compromise with the communists in the Duma by selecting a person for prime minister that they might find acceptable. Yeltsin's former chief spy is his latest nominee, and observers expect this nomination to be confirmed. Here's the story from Timothy Heritage of Reuters as well as from USA Today. Incidentally, Daniel Williams of the Washington Post writes about one more thing that the Russian economic collapse is shredding: the country's health care system.

Talks continued yesterday at Northwest (Thursday, 9/10/98)
Benno Groeneveld reports that both sides in the Northwest Airlines strike are continuing to talk with each other indirectly through a federal mediator. The Clinton administration sent top officials to Minneapolis to