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February 2000

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Solid growth in Canada (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
Canada's economy grew at an annualized rate of 4.6 percent during the fourth quarter of 1999.

Israeli government takes aim at excessive wage increases (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
Today's Ha'aretz reports that the Knesset Finance Committee plans to retaliate against ministries that have not eliminated wage excesses.

Steelworkers locked out in Duluth (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
It started out as a strike. Now, it's a lockout. Here are details from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Unemployment remains steady in Japan (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
The latest government data show that Japanese unemployment remained at 4.7 percent in January, the same as December.

Clinton wants broader access to any new Medicare prescription medication feature (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
The very high cost of prescription medications in the United States is a crushing burden for the lowest-income seniors, but it's a burden for large numbers of others as well. Charles Babington reports that the President is twisting the Congressional arm in hopes of producing a plan that will have a higher income ceiling for qualifying Medicare recipients.

How the web is fitting into the survival strategy of American farmers (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
One of the attractions of e-commerce is that it can produce enormous efficiencies and cost savings under the right conditions, as well as putting sellers in direct touch with buyers all over the globe. American farmers have noticed and are using the web to find markets for their products. However, Lee Egerstrom writes that many farmers also have jobs in town, and a major reason is to obtain the benefits.

The case for not going to college, even when you can (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
Mary Beth Marklein of USA Today tells about the new book, Success Without College, by a New York Times editor.

Professor agrees with AFL-CIO turnabout (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
A sociology professor at the University of Notre Dame thinks that the huge American labor federation is right in wanting a blanket amnesty for undocumented workers already in the United States. Jorge Bustamante explains why it's such a fundamental change of attitude, given the AFL-CIO's history on immigration and employment matters. Meanwhile, Sara Robinson writes about foreign workers who are in a different situation. These are hi-tech experts who are in the U.S. under temporary work visas, which can mean a new type of indentured servitude, in effect.

More workplace web pornography accessed in the South and West (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
During work hours, workers are three times more likely to download pornography off the web in the South and twice as likely in the West than in the Eastern U.S., according to a new survey conducted by Greenfield Online Inc. We don't know why either.

But, what about the quality of all those new jobs? (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
According to the Council of Economic Advisers and the Office of the Chief Economist, 20 million new jobs have been created in the U.S. since early 1993, and they've been mostly good jobs, according to a recent analysis. Eighty-one percent of them have been in occupational categories paying above-average wages, they say.

What sector had the most layoffs last year? (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, retailing has been cutting jobs at a faster rate than other sectors. Suddenly, already, out of nowhere, one of the reasons is the competition and cost-cutting pressures from online shopping.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Broadening of Higher Education (Tuesday, 2/29/00)
Klara Smolova believes that higher education in the Czech Republic needs to be broadened in a variety of ways. This article comes form the Prague Tribune.

No slack in demand on the horizon (Monday, 2/28/00)
A new survey from Manpower, Inc. forecasts continued demand for workers, as many companies indicate that they intend to keep hiring...if they can. Among the many types of workers in very short supply are machinists, according to Sara Nathan. This Kansas City Star story tells why cities and states in the middle of the continent are worrying about a youth brain drain, while the Arizona Republic tells what it takes to keep top executives from jumping overboard and swimming toward another vessel. Finally, nationally syndicated columnist Carol Kleiman reports that a growing concern with keeping work and the rest of life in balance offers opportunities for employers to recruit and retain more effectively. A lot of people will want to work for you if they believe that you think these issues are important and really want to help with them.

Strikers at Boeing about to start hurting (Monday, 2/28/00)
Boeing's engineers have turned down the company's third offer and talks have broken off. Now, striking workers are going to start feeling the practical effects of the walkout. Here's more from Michael Martinez. In other labor news in a related industry, pilots at Midwest Express have ratified a new five-year contract.

Finalist for saddest place in the world (Monday, 2/28/00)
For those who know anything about world events during recent years, Afghanistan may be near the bottom of the list of places to immigrate. The dismal situation for women and the grinding poverty are just the beginning.

Governors as venture capitalists (Monday, 2/28/00)
Here's Robert Tanner's article in the San Jose Mercury News about the state governors who are directing state funds into new economy ventures. Some still don't get it, though, according to tech industry representatives who have been talking to governors at the meeting of the National Governor's Association.

Who has the biggest hi-tech sector: Germany or India? (Monday, 2/28/00)
India is the world's largest democracy, its second-largest country, and may have more people living in poverty than any other nation on the globe. However, it also has a large modern, advanced, affluent, technically sophisticated population, as well as vigorous hi-tech industries. In order to make the transition from the old heavy industrial economy to the new, Germany will need some outside help, according to the German Chancellor and others. Much of that help may come from Indians, if Germany manages to change some laws in order to make it easier for foreigners to work there.

Once again, Defense looks to Hollywood for help (Monday, 2/28/00)
During the Second World War, the American military relied on Hollywood to impact public opinion in ways favorable to the war effort, and many of the resulting films look like shameless, heavy-handed propaganda in retrospect. But, then, there have been few more righteous wars. Now, Hollywood is being drafted again, this time to help in the recruitment effort. Will young people actually join the military because some star says it's a good idea? Well, many young men may be willing to follow Julia Roberts anywhere, but, like the mass media generally, celebrities are better at attracting attention and creating awareness than at persuasion.

Help with your finances (Monday, 2/28/00)
Today's Wall Street Journal is running one of its excellent special sections, this time having to do with personal finance. Many articles, all worth reading. This publication has a lot of people who know a lot about money. For instance, Bridget O'Brian of the Journal writes via the Houston Chronicle about the use of on-line retirement calculators and why you shouldn't expect the same results from all of them. Incidentally, personal income was up in January.

The case for global corporations as part of the solution rather than most of the problem (Monday, 2/28/00)
Ronald Bosrock acknowledges that globalization has its problems, but a truly global corporation can help fix things, according to him.

More on the changing gender-based family income distribution (Monday, 2/28/00)
Years ago, a major portion of married women did not work outside the home, and, of those who did, the woman's job usually was considered supplementary. Now, her job may be the main one, while her husband's job may be secondary.

The difference a label can make (Monday, 2/28/00)
Are you an employee or a contract worker, and why should you care if it's the same work? Daphne Eviatar of the Christian Science Monitor tells about why it can make a big difference, and why this issue has become one of the most contentious in the new economy.

The difference a century has made (Monday, 2/28/00)
Jeff Brown compares life for the well-off American in 1900 to the similarly privileged today.

Pop quiz: is the new economy more credentials-oriented than the old? (Monday, 2/28/00)
The new work world has become more performance-oriented than ever before, but columnist Amy Lindgren thinks the old economy's preoccupation with "credentials" persists and can get in the way. Still, nobody thinks more of credentials than those who are selling credentials. Scott Kirsner offers an example of a young man who has decided that even a Harvard degree isn't as interesting as simply getting on with it. The new economy is whispering in the ears of some of the most capable young people: "Just do it."

As a public service, we're pointing to this story in order to make you feel better about your last mistake (Monday, 2/28/00)
The Bureau of the Census has sent 12 million letters to the wrong addresses. There, feel better now?

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Software Contractors' Guild (Monday, 2/28/00)
The Software Contractors' Guild is an international organization of software consultants and contractors. Their site lists persons with services to offer, as well as position openings. There are far more of the former listed than the latter, but this does not accurately reflect overall demand in the new economy. If you're a qualified software professional, a great many people are looking for you right now.

Talks break down at Boeing (Sunday, 2/27/00)
The strike of Boeing's engineers and other technical people continues after three more days of mostly unproductive negotiations. There is better news from American Axle where the UAW has made a deal with the company.

The job of IMF head is still open (Sunday, 2/27/00)
You may have to hurry, though, if you're interested. The nearly eternal process of settling on a new leader for the International Monetary Fund may be approaching its end.

Women doing better in advertising (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Yael Gaoni of Ha'aretz writes from Israel about how women have been gaining considerable ground in management positions, particularly in the advertising industry. Few are partners yet, though.

Gender shift (Sunday, 2/27/00)
In a growing number of relationships, according to Amy Goldstein, the woman earns more than the man.

One way in which Canada would like to become more like its huge neighbor to the south (Sunday, 2/27/00)
David Crane of the Toronto Star says that Canada needs to increase its productivity levels in order to raise Canadian living standards.

Stereotyping in the guise of financial advice? (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Michelle Singletary thinks that the authors of several new books may be laboring under false assumptions having to do with how African Americans handle money. In a somewhat related story, the NAACP is attempting to head off Florida on its intended ban of affirmative action at state-supported colleges and in state contracts. Also, presidential candidate Bradley points out that the strong American economy isn't benefiting everybody. In other late news, the sun usually rises in the east, milk is white, and a lot of grass is green. Anything else you'd like to know? Incidentally, another thing that seems to be lacking in the hot American economy is increased rates of savings.

Something more than your garden-variety workplace hazard (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Workers in the nuclear industry routinely were exposed to radiation years ago, which has devastated many of their lives since. Nothing can adequately compensate them at this point, but they feel they should be paid anyway. On the other hand, if you're a filmmaker in India, you may face a different kind of occupational danger. Celia Dugger of the New York Times writes from Bombay about how success can attract the attention of violent gangs.

What would it take to put the American economy in the tank? (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Mike Meyers utters the dirty "r-word" and says that one implication of the longest expansion in American history is that a large proportion of the American population has no more memory of the last recession than of World War I. Conditions remain good, and a lot of people are optimistic. Nonetheless, from some economists can be heard a discouraging word.

Geekishness is in (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Jon Tevlin reports that the new economy means never having to say you're socially unattractive if you're a geek.

How to keep a valuable employee (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Paula Bern has some advice for a correspondent who fears the loss of a good employee. For heaven's sake, speak up, she says. In a labor market that offers many opportunities, people are less-inclined to stick with a job that may fall considerably short of ideal in some way. Employers are trying to retain the people they need, and, as part of an effort toward that end, they're getting together in order to try to learn more about the specific reasons new hires quit.

Life after farming (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Philip Brasher reports that thousands of American farmers are getting out, which isn't necessarily bad news for them in the long-run. For one thing, farmers tend to have a tremendous range of practical and managerial skills, as well as rock-solid dependability and great capacity for hard work. If you're an employer, what else do you want?

The people who sell biz uniforms fight back (Sunday, 2/27/00)
The increasingly informal dress in the American workplace is not good news if you're in the traditional business apparel business. If you're dressing down most days a week, is it too much to ask to dress up on one? The menswear industry doesn't think so, and, in fact, would encourage it.

Where you can earn your e-c degree, see? (Sunday, 2/27/00)
That's "e-commerce degree," to Rip Van Winkel and others who have been out of touch for a while. Is such a thing available? Uvvvv, course. Here's a story from the Arizona Republic telling about the growing number of higher ed institutions that are offering the new major. Incidentally, are all e-commerce companies newbies? Not by a long shot, says Russ Wiles. Some old-economy companies are likely to become major players.

Famous, expensive colleges attract more people than can be accepted (Sunday, 2/27/00)
Jacques Steinberg reports on the tough job facing the people who have to decide whom to accept and whom to turn away. It may be particularly tough considering that the decision-makers probably have no real idea of who's going to end up making a real difference in the long-run and who isn't, whether or not they attend a famous, expensive college. However, in American society, exclusivity still sells. Oscar Wilde presumably didn't have the U.S. in mind when you wisecracked about the people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing, but he probably could have. Particularly now that so many people have more money than they need and want to use it as a weapon against those less privileged.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: OSHA: Small Business (Sunday, 2/27/00)
OSHA conducts seminars for small business and explains why you need an ergonomic program, even if your company isn't on the Fortune 500 listing.

The contest between the American economy and the Fed (Saturday, 2/26/00)
The Federal Reserve is trying to slow growth a bit in order to head off inflation, but the economy doesn't seem to be cooperating. Here's more from Vincent Del Giudice and Alex Tanzi about a national economy that doesn't seem to want to tap the breaks at all. Gregg Krupa of the Boston Globe offers a regional example of how things are going. Massachusetts unemployment is at its lowest level in 13 years. Remember when people were worrying about New England?

What it takes to make it as an American farmer (Saturday, 2/26/00)
New thinking and creative actions, according to Todd Wilkinson's report.

Hard times in health care (Saturday, 2/26/00)
Phil Galewitz reports on the financial crisis faced by many major health organizations which, among other things, is leading to major staff cuts. Columnist Jerry Heaster of the Kansas City Star reports that a growing number of medical economists expect the whole managed care approach to come crashing down.

The old economy vs. the new economy? (Saturday, 2/26/00)
The American economy is growing like crazy. The Dow has slipped considerably below 10,000, but the Nasdaq composite index has been having a hell of a week. What's going on? Here are some questions and some answers that may make things clearer.

Women in the Japanese work world (Saturday, 2/26/00)
Tomoko Haneda has won a landmark discrimination suit, but a reduction in the overall level of sex bias isn't necessarily brewing across the Japanese economy. Being female is still an overwhelming career handicap for most.

Power shift (Saturday, 2/26/00)
Mark Clayton says that graduating students are in the driver's seat in an economy where the Internet is gaining in importance and where there is a shortage of technical expertise. The new economy is requiring major adjustments on the part of both individuals and organizations of all types. For instance, a new report to the National Governors' Association tells states what they will have to do in order to get along under vastly changed conditions. Whole countries also have to make major adjustments. For instance, Hans Greimel tells why it's difficult for German companies to hire the foreign hi-tech help they need, and why the Chancellor wants some changes in the law.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Chronicle of Higher Education Career Network (Saturday, 2/26/00)
Here's career help for academics from higher ed's gold standard newspaper. The Chronicle's Career Network includes articles as well as job postings. However, while access to earlier postings is free, you'll need to be a subscriber to access the most recent.

Growth stronger than originally thought (Friday, 2/25/00)
A while back, the Commerce Department was saying that the American economy grew at an annual rate of 5.8 percent during the final quarter of 1999. Scratch that. Revised data show that it was really 6.9 percent, which helps explain Fed's Chairman Greenspan's concern that inflation may be waiting to pounce down on the other side of the horizon someplace. He's indicated that further interest rate hikes are coming, and this has led to renewed speculation about whether the Dow will reach 10,000--except that, this time, it's coming from the other direction on its way down. President Clinton has been trying to reassure various nervous persons that Alan Greenspan really isn't changing his policy. Of course, the President simply helped Greenspan keep his job. He's not Alan's boss.

Chalk up a point for the Europeans (Friday, 2/25/00)
The WTO has ruled against tax breaks for U.S. companies that export their products. Incidentally, organizers are planning to bring thousands of protesters to Washington, D. C. to make their feelings known about the World Trade Organization. Presumably, some of these may be the same people who turned the Seattle WTO meeting into an unproductive debacle and set back the move to open international trade further.

States not using all the money intended for helping the poor (Friday, 2/25/00)
According to a new study, states are simply sitting on $7 billion in federal funds intended to help combat poverty.

What to do about the depression in American agriculture (Friday, 2/25/00)
New data from the United States Department of Agriculture forecasts even worse conditions for farmers this decade than during the 1990s. The Ag Secretary would like to see some new policies put in place, including some changes in the Freedom to Farm Act, which many have called "freedom to fail" or "freedom to starve." Incidentally, this law went into effect the same year that the new telecommunications law changed policy that had been in place since the 1930s, and it has resulted in a tremendous concentration of ownership of broadcast properties in the United States. What was going on in 1996? Was there something in the water?

Restraining order stops Union Pacific strike (Friday, 2/25/00)
The railroad is claiming that the strike over the closing of a facility in Wyoming is illegal. A judge has issued a temporary restraining order, so workers are ordered to return to the jobs. In other labor news, talks have started up again at Boeing in Seattle, some major labor leaders, including John Sweeney, have from a presidential trade panel, and there were fewer major strikes in 1999 than during any year since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started counting in 1947.

Help with your money (Friday, 2/25/00)
Here's the Kansas City Star's personal finance guide for the year 2000.

Are men's suits on the endangered list? (Friday, 2/25/00)
There is growing evidence that the familiar male business uniform is about to join powdered wigs, knee pants, and large buckle shoes as extinct masculine attire. Mary Gottschalk writes about the growing trend toward informal dress at work. Translation: "less standardized." Isn't this what we should expect? The old economy was organized in a quasi-military fashion in which fairly mindless conformity was highly valued. Exactly the opposite is the case in the new economy, so we should expect increasing diversity of all kinds. One implication: you may not have to feel obligated to spend a lot of money on a wholly non-functional and not even particularly ornamental scrap of cloth to tie around your neck much longer. And a lot of traditional business people think that young people putting rings in their lips doesn't make any sense?

Let's hear it for a "feel-bad" style (Friday, 2/25/00)
Houston Chronicle columnist L. M. Sixel says that research isn't finding that a sensitive management style affects the bottom-line particularly. However, the fact that he chooses to use terms like "feel-good" and "touchy-feely" in describing human resource experiments reflects a common attitude in business which can affect expectations and interpretations, as well as the way new things are tried.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Attracting and Retaining Awesome People (Friday, 2/25/00)
Here's some help for entrepreneurs and small business people who want to hire high-quality employees. It's part of the Lycos Business Guide, and includes a number of articles on relevant issues.

Bradley offers plan for worker safety net (Thursday, 2/24/00)
According to the Democratic presidential candidate, a governmentally-sponsored insurance program could assist American workers who are displaced as a consequence of international trade agreements. Meanwhile, David Sanger of the New York Times reports that supporters of the intended trade agreement with China are nervous that it could all come crashing down, in part because of Vice-President Gore's apparent nervousness about it, as well as because of China's increasingly bellicose atttitude toward Taiwan. You may remember that the Untied States once maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan rather than China, and, in fact, used to station a large number of U.S. troops on the island. The United States had to severe diplomatic relations with Taiwan in order to establish relations with China, but it is unlikely that the U.S. would stand by and watch China invade Taiwan. In the "is there really intelligent life on earth" department, given China's current effort to join the WTO, this seems a strange time for them to stir up things in relation to Taiwan.

Schroeder's plan for bringing Germany from the old economy into the new (Thursday, 2/24/00)
Germany has the third-largest economy in the world and has been a post-war powerhouse during most of the years since the Nazis were replaced by a modern European democracy. However, Germany has been struggling for about a decade, in part because it has been faced with the huge costs of post-Cold War reunification at the same time that it has been trying to transform its economy from one based on heavy industry to one based on information. Chancellor Schroeder has a plan for moving that process along. He wants to attract more hi-tech experts from outside the country and also get more Germans on the Internet. John Schmid of the Paris-based International Herald Tribune says it will mean having to help his countrymen to overcome their traditional technophobia.

Recruitment via the Internet (Thursday, 2/24/00)
Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun reports that the Japanese Electrical, Electronic and Information Union plans to make heavy use of the Internet in its effort to recruit new members as well as communicate with present ones.

What are the Supremes thinking? (Thursday, 2/24/00)
Robert Pear of the New York Times says that the Supreme Court seems skeptical of allowing Americans to sue their HMOs over bonuses for physicians who hold costs down. The members of the high Court may have their own reasons. In fact, they almost certainly have their own reasons, given the unique role of the Court in American society, and these reasons are likely to have mostly to do with the Constitution. No matter how the Court decides on this particular case, though, there is still the larger question of how it has happened that such a blatant conflict of interest has crept into the ancient and honorable healing profession. Traditionally, conflicts of interest have been regarded as clearly unethical for most professionals and can provide a short route to loss of license. What on earth is going on?

US Airways attendants may strike in a month (Thursday, 2/24/00)
A 30-day cooling off period has begun, but a strike of attendants at US Airways could happen after this period expires. However, Frank Swoboda of the Washington Post reports that the airline is threatening to shut down if attendants carry through with threatened disruptive tactics. Since they're sixth-largest in the U.S., we presume that a shutdown would be only temporary.

Secret Service agents request right to file class-action suit (Thursday, 2/24/00)
The Secret Service protects the president and vice-president and does other things as well. African-American agents are alleging racial bias in promotions. Speaking of promotions, Kansas City Star columnist Diane Stafford discusses the often-unclear criteria that seem to affect promotion decisions and cite some cases in which sex discrimination has been alleged. Also, as you're paging through the Kansas City Star, you'll be happy to run across its career guide for graduates.

You ain't seen nuthin' yet, according to some experts (Thursday, 2/24/00)
The Tuesday edition of the Los Angeles Times contained an article analyzing the contributions of tech-driven productivity increases to the current economic boom in the U.S. Until fairly recently, thoughtful folks were puzzled about why productivity levels remained mostly the same, despite tremendous investments in technology over many years. Now, though, productivity has been increasing rapidly, and many experts are saying we are only at the very beginning of these gains. Perhaps it was more a people problem than a tecuhnology problem all along. Perhaps, finally, we've learned how to make full and effective use of the new technological tools. But, what about the resulting economic growth? Will it continue? Alan Greenspan seems more convinced now that the American economy can continue growing for quite a long time, given what may really be fundamental novel conditions. However, he doesn't believe that current growth rates are sustainable, so he wants to slow things down a bit with additional interest rate increases. Meanwhile, President Clinton is organizing an April summit of business, academic, and governmental leaders to discuss ways of keeping the American explansion going.

In the new century, what your enemy may try to do if he really wants to hurt you (Thursday, 2/24/00)
Vernon Loeb reports that many experts are saying that the increasingly important Internet economy is more vulnerable to the actions of foreign governments than to hackers.

Economics as a solution to social problems (Thursday, 2/24/00)
Not only are there two famous and influential men named George Bush, there are also two famous and influential men named Jesse Jackson, and, like the former pair, they happen to be father and son. The Jesses Jackson have collaborated on a new book about money, and it doesn't mean that they've abandoned their interest in civil rights and social progress.

The change from blue to white on the picket line (Thursday, 2/24/00)
Dean Paton writes in the Christian Science Monitor about one of the new economy's more visible changes which can be seen in the strike of Boeing's engineers.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Political Economy Bibliography (Thursday, 2/24/00)
Here are a great many references relating to political economy put together by David Robertson at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

No more racial preferences at state-supported higher ed institutions in Florida (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
The OTHER Governor Bush has won one in Florida. Here are details on the end of affirmative action in college enrollments and state contracting from Michael Peltier.

More on Second World War slavery (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
Two new lawsuits have been filed against Japanese companies on behalf of persons who were forced to work as slaves during W. W. II. In more current news from Japan, a big electronics company has lost a discrimination suit.

Trucker protest in D. C. (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
High oil prices have put the squeeze on American truckers. Hundreds of them have congregated in Washington, D. C. in an effort to get the government's attention and secure some help.

Judge rules against New York City workfare rule (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
New York cannot force people to work in exchange for shelter, and the big city's mayor isn't pleased.

Digging deeper for MBAs (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
The New York Times reports that big-name investment banks are getting less bigoted about MBA graduates from the so-called "second-tier" universities, given the tight labor market. In case you're about to take all the "credentials" stuff too seriously, it's important to keep in mind that many of the most spectacularly creative and successful business people in both the old economy and the new have not completed a university business curriculum at all. In fact, even in purely academic areas, many of modern history's most influential creative scholars did not go through the conventional academic training rut. Reality, folks, reality.

On eating and having a car at the same time (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
These may not be mutually exclusive conditions for you, but, for many persons collecting food stamps and also being able to get to work have been difficult. President Clinton has a plan for helping many low-income people solve this problem.

So, you don't want to get the IRS' attention (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
A. J. Cook identifies some things you might want to avoid doing if you would like to avoid a tax audit. David Francis writes in today's Christian Science Monitor about the reasons for a significant decrease in the number of IRS audits, and whether it will mean that more people will be pushing their luck.

Supremes to examine conflict of interest issue in relation to physicians (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
Some people are nervous about having contract work done by the lowest bidder, and you might be nervous if you knew that your doctor has an incentive for spending as little of the HMO's money as possible on your treatment. The Supreme Court will rule on a case that could have broad implications.

Meeting Thursday at Boeing (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
Boeing's engineers are still on strike, but a meeting between representatives of both sides is scheduled for Thursday. Meanwhile Lockheed Martin will cut its workforce in the Fort Worth region by about 110 persons.

Internet startups and Canada's economic future (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
Toronto Star columnist David Crane writes about a new report describing the conditions under which Canada could achieve growth rates similar to those of the U.S.. It's about the Internet.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Working Women's Forum (Wednesday, 2/23/00)
Working Women's Forum is an organization of more than 5.5 million working women in India dedicated to the eradication of poverty and the economic security and well-being of women.

Big job cuts at Unilever (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
Things at Unilever have been a bit sluggish, so, in order to sharpen up the company a bit, they will cut 10 percent of their work force over the next five years. This amounts to 25,000 jobs.

Is the Social Security earnings test more than 60 years past its time? (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
The Social Security rule that reduces benefits for those who earn more than a certain minimum was intended to reduce competition for scarce jobs a very long time ago. Unless you've been locked in the basement for several years, you know that the labor problem now is precisely the opposite. The Washington Post editorializes about the likelihood that the earnings test as a very short future.

Employers want them, workers want them (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
Nearly everybody who understands how the work world has changed so fundamentally wants them. They are hi-tech skills, and this Business Week article says the popularity of these wonderful things may mean that employer-provided PCs and Internet access at home may prove to be an increasingly popular employee benefit. So far, Ford and Delta have announced programs to put all their workers at the keyboard and on-line.

Look who's been getting big raises in Israel (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
Moti Bassok writes about a new report showing that some top officials in the public sector have been collecting salaries so out of the ordinary that they appear to be illegal. Also in Israel today, Joel Greenberg reports that there is a controversy over whether farm work is year-round or seasonal.

Eriss in Tarrant County (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
Eriss is a private corporation that provides highly analytical and practical workforce information on specific localities. Jeanne Graham and Lila LaHood of the Fort Worth Star Telegram have more on what Eriss is saying about Tarrant County, Texas. Proponents claim that Eriss provides useful information that can be several notches above that available from the government.

Is conception too late to begin training for the new economy? (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
The February 6 edition of the Raleigh News and Observer contains a story about parents who are trying to give their children a head start in the new business world by helping them learn a second language. However, the interesting part of this story is that some parents are putting children in second-language daycare facilities with a view toward this end as early as age one. All, well, honest.

Who needs more pilots? Nearly every top airline (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
Pilots are in short supply, so some companies are beginning to lower hiring criteria. Should you worry?

So what in hell is a "virtual employee" and why should you care? (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
Nationally syndicated columnist Jane Bryant Quinn explains the idea's attractions: independence but employee benefits. Careful of hype, though, she says. Douglas Armstrong examines the changing meaning of the concept of "employee" and what you need to know about it if you have someone doing work for you. Why do you need to know? Think "government regulations."

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (Tuesday, 2/22/00)
The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan sponsors hundreds of events each year and its web site offers a variety of advanced feature to persons who register.

Okay, what shape is the Japanese economy REALLY in? (Monday, 2/21/00)
As we reported yesterday, many experts outside Japan fear that the world's second-largest economy may be slipping into recession again after some modest growth. However, data from the Japanese government are indicating that things are looking a bit better again.

Loss of energy in post-boom Japan (Monday, 2/21/00)
Howard French on the epidemic of "chronic fatigue syndrome" among Japan's workers trying to cope with the peculiar stresses of the period following Japan's "economic miracle."

Clinton wants states to broaden criteria for heating oil assistance (Monday, 2/21/00)
You may have noticed that oil prices have been up considerably lately, and this is affecting the cost of fuel oil, as well as gasoline and other oil-based products. President Clinton is urging eighteen states to allow somewhat higher income families to receive fuel oil assistance. The American economy isn't as sensitive to crude oil prices as it once was, but, as Joseph Kahn reports for the New York Times, experts still worry that current high prices could reignite inflation in the American economy. One man whose job it is to be among the chief worriers on this issue is Chairman Greenspan, and Mort Rosenblum has more about him.

China's getting closer (Monday, 2/21/00)
...To membership in the WTO, that is, according to the World Trade Organization's director-general. A number of bilateral agreements remain, however. Still, Mike Moore hopes things will be wrapped up this year.

Okay, so you made a mistake. Now, it's time to bail out (Monday, 2/21/00)
Columnist Amy Joyce has some thoughts about what to do when you've gotten yourself into a job that isn't what you thought it would be.

Interpreting productivity statistics (Monday, 2/21/00)
Fred Zimmerman is pleased with recent productivity levels in the United States, but he thinks it's important to take measurement criteria into account and keep things in perspective.

Microsoft changes policy on long-term temps (Monday, 2/21/00)
Microsoft Corporation has been the center of much strife over the difference between workers who are more-or-less permanently temporary, on the one hand, and genuine full-time workers, on the other. The software giant has decided to ban the use of "permatemps."

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: HRMJobs.com (Monday, 2/21/00)
HRMJobs.com is a jobs site for human resource professionals.

Peril from oil prices (Sunday, 2/20/00)
The American Energy Secretary is afraid that high oil prices could jeopardize global economic growth. Secretary Richardson has been talking with Mexican officials about increasing oil output in order to drive prices down.

What will be the practical effects of that trade conference in Bangkok? (Sunday, 2/20/00)
Despite handshakes and smiles all around, the world's poor countries may or may not have reason to be optimistic about benefiting from increased global trade. Some economies have been having trouble because they've been among the "have-nots" all along. Others are still having trouble because of the lingering effects of the Asian contagion that started about 2 1/2 years ago in Thailand, coincidentally. An example of the latter is Brunei, whose government is launching a program to kick-start its economy.

Change in work rules could come soon (Sunday, 2/20/00)
If you're over 65 and collecting Social Security, you may be able to return to work very soon, if you want, earning as much as you like, and continue receiving your full Social Security benefits. It is one change whose time appears to have come. For one thing, a tight labor market needs you, so, you can begin rolling up your sleeves.

Clinton releases millions in grants to help train underprivileged youth (Sunday, 2/20/00)
As many as 44,000 young people may benefit from $223 in grants from the federal government.

Why so many people are worrying about Japan (Sunday, 2/20/00)
Other Asians worried about Japan during the 1930s for very different reasons. Now, they and others, particularly U.S. officials, are worried that Japan seems to be sliding back into recession, and what this may mean for a region that has been climbing out of the hole dug by the financial collapse of 1997-1998. Japan's economy is second-largest in the world and about twice as large as the other Asian economies put together, so what happens there tends to influence all of Asia and much of the rest of the world, including the U.S. Chie Matsumoto reports in Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun on what may appear to be a paradox: lots of job openings at a recent job fair in Tokyo, but with foreign companies.

Austria has Haider, but the U.S. has Duke (Sunday, 2/20/00)
David Duke may have been born several decades too late and in the wrong country, but he does continue to find an audience, although usually small. He's been speaking against immigration in North Carolina. Meanwhile, many Austrians are taking to the streets in order to notify their government that they're not interested in a replay of the political events of about 60 years ago.

Settlement on discrimination complaint at Ford Motor Company (Sunday, 2/20/00)
Ford has reached an agreement with the Labor Department that will result in its paying $3.8 million and hiring a hundred women and minority workers.

Air France pilots strike, but few planes will be grounded (Sunday, 2/20/00)
Air France doesn't expect much disruption of its normal operations because of a strike by three small pilots' unions.

Man's inhumanity to man hasn't gone out of style (Sunday, 2/20/00)
Martha Irvine reports on the sweatshops that still exist in the United States and how federal investigators are trying to find them. Also, are American employers obeying child labor laws? For the most part, yes, according to knowledgeable observers. The shooting death of Nick Kunselman in Colorado seems to reflect an unusual case. At any rate, Nick shouldn't have been working in the shop at that time of night. Elsewhere in the world, there are plenty of children working themselves to exhaustion, and, in some cases, it borders or slavery or even crosses the line. Aliza Arbeli reports in today's Ha'aretz on how very young Palestinian children are performing grueling agricultural labor in Western Negev.

Where workers are in high demand (Sunday, 2/20/00)
Kansas City Star columnist Diane Stafford says the hot occupations aren't all in the hi-tech industries. Also, Ms. Stafford has some advice for a correspondent who wonders about placement agencies.

It may be easier to get that home-office deduction this time (Sunday, 2/20/00)
The IRS has liberalized the rules to bring them more in line with the realities of many self-employed persons in the new economy. In other tax news, the New York Times' David Cay Johnston says that corporations are paying less but individuals are paying more.

The rationale behind the "behavioral interview" (Sunday, 2/20/00)
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, or so a lot of people in business believe. Nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman tells how this belief has led to the increasingly popular "behavioral interview."

How to feel very poor on $50,000 per year (Sunday, 2/20/00)
At that level of income, you probably won't be able to find a place to live that you can afford in Silicon Valley, where the median family income is highest in the United States.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The USDA Economics and Statistics System (Sunday, 2/20/00)
Here are hundreds of reports and datasets from the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA Economics and Statistics System comes to you from Cornell University, but there are also a number of other partners supporting the project.

Economic troubles in the Czech Republic (Saturday, 2/19/00)
For a time, the Czech Republic showed the greatest promise among former members of the old Soviet-dominated Eastern block. Recently, though, as Bruce Stanley reports from Plzen, the fast track has developed some major potholes.

Gore supports China agreement (Saturday, 2/19/00)
The AFL-CIO doesn't agree, but Vice-President Al Gore says that the trade agreement with China will benefit American workers. The Clinton administration has been pushing to finalize China's membership in the World Trade Organization, and U.S. envoy Rita Hayes thinks it will happen this year. Meanwhile, a week-long UN trade meeting has been going on in Bangkok, where the world's poorest nations have been pushing for changes in international trade that can help their economies improve. The head of the UNCTAD thinks the talks have healed some wounds.

Fed to go slow on interest rates (Saturday, 2/19/00)
The stock market has gotten a little cranky in response to Alan Greenspan's signals that interest rates will have to go up more in order to prevent the strong American economy from overheating. But, Fed Governor Edward Kelley says that the increases will occur gradually.

The need to rationalize the child-care subsidy (Saturday, 2/19/00)
The affluent have been getting it, but the poorest haven't, according to today's Washington Post. It's time to make the system more rational and also more fair, according to the paper's editorial writers. Meanwhile, Jeanette Huber defends stay-at-home moms and their value.

American workers at their computers for a third of their workday (Saturday, 2/19/00)
On the average, American workers are now spending a third of their workday at their computers, according to Rutgers University and University of Connecticut researchers. However, all time is not necessarily spent working, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Most people have faster Internet connections at work than at home, and this encourages more web surfing on the job.

More on that new PC/Internet benefit (Saturday, 2/19/00)
Eric Ewarts of the Christian Science Monitor examines the new policy of company-provided computers for workers. So far, to his knowledge and ours, only Ford and Delta, among major companies, are doing, it, but it could catch on.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: American Agricultural Economics Association (Saturday, 2/19/00)
Here's the official web site of the American Agricultural Economics Association, including employment services, back issues of the association's newsletter, and more.

Ford cuts jobs in the UK (Friday, 2/18/00)
Ford will eliminate 1,500 jobs at its largest plant in Britain. In Boston, USA, Children's Hospital will lay off about 50 workers, according to Liz Kowalczyk of the Boston Globe, and Saks will cut 460 jobs.

Florida regents support Jeb Bush's plan to eliminate affirmative action (Friday, 2/18/00)
The Florida governor has been working toward eliminating affirmative action at state-supported colleges. Now that the regents have approved it, it seems close to going into effect.

Move to organize at Kentucky Toyota plant (Friday, 2/18/00)
Workers who are trying to get the UAW to represent them are seeking wage parity in relation to Ford and GM workers in the region. In other labor news, workers at Bezeq in Israel have "declared a dispute," which gives them the legal right to announce a strike. It has to do with government plans to privatize the company.

Affording early retirement (Friday, 2/18/00)
If you retire in your 50s, it could mean that you will spend as many years in retirement as you have in your career. Jonathan Clements of the Wall Street Journal offers some help in facing the fairly grim economic realities, in case you're trying to figure out what it will take. Beth Healy of the Boston Globe reports that a great many Massachusetts state workers are unhappy with changes in their voluntary retirement plan. In Israeli, government official Rami Daya is concerned about the lack of competition among pension funds and wants to do something about. Finally, Bell Atlantic will pay a one-time bonus to many of its retirees in order to try to help them feel better about the very long time since they've had a pension increase.

You've been offered a new job. Whom should you tell? (Friday, 2/18/00)
L. M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle examines the pros and cons of letting it be known that you've been offered a job that you've turned down.

Many Americans are working more and enjoying it less (Friday, 2/18/00)
High levels of productivity in the United States are, in part, a result of more effective use of technology, but Americans are working longer and harder too. Columnist Amy Gage tells about a recent conference in which work-family issues were examined.

Not all states are enjoying surpluses (Friday, 2/18/00)
While many states have the problem of deciding what to do with all of the extra money that's been accumulating, there are some that are wrestling with deficits. Michael Janofsky of the New York Times offers Wyoming as an example.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Economic Calendar (Friday, 2/18/00)
Here's an economic calendar from The Dismal Scientist and Homowners.com that can help you keep in touch day-by-day.

Get ready for significantly higher interest rates (Thursday, 2/17/00)
Fed Head Greenspan has let it be known that interest rates may have to be raised more than a tiny bit in order to keep inflation out of our new-economy lives.

AFL-CIO wants a lot of immigrants made legal (Thursday, 2/17/00)
The big labor confederation is calling for general amnesty for as many as 6 million illegal immigrants. The labor organization would also like to see an end to a policy that penalizes employers for hiring illegal immigrants.

Initial jobless claims decline (Thursday, 2/17/00)
First-time applications for jobless benefits went down during the latest week, according to Labor Department data.

Violent protest in South Africa (Thursday, 2/17/00)
South African cab drivers don't like plans to reorganize their industry, and they're showing their displeasure in fairly direct fashion. Steven Swindells reports from Joannesburg that violence has broken out.

WTO head optimistic about China membership (Thursday, 2/17/00)
Mike Moore would like to see China become a member of the World Trade Organization, and thinks it could happen during the first half of this year. At the same time, the American AFL-CIO mobilizes its resources to oppose China's membership bid. Meanwhile, representatives attending a United Nations trade conference in Thailand appear to have reached tentative agreement on a plan for reducing poverty through trade. Finally, as Gustav Niebuhr writes in today's New York Times, a number of Christian groups are coming together to call for a coordinated effort to fight persistent poverty within the context of overall good economic times.

Sides dig in at Boeing (Thursday, 2/17/00)
The strike of Boeing's engineers is beginning its second week, and, so far, little flexibility has been shown on either side.

Don't email us; we'll email you (Thursday, 2/17/00)
Kansas City Star columnist Diane Stafford reports that more and more job applicants are receiving quicker replies via the Internet.

Contradictions in Japan's economy (Thursday, 2/17/00)
Clay Chandler and Akiko Kashiwagi write from Tokyo for the International Herald Tribune about the Japanese economy, which is beginning to look like two economies.

More money for heating oil (Thursday, 2/17/00)
High oil prices have sent home heating oil prices skyward, so President Clinton has ordered the release of $125 million in additional funds to help people keep warm.

UPS must hire 2,000 new full-time workers (Thursday, 2/17/00)
United Parcel Service has 90 days to hire the new workers, according to an order issued by independent arbitrator George Nicolau. It has to do with a five-year year contract between UPS and the Teamsters.

First Pennsylvania, now Michigan (Thursday, 2/17/00)
Students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have occupied a dean's office in order to protest the use of sweatshop labor to produce clothing sold with the university logo.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Ethnologue (Thursday, 2/17/00)
Who speaks what where? Among other things, the global economy means that most of us will no longer be able to confine ourselves to the little patch of earth where we happened to originate or to the language we happened to be taught as a child. Bilingual would be nice; multilingual would be nicer. If you'd like to get the big picture with respect to world languages, Ethnologue is a good place to do it. Here's detailed information about more than 6,700 languages, in fact.

Unemployment increases in Israel (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Joblessness increased by 0.5 in January after falling in December. Here's more from Einat Fishbain of Ha'aretz.

AFL-CIO vigorously supports Gore, but the Teamsters are pushing for Bradley (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Successful Democratic presidential candidates traditionally have had a lot to thank organized labor for, although Ronald Reagan received some union support too. In the current contest for the Democratic nomination, members of the Teamsters have offered strong support to former Senator Bill Bradley.

NLRB ruling stirs med profession (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Should medical residents be allowed to unionize? It's one of the hot controversies right now in medicine. Along similar lines, there have been various moves in recent years to organize graduate teaching assistants at universities, also a controversial issue. Incidentally, a new study from the United Kingdom finds high levels of stress among health care workers, and a study conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges finds women in the medical profession are considerably less likely to achieve high-echelon positions.

Education and homelessness (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Among the many benefits of education seems to be a newly identified one: avoiding life on the streets, literally.

Occupational hazards of physically strenuous work (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Men working in physically demanding jobs are more likely to die in traffic accidents. Here's more about this and other findings from new research published in the current edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Persuading the boss to let you phone it in (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Columnist Kirstin Downey Grimsley responds to a correspondent who wonders about the best way to ask about becoming a telecommuter.

Pennsylvania university officials agree to some student demands regarding sweatshops (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Student protesters have ended an eight-day sit-in at the University of Pennsylvania. They have been protesting the overseas conditions under which clothing carrying university logos is manufactured.

Reuters reporters withhold bylines (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Reuters is the world's largest news wire service and their reporters in the U.S. have been without a contract for two years. In an effort to move things along, many are engaging in a byline strike. Some are thinking that it's a goofy way to try to exert pressure.

Firing people isn't quite enough fun for many (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Charles Butler reports that the task is falling to many young managers who don't welcome it. Also in the New York Times today, David Leonhardt writes about efforts to clarify the definition of "worker" in the new economy, and Lisa Belkin reports on the great increase in the need for elder care, and how this will complicate work-life balance issues for many people.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The World Wide Web Security FAQ (Wednesday, 2/16/00)
Recent events have put web security on nearly everybody's mind, particularly people who want to engage in e-commerce. Here's a relevant FAQ site from Lincoln Stein of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

You may soon be able to earn as much as you like and collect full Social Security benefits too (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
A bill moving through Congress appears to have key Republican support as well as support at the White House. The President takes it as a good sign that he and Congressional Republicans can also get together on other issues relating to Social Security.

Employers in France want the 35-hour work week law changed (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
The law was enacted by people thinking that it will help reduce France's high unemployment. However, employers say that it's too expensive and want some modifications. In Israel, some would like to see a longer school day, but the teachers' union seems to be providing effective opposition.

AFL-CIO still supports Gore (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
John McCain seems to be stimulating interest among many people who have not considered themselves conservative Republicans, including many Independents, Democrats, even liberal Democrats. There are indications that some of organized labor's rank and file like him too, but the head of the AFL-CIO says that the big labor federation is still solidly behind Gore.

Hi-tech is causing a major reallocation of financial resources (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
Toronto Star columnist David Crane looks at how high-technology is restructuring the American economy.

Who will succeed Michel Camdessus as head of the IMF? (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
There's a lot of competition, and as Alan Friedman writes in the International Herald Tribune, prospects for Germany's candidate seem to be improved by a change of attitude on the part of France.

More good employment news from Spain (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
Spain is getting used to success and good times. For one thing, the Spanish people managed, under the leadership of a courageous young king, to transform their country from a fascist dictatorship to a vital European democracy within just a few years following the death of Franco. Over the years since, Spain has become Europe's fifth-largest economy. Unemployment in Span hits its lowest level last quarter in 19 years.

Election years can be hazardous to budgets (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
Today's Washington Post has sharpened its pencils and has found that the surplus could be used up fast if all the plans for using it were implemented. Also, according to them, some of these aren't quite what they are made out to be. An example is the Republican plan for reducing the "marriage penalty," says the Post.

But, could the statue of David have been done by a committee? (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
Carol Hymowitz writes in today's Wall Street Journal on how to avoid hiring people who hate teamwork. Not all creative, self-sufficient individualists are prima donnas, though, and an emphasis on conformity probably isn't what the new economy requires.

Pension plan gets the flu (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
Dane Smith reports that the Minnesota Legislature may end up having to rescue a major public employee pension system, and that could carry a very high price tag. Also in Minnesota, plans are developing for a new $88 million hi-tech business campus in Minneapolis which could create a lot of new jobs.

Temp agency fined by INS (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Express Personnel has been employing more than 100 persons who, while in the U.S. legally as students, are not authorized to work in the United States. The INS has fined the company $141,295.

A new farm subsidy loophole you can drive the largest tractors through (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
The small American family farm is very much on the endangered list, and, until now, crop subsidies have been limited to $150,000 per producer. However a new program will enable very large operators, including corporate farms, to collect unlimited subsidies.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Top 50 Colleges for Black Collegians (Tuesday, 2/15/00)
Johns Hopkins University professor Thomas LaVeist has teamed with Black Enterprise magazine to present the first listing of top colleges for African American students. The listing is based on Professor LaVeist's research on thousands of American higher education institutions and uses multiple criteria of special interest to black students and their families.

Stormy trade meeting in Bangkok (Monday, 2/14/00)
Delegates seem to agree that many key issues remain unresolved. Among these are some relating to the world's poorest countries and how they are likely to be affected by globalization and free trade. A new United Nations report isn't encouraging. It finds that the 48 poorest countries in the world already are being marginalized with worsening conditions likely to develop from now on unless a way can be found to bring them in to the new global economy under conditions from which they can benefit. Michel Camdessus, head of the International Monetary Fund, calls for a shakeup of the world's richest countries, commonly referred to as "G7." He's about to retire after 13 years as head of the IMF, and, as Naomi Koppel reports, he's going out on a sour note. Among the many persons who have not been satisfied with his performance apparently is the individual who threw a pie at the IMF chief in Bangkok.

Requiring a delicate touch (Monday, 2/14/00)
Those who are in charge of regulating the American economy can easily do more harm than good, and they're aware of that. If you think you've got a hard job, consider the responsibilities of Greenspan, Summers and others who are trying to keep the booming economy from overheating without screwing everything up.

Why should employers care if people fall in love on the job? (Monday, 2/14/00)
Nan DeMars takes time out on Valentine's Day to examine Cupid's changing job description in a rapidly evolving economy.

Is India an underdeveloped country or an advanced country? (Monday, 2/14/00)
It's both, and demographers are forecasting that it will become the world's most populous country sometime later in the 21st century, surpassing China, which currently has about one-quarter of the world's population. India has a vast multitude of persons living in poverty, but it also contains an advanced, highly educated, affluent middle-class as large as the combined total populations of Germany and France. Moreover, when you think India, do you readily think "hi-tech?" You should, because the world's largest democracy is also one of the world's high-technology leaders with an advanced software industry, among other things. The current international edition of Business Week explains how technology is benefiting the Indian economy and how politicians and others are pushing to get the entire country wired quickly. Incidentally, speaking of China, here's a case for granting the world's largest country permanent normal trade relations, as presented by editorial writers from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

More on the drive to increase the number of H-1B visas (Monday, 2/14/00)
The American economy's insatiable appetite for technically-skilled workers could result in major changes in U.S. immigration policy, according to Bradley Books.

Another kind of diversity (Monday, 2/14/00)
In the old economy, it was easier to guess what workers wanted, and many people still want some of the same things many workers have always wanted. However, there have been some changes too, and this means having to tailor incentives to the increasingly diverse interests of the people who are working for you. For instance, as John Lang reports, many X-ers are more interested in time than money. Along similar lines, Richard Carelli writes in today's Fort Worth Star Telegram about the growing interest on the part of lawyers to balance their lives to a greater extent. For years, there have been persistent rumors that major professions such as law and medicine contain a lot of smart people, but this is hard to reconcile with the tendency of both professions to try to kill off their young members and encourage the development of work and lifestyle habits that can only be destructive in the long-run. What evidence has there ever been that working young lawyers or young physicians for 60 or 70 hours per week can ever be in anyone's enlightened self-interest?

The transformation of Mozambique (Monday, 2/14/00)
Mozambique offers a case study of what can happen when a country abruptly shifts from communism to capitalism. Andrew Selsky reports from Maputo about the new system that has arisen out of civil war.

Another dangerous technology out of control? (Monday, 2/14/00)
Humanity managed to develop nuclear weapons before it developed the ability to understand itself well and protect itself from itself, and the world almost blew up as a consequence. There has never been anything else quite like the Internet, and, as they say, it changes everything. It's an enormously powerful technology, still in its infancy, that is capable of transforming the planet in beneficial ways. But, will that happen, or will it be something else? What to do about a powerful force that is outrunning our ability to keep it secure and non-destructive? Business Week has a major cover story dealing with this question, and it may be that you ain't seen nuthin' yet. What happens once everything is connected to nearly everything else? It will mean that nearly anybody will have potential access to nearly everything. Among the thoughtful persons who have also been thinking about this problem is Anick Jesdanun, who comes to you today from New York City.

Temping may be getting permanent (Monday, 2/14/00)
The temp industry has been one of America's major growth industries in recent years, and you can expect this to continue, as companies in most industries come to rely more and more on temporary workers in an effort to achieve a fully "just-in-time" workforce.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Affirmative Action and Diversity Project (Monday, 2/14/00)
Rather than arguing a particular point of view, the Affirmative Action and Diversity Project intends to provide a place where many voices can be heard. It comes to you from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Clinton wants to strengthen family leave plan (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Since 1993, workers have been entitled to unpaid time off to deal with pressing family emergencies, but President Clinton says many do not take the time because they can't afford the loss of income. The President wants to set aside $20 million to help in the development of ways to assist these persons when the need arises.

WTO may get to consider U.S. tariff move (Sunday, 2/13/00)
The United States has decided to impose tariffs on steel imported into the country in order to protect the American steel industry. Japan objects, and may take the issue to the World Trade Organization.

Love and money (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Michelle Singletary reflects on the various ways money can be managed in a marriage, including the approach taken by her and her husband.

How much longer can the boom keep booming? (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Jane Bryant Quinn reports on what some of the experts are saying, and, in fact, she's an expert herself. Periods of economic expansion don't have regular life-cycles, she says. The current boom could last for years.

Privacy vs. First Amendment rights on the Internet (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Do Americans have a right to speak freely? Well, yes and no. If you say something somebody doesn't like, you're probably protected from the government by the First Amendment, but not necessarily from your employer, as baseball player John Rocker has discovered. Similarly in the new hi-tech workplace. Eric Wieffering reports that you may not have as much privacy as you think. For instance, your boss may be reading your email.

The violent American workplace (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Anne Colden says that recent tragedies in Colorado have driven the point home: the American workplace is still a very violent place, and white collar settings aren't exempt, despite declining numbers overall.

Nothing personal, but you'll have to find another doctor (Sunday, 2/13/00)
An increasing number of American physicians are dropping patients who are on Medicare. Here's more from Eric Hubler of the Denver Post.

Women make gains in the top echelon levels in Latin America (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Jenalia Moreno reports from Rio de Janeiro that more women are becoming executives in Latin American companies.

Include everybody in office parties (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Carol Kleiman says that recognizing special personal events at work can be important, but that's it's also important not to leave anybody out.

The Administration responds to Supreme Court ruling on institutionalization (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Persons cannot be institutionalized without good medical reason, according to the Supreme Court, and this means that alternatives will have to be found for many persons in nursing homes. The Administration has told states to comply with the ruling. Also, the White House wants more money for the IRS so that the big tax agency can pick up the pace on enforcement again.

ABA wants more diversity in the legal profession (Sunday, 2/13/00)
The American Bar Association has plans for increasing the number of minorities working as law clerks in federal and state courts.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Black Enterprise (Sunday, 2/13/00)
Black Enterprise has been a leading business print publication for a long time. Now, it's a major web portal as well.

Anti-immigration violence in Spain (Saturday, 2/12/00)
The new economy is characterized by increasing contrasts between those regions that are in it and benefiting and those that are being left out or falling further behind. As a consequence, there are vast migrations going on, as people search for economic opportunity and better lives someplace other than where they are. This has led to considerable concern and resistance in many developed countries. For example, recent political developments in Austria can be traced to a fear on the part of many Austrians that a flood of immigrants will fundamentally change Austrian life. Marlise Simons reports on similar fears in Spain which have resulted in the worst anti-immigration violence so far in that country.

Brazilian and IMF officials in conflict over aid to those in poverty (Saturday, 2/12/00)
The International Monetary Fund doesn't like Brazil's plans for using billions of dollars to assist those living in poverty within the country, and Brazilian officials says it's none of the IMF's business. Meanwhile, Dirk Beveridge reports from Bangkok that the world's poor nations are insisting on help and a greater role in the new global economy.

First physicians' union may be near (Saturday, 2/12/00)
The NLRB has given permission for 40 doctors to vote on whether to form a collective bargaining unit. It's happening at the Wellness Plan in Detroit.

Clinton's executive order on genetic privacy sets a good example, according to Post editorial writers (Saturday, 2/12/00)
The President's order won't have great immediate practical effects, but it anticipates problems in hiring and promotion that are almost sure to arise a bit later, according to today's Washington Post.

Agreement at Midwest Express (Saturday, 2/12/00)
There will be no strike at Midwest Express Airlines. A tentative agreement was reached early this morning. No such good news at Boeing, however, where the strike of engineers and other technical workers continues. Delivery of a $187 million plane has been delayed by the strike. In fact, no planes have been delivered since the walkout began, according to this Bloomberg report via the Houston Chronicle. In labor news in another industry, Randolph Heaster reports in the Kansas City Star on the end of a strike at Brock Grain & Feed Systems.

Casino and racetrack compete for workers (Saturday, 2/12/00)
Mystic Lake Casino and Canterbury Park racetrack are located only a few miles from one another in the metropolitan area with the lowest unemployment of all. Pat Doyle reports that the casino seems afraid that it will lose workers to the racetrack and has forbidden its employees from taking part-time jobs there.

Fox Animation Studios to restructure and cut jobs (Saturday, 2/12/00)
The 20th Century Fox animation studio is located in Phoenix and employs 320 workers. However, nearly 100 of those are likely to be released as the studio restructures and streamlines. It doesn't plan to close, however.

A step back from open trade (Saturday, 2/12/00)
The Clinton administration has decided to provide some protection for the American steel industry, which has been struggling because of imported steel.

State-of-the-art factories south of the border (Saturday, 2/12/00)
Michael Riley reports that American hi-tech companies are choosing to manufacture in Mexico, but the factories have little resemblance to your likely image of sweatshops.

Feel like surrendering? Retreat instead (Saturday, 2/12/00)
St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist Amy Lindgren says that you may need an opportunity to clear your head in order to consider what to do about an unsatisfactory career. Going on a retreat can be just the thing, and she suggests some possible locations if you're in Minnesota. Similar opportunities are likely to exist in most parts of the country.

Leaders in the fight to get corporations to accept flexible family-friendly policies (Saturday, 2/12/00)
Nationally syndicated columnist Carol Kleiman says that if your boss allows you a flexible work schedule, you probably have Barney Olmsted and Suzanne Smith to thank, and she explains why .

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Economic-Indicators.com (Saturday, 2/12/00)
Here's a directory of web sites offering data for tracking the American economy. Economic-Indicators.com was put together by Mark Rogers, author of The Handbook of Key Economic Indicators.

How's Boeing coping? (Friday, 2/11/00)
Three-quarters of Boeing's engineers and technicians are on strike, and their union is claiming that this is disrupting the company's operations . The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended Boeing's delegated authority to certify aircraft. Meanwhile, a pilots' strike seems imminent at Midwest Express, so they've cancelled some flights in anticipation. In other labor news, Teamsters members have authorized a strike at Associated Wholesale Grocers. It has to do with the cooperative's outsourcing plans.

House votes to end marriage penalty (Friday, 2/11/00)
The House of Representatives wants to give you one more reason to get married--to save on your taxes. Eric Pianin has more on the House vote yesterday. Also in Congress, many are unenthusiastic about President Clinton's plan to help students finance their college education. Rob Hotakainen writes from Washington on testimony before a Senate committee.

Age discrimination in Australia? (Friday, 2/11/00)
Catriona Purcell writes in today's Sydney Morning Herald about the governmental hearing going on into the plight of workers whom some consider to be "too senior."

DOE report on radiation exposure (Friday, 2/11/00)
A new government report finds that workers at a federal uranium-processing plant were exposed to hazards from 1952 until 1990, and they weren't told.

Crisis looming at NASA (Friday, 2/11/00)
The growing shortage of sophisticated technical workers has hit the big space agency too, and it may mean diminished safety unless something can be done to recruit more of the types of workers they need.

Luddites they are not (Friday, 2/11/00)
A new university research study finds that American workers are generally in favor of hi-tech advances and would like to see the benefits of the powerful new technologies available to everybody.

They may have to change the direction of some one-way streets (Friday, 2/11/00)
Silicon Valley is used to a flood of people coming in. However, new data indicate that there are more people moving out than in now for the first time in five years.

Dress for Success isn't just an exhortation, it's an organization (Friday, 2/11/00)
In fact, it's a national organization to help women with problems in their past prepare for the work world.

The new service economy (Friday, 2/11/00)
True, service occupations include everything from heart surgery to unskilled labor at a fast-food outlet. However, a major shift in the direction of higher-level skills has been particularly pronounced in the service sector, and, the higher the skill, the higher the pay, particularly in an economy where higher-level skills are becoming increasingly scarce. As an example, Kimberly Blanton reports on the explosion of high-paying service jobs in the Boston area.

Help in moving kids around (Friday, 2/11/00)
If terms such as "adult nurse" and "small businessman" make you snicker a little because of their technical ambiguity, the idea of "child taxi service" may stimulate visions of cabs being operating by drivers under six years of age. Actually, as John Kelly reports, there is a new type of business out there in the busy American work world where parents no longer have time to chauffeur their over-committed children among points A, B, and C.

Is this why they're called "boomers?" (Friday, 2/11/00)
Because they've contributed to the big American economic boom? Well, no, but nationally syndicated columnist Jane Bryant Quinn says the big baby boom generation deserves a little credit anyway.

Flirting as a career aid (Friday, 2/11/00)
There is disagreement about whether a deliberate effort to exploit the sexual interest of men can be helpful to women's careers. Here's more from St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist Amy Gage.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Money magazine's Cost-of-Living Calculator (Friday, 2/11/00)
A dollar doesn't go as far in some parts of the U.S. as in others, so, if you're negotiating for a new job, it's important to keep this in mind. Here's Money magazine's Cost-of-Living Calculator to help you determine how far your present or expected salary will go where you're intending to live next.

The vulnerabilities of an historic technology (Thursday, 2/10/00)
Cyberspace is a miraculous place and may be the principal engine driving the global economy from now on. However, it's also a dangerous place, and terrorism may be an even greater threat than in ordinary space. Dick Satran reports on the growing number of major web sites that have been brought to their knees during the past couple of days by people somewhere who may or may not think it's a joke. The American Attorney General has vowed to bring the awesome resources of the U.S. government to the task of identifying the perpetrators, stopping them, and deterring others. Meanwhile, the Washington Post's Mark Leibovich has been thinking about what it all means and how near we are to barbarism, even during the Internet age.

Snow drives jobless rate up (Thursday, 2/10/00)
Winter storms appear to have played a major role in raising the rate at which Americans filed for first-time jobless claims during the latest week for which there are data. However, it was not a typical week, and the more representative four-week moving average shows the lowest rate in 26 years, meaning that the great American job-creation machine is still humming.

White-collar workers at Ford in the UK plan small strikes (Thursday, 2/10/00)
They don't want to let the air out of Ford's tires, but they apparently want to get their company's attention.

Two-dozen Senators want to help American hi-tech companies bring in more foreign workers (Thursday, 2/10/00)
Silicon Valley companies who want more visas to enable technically skilled workers from other countries to work in the U.S. have a friend in Senator Phil Gramm and the group of Senators he represents.

Why are so many people still hungry (Thursday, 2/10/00)
The number of undernourished people in the world presently equals about 3/4 of the total world population of only about 150 years ago. Moreover, while hunger during most of mankind's history arose from inadequate supplies of food, there is a glut of food in today's world. A Washington-based think tank says it wouldn't take much or long to cut the number of hungry people in half. It would be a relatively easy thing to accomplish and it wouldn't cost very much, so why aren't we doing it?

Gore calls on the AFL-CIO (Thursday, 2/10/00)
If Al Gore becomes the next president of the United States, it will be because he has had the support of a number of traditional Democratic constituencies, including organized labor. The presidential candidate has been visiting Michigan, and he hasn't forgotten the huge American labor confederation, the AFL-CIO.

Doing college with a learning disability (Thursday, 2/10/00)
Only a few decades ago, psychologists, with a straight face because they didn't know any better, encouraged others to believe that it makes sense to line up all the members of the human race on a single scale from low to high and call this the "IQ scale." Many people weren't able to handle the standardized "intelligence" tests of the time very well, so it was assumed that they lacked the smarts to do most other things successfully as well.

However, the recent explosion of relevant research has painted a different picture. We've been underestimating individual differences all along (while greatly exaggerating differences among racial, ethnic, gender, and age groups, among others, incidentally). Individuals differ in all sorts of ways and to a tremendous extent.

For instance, there are many different ways of being smart, and these cannot be adequately represented on a single scale. Moreover, we now know that people can suffer from a variety of specific learning disabilities, but that these are not the same thing as low intelligence. Find ways of working around the disabilities, and affected persons can do fine. There are many successful people with Ph.D.s, MBAs, MDs, and so on, who would have been considered uneducable as recently as mid-20th century. A new study from the American Council on Education finds that persons with learning disabilities are attending college in great numbers, and they should be. However, it's still possible that the "learning disability" label is being used too indiscriminately and that some persons who were having trouble in school earlier didn't have a learning disability at all.

Incidentally, most genuinely verifiable knowledge about nature, including human nature, is a product of very recent years, so, if you haven't checked in very recently, you're probably hopelessly out of date.

News that Japan has emerged from recession appears to have been premature (Thursday, 2/10/00)
The New York Times' Paul Krugman compares the reassuring messages from government officials with what appears to be the Japanese economy's realities. What will it take to resurrect the "Japanese miracle?"

A partial solution to Germany's unemployment problem? (Thursday, 2/10/00)
Hans Greimel reports from Frankfurt that the head of AOL Europe thinks that 400,000 new jobs could result if Germany lowered its telephone rates.

Continued growth, but lower productivity, according to the Administration (Thursday, 2/10/00)
The Clinton administration seems to think that the Federal Reserve is wise to worry about inflation, even though it hasn't appeared on the horizon yet. Very high levels of productivity during 1999 have helped keep inflation at inconsequential levels, but we shouldn't count on that to continue. The American economy is expected to keep growing for the foreseeable future, though.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Business Education Initiative (Thursday, 2/10/00)
The Business Education Initiative is intended to build partnerships in order to provide young people with the education and training they need in order to compete in the new global economy and benefit Northern Ireland. Many U.S. institutions are involved, and the Initiative has the endorsement of President Clinton.

Strike called at Boeing in Seattle (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
After lengthy, frustrating, and mostly unproductive negotiations, Boeing engineers and other technical workers have called a strike. More than 22,000 workers will be staying home. In other labor news in the same general industry, workers at Delta Air Lines were supposed to be voting on union membership, but the wrong ballots were shipped to them. Whoops! Meanwhile, Korean Air will hire more new pilots than usual this year in order to increase safety .

Wow! Look at those productivity numbers (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Productivity surged during 1999's fourth quarter, bringing productivity for the year to its highest level in seven years. Who cares? Ed Lotterman does, and he thinks we all should. Productivity's essentially a measure of how efficiently the economy is operating. It means getting more out of less, which means having more for each person, on the average. Ultimately, productivity determines a society's overall standard of living. The latest numbers also make less mysterious why inflation isn't a problem yet in such a hot economy.

You won't have to list DNA information on your application (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
President Clinton signed an executive order prohibiting the federal government from taking genetic information into account in hiring or promotion decisions.

It may soon be safe to get married (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Congressional Republicans are optimistic that the "marriage penalty" will soon be eliminated. It all has to do with taxes, and Donna Smith explains from Washington, D. C.

Despite Haider, or maybe because of him, Austria wants to compensate Nazi-era slaves quickly (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
The new Austrian government contains members of the Freedom Party which is run by a man who has praised Adolph Hitler at various times. Richard Murphy reports that Chancellor Schuessel wants to move ahead quickly on compensating persons who were forced to work as slaves during the infamous Nazi era. Austrian native Hitler pulled Austria into his Third Reich in 1938, and argument has continued over the years over whether Austria was Hitler's first victim or first collaborator.

Striking students trashed the areas they occupied at UNAM (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Now that the nine-month student strike has ended at Latin America's largest university, authorities are shocked at the damage caused by the strikers.

Camdessus leaves optimistically (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Ass the managing director of the International Monetary Fund departs, he says that the global economy is in good shape, but he's a bit worried about high oil prices.

Underprivileged neighborhoods could be hurt by new loan rules (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Federal regulators would like to see a tightening up on the granting of higher-risk loans, but some legislators are saying that many low-income and minority neighborhoods depend on those loans and would be hurt by a change of the rules.

Happy New Year. Now, get back to work (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Annie Huang writes from Taipei that a lot of hi-tech workers didn't take time off to celebrate Chinese New Year because of hot demand for computer processor chips.

Not a sweet deal for sugar executives (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
U.S. Sugar Corporation is the largest producer of sugar cane in the United States. However, sugar supplies exceed demand at the moment, and, in order to avoid large-scale layoffs, the company is cutting back on executive perks, hoping that this will do it. Interesting that they expect that the one will compensate for the other, which probably says something about how resources are distributed at various echelon levels in the first place.

Why you might really want to work in sales but don't know it yet (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
The St. Paul Pioneer Press' Amy Lindgren says that the caricatured stereotype of sales keeps many people from considering it as a career, and that's too bad. Women, in particular, might find that it's just the thing for them, for instance. Sales is important ("Nothing happens around here until somebody sells something"), highly varied (selling airplanes to a major airline really isn't the same job as doing cold calls door to door), and top sales people are among the highest paid workers in the economy. Moreover, it can be tremendously interesting, and, if you really help people solve their problems, they're going to be happy to see you come back. Any additional questions?

Job-seeker prep (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman tells why it's so important to do your homework before your next job interview. Your task is to convince the employer that you can be of significant value to his/her company. That's going to be harder if you don't know what business they're in.

AFL-CIO sends a check to the Teamsters (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
The Teamsters have been trying to organize Overnite Transportation and have been conducting a 16-week strike toward that end. John Sweeney has announced that the AFL-CIO will be contributing $500,000 to help the Teamsters keep it up.

Friedrich von Hayek, superstar (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
Columnist Dave Beal says that, after a long, dry spell, there is renewed interest in economist Friedrich August von Hayek. Fashions come and fashions go, in academe as much as anyplace.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Friedrich Hayek Scholars' Page (Wednesday, 2/9/00)
The Nobel Prize winner has been getting renewed attention lately. The Friedrich Hayek Scholars' Page contains a gazillion links to writings, quotations, radio interviews, and much more.

IMF holds up loan to Russia (Tuesday, 2/8/00)
The International Monetary Fund wants to see more economic reforms in Russia before it releases $650 million in loans.

A close look at the boom (Tuesday, 2/8/00)
Business Week provides a major cover story examining the record 107-month expansion of the American economy.

But, guess what--it's possible to exaggerate the size of the surplus (Tuesday, 2/8/00)
Just as many lottery winners have found that it's still possible to go broke, President Clinton's last budget, which was delivered to Congress by police escort yesterday, doesn't contain something for everybody, or, at least, not as much as everybody might like. Eric Pianin and John Berry of the Washington Post examine the budget, the surplus, and the still-present need to acknowledge limitations. Besides, nobody really knows what the surpluses will be in the future, or even if there will be any. Albert Crenshaw examines the tax cuts included in the Clinton budget as well as the tax increases. Yes, tax increases. The cuts would mostly benefit lower and middle-income folks, while corporations and smokers, among others, will pay more, if Clinton has his way. The new budget also contains various health care provisions, but, as Uwe Reinhardt reports, the major debate on health care issues is being conducted by the Democratic presidential candidates and centers on likely costs. Finally, Richard Stevenson of the New York Times reports on another debate: whether the record expansion dating back to March 1991 has been mostly attributable to Reagan or to Clinton policies.

German unemployment up last month (Tuesday, 2/8/00)
Germany's unemployment rate rose .7 percent between December and January when it reached 11 percent.

The temp shortage isn't necessarily temporary (Tuesday, 2/8/00)
Some employers are relying on temp workers to fill gaps created because of a difficulty finding sufficient numbers of full-time employees. But, Tim Huber says that the temp agencies are having a similar problem now that the national unemployment rate is the lowest in 30 years. The problem is particularly acute in the Twin Cities with an unemployment rate considerably lower than the national average and the lowest among the nation's large cities.

Why some have been wondering about the safety of Forest Service workers (Tuesday, 2/8/00)
U.S. Forest Service employees have been harassed by local residents in Nevada, but an investigation finds that they are not in danger. This story from today's Washington Post provides more details and an explanation.

Settlement averted in conflict involving Australian teachers (Tuesday, 2/8/00)
A settlement of the pay dispute seemed imminent, but has hit a snag. Gerard Noonan and Julia Baird write in today's Sydney Morning Herald about the conflict between the New South Wales Teachers Federation and the Minister for Education. It's not the only labor conflict going on in Australia. In fact, strikes have been spreading across the country. On the other side of the world, talks have broken down at a major Ford plant in the UK and a strike seems likely. In Seattle, a strike of Boeing's engineers and other technical workers also seems likely and could come tomorrow. Finally, the Teamsters strike at Overnight Transportation compa