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"Marriage penalty" bill passes in the Senate (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
The House already has passed its version. A combined bill will be sent to the President, but he says he will veto it because it provides tax reductions to couples who really haven't been subject to the "marriage penalty," meaning that it's a "backdoor" way of reducing taxes in a broader way. The Administration has other problems with the Republican-backed plan as well. Expect quite a lot of "arm-wrestling" as the two sides attempt to reach some compromises during the final months of a presidential election year, which will affect everything from now until early November.

G8 summit opens Friday on Okinawa (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
Discussion will focus on how the "digital divide" can be minimized. Japan's PM has asked for advice on information technology, and he's been getting it, according to Linda Sieg who reports from Tokyo.

Strike again threatened in Philadelphia (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
The City of Philadelphia and its municipal workers still haven't reached agreement, and thousands of workers are threatening to strike. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin in Philadelphia soon, so pressure for some sort of a deal is building.

Job outlook improves in Toronto (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
A new report indicates how much of a jobs problem Toronto had during the 1990s. Last year, the metropolitan area still had almost 100,000 fewer jobs than it had in 1989, and the city's suburbs took a bigger hit than the city itself. Things are looking up now, though, according to University of Toronto economist David Nowlan.

United Airlines experiences disruptions following contract expiration (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
The old contract with its mechanics expired a week ago, and United Airlines has been experiencing a major increase in the number of maintenance-related cancellations and delays. Here's more from Greg Griffin of the Denver Post.

More jobs means less crime (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
Research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that the availability of jobs results in a decrease in crime. Meanwhile, Sherwood Ross writes that researchers are finding an encouraging relationship between the higher rate of teen employment and reduced crime among teenagers. Overall, much of society's crime involves young males.

New workplace rights for nonunion workers (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
The NRLB has ruled that a worker has a right to bring a witness to a disciplinary meeting at work.

Will Alan be satisfied? (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
At lot of the ambiguity has been squeezed out of the American economy's present situation. It seems clearer now that the economy really is slowing down, but, as Ken Moritsugu reports from Washington, this doesn't necessarily mean that it won't speed up again or that Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan will be satisfied that additional interest rate hikes will not be indicated. Part of the reason for his persistent anxiety about inflation is the CPI, which hasn't been featured on the front page for a while. Over the past 12 months, the Consumer Price Index increased by its greatest rate since 1991.

Some of the workers who built D.C. landmarks weren't paid at all (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
The U.S. may be getting ready to honor slaves who worked to build monuments to liberty. The irony of all this has not escaped a good many people for a long time, but recognition has taken a while. Racism persists in American society, despite the amazing dumbness of it all. The ancestors of millions of Americans were victims of the most heinous crime ever perpetrated on the North American continent, and it went on for centuries. Why the descendants of these people should have their ancestors' suffering held against them is difficult to understand.

Where you can find more workers (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
Look to persons with disabilities, because their usefulness to you depends on their ABILITIES, not their disabilities, and many of them are overlooked. Here's more from the Detroit News. But, it isn't just persons with disabilities who often have difficulty finding jobs, despite a strong job market. Gina Hannah of the Huntsville Times writes about people who are "slipping between the cracks."

Plenty of students, but maybe not enough student workers (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
At least one major university fears that it is going to have trouble staffing all those jobs ordinarily occupied by its own students. David King of the Daily Bruin reports from UCLA.

Dressing down for work (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
Workplace attire has become far more casual than it was only a few years ago. We think this is partly a consequence of the decline in usefulness of "paramilitary organization" in the new economy. A high degree of standardization is exactly what is not needed now, although, in the old economy, it was quite useful.

Pay more, get more (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
Investments in employee benefits seem to pay off in productivity, according to a new study from the Integrated Benefits Institute. Here's more from Amy Gorgueiro of the Daily Universe from Brigham Young University.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Workforce Online (Wednesday, 7/19/00)
Workforce Online is another online magazine for human resource professionals.

Japanese PM sees info-tech as Japan's solution (Tuesday, 7/18/00)
The once-mighty Japanese economy is still struggling. Prime Minister Mori thinks that an emphasis on information technology can be its solution, but many economic experts are recommending that the government can help most by staying out of it.

Welfare recipients concentrated in the big cities (Tuesday, 7/18/00)
The Washington Post reports on a new study conducted by the Brookings Institution indicating that, although welfare rolls have diminished significantly in recent years, nearly three out of five remaining welfare recipients are located in the 100 largest American cities.

Among South Africa's woes are too few technically trained workers (Tuesday, 7/18/00)
Sasha Planting of South Africa's Financial Mail writes that South Africa appears to be suffering the worst technical skills shortage of any of the major emerging economies, which is bad news for the country's economic future. In addition, of course, AIDS is devastating many regions of the African continent, including much of the South African population, to the extent that it threatens to limit economic activity as well.

Saudi Arabia's economic future (Tuesday, 7/18/00)
A current edition of Business Week examines Saudi Arabia's 21st century prospects under the leadership of Crown Prince Abdullah. Also, here's Business Week's current analysis of e-commerce. Despite the fact that reality has set in and many Internet companies are struggling for survival, venture capital is still available for many, and few doubt the long-term importance of the Internet in shaping the new global economy. Speaking of venture capital, Michael Liedtke reports that women business owners are getting too little of it.

Major publishers makes big push into online recruiting (Tuesday, 7/18/00)
Two of the largest media companies in the United States are spending $200 million to acquire control of two major online job search sites. Knight Ridder and the Tribune company will merge the sites into what will be called the CareerBuilder Network.

Big wheels without wheels (Tuesday, 7/18/00)
Here's a Houston Chronicle story about a Wall Street Journal story about the sudden unfashionability of suitcases on wheels among the really "with-it" group of business travelers.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: HispanicBusiness (Tuesday, 7/18/00)
HispanicBusiness offers a variety of resources, news, and market research.

Recipe calls for mixing two great food companies (Monday, 7/17/00)
General Mills will buy Pillsbury for $10.5 dollars and significant job cuts are expected as a result. Here's Karen Padley's report on the ambivalent feelings on the part of people who work for the traditional rivals.

Germany agrees to slave compensation (Monday, 7/17/00)
Germany has signed an agreement that will pay $4.8 billion to former Nazi slaves. However, Adam Tanner writes from Berlin that even this historic deal amounts to compensation that is "too little, too late" for many.

Wondering out loud about whether France has lost its mind (Monday, 7/17/00)
Russ Wiles of the Arizona Republic examines France's decision to reduce their work week to 35 hours without a reduction in pay. Does that make sense? Can that work? Well, France has been doing quite a lot of things that many experts elsewhere wouldn't advise, but--shock of shockers--the French economy has been taking off lately. So...?

Some editorial thoughts on the return of the doctors (Monday, 7/17/00)
A very long strike of physicians has ended recently in Israel, and this is what the editorial writers at Ha'aretz think about it.

Clinton vindicated? (Monday, 7/17/00)
Arshad Mohammed reports on the great difference in attitude toward the U.S. and the Clinton administration among representatives of the world's richest economies now compared to 1993.The President is attending his last G7 summit.

Incidentally, given the current condition of the United States, why is there any doubt about Al Gore's election? Integrity does count for something, it appears. Despite not wanting to throw the captain overboard a while back, Americans do seem to be tiring, not only of the brilliantly talented but greatly flawed Clinton who might have been a great president, but who is likely to be relegated to third-rate status in the history books now, and also of questions about Gore's integrity, particularly as it pertains to Democratic fund-raising.

Those who are suggesting that Gore should take a lie-detector test and George W. an IQ test might be a bit too cynical. Still, even conservative commentator George Will has been scratching his head. America is wealthy "beyond all avarice," he says, and "stands astride the world like a colossus." Moreover, crime is down, teen pregnancies are down, and many other vital statistics seem improved. But, in the public opinion polls, many Americans are saying that the United States has not been going in the right direction.

Incidentally, in case we are misunderstood, in reality, there is no such thing as a "lie detector," meaning that there is no machine that is capable of detecting lies, despite the fact that many naive individuals, including many in government, continue to believe in it. Also, traditional "IQ" tests don't measure "innate intellectual ability" either, as psychologists have known for many years, despite what you may have heard.

The other "ICs" of Silicon Valley (Monday, 7/17/00)
America's great hi-tech corridor has a lot of integrated circuits, but it also has a lot of the other "ICs" too, and they're not just engineers anymore. Increasingly, some of the brightest people on earth are also some of the most creative entrepreneurs, and a great many of these in Silicon Valley are of Indian and Chinese ancestry. Here's more from Alex Pham of the Boston Globe.

Nearly as much as may need to know about e-commerce (Monday, 7/17/00)
The Wall Street Journal's current edition contains one of those famous special reports. This time, you'll read many articles about e-commerce, and, as usual, you'll probably be pleased with most of them. The Journal is on the web, but there is a subscription fee following a free trial period.

Let your computer do the searching (Monday, 7/17/00)
No need to send the posse out in search of people you need to keep your business going, or, at least, that's what the makers of iXmatch software might say. Bipasha Ray of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes about one "collaborative filtering software" company.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Kids Can Free the Children (Monday, 7/17/00)
Kids Can Free the Children comes from an organization called Free the Children which helps children work on behalf of children, in particular those who labor when they should be doing the things that children should be doing.

Big tax cut in Germany (Sunday, 7/16/00)
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has wanted a big tax cut as part of his plan to make the huge but aging German economy more competitive in the new world economy. The German parliament has said that he can have it. Syria, on he other hand, officially has a new president now, and he says he will go for further economic reforms in his country.

Academics in Hong Kong feeling pressure (Sunday, 7/16/00)
Hong Kong's universities may look the same as when they functioned under a colonial government created by one of the world's great democracies, but appearances can be deceiving. Now, Hong Kong is part of China, and, as Mark Landler of the New York Times reports, that means problems for "academic freedom."

Outsourcing in Japan (Sunday, 7/16/00)
It may be a secret to many, but it's happening, and it's just one of the ways in which Japan's changing economy differs from what people have come to expect through most of the post-war period. Here's more about outsourcing in Japan from Stephanie Strom writing from Tokyo for the New York Times.

Ready to retire? Careful, careful (Sunday, 7/16/00)
Canadians are advised by the Toronto Star to look before they leap. Getting ready for retirement, particularly during a time when many people will live much longer than earlier generations, can be a treacherous business.

Big decline in food stamp participation (Sunday, 7/16/00)
The Christian Science Monitor reports that more and more Americans are turning away from food stamps. Problem is, many poor families who are eligible aren't taking advantage of them.

The upside and downside of being far away (Sunday, 7/16/00)
Many Americans move far from their extended families in order to take advantage of educational or career opportunities. Husband-wife team Tara Parker-Pope and Kyle Pope say that can be good news and bad news. Meanwhile, Carleste Hughes of the Arizona Republic Generation X could use some basic instruction on money and investments.

Ten commandments of telecommuting (Sunday, 7/16/00)
Carol Pine says news ways of working require new rules.

Where you can find information and ideas about balancing work with the rest of your life (Sunday, 7/16/00)
Columnist Amy Gage says the web is a good place to look for work-life tips.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: IRS Tax Statistics (Sunday, 7/16/00)
The Internal Revenue Service probably knows more about how much individuals and companies in America are making, who's paying what taxes and getting what refunds, and much more. They won't tell you about individual cases, but they do offer a tremendous array of tax statistics that can offer a revealing perspective on the American economy.

What the new trade deal with the U.S. means to Vietnam...and others (Saturday, 7/15/00)
Tini Tran writes from Hanoi that the agreement represents a victory for free-market reformers in the Vietnamese government and could result in a big boost to an Asian economy that has been among those struggling most mightily. Here's more on the historic pact between old enemies from today's Washington Post as reported from Ho Chi Minh City, which most Americans as well as most people living there still call Saigon when government authorities aren't listening. Not everybody is happy with the deal, though. Among the displeased are leaders in the American AFL-CIO, and they're promising to do all they can to derail it. The arguments are similar to those offered against other recent trade agreements and have to do with concerns about labor standards and human rights. Incidentally, if Americans can open trade with people they were trying to kill a few years ago (and who were trying to kill them) and if it can open trade with the world's largest totalitarian country, which just happens to be the world's largest country of any kind, can it open trade with little neighbor Cuba? Maybe; maybe not, but some U.S. Senators went to Havana yesterday to chat with Fidel.

Bill killing estate taxes will become law if Clinton signs it (Saturday, 7/15/00)
It's passed both houses of Congress, and is heading for the President's desk, but don't expect it to become law, either from Clinton's signature or from an override. This is an election year, remember? The candidates want things to brag and blame about.

Agreement on job protection at American Airlines (Saturday, 7/15/00)
American Airlines and its flight attendants have agreed on what will happen to jobs if American merges with another airline, say, Northwest, for which it has already made an offer. Mary Schlangenstein of Bloomberg News has the story. From the north, here is more labor news from the airline industry: Air Canada pilots may be getting ready to strike as talks go badly.

Putin wants a larger role among the rich nations (Saturday, 7/15/00)
Here's a brief glossary: "G7" refers to the seven richest industrial countries in the world. "G8" is "G7" plus Russia, which is the very opposite of rich, but, if the 20th century offered any lessons at all, the world has learned that it ignores Russia at its peril. So, a place is set at the table for Russian President Putin, and he wants to have more say. Meanwhile, Michael Wines of the New York Times wonders what's going on. Is Putin really about to reign in the rich and corrupt few who have been dominated and plundering the Russian economy since the old Soviet Union collapsed (and before, actually)? Putin remains one of the world's most intriguing mysteries. Is he a democrat or an autocrat? One thing is sure: he used to be a KGB officer.

Is the American economy really slowing? (Saturday, 7/15/00)
Well, yes, no, maybe. Stay tuned. Barbara Hagenbaugh reports on the latest government data which provides indications of a slowdown, but, then....

The Rodney Dangerfields of public education aren't going to take it anymore (Saturday, 7/15/00)
Substitute teachers "don't get no respect," and they don't get much pay either. With growing teacher shortages in education, many are thinking this is a good time to assert themselves and restructure their status in the huge education sector. The New York Times' Jodi Wilgoren reports on the very first national conference of subs being held in Washington, D.C., and, as most would remind us, "sub" doesn't mean "sub-human" or "sub-standard."

All the movers and shakers in hi-tech are closer to 16 than 60, right? Wrong! (Saturday, 7/15/00)
Emma-Kate Symons has some of the results from a new survey showing that most of the people at the top of technology companies aren't whom you've been led to believe. There's about as much gray hair in the executive suites of new-economy companies as in old-economy companies, according to this study. Incidentally, in a very tight tech labor market, a bounty has been placed on people tech companies would like to recruit. Refer the right person to a ravenous employer, and you could be rewarded handsomely.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: A Thousand Years of Population Trends (Saturday, 7/15/00)
Here's an excellent examination of why population trends during the past 500 years or so have been so atypical of humanity's experience on this planet, and it comes to you from the Christian Science Monitor. For most of the history of Homo Sapiens Sapiens, global population remained relatively small and increased only slightly over many years, sometimes even decreasing dramatically, as in Europe during the "Black Plague" of the mid-14th century. Recently, though world population has exploded, and the mathematics of an explosion apply. There were about 1 billion persons in the world as recently as 1840; now there are more than 6 billion. However, there are signs that this explosion may be cooling a bit, and, of course, population is growing much more rapidly in some parts of the world than in others. In the U.S., only Hispanics are reproducing fast enough to replace themselves at the moment. American Blacks and Whites are not. Population growth has been great in Africa during recent years, but the world's eyes are on that continent now because of the devastation of AIDS, which some experts are saying promises to be the most catastrophic infectious disease in human history. That's saying a lot, considering how the plague changed European history during the 14th century, requiring centuries for European population to recover.

Israel's doctors' strike ends (Friday, 7/14/00)
A deal has been reached that ends the 127 day strike in Israel. Here's more from Haim Shadmi and Haim Bior of Ha'aretz.

New "Green Card" plan in Germany (Friday, 7/14/00)
Germany's Bundesrat has passed a plan modeled after the "Green Card" program in the United States that is intended to allow up to 20,000 skilled tech workers into the country to help narrow Germany's tech skills gap. Since re-building after World War II, Germany has been one of the world's industrial powers, but now needs to transform itself into an information age economy, and this will require more technically-skilled workers than it is producing domestically. However, there is still widespread traditional popular resistance to allow foreign workers into the country, unless it is to fill low-skill, low-pay jobs that Germans don't want. Germans aren't used to allowing highly-educated or highly-skilled workers in from other countries. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other leaders have been trying to change popular opinion on this matter.

Italy encourages other rich countries to follow its lead (Friday, 7/14/00)
Italy will cancel $6 billion in debt owed by 62 of the world's poorer countries, and suggests that other members of the exclusive G7 club should do the same.

Australian Internet company settles harassment suit (Friday, 7/14/00)
Spike Networks will pay $1.2 million to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Republican-dominated Senate will vote to eliminate inheritance taxes (Friday, 7/14/00)
The Senate votes today, and it appears that the bill will pass. It's already passed the House of Representatives. If it becomes law, which is not at all a sure thing, given the present occupant at the White House, assets will be transferred from generation to generation tax-free. Critics of the Republican plan say that wealthy Republicans simply want to protect their money and the political power that can go with it in a society where the have vs. have-not gap has been widening. Some Republicans, on the other hand, say that many more families of moderate means will be affected than wealthy families. The bill would help preserve many family farms, for instance, according to supporters. Here's more on today's expected vote from Curt Anderson reporting from Washington.

Organized labor intends to continue campaign against some global business deals (Friday, 7/14/00)
The AFL-CIO doesn't want to U.S. to impose its way of running corporations on the whole world, but it does intend to oppose global deals that it feels will hurt American workers, according to the big labor federations president, John Sweeney.

Things improve for America's children (Friday, 7/14/00)
A new U.S. government report finds improvements in health, nutrition, and movement out of poverty, but conditions remain troubling when it comes to smoking, drinking, and education.

First-time benefit claims highest in more than a year (Friday, 7/14/00)
Seasonal layoffs in the American automobile industry are a factor in the increased number of fillings for unemployment benefits.

How employers are trying to learn more about job applicants (Friday, 7/14/00)
L. M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle says it's become more difficult for prospective employers to get information about the past performance of job applicants, given the very litigious climate that has developed in recent years. More and more people are reluctant to provide references that say anything of real value. Now, a job applicant's co-workers and colleagues are being approached for information.

America needs to bring domestic outsiders into the hi-tech labor pool (Friday, 7/14/00)
The American economy will depend on the country's having a larger supply of technically-skilled people that it's presently producing. A federal commission says it will be necessary to enlarge the tech labor pool by bringing more women, minorities, and persons with disabilities into it .

Living honestly in a dishonest system (Friday, 7/14/00)
Noted American computer industry writer Esther Dyson tells about efforts to reduce corruption in Russia, and why success isn't assured.

The quality of service in your area may not improve anytime soon (Friday, 7/14/00)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Janita Poe writes about how the labor shortage is making it harder to get service from trained, experienced people in Atlanta.

The Internet helps freelancers and companies to find each other (Friday, 7/14/00)
Many corporations are relying more and more on part-time, temporary, or contract workers, including professionals and tech experts. Also, many people are making a career out of freelance work, some reluctantly, some because they greatly value the freedom and independence. The new economy values a just-in-time workforce, and, just in time, the Internet has come along to help people who need services and people who can provide it to find each other.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: guru.com (Friday, 7/14/00)
guru.com is one of several sites that are intended to help independent professionals connect with contract projects.

Vietnam and the United States reach agreement on trade (Thursday, 7/13/00)
The two former enemies have made a deal, and things should be different from now on. Here are details from today's New York Times of an agreement that should open economic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. Meanwhile, things are looking better in South Korea's relationship with its close neighbor Japan after many years of mistrust and animosity. Howard French reports on how travel seems to be improving some attitudes. Of course, not everything has changed. As we understand it, plans continue for the destruction of some buildings in Seoul that were built by the Japanese when they were Korea's masters. Years of domination by the Japanese didn't contribute to feelings of warmth on the part of Koreans, and some Japanese have had difficulty shaking attitudes of superiority toward the Koreans.

Job cuts at Boston Scientific and Wolverine (Thursday, 7/13/00)
Boston Scientific is a major medical technology firm based in Massachusetts, but with operations in other regions. It intends to cut 1,900 jobs in order to cut costs and boost productivity. Jerry Ackerman of the Boston Globe reports that 850 people who will lose their jobs will also be offered bonuses to stick around...for a while. In contrast, Wolverine World Wide, best-known for Hush Puppy shoes, but starting out many years ago as a tannery, has been an old-economy company. It intends to cut 1,400 jobs, but many of the affected people aren't likely to be in such high demand elsewhere as many of the workers at Boston Scientific. Here's more on the Wolverine story from Alejandro Bodipo-Memba of the Detroit Free Press, near where Wolverine is headquartered. Meanwhile, Free Press writer Brenda Rios reports on a thousand new jobs coming to Michigan in...you probably guessed it...high tech.

What? You've been WORKING? (Thursday, 7/13/00)
If North Korea doesn't have the most insane government on earth--and, in its case, there may be at least minimally rational military power behind the throne--Afghanistan's government probably deserves some sort of prize for goofiness. Here's a story about a woman who has lived there for 30 years and probably hasn't wanted to leave. But, she's been WORKING, of all things, and, for that, she has been deported, which means she's lucky.

Agency planned to handle foreign workers (Thursday, 7/13/00)
Ruth Sinai reports in today's edition of Ha'aretz that the Israeli government intends to establish a National Immigration Authority that would have jurisdiction over all foreigners working in Israel.

Healthy growth in the Chinese economy (Thursday, 7/13/00)
China's economy has grown by 8.2 percent. Here's more on the latest numbers from today's Washington Post.

Being a farmer can be hard enough. Being both a farmer and African-American can be harder (Thursday, 7/13/00)
Suzi Parker writes in the Christian Science Monitor about the "vanishing black farmer."

Pepsi strike continues in the Twin Cities (Thursday, 7/13/00)
The strike at the big Pepsi bottling plant in Burnsville, a southern suburb of Minneapolis, is in its fifth week with no settlement in sight.

Why the New York Times spotlighted Duluth (Thursday, 7/13/00)
Duluth has been a well-kept secret for years. Most Americans never think about it. In fact, even many people living in the Twin Cities, only about 140 miles away, are unaware of what a precious treasure this international seaport in the middle of the North American continent is. The editorial writers at the Minneapolis Star Tribune note that the great New York Times has noticed Duluth and has called attention to it as representative of what the new global economy is all about.

Some Native Americans rescued by casino industry (Thursday, 7/13/00)
Diane Brooks writes about what the gambling industry has meant to some Native Americans after decades of poverty. Some, but not all. A great many Native Americans remain among the nation's poorest people, never recovering from the destruction of their cultures plus ongoing discrimination following the arrival of Americans with European ancestry.

Make hay while the sun shines (Thursday, 7/13/00)
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says this is the time to strengthen the world financial system, rather than waiting for another crisis. Also, as David Morgan reports, the Chairman sees no slackening of productivity in the American economy.

Emphasize abilities, not disabilities (Thursday, 7/13/00)
Kansas City Star columnist Diane Stafford says there are many good reasons why employers shouldn't be reluctant to hire persons with disabilities. Nearly anyone can be defined by those things in which they are weak or lacking, and as Mark Twain remarked, we're all illiterate, just in different languages.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice (Thursday, 7/13/00)
The National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice is an organization of religious who support the "living wage" movement, among other things.

Israeli finance minister expects tax reforms to revitalize his country's economy (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
The Director General of the Finance Ministry also has been doing a lot of thinking about the economic relationship between Israel and the Palestinians if a deal is made in Washington, and he's accompanying the Prime Minister to do what he can do.

Why telecommuters are confused (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
Workers comp law was written under the assumption that people would congregate in workplaces outside their homes in order to do their work. What happens to the stay-at-homes? Catherine Holahan of the Bergen Record it isn't clear whether they're covered or not, at least in New Jersey, and it's probably no more clear in a lot of other areas of the U.S. According to Rutgers University researchers, 20 million Americans are phoning it in now. The new economy requires new thinking and new approaches to nearly everything.

Three-month actors strike marked by protest marches in several cities (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
Lynn Elber reports from Los Angeles on the ongoing dispute between actors who work in commercials and the advertising industry. Rallies were held yesterday in dozens of cities around the United States.

Workers benefit from takeover of major brokerage firm (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
Anthony Hughes of the Sydney Morning Herald reports that 450 employees will share $126 million as a result of the takeover of Ord Minnett by United States bank Chase Manhattan.

U.S. official glad to hear about Putin's plans, but... (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
Russia's president announced that repairing and building the Russian economy is high on his "to do" list, which pleases United States Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott. However, talk is cheap. Well, that's not what he said, but it's a fair representation of the American Administration's attitude toward the difference between words and actions.

Facing reality: What it takes to retire in Australia (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
Annette Sampson of the Sydney Morning Herald says that most Australians are expecting their retirement income to be much greater than it probably will be. What can they do to make expectations into realities? Meanwhile, a pension reform bill now in the U.S. House of Representatives might make it all the way to the other end of Pennsylvania avenue for the President's signature. It would limit contributions to IRAs and 401(k) plans and would provide incentives for employers to offer pensions.

A booming economy puts a squeeze on housing, and not only in Silicon Valley (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
Jean Hopfensperger of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that moderate-income families in the Twin Cities are facing problems more often associated with low-income families. The price of houses and rents have been escalating at a furious rate lately.

Americans aren't so rootless after all (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
In fact, according to new government research, Americans are staying put to a greater extend than their elders during the 1950s and 1960s. Other evidence has been accumulating in recent years that Americans are less inclined to uproot their families in order to obtain a better job or higher pay. In the new economy, however, not everyone has the opportunity to stay in the jobs they have. Rapid technological change makes jobs less secure, according to Alan Greenspan, but the good news is that he expects this fact to keep a lid on wage demands, despite low unemployment, and that means keeping a lid on inflation.

Arizona's new economy rests on its familiar five C's (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
Riccardo Davis of the Arizona Republic writes that the director of Arizona's Commerce Department doesn't believe that the new economy can materialize out of thin air. Instead, it's going to be based on the old, and in Arizona's case, this means cattle, citrus, copper, cotton and climate.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: CyberSchoolBus (Wednesday, 7/12/00)
If you're teaching or wanting to learn more about global issues, the United Nations can help through this collection of resources. Here's CyberSchoolBus.

Two major companies plan job cuts (Tuesday, 7/11/00)
Honeywell lost a lot of stock value following its merger with Allied Signal last year. They'll try to recover it by cutting 6,000 additional jobs over the year ahead. Also, major job cuts are planned at DaimlerChrysler.

The next stage in providing higher ed for military personnel (Tuesday, 7/11/00)
The University of Maryland has been sending "circuit rider" professors to active duty American military personnel over much of the world for a half-century. Now, many of those educational opportunities will move online for people serving in the U.S. Army. The Army is investing $600 million in a new program that will be available to soldiers right in their barracks. The Army may have the right idea in its struggle to attract quality people to military service, given the voracious appetite that the American economy seems to have for knowledge and skill. Fed Head Greenspan agrees, apparently, given what he has been telling many of the nation's governors.

Short bank strike in South Korea (Tuesday, 7/11/00)
Many thousands of bank workers expressed their displeasure with government plans for changing the banking industry by going on strike Tuesday, but an agreement to end the strike has already been reached.

Why increased productivity is a VERY good thing (Tuesday, 7/11/00)
John Cunniff analyzes the beneficial impact of productivity increases throughout the economy. Productivity, in large part, because people starting learning how to get a lot out of their computers, came to the rescue as experts expected the current expansion to lose momentum very early, he says. Increased living standards are a consequence of increased productivity because it amounts to getting more out of less so that there is more production per person, on the average. Low inflation is a nice consequence of productivity increases too, and Diane Stafford reports on the latest data from the Conference Board showing that salary increases are likely to remain steady through next year.

The need to get together in Canada (Tuesday, 7/11/00)
So far, Canadian business and unions in the private sector seem to have different views of what Canada needs for its future. Columnist David Crane says it's time that they find common ground.

Wage increases will be less than expected in Israel (Tuesday, 7/11/00)
Moti Bassok and Zvi Zrahiya of Ha'aretz write about modifications made to the tax reform plan that will result in smaller salary increases than before the changes, but wage increases will still be considerable if the tax plan is approved by the Knesset by the end of this year.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Science and Technology from PBS (Tuesday, 7/11/00)
If you feel you've been falling a bit behind on science and technology during a time when these forces are driving the American economy and transforming life over much of the world, this may be a good place to catch up. PBS has done a lot of programs on science and technology, and their web site also acts as a gateway to additional resources.

The economic state of the world, according to the United Nations (Monday, 7/10/00)
A new report from the U.N. says that the Internet revolution is having a major impact on the global economy, and things are looking good overall. Here's more from John Stackhouse of the Scripps Howard News Service. And, yes, despite the fact that an awfully lot of the world's most talented techies still seem to think they've got to cram themselves into a small space between San Francisco and San Jose, the Internet really is making geography irrelevant for many workers. Alex Pham reports from the northern end of Silicon Valley for the Boston Globe on how people can work together without even being on the same continent.

Republicans set to get a big reception in Philadelphia (Monday, 7/10/00)
The Republican National Convention will be held in Philadelphia in about three weeks, and it's drawing the attention of a lot of people who probably aren't Republicans. Expect some organized protests that will focus on the circumstances of the poor in contrast to the Republican Party, which has left the impression with many of being largely about people trying to protect their money, of which many Republicans have a lot. George W.'s decision to speak to the NAACP seems to be a break with modern Republican tradition for the "party of Lincoln." The Texas governor has exhibited a concern for minorities in his home state, speaks fluent Spanish, and received a significant part of the black vote in Texas in his last election.

Still, many persons concerned with the fact that American minorities are much more heavily represented among the economically disadvantaged than American whites, on average, feel that the Republican Party has a long way to go to demonstrate that it's not only concerned with its image, but, more importantly, with realities. Still, both candidates in any American presidential election receive the votes of a lot of people who really would have preferred somebody else, but, past a point, realize that the next president will be either the one or the other. Both major American political parties are made up of complex coalitions of people who disagree on quite a lot of things. The realities are almost always more complex than campaign propaganda, and, thankfully, many of America's political leaders during its history really have been more sophisticated than their rhetoric. Strong, reflexive partisanship can be a socially transmitted and reinforced brain disease that can cause blindness.

The few hours during a single day that determine a lot of lives (Monday, 7/10/00)
Your academic chances will be decided by the results of one test if you are a young person in China. Here's more from Erik Eckholm of the New York Times.

Will African oil help African people this time? (Monday, 7/10/00)
Norimitsu Onishi writes from Cameroon about the hopes of people who need relief from poverty and whether the oil pipeline will help them, or whether it will be African oil business as usual.

A personal struggle for basic rights (Monday, 7/10/00)
Things continue to be grim for many people in the poorer parts of the world, particularly women, and this is also true of women who are among the "fortunate," in that they have access to jobs. The Hindu offers a story of a woman who has demanded her basic rights at enormous cost to herself and has become a symbol for large numbers of other people.

Why a lot of Venezuelans have gotten a raise (Monday, 7/10/00)
Daniel Flynn writes from Caracas about what may be a case of vote buying. The Venezuelan government has imposed wage increases in the private sector of up to 20 percent.

Help for Hispanic workers in Milwaukee (Monday, 7/10/00)
African Americans, as a group, are not the most economically disadvantaged minority group in American society, and, while black workers in the U.S. still make less than white workers, on average, there have been some improvements, particularly during the current economic boom. Which minority group is the poorest? Probably Native Americans, but last week's report from the National Council of La Raza show that insufficient English-language skills plus lack of education and training are holding Hispanics back in the U.S. Joel Dresang of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tells about what one community is doing to help. Incidentally, from all appearances, a different kind of guy is going to be in charge in Mexico now, and that could make a major difference in a lot of things. Still, many corrupt individuals have been benefiting from Mexico's status quo, so President-elect Fox' security people had better stick close and keep an eye out. A current edition of Business Week analyzes the new Mexican revolution and what it could mean for Mexicans in Mexico as well as for Mexicans in the U.S.

Some retirement advice from one of the world's leading business magazines (Monday, 7/10/00)
Business Week offers a comprehensive analysis of retirement, what you need to worry about, and what it will take.

Labor agreement in the news business (Monday, 7/10/00)
While the labor dispute involving Detroit newspapers goes on and on and on, Jeffrey Leib reports that a labor deal has been reached that will pave the way for joint operations involving Denver's two major newspapers. Incidentally, Mr. Leib works for one of them.

Boom in the construction industry (Monday, 7/10/00)
A strong American economy has been helping the construction industry and the creation of construction jobs, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

More than ever, your work may BE your life (Monday, 7/10/00)
Columnist Amy Gage discusses the downside of good economic times. Many people are working so much that they have little opportunity to enjoy the benefits, she says. Moreover, "plenty of work" doesn't necessarily refer only to the availability of good-paying employment. It can also mean more pressure on the job. Renee DeGross of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tells about the stresses in retailing that are a consequence of worker shortages.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Introduction to Pre-employment Drug Testing for HR and Security Professionals (Monday, 7/10/00)
Introduction to Pre-employment Drug Testing for HR and Security Professionals is an article by Les Rosen, President of Employment Screening Resources. They're in the business about which he writes.

Information technology revolution complicates monetary policy, sez G7 (Sunday, 7/9/00)
The rich guys are meeting in Japan, and seem to agree that hi-tech doesn't automatically result in higher productivity and living standards. Representatives of the G7 are saying that uncertainties inherent in a new economy driven by technology innovations make it harder for governments and central banks to determine monetary policy.

Municipal workers in L.A. do better (Sunday, 7/9/00)
People who work for the City of Los Angeles make more than those in most other cities, and it's true at all echelon levels. Here's more from Alexa Haussler of the Los Angeles Daily News. A strike of city workers in Philadelphia was narrowly averted before the Fourth of July holiday, but could come just in time for the Republican National Convention in the City of Brotherly Love. Negotiations continue, and health-care issues seem to be among the major sticking points, according to recent reports in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Why more and more Hong Kong workers are going to the mainland (Sunday, 7/9/00)
When Hong Kong was still a British colony, nearly all of the migration was from mainland China to the colony, and most of that had to be accomplished illegally and with great stealth. Now that Hong is part of China, there has been increased movement in the other direction, and it's because many of Hong Kong's most ambitious movers and shakers think they're going to where the opportunities will be during the years ahead. As we've reported previously, China has been attracting a lot of immigrants far to the north too, but most of these have not been welcomed. Impoverished North Koreans have seen northern China as offering attractive economic opportunities, but they may be the only ones.

How Home Depot expects to find the 200,000 additional workers it will need over the next three years (Sunday, 7/9/00)
Patti Bond of the Cox News Service writes about how the huge home products retailer has largely computerized the task of attracting and hiring workers. By the time a human interviewer enters the picture, the applicant already will have been interviewed at length by a computer. Meanwhile, an appliance company in Texas has been having applicants respond to test questions too, but it hasn't turned out too well. Some of the questions included in the test have asked about sexual and religious issues, and this has resulted in the company's having to pay $2 million in damages. Here's more from the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Judging from some of the questions that offended some persons, it appears that the company has been using the most widely-used standardized personality test. If so, many experts on psychological testing might also object, but on technical grounds. This instrument has been around for nearly 60 years and has undergone an enormous amount of research. However, it's intended mostly for use in clinical settings as an aid in the diagnosis of psychological disorders. Its use as an employment selection device has been highly controversial for years, and not only because respondents can clearly reveal more about themselves than they expect or intend.

Catch 22 catching fewer teens this summer (Sunday, 7/9/00)
You probably remember how it was. You couldn't get that first job without having experience first. However, columnist Diane Stafford says that a hot labor market has made things a lot better for teens this summer. On the other hand, Diane Lewis of the Boston Globe writes that many people in Massachusetts would like to see child-labor laws strengthened in order to offer more protection for working teens.

What will you bid for me? (Sunday, 7/9/00)
The Boston Globe's Diane Lewis says that what started out as a stunt has become increasingly commonplace. More and more workers are offering their services online to the highest bidder.

Teachers sue in Minnesota (Sunday, 7/9/00)
While many Americans are very nervous about linking Social Security benefits to the stock market, some Minnesota teachers are angry because their state retirement plans lack this link. Here's today's St. Paul Pioneer Press story about an expected lawsuit against the State of Minnesota and the Teachers Retirement Association.

What's a medication worth? (Sunday, 7/9/00)
It is an axiom of free-market economics that something is worth what somebody is willing to pay for it, but this assumes an open, competitive marketplace. All bets are off in the case of monopolies and cartels. So, what's the problem with prescription drug prices? Well, drug companies don't compete in quite the same way as, say, manufacturers of home furnishings. If a company has developed a particular medication, it is entitled to enjoy patent protection for a certain period of time, and this can amount to a monopoly if no functionally equivalent products are available elsewhere. Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times says nearly everybody agrees that elders are having to pay too much for some of the medications they need to prolong their lives or maintain quality living. But, what is the alternative? Who will decide what they should pay, and who decides who decides?

There have been similar concerns about the "living wage" movement in relation to an economy in which it has been assumed traditionally that people should be free to decide what they're willing to pay for things or services that they purchase. On the other hand, the have vs. have-not gap has been widening, and a large number of people who work full-time aren't able to make a living, a condition which runs counter to most traditional assumptions and values. Say to a homeless person, "Get a job," and the reply might be, "I've got one. In fact, I've got several." Toledo, Ohio recently adopted a "living wage" ordinance, and the Toledo Blade offers some editorial thoughts about it.

Hey, wait a minute! WE'RE available (Sunday, 7/9/00)
The Wall Street Journal's Marjorie Valbrun writes that a growing number of African Americans with technical expertise feel that they're being denied opportunities in favor of efforts to recruit foreign tech experts.

Stay home and work for us (Sunday, 7/9/00)
Companies are having to compete with each other furiously in order to get the workers they need, so a variety of non-traditional incentives are being offered. Among the ones most attractive to some people is the opportunity to work at home. Here are the results from a new survey conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: About Telecommuting (Sunday, 7/9/00)
Here are most of the things you might want to know About Telecommuting.

Hiring slows a bit (Saturday, 7/8/00)
The American unemployment rate has fallen to 4 percent, but employers have been adding jobs at a somewhat slower rate than before, suggesting that the Fed's effort to slow the economy a bit have been working.

Ireland struggles with immigration rather than emigration for a change (Saturday, 7/8/00)
Generations of Irish left their homeland in search of economic security and opportunity. Now, though, Ireland has one of the hottest economies in Europe, and it's attracting a lot of people, not all of whom are of Irish ancestry. Today's New York Times examines problems that are unfamiliar in Ireland. Vast migrations are occurring over much of the world, and they're mostly driven by economic concerns. For instance, in the Midwestern United States, the workforce is made up of an increasing number of non-English-speaking immigrants, according to Kansas City Star columnist Diane Stafford.

Will Vietnam become a member of the WTO? (Saturday, 7/8/00)
It could happen later, but, for now, the international community is watching negotiations that could lead to a new kind of exchange between Vietnam and the United States. Instead of sending each other bombs and bullets, the two former enemies could soon be exchanging products and trade representatives. Here's more from Adam Entous reporting from Washington, D. C.

G7 examines dirty laundry (Saturday, 7/8/00)
The richest industrial nations in the world are meeting in Japan to see what can be done about international money laundering. They're also going to be discussing the problem of poverty throughout much of the world and the growing have vs. have-not gap.

The latest, but not necessarily the last on that eternal Detroit newspaper labor dispute (Saturday, 7/8/00)
If you have a long memory, you may remember the strike of Detroit newspaper workers that seemed to go on forever. Once it finally ended, the NLRB ruled that the papers were required to hire back workers who said they were locked out after the strike. However, now an appeals court has overturned that ruling.

Why was there a loss of power at the Sydney Airport's air traffic control? (Saturday, 7/8/00)
It probably depends on whom you ask, but if you ask the unions, they'll say it's because of a cutback in the maintenance budget.

Majority employed by age 15 (Saturday, 7/8/00)
Almost two-thirds of American youngsters are employed by the time they reach age 15, according to a new report from the United States Department of Labor.

Putin wants strong government but open economy (Saturday, 7/8/00)
The Russian president is calling for more governmental centralization but a mostly "hands off" policy when it comes to the Russian economy. Does this mean bad news or good news for the oligarchs and organized crime?

Minnesota Medicare suit turned back by federal judge (Saturday, 7/8/00)
Judge Donald Alsop has ruled that it is up to the legislative branch of the government to end inequalities in Medicare reimbursement, not the courts.

Crane says human capital attracts financial capital (Saturday, 7/8/00)
If Canada wants to attract more foreign investment, it needs to invest heavily in education, according to Toronto Star columnist David Crane.

The search for an alternative to Denver's affirmative action ordinance (Saturday, 7/8/00)
Denver's mayor has been meeting with the city's business leaders to find a way of replacing its affirmative-action ordinance, which was struck down by the courts last March.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Lectures Online (Saturday, 7/8/00)
Lectures Online is a site where professors can share materials for their lectures. It was created and is maintained by Joshua Kim of West Virginia University, and he welcomes contributions of most kinds from college and university faculty.

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