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Contract ratified at Northwest (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
Flight attendants at Northwest Airlines, who have been working without a contract for several years, have approved a new five-year contract. Here's more from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, as well as details of the contract from the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Elsewhere in the commercial airline industry, a pilots strike has stranded 3,000 passengers in Bolivia, and the South Korean government has decided to recognize pilot efforts to form a union at Korean Air Lines. It appears that a strike, which had seemed imminent, has been averted.

Conditions improve in Hawaii (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
Economic conditions, that is. The weather's been fine all along. However, for the most part, Hawaii has not been benefiting from the national boom for the better part of a decade. Bruce Dunford reports that conditions are finally improving on many fronts.

The workplace can be especially dangerous for teens (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
Teenage workers may not be sufficiently prepared to cope with hazards in the workplace, according to Glen Fest of the Fort Worth Star Telegram. However, in other ways, the American workplace has been getting friendlier for a lot of people, as labor shortages have encouraged employers to make a special effort to be nice to employees.

China's illegal immigrants (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
Who would look for economic opportunity in the countryside of northern China? Things like this tend to be highly relative. People from North Korea have been attracted to China in large numbers, given the horrible conditions at home. Now, Chinese authorities are making a concerted effort to locate and deport illegal Korean immigrants, some of whom have been living in China for years.

Study examines young Canadian web entrepreneurs (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
A Canadian survey takes a look at 47 young entrepreneurs who are managing to remain self-employed on the Internet. Across the border to the south, Vikki Ortiz of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says that teenagers are finding interesting and nontraditional summer work in the new economy as well, which may help explain why retailers are having so much difficulty finding workers.

Minimum wage increase in New South Wales (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
Thousands of workers will be earning an additional $15 per week from now on. Brad Norington of the Sydney Morning Herald says that the increase was agreed to despite fears of an economic slowdown following the Olympic games.

The worst way to get a loan (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
Payday lending firms charge interest that you wouldn't believe, but, as Craig Savoye reports from St. Louis, loans with horrible terms are finding an increasing number of borrowers.

The cost of saving money (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
Bill Virgin of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer tells why outsourcing has been so popular, but there is a downside, he says.

Who will take public service jobs? (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
If you're completing a costly university degree program during a time when the private sector is very hot and high-paying opportunities abound, will you be attracted to a public service job paying less than half of what you might be able to earn elsewhere? Josiah Brown has been thinking about this problem and is willing to share his thoughts about who will be running the public and nonprofit sectors during the years ahead.

Many Utah call-center workers might like to hang it up (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
A new study from the Economic Development Corporation of Utah finds that customer-service workers there earn less than workers in similar jobs in four other Western states. Here's more from Lesley Mitchell of the Salt Lake Tribune.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Job Accommodation Network (Wednesday, 5/31/00)
The Job Accommodation Network is located at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. It provides information about job accommodations and the employability of persons with disabilities, as well as information about the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Senate Republicans might hold China bill hostage (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
President Clinton has invested a lot of his political capital in getting the China trade bill through Congress, and, while the Senate, unlike the House of Representatives, is highly likely to pass it and send it on for the President's signature, it won't necessarily be President Clinton who will get to sign it. Some Senate Republicans would like to see Clinton give something in return for speedy passage of the China bill, such as a more favorable response, from the Republicans' point of view, on spending legislation.

Nonetheless, China's president has thanked Clinton for his efforts on behalf of the bill, and Reginald Dale, writing from Portugal for continental Europe's leading English-language newspaper, says that people around the world who support open global trade also are relieved that the bill got through the House of Representatives. Much of American organized labor isn't happy about its defeat on the China issue, however, even though, as Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times reports, labor is in ascendancy again in the U.S. Labor in America is concerned about the agreement's impact on jobs for Americans, among other things, and might wonder, with Business Week, whether China will follow the rules once it's a member of the World Trade Organization.

OECD would like to see higher interest rates in the U.S. (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development would like to see economic growth in the U.S. level off at about 3 percent next year, which it thinks would be good for everybody, and it might take interest rates at 7.25 percent to accomplish that, according to OECD officials in Paris.

Progress report on Brazil (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Following the first big hit taken by many of the leading Asian economies a couple of years ago, many observers had good reason for fearing a total meltdown of the Brazilian economy, and, in fact, Brazil did experience a rough recession. Recovery has been underway for about six months now, and it seems to be coming along fairly well.

South Korea gets ready for a couple of strikes (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions represents 500,000 workers in South Korea, and they're being asked to stay home for four days this week in order to dramatize demands for a shorter work week, among other things. Also, Matthew Brelis of the Boston Globe reports that pilots at Korean Air have been trying to get the company and the South Korean government to recognize their union. So far, no success, so they plan to strike tomorrow.

Japanese unemployment improves (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
April's unemployment rate in Japan was 4.8 percent, a tenth of a percent down from its record high during the previous two months. Incidentally, you've been hearing about the global population explosion for so long, it's easy to assume that population expansion is still occurring worldwide. Not so. There is evidence that global population will be leveling off this century. Also, very different trends already can be seen in some regions. For instance, birth rates in the U.S. have declined so that American whites and American blacks are no longer replacing themselves, although overall American population is still increasing. The birth rate in Russia has declined to alarming levels, and as Calvin Sims reports from Tokyo, it's declined in Japan too, and this is making many persons nervous about Japan's future. In fact, some employers are offering employees bonuses for having a third child.

Israeli soldiers to get combat bonus (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Until now, members of the IDF received a combat bonus only if they were serving in Lebanon. However, as Amos Harel of Ha'aretz reports, soldiers on Israel's northern border will also receive the bonus for the next few months. Also in Israel, one bank strike ends, while another continues, and economic growth slowed a bit during March and April, according to the latest government statistics.

French rail strikes will continue (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Striking rail workers across France will remain off the job today. Here's more from the Paris-based International Herald Tribune.

Listen closely, and you may hear your office gasping (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Sick buildings can make you sick if you spend a lot of time working in them. Here's more from the current edition of Business Week.

Teaching the teachers tech (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
The schools that teach teachers to teach are beginning to work with top technology companies to improve tech training for teachers, according to this story from today's New York Times.

Now, it's the Republicans' turn (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Columnist George Will sees an historic shift. Now, it's the Republicans who are the champions of Social Security in service of egalitarianism, he says. He compares the approaches for fixing Social Security offered by the two presidential candidates. Guess whose he likes better?

New grads are inspired to cash in (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Kris Axtman reports that many of this year's commencement speakers are preaching the pursuit of wealth, and, in a sense, given the present climate, that may amount to preaching to the choir. Need more than to be pumped up by a speaker? Here's the Kansas City Star's career guide for graduates. Lots of articles. All worth a look. If you're still in school and won't be graduating for a while, Nicole Ziegler Dizon can point you in the direction of some web sites that may be able to help you find suitable scholarships. Meanwhile, as many new grads expect to become among America's increasingly privileged, there are other Americans who are still struggling just to get along. Ronald Brownstein reports in the Los Angeles Times on alternative strategies for bringing the poorly paid along so that they can enjoy a share of America's historic boom.

The case for loosening immigration restrictions (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
It's not a new lament in Silicon Valley and other American hi-tech regions, but, according to many employers, the problem hasn't gone away either. America isn't producing enough technical talent on its own to fuel the hot technology-based American economy. Philip Cauthon and L. M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle report on efforts to expand the number of available visas that will allow greatly needed specialists to enter the U.S. to work.

What will become of the American MBA? (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
With business online expanding its role, business schools are attempting to shift emphasis, but, in a new world in which many of the old rules may not apply, it's hard to know what to do or what a business education of the future should look like.

The practicalities of being pretty (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
The new economy may be biased in favor people who are regarded as good-looking, according to research at Scotland's Strathclyde University, but does this make it different from the old economy?

The global problem of youth unemployment (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
It's a ticking timebomb, according to experts at the International Labor Organization and elsewhere.

The gender gap has disappeared...for younger women with no children (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Charlene Oldham of the Dallas Morning News reports on some major progress, but mostly for a narrow demographic element.

Report on e-commerce (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
Business Week examines e-commerce from a variety of points of view in a special report, while Cecilia Kang writes in the Arizona Republic about how you can find free help in setting up an Internet company. Meanwhile, a new survey in the UK finds that heads of e-commerce companies are earning 40% more than persons leading more traditional businesses.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Bigstep.com (Tuesday, 5/30/00)
If you'd like to set up an e-commerce company and web site, Bigstep.com can help, and most of their services are free.

Health changes are still on the minds of people in Congress, but only barely (Monday, 5/29/00)
Joanne Kenen reports that the health bills in Congress seem to be going nowhere at the moment. Don't expect much to happen this year, despite all the earlier rhetoric and publicity.

Some firms are trying not to keep their promises on options (Monday, 5/29/00)
The Boston Globe's Ralph Ranalli reports that some employees of hi-tech firms are going to court in an effort to prevent employers from wiggling out of stock option obligations.

Caring for the young...and the old (Monday, 5/29/00)
Barbara Freedman writes that many people are part of that "in-between" generation that is attempting to care for aging parents at the same time that they are still raising their children.

Some of Asia's major tycoons are joining the Internet revolution (Monday, 5/29/00)
Many of the people who have been heavily identified with the economic success of the "Asian tigers" are trying not to be left out of the technological revolution. The New York Times' Mark Landler writes about some famous names who intend to make full use of the Internet. However, as Seth Schiesel reports, major attributes of the tech revolution remain fairly unpredictable. An example seems to be the much-talked-about convergence of media. How will things look after television, the telephone, and computing have come together?

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Veteran Net Employment Resource Page (Monday, 5/29/00)
The Veteran Net Employment Resource Page is a good place to start if you're a veteran and seeking civilian employment.

Canadian nickel miner reaches agreement with its workers (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Inco and 3,300 workers have gotten together on a tentative agreement in Sudbury, Ontario. A possible strike has been averted shortly before the old contract was set to expire.

Poverty in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Amira Hass reports in Israel's Ha'aretz today that income levels in these regions are comparable to those in Ghana and Vietnam. They're among the lowest in the world.

Sexism in France (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Vivienee Walt compares efforts to combat sexism and sexual harassment in France with those in the United States.

Social change in the making (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Typically, when fundamental social changes occur, it's not because large numbers of senior adults are suddenly converted to a new way of thinking. More often, it's because an older generation is replaced with a new one which brings new attitudes into the mainstream. Today's Washington Post reports that the new generation of grads won't be chasing the buck with single-minded intensity. Instead, these people will be seeking careers with balance and time for family priorities. Unlike their elders, presumably, they won't be bragging about how they're "too busy" for the really important things in life. Speaking of students, here's a story about four who have overcome major obstacles in order to earn their degrees which should be an inspiration to all the rest of us about what it takes to succeed.

American labor and the China vote (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Organized labor surely is not of a single mind on issues having to do with trade and China. The New York Times' Steven Greenhouse examines the split in the American labor movement.

The courage to do what you REALLY want to do (Sunday, 5/28/00)
The wife-husband team of Tera Parker-Pope and Kyle Pope discuss what it takes to "turn talk into reality" when it comes to dramatic career changes . They write for the Wall Street Journal.

How UPS helps its workers gain perspective (Sunday, 5/28/00)
It sounds like a sentence, but it's really a reward and opportunity. Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star tells how United Parcel Service is using volunteer work to help their key employees get the big picture.

What will the Internet mean for life throughout the new century? (Sunday, 5/28/00)
There are lots of ideas, some of them contradictory. For summer reading, here are some book suggestions.

Loyalty at Calico (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Within only about a half a nanosecond after Microsoft's stock price took a bit hit a few weeks ago, the company's CEO was announcing a new stock option deal for Microsoft employees, knowing that congestion was likely to build quickly at the company's parking ramp exits. In Silicon Valley, when stock options suddenly become worthless, you can expect a mass migration of key workers to companies offering better opportunities. However, there are some exceptions. Alex Berenson writes from San Jose about the former millionaires at Calico Commerce.

Assessing your debt load (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Personal bankruptcies have declined a bit, but a lot of people are still going broke, even during the unprecedented good times America is experiencing now. Is your debt about to crush you without your even realizing it? Better take a close look, and here's a questionnaire to help you assess your position.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: 6 Billion Human Beings (Sunday, 5/28/00)
Available in both English and French, 6 Billion Human Beings comes to you from a leading French museum. This interactive site will help you understand why world population has exploded recently, and why it's likely to level off during the years directly ahead. To put things into perspective, check how many people there were in the world the year you were born.

Evidence that the taps on the brakes are beginning to slow things a bit (Saturday, 5/27/00)
The American economy may be decelerating to a more manageable level. Here are some of the signs, as reported in the Houston Chronicle. Meanwhile, Brian Whitmore of the Boston Globe reports that Russia has the opposite problem, to put it mildly, and many in Moscow are looking for e-commerce and its efficiencies to be part of the solution. A number of Asian economies are somewhere between the U.S. and Russia in their overall condition, but, as Mark Landler writes from Hong Kong for the New York Times, a wave of growth is sweeping across a region afflicted by a wave of financial crisis less than three years ago.

Many at Corel fear that the ship is sinking and are jumping overboard (Saturday, 5/27/00)
Corel is one of the old standards in the software universe. A hoped-for merger has fallen through, so the company now expects to run out of money soon, and, as Susan Taylor reports from Ottawa, many are leaving in anticipation of drastic cost-saving cuts to come.

Concerns about the wealth gap (Saturday, 5/27/00)
People have an uncanny ability to justify to themselves whatever seems to be in their own self-interest. How frequently do we hear someone say that they have more money or earn more money than they deserve? No matter how much it is, and no matter how great the gap between their own level of privilege and that of someone else, it's all either God's will or in the nature of things or it's because of some other reason one can invoke for justifying things as they are, if one seems to benefit.

That's the way it's been for centuries, and also, for centuries, vast extremes of wealth vs. poverty sooner or later have tended to result in great social and political upheavals. Among other thing, the greatly privileged seem to lose all ability to recognize their own enlightened self-interest. Extreme privilege must cause some sort of brain disease, which, given emerging conditions in an increasingly unfamiliar world, may be particularly dangerous for themselves and nearly everyone else during the new century. Ed Murphy writes today in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about his thoughts following an examination of the latest list of Minnesota's most highly compensated persons.

Deal reached at Trans States Airlines (Saturday, 5/27/00)
Pilots will stay on the job, and there will be no strike at the St. Louis-based regional airline.

Gender gap narrows by two-tenths of a percent during 1999 (Saturday, 5/27/00)
On average, American women who work outside the home earned 76.5 percent of what men working outside the home earned last year. That's up ever so slightly from a year before, but still short of the 77.1 high reached in 1993. Actually, the change from 1998 to 1999 may be within the "margin of error" or standard error of measurement, and, if it is, it doesn't represent a real increase at all, but simply a random statistical blip.

Restraining order against United Food and Commercial Workers Union lifted (Saturday, 5/27/00)
The union is no longer barred from recruiting members inside Wal-Mart stores in Arkansas.

Are multinational corporations becoming an alternative form of world government? (Saturday, 5/27/00)
National governments relinquish a little bit of sovereignty each time they enter into international agreements, and, if those agreements enable multinational corporations to gain more power across national boundaries, can we expect further erosion of the nation-state, and, in particular, of democracy? Will a few multinational corporations end up essentially running the world, accountable only to their stockholders? Here's more on these issues from today's Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Creative recruiting in a tight labor market (Saturday, 5/27/00)
The Denver Post's Anne Colden writes about the creative, unconventional incentives many companies are offering in order to attract the people they need.

Your principal career obstacle may be visible in the mirror if you look closely (Saturday, 5/27/00)
St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist Amy Lindgren examines the fine art of self-defeat.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: TreasuryPoint (Saturday, 5/27/00)
TreasuryPoint is for people who want up-to-the-minute technical financial information that most people don't understand at all and probably don't care about, even if you think they should.

Okay, so will China become more democratic now or not? (Friday, 5/26/00)
The idea that freedom is indivisible is not a new one. For instance, at least 40 years ago, William Buckley was claiming that one cannot have economic freedom without political freedom, so does the one promote the other? Now that the PNTR bill has passed its speed bump in the House and is accelerating on its way to signing at the White House, we'll have an opportunity to find out. Some have been saying that the best way to domesticate the Chinese political system is to hold their feet to the fire, while others have been saying that it's best to open up trade channels because the rest of the world and its influence will flow on in, changing the Chinese system in the process.

Peter Grier of the Christian Science Monitor has some thoughts on this subject, while Clay Chandler, writing in the International Herald Tribune, reports that China's response to the bill's passage in the House has been mixed. They don't like the tepid reference to human rights, for example, and not because it's tepid rather than hot. Clearly, Chinese government leaders are concerned about possible influence from the outside, which helps explain their near-paranoia about the Internet over the past few years. We've heard that they don't particularly like NewWork News, for instance.

More on that big farm-aid package (Friday, 5/26/00)
No, this isn't Willie Nelson's farm aid. This is the aid package agreed on in Congress which will provide $15 billion to help keep some American farmers in business one more year. Incidentally, if you think Willie Nelson's farm-aid concerts each year have been just another effort by a pop-culture celebrity to call attention to himself, you're probably misreading Willie. Willie and his older Sister Bonnie, who has been his piano player for decades, were raised by their grandparents on a farm south of Dallas. Early on, Willie intended to have a career in agriculture, and majored it in at Baylor University. He's seriously involved in the plight of the American farmer. Also, did you know that Willie's also been athletic all his life? There was a time when it appeared that he might have been good enough to play major league baseball, and, at age 67, he had a hole-in-one in Maui a few weeks ago. Appearances can be deceiving. He knows that if a singer sounds like everybody else, s/he will be part of the chorus, not a star. Nobody else sounds like Willie, and nobody else looks like him either, and that's good for business. He really does believe that there have been systematic efforts to destroy the family farm in America, though, and he spends a lot of time on the problem. He's not SIMPLY a show-biz personality.

Cooking the books in Japan (Friday, 5/26/00)
One of the reasons for Japan's current economic problems is the unavailability of reliable data upon which to base decisions, according to Scott Stoddard who writes from Tokyo, and he has an example to support his assertion.

Millions go up in smoke in the American Air Force (Friday, 5/26/00)
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that smoking by Air Force personnel costs $107 million per year in lost productivity and medical costs. It's affecting military readiness, they say. Roughly a quarter of Air Force personnel smoke, which is similar to the incidence of smoking in the general population. However, in the Air Force, a slightly larger percentage of women smoke than men, which is the opposite of how it is in the population at large.

Protections for American workers haven't been implemented (Friday, 5/26/00)
L.M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle says that the law allowing more visas for foreign tech workers includes a requirement that U.S. workers be protected, but that part of it hasn't been put into effect by the Labor Department, he says, and he's wondering why.

A tight labor market seems to get tighter (Friday, 5/26/00)
The workers shortage is affecting many sectors and most regions, and, as Tammy Joyner reports in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia isn't an exception. Unemployment in that state is at its lowest level in 30 years, and workers are getting more and more scarce. Meanwhile, Barbara Hagenbaugh writes from Kalamazoo, Michigan that college students are having little trouble finding jobs for the summer, and Dave Carpenter says that many employers are scrambling to find a sufficient number of teenage workers. However, Janet Simons writes in the Rocky Mountain News that parents need to be on guard to be sure that their teens are employed in safe, appropriate settings. Among settings which have had a reputation for being fairly straight-arrow are the Disney theme parks, but, as Mike Schneider reports from Orlando, Mickey is desperate. He's sending search parties out looking for help. Incidentally, about the time the ink was drying on Disney head Michael Eisner's memoir celebrating his achievements, his company started to develop major problems, so we haven't heard too much from Michael recently. The staffing problems at its theme parks don't help, but Disney does have a blockbuster hit feature film this summer, and, of course, they also have the biggest TV hit in nearly a generation on ABC-TV.

Gays earn less (Friday, 5/26/00)
A University of Maryland study published in the current edition of Demography finds that homosexual men tend to earn less than heterosexual men of the same age.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: History of the Dow Jones Averages (Friday, 5/26/00)
Did you know that Charles Dow was a journalist? Here's how he devised his famous averages, as well as a chronology of their activity from 1884 to 1995.

More on a major change of policy in relation to the world's largest country (Thursday, 5/25/00)
Here's Eric Schmitt and Joseph Kahn's New York Times report on that House of Representatives vote late yesterday afternoon, and how it turns around two decades of U.S. policy toward China. The bill hasn't become law yet, of course, but it's likely to move through the Senate with little difficulty, and, once it arrives at the White House, President Clinton will sign it. Even though the House vote wasn't as close as expected, there was strong opposition, particularly from organized labor, and some of this may turn into resentment toward the Democrats and possibly influence the presidential election, perhaps ironically insuring the election of a Republican to the presidency. Europeans made their own deal with China last week, and, despite widespread concern over loss of European jobs to China--one of the principal concerns of the opposition in the U.S.--Europeans seem to find the prospect of having access to the potentially enormous Chinese market more compelling. Detroit Free Press columnist Doron Levin argues that everybody will benefit from the U.S.-China trade deal, and Steve Holland says that the man whom some regard as one of the most Republican of Democratic presidents may get a little help in the history books from this victory. For obvious reasons, he probably won't be on a short list with Washington and Lincoln, though, and the first paragraph of the section on Clinton is likely to remain unaffected.

American economy continues its strength during the first quarter (Thursday, 5/25/00)
The latest data from the Commerce Department says the American economy grew at a 5.4 percent annual rate during the first quarter of 2000, and inflation still seems to exist mostly in the minds of those who worry about its possibilities. Meanwhile, the Labor Department reports that first-time jobless claims were up a bit last week.

Deal reached on ag assistance (Thursday, 5/25/00)
American farmers seem set to collect $15 billion in assistance now that agreement has been reached by Congressional negotiators.

Layoffs in the appliance and steel industries (Thursday, 5/25/00)
Maytag will cut 120 jobs in Iowa, but the planned closing of LTV Steel Mining Company in Minnesota is likely to result in far greater job losses. The taconite operation employs 1,400 people.

A controversial source of needed labor (Thursday, 5/25/00)
The Christian Science Monitor's Daniel Wood reports that labor shortages in the private sector are leading to increased use of inmates to pick up some of the slack.

Some airline employees approve of merger plans (Thursday, 5/25/00)
United Airlines wants US Airways to become part of itself, and that's okay with some workers at both companies, reports Jason Blevins in the Denver Post.

The productivity benefits of e-mail (Thursday, 5/25/00)
A new study from Ferris Research reported in today's Investor's Business Daily suggests that the use of e-mail results in net productivity gains of $9,000 per employee, on average. That's after subtracting the $4,000 worth of lost time dealing with unproductive e-mail.

A new market from a new employee benefit (Thursday, 5/25/00)
Gateway and iXL's Consumer Financial Network are teaming up to market computers and associated services to companies that provide computer systems as an employee benefit. Overall, despite efforts to offer new perks to attract particularly scarce types of workers, columnist Diane Stafford says that cost pressures are causing employers to cut back on benefits a little here, a little there.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Search Engines Worldwide (Thursday, 5/25/00)
Given your global, new-economy orientation, are you having difficulty finding what you need? Here are more than 600 search engines and directories from more than 100 countries.

House passes China PNTR bill (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
The United States House of Representatives, by a vote of 237 to 197--a wider margin than expected--passed the bill that would give permanent normal trade relations to China. The bill is expected to move through the Senate with little resistance and will encounter no resistance whatever if it reaches 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Judge rejects Microsoft's motion (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson has decided not to consider a motion to dismiss the government's proposal to break up the company, and has decided to move directly to a consideration of antitrust remedies. He's also indicated that he might favor a three-way split. However, now that Bill Gates probably isn't the richest man in the world any longer, and considering that Microsoft's stock is selling at only a bit more than half of its high during the past year, Bill still has money to give away. His foundation will fund 230 scholarships at Cambridge University. So far, at least, his reputation doesn't seem to have suffered greatly, at least among the young. A survey sponsored by The Economist finds that young students rank Mr. Gates third behind Einstein and Gandhi as the greatest individual of the 20th century, meaning, among other things, that they think more of him than John Paul II, Mother Teresa or Winston Churchill.

Nader may get UAW support (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
Ralph Nader may be the Green Party candidate for president, and he may get the support of the United Auto Workers. UAW leaders are unhappy about candidate Gore's support of the China trade bill, which these and other union leaders believe will send American jobs to China. Most political observers seem to agree that Mr. Nader would have almost no chance of winning the presidency, but, given a coalition of support stimulated by current controversial issues such as the China trade bill, he could obtain sufficient votes to determine who the winner will be. In fact, Tom Hamburger reports from Washington that Democrats are concerned about consequences for the fall election.

Incidentally, American organized labor's opposition to the China trade bill is based in large part upon the presumption that high-paying American jobs will become very low-paying jobs for Chinese citizens. However, Clay Chandler and Frank Swoboda write about a new survey that contradicts conventional assumptions about microscopic pay levels in China. Chinese autoworkers do not earn nearly as much as autoworkers in the United States, but the UAW's claim that people working for GM in China make about 59 cents per hours seems untrue. The union's fundamental point may be correct, but their claims may be exaggerated, according to this International Herald Tribune article.

South Korean economic recovery continues (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
The South Korean economy was hit hard by the "Asian flu" a couple of years ago, and one of Asia's "tigers" was thrown into a severe recession which drove many recently affluent persons back into the poverty from whence they came. However, recently, the South Korean economy has been recovering nicely, and unemployment has declined again, according to the latest numbers. Something fairly new seems to be going on, though. It is a change of attitude toward the U.S. An increasing number of South Koreans seem to resent the American military presence in their country nearly half a century after the Korean War ended with no peace, but only a cease-fire.

AmeriCorps hit where it hurts (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
A key House committee has voted to cut funding for President Clinton's AmeriCorps. Here are more details from Vicki Allen writing from Washington, D. C.

Look for a great increase in the number of minority students in the U.S. (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
There are about 17 million college and university students in the United States now. Expect about 19 million of them within 15 years, and expect 80 percent of the growth in the student population to come from minority populations. Here's more from Jodi Wilgoren of the New York Times.

Why are construction workers earning less? (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
Construction is surging in a hot economy and unemployment among construction workers is at its lowest level in many years. Still, according to a new report, the relative pay of construction workers has been declining for a long time and continues to do so. Why?

Many disillusioned with Job Network in Australia (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
Despite expectations, a majority of employers don't believe that the system is providing better service than its predecessor, according to Laura Tingle in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Class divisions increase in Egypt (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
The have vs. have-not gap seems to be increasing in many places around the world, and, according to this Christian Science Monitor report, Egypt is no exception.

Signs of rougher sailing for the American economy? (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
The Treasury Secretary has indicated that the American economy is fundamentally very strong, despite the recent weakening of the stock market, but columnist Jerry Heaster of the Kansas City Star sees a few storm clouds on the horizon.

If you're on the road from Rio to Sao Paulo, better get out of the way (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
Sao Paulo is a huge city with some of the greatest economic contrasts in the world as well as world-class pollution and congestion, so why are so many people moving there to work? Jeb Blount says its mostly because of a shift in banking and financial operations from Rio to Sao Paulo. High-paying jobs in the latter city help attract people who qualify too, he says.

Veeco Instruments to cut 13 percent of its workforce (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
Veeco manufactures industrial equipment. In order to cut costs and reduce duplication within the company, 180 job cuts are planned in New York and Virginia.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: What you'll need to retire (Wednesday, 5/24/00)
The American Savings Education Council offers a calculator that can yield a "ballpark estimate" of how much you will need to retire and where it will have to come from.

Israeli's GDP slows a bit (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
Israel's economy grew by more than an annualized 5 percent during the last half of 1999, but growth slowed to 4.5 percent during the first quarter of this year, according to Moti Bassok of Ha'aretz.

What helped the Asian contagion economies recover? (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
Just about anything, apparently. Thomas Fuller reports in the Paris-based International Herald Tribune that, despite a lot of earlier argument about what would work and what wouldn't, afflicted economies have tended to rebound no matter what was done. What has been the effective ingredient?

A vote comes this week in the House, and there's a lot of last-minute scrambling and arm-twisting (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
Some key members of the House of Representatives are likely to be receiving personal telephone calls from President Clinton, as he does what he can to gain passage of the bill that would grant Permanent Normal Trade Relations to China. Joseph Kahn of the New York Times reports that both sides are lobbying hard, and supporters of the bill say that narrow passage is expected, although much could happen...or fail to happen...during the next few hours. A government study is causing some nervousness among the bill's supporters, because it predicts a worsening of the U.S. trade deficit with China if the bill becomes law. Large portions of the general public remain unconvinced about the bill's wisdom, according to polls, while the majority of top political and economic leaders support it, including former presidents. Here's another famous and influential supporter: Former Senator, Vice-President, Presidential candidate, and Abassador to Japan, Walter F. Mondale, writing for the Los Angeles Times, but his article comes to you today via Mr. Mondale's home-town newspaper.

Thinking politically in Europe (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
Reginald Dale writes that the idea of greater economic integration leading to greater political integration isn't revolutionary, and it isn't new, and it may sometime come. Why NOT a "United States of Europe" someday, particularly in a new world where so many things that appeared to be rock-solid are suddenly dissolving?

Clinton and Hastert get together on help for America's poorer regions (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
The President and the Speaker of the House are announcing new legislation today to boost investment in low-income areas in order to create jobs.

Trains may screech to a halt in Sydney (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
Following the failure of negotiations over pay, 32 electrical workers are threatening to shut down train service in one of Australia's leading cities.

Why are a lot of actors angry with Colin Powell? (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
The retired general and possible future Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense produced a promotion TV spot in support of his favorite charity, and it was a non-union production, say striking Screen Actors Guild members. In other labor news, armored-car security guards in France have voted to extend their two-week-old strike. The dispute has left a lot of cash machines empty throughout the country. Also in France, native French-speaking pilots and native French-speaking control tower personnel will no longer have to speak English to one another, to the possible relief of passengers who speak a variety of languages.

High Court to decide on arbitration issue (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the Federal Arbitration Act can be used to enforce arbitration agreements.

Colorado software firm to cut jobs (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
Jennifer Beauprez reports in today's Denver Post that J.D. Edwards & Company is cutting 800 jobs.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Web Jobs USA (Tuesday, 5/23/00)
If you're interesting in anything having to do with employment in the exploding Internet world, Web Jobs USA will be of interest to you. It contains a good deal of information, as well as links to other sites specializing in web work.

The "undecided" in Congress are getting a lot of phone calls (Monday, 5/22/00)
Jonathan Salant reports that the vote on China trade is likely to hinge on people who haven't made up their minds yet, or, at least, haven't declared how they're going to vote. These people are hearing from a lot of lobbyists representing business and labor. The latest word is that the vote is likely to be very close. Ken Moritsugu says that trade between the U.S. and China will increase whatever the result of the Congressional vote that's coming up. So what's it all about?

Expect more competition for workers this summer (Monday, 5/22/00)
A new survey from Manpower, Inc. finds that many employers are intending to add workers this summer, if they can. Unemployment in the U.S. should decline even more. Further, there should be more opportunity for teens than during many summers past.

A matter of prior restraint and a scaling back of the 1st Amendment? (Monday, 5/22/00)
An Avis Rent a Car manager has a habit of using racial epithets at work and even directing them at co-workers. The Supreme Court left standing a California Supreme Court ruling that he can be told to stop it. Mei-Ling Hopgood writes in today's Detroit Free Press about efforts to scale back the level of sexual harassment on the job. More policies and procedures are in place, but complaints are still numerous.

UAW workers at Bell authorize a strike (Monday, 5/22/00)
The United Auto Workers has been authorized to call a strike at Bell Helicopter near Fort Worth, and the vote was highly lopsided.

More of the world's farmland has become less capable of producing food (Monday, 5/22/00)
A study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute finds that 40 percent of the world's agricultural land has become substantially degraded because of erosion and nutrient depletion.

The reorganization of the world (Monday, 5/22/00)
First, city-states, then nation-states, now "regions." Europe is providing a new model for political and economic organization, according to first article in a new series from the Christian Science Monitor. It's not the only trend likely to result in a world unrecognizeable, however. Chris O'Brien says business-to-business transactions on the Internet are capable of changing society too. Nearly every company seems to want to get involved in e-commerce, and many need help, so consultatns are in great demand and handsomely rewarded.

Another "new economy" perk (Monday, 5/22/00)
Diane Lewis of the Boston Globe reports that some employers are finding ways to help parents relax about their children's online experiences. Meanwhile, some working parents are more interested in looking at their children on the Internet than in what their children are looking at. The system enables parents to look in on their children at day-care. Literally.

Being merely affluent among the genuinely rich (Monday, 5/22/00)
Steve Berg tells how the great increase in wealth in America's go-go economy has priced a lot of things out of the reach of many persons who simply qualify as among the world's most privileged, at least using familiar criteria.

The hazards of inaction (Monday, 5/22/00)
America's most fanatical baseball enthusiast says that doing nothing offers the greatest risk, so far as Social Security is concerned. George Will is also a former political science professor, former Senatorial aid, syndicated columnist, and ABC News commentator. The Secretary of the Treasury has been thinking about risks too. Secretary Summers believes that U.S. stature in the world will be diminished if it cuts back on aid around the globe. Speaking of Social Security, Shannon Buggs says in today's Houston Chronicle that "working retiree" is not an oxymoron.

Web boot camp makes the largely unemployable highly employable (Monday, 5/22/00)
Here's Marco della Cava's USA Today report on a program in San Francisco that helps who aren't used to success cross the digital divide tot he other side.

How should one dress on the job? (Monday, 5/22/00)
The old industrial economy, organized largely along paramilitary lines, valued conformity, hierarchy, and a good deal of standardization. All that has changed, and, with the changes comes quite a lot of confusion. Because so many people may not know where shifting boundaries are now, as Jerry Gleeson reports, many companies are finding, somehwat ironically, that a written dress-code policy seems to make sense.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Business Traveler Online (Monday, 5/22/00)
Business Traveler has been a print publication out of the UK for nearly a quarter of a century. Business Traveler Online offers feature articles, news, and tips for biz travelers across the globe.

Big German bank prepares to make major cuts (Sunday, 5/21/00)
Dresdner Bank intends to cut 10 percent of its workforce, which will amount to about 5,000 people. Here's more from Edmund Andrews writing from Frankfurt for the Paris-based International Herald Tribune.

It's beginning to seem like the mid-14th century in South Africa (Sunday, 5/21/00)
Europe's "black death" lingered for centuries but was at its worst during the middle of the 14th century when a major portion of the European population was wiped out. It took centuries for the region to recover economically and in nearly every other way. Now, this Washington Post article says that a quarter of South Africa's population could succumb to AIDS, particularly if U.S.-developed medications are not made widely available. Their cost is an obstacle, but attitudes on the part of South Africa's leadership may also turn out to be a determining factor. As Daniel Wakin of the New York Times reports, President Mbeki seems to have some unusual ideas about AIDS, including the notion that it's not caused by HIV, a position with which virtually no AIDS expert in the world agrees.

The challenge of cooling things, but not too much (Sunday, 5/21/00)
Here's Jan Paschals analysis of the task facing Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve. How to slow the American economy sufficiently to avoid inflation without throwing the world's most admired economy into recession. Meanwhile, Japan's problem is quite different. What has appeared to be a tentative recovery from the worst recession in that country since the devastation of World War II may already have become derailed. Finance Minister Miyazawa says that the Japanese economy needs accelerated consumption, which still seems stuck in neutral. It may be a good time to think about the economist whose ideas may have contributed to Japan's postwar recovery, as well as helping America to emerge from the Great Depression of the 1930s. Toshiaki Sakai writes in Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun today about the great John Maynard Keynes. While the Japanese economy struggles to become a vibrant part of the new global information economy, a new survey finds that about a fourth of Japanese citizens are spending time online, and many are finding that it's changing their lives.

Irish generations past wouldn't believe it (Sunday, 5/21/00)
For a very long time, beginning at least with the potato famine, Ireland was one of the last places one would look for economic opportunity, and multitudes of Irish went elsewhere in order to try to make a living. Many came to Minnesota; St. Paul has a large population of people with Irish ancestry. Now, the Irish economy is booming, and some people are going back to their ancestral home where some of the best economic opportunities in the world can be found. Also, Mike Meyers reports that Ireland is now Minnesota's fastest growing trading partner. Another area of Europe is seeing better times now too. Michael Tarm writes from Riga, Latvia on the unexpectedly fast economic rebound of a number of countries that used to be part of the old Soviet bloc.

Oklahoma oil fields limited by worker shortages (Sunday, 5/21/00)
Oil prices are up, a condition that Oklahoma producers would like to be able to take full advantage of, but it's not easy, because of the desperate shortage of people to work the fields. A tight labor market is also resulting in abundant opportunity and high starting salaries for this year's crop of new grads, according to Scott Bernard Nelson of the Boston Globe.

Managing career change (Sunday, 5/21/00)
Columnist Amy Lindgren of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that the presently hot economy may provide just the opportunity you need to make that career change you've been considering for so long. Still, don't expect everything to fall together automatically. It's likely to require careful planning and preparation.

Does parenthood make you MORE productive at work? (Sunday, 5/21/00)
Nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman discusses a study conducted by Lutheran Brotherhood, which is a financial services organization, not really a religious one. Its findings seem to contradict popular stereotypes about working parents.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: 401kafe (Sunday, 5/21/00)
If you have questions about 401 (k) plans and retirement, 401kafe may be a good place to start asking them. The site also includes news and features articles, but no stock market advice.

China sees agreement with European Union as last major hurdle to WTO entry (Saturday, 5/20/00)
Bill Savadove reports that China's government-controlled press is heralding its agreement with the EU. Here's more from Craig Smith of the New York Times. Despite what Chinese leaders want others to believe, it's not necessarily the last major hurdle to World Trade Organization membership, however. The American Congress must still act on the issue of permanent normal trade relations with China, and, at last report, the vote will be very close, although Congressional Republicans have been saying to expect passage.

Doctors walk out in Duluth (Saturday, 5/20/00)
Ten emergency room physicians in Duluth, Minnesota have resigned from one of the city's two hospitals. They have objected to an unusual arrangement that had them working for both competing hospitals at the same time.

Tiime for lunch doesn't seem to be an altogether unreasonable perk (Saturday, 5/20/00)
The South Korean stock exchange intends to change its policy so that trading will continue through the lunch hour, and traders are threatening to strike over the issue.

A mini-migration from the new back to the old economy, in a way (Saturday, 5/20/00)
Debora Vrana of the Los Angeles Times writes about people who seem to have lost a bit of confidence in their future with Internet companies and are attempting to return to more conventional corporations.

The American agricultural economy doesn't need slowing down (Saturday, 5/20/00)
Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan has been worrying that inflation could return, so has been using interest rate increases as a means for slowing things down, but, for many American farmers, things are far too slow already, or, at least, unprofitable. Higher interest rates make their circumstances even more difficult. Meanwhile, Edward Lotterman explains why a weak euro also makes a difference to American farmers.

American employee-employer relationships are beginning to resemble those in earlier boom-time Japan (Saturday, 5/20/00)
In "Japan, Inc.," employers took care of employees and the Japanese government took care of employers, as domestic competition of all types was minimized in order to mobilize the entire country to compete with the rest of the world. Now, a very tight labor market is causing American employers to offer more and more life assistance to workers as well, including help with the downpayment on a house. However, a significant difference is that American work life lacks the sort of paternalistic tradition that dominated in Japan for so long. Things have been changing there too in response to the protracted recession or near-recession. Among other things, job security has diminished significantly in Japan, and, for those who have survived layoffs, stress levels have been reaching all-time highs.

New grads may be able to take advantage of the new "moving deduction" (Saturday, 5/20/00)
Columnist Gary Klott of the St. Paul Pioneer Press explains a feature of the tax law that may be able to lighten the burden for grads with student loans as they make the transition from campus to someplace else.

"Defined contribution" health plans gain momentum in corporate America (Saturday, 5/20/00)
Columnist Amy Gage writes that employers are trying to find ways to control health care costs, and one way is to give employees the money and let them make their own health care choices.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Salary.com (Saturday, 5/20/00)
Salary.com enables you to see what people in occupations of interest are earning in your community, as well as in others around the country. The site also offers advice on salary issues and more.

Completion nears on compensation for Nazi-era slaves (Friday, 5/19/00)
A bill that would distribute $4.6 billion to persons forced to work as slaves during Germany's Nazi era has been passed by the upper house of the German parliament.

China trade deal may be a done deal next week (Friday, 5/19/00)
A bill that would grant permanent normal trade relations to China appears set to clear the Congress, according to influential Congressional Republicans.

Potlotch to cut jobs (Friday, 5/19/00)
Potlatch, a major wood products company, will cut jobs in order to cut expenses. Meanwhile, a highly-publicized Internet company intends to cut more than a third of its workforce. Justin Dini reports that Drkoop.com, named for the former Surgeon General, will need additional financing to continue operations.

Fast track to the top has gotten faster (Friday, 5/19/00)
Del Jones reports that a younger generation is occupying CEO positions in many major American corporations.

An examination of Bush and Gore plans for fixing Social Security (Friday, 5/19/00)
Richard Stevenson of the New York Times has been studying both presidential candidates' ideas for keeping Social Security solvent and shares his conclusions.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The American Center for the Study of Distance Education (Friday, 5/19/00)
Tens of thousands of courses are already available online, and "distance education" will mean something more with each new iteration of the Internet, as it becomes mostly wireless, wide-band, and more. Among the people concentrating much attention on the phenomenon are scholars at the The American Center for the Study of Distance Education at The Pennsylvania State University.

IG Metall adopts flexible policies for the new economy (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Hans Greimel writes from Frankfurt about a change of attitude on the part of major German unions which may help the world's third-largest economy make the transition necessary for its full recovery.

The two Koreas agree on details for talks (Thursday, 5/18/00)
The top leaders of North Korea and South Korea have reached agreement on specifics relating to the summit to be held next month. High on the agenda is the reunification of families separated for decades. South Korean leaders believe that the North's desperate economic condition has provided the motivation to agree to the historic talks.

Cash shortage because of strike (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Armored truck guards are on strike in France, and this means many empty cash machines across the country.

Jobless claims decline again (Thursday, 5/18/00)
First-time jobless claims are down for the second week in a row. Jeannine Aversa reports that the latest Labor Department data reinforce unsurprising conclusions about a continuing strong job market.

Amway decides to join the e-commerce movement, rather than fighting it (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Amway's sales are down, so they're cutting 1,300 jobs in order to focus more on the Internet.

Thousands of employers are violating insurance parity law (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Employers who offer insurance coverage to their employees are legally required to cover mental health treatments at a level similar to their coverage of treatments of physical illnesses. However, as Robert Pear reports in today's New York Times, a great many of them aren't doing so.

Washington has the highest-paid tech workers (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Washington state, that is. The results are from a new survey conducted by the American Electronics Association. If you're surprised that California, because of its Silicon Valley, isn't number 1, you may be even more surprised to learn that it isn't number 2 either. Okay, who has the greatest number of hi-tech workers? California IS number 1 on this list, but who's number 2? Michael Holmes reports from Austin in the Houston Chronicle, all of which should provide a clue.

Capella University receives major funding (Thursday, 5/18/00)
A major New York City venture capital firm seems to agree that online education for profit has a major future, and that Capella University can play a significant role. The "virtual university" has received a $35 million investment.

Liberal critics have it all wrong, columnist says (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Matthew Miller of the Los Angeles Times is highly critical of many critics of the Federal Reserve, saying many old-style liberals never met an interest rate increase they can support. Speaking of the Fed, Alan Greenspan has met with President Clinton and supports the President's effort to obtain permanent normal trade relations for China.

Her employer says she can't be a blond (Thursday, 5/18/00)
She works at Colonial Williamsburg, she dyed her hair blond, and now faces possible termination because her hair color doesn't "look natural."

It's an emergency: close the "digital divide" (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Doron Levin reports on what the "digital divide" statistics are showing and why the economic future of so many lower-income people will depend on their gaining access to one of the most powerful technologies in history.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Human Resource Development Canada (Thursday, 5/18/00)
Human Resource Development Canada is one of the Canadian government's largest agencies, providing a range of services for individuals as well as employers, comprehensive labor market information, and access to resources, both within the government and outside it.

New Russian PM approved (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
President Putin has the prime minister he has wanted. Mikhail Kasyanov has been approved overwhelmingly by the Duma. He says he will push ahead with market reforms which Western experts believe are necessary if the Russian economy is to crawl out of its deep hole.

The Fed may not be finished raising rates (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
Yesterday, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates a half percent, the largest single increase in five years. Still, that may not be enough to discourage inflation, and another increase may be coming before long, according to Ken Moritsugu in the Kansas City Star. Floyd Norris of the New York Times writes that the very strong American economy so far has resisted efforts to slow it down, and Detroit Free Press columnist Susan Tompor suspects that the half-percentage increase won't be enough to cool either inflationary pressures or volatility.

Protest at Chinese factory turns violent (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
Five-thousand former workers have been protesting nonpayment of pensions and wages at a steel plant in the northeastern city of Liaoyang. Many have been injured, and some persons have been arrested, according to reports. Also, Chinese and European Union negotiators have failed to reach an agreement that would bring China closer to membership in the World Trade Organization. They'll continue talking, though.

German industrialist says deal to compensate Nazi-era slaves could come unglued (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
Wolfgang Gibowski says that implementation of the compensation agreement could hinge on whether German companies obtain guarantees of immunity from future lawsuits. Here's more Erik Kirschbaum from Berlin.

Clinton wants prescription coverage for military retirees (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
President Clinton would like to see coverage of prescription medications included in Medicare. As a step in that direction, he's urging the full House and Senate to approve a bill that would offer this coverage to military retirees over 65. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Becker writes about a new report showing that the American military's child-care system has become something the civilian world might want to emulate.

What the Internet may look like quite soon (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
Presently, the Internet is a lot of mostly desktop computers wired together with fairly slow connections, in most cases. Before long, though, it is likely to be quite different in a number of ways. For one thing, the Internet will be wide-band, which, among other things, will enable full-motion video and further media convergence. Also, it won't simply be what we normally think of as "computers" connected to one another. Instead, microprocessors will be in virtually everything, so the Internet of the future will mean that nearly everything will be connected to nearly everything else. Finally, the Internet is going wireless, and Business Week offers a special report on what could be the most revolutionary trend of all.

Here's a scary thought: suppose you were rich (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
A new survey finds that many Americans would like to be wealthy, but also fear that it could have a downside.

Economics in a presidential election (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
The Dominican Republic's economy has been experiencing some good times, but many have been left out. David Gonzalez writes from Santo Domingo on the impact of the have-nots on the presidential vote. Elsewhere in Latin America, there are other kinds of problems. For instance, unemployment in Venezuela was up during the first quarter.

Rising wages cause other things to happen (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
The St. Paul Pioneer Press' Mike Hughlett presents a special report on the worker shortage and what employers do to compensate when they have to pay employees more.

Part-time work pays for full-time college (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
UPS needs part-time workers, and they're attracting a lot of them by paying the bill for college. About 7,000 part-time workers are taking advantage of the opportunity, and the company's employee retention rate as improved significantly.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The 'Lectric Law Library Business Law Topic area (Wednesday, 5/17/00)
The 'Lectric Law Library offers another online business law resource.

Suspicions confirmed: Fed raises rates (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
As expected, the Federal Reserve has raised a key interest rate by a half percent to 6.5 percent, the largest single increase in several years, in an effort to slow growth a bit and head off threatening inflation. However, as Steven Vames of the New York Times reports, consumer prices haven't been supporting the alarm over inflation possibilities. The CPI remained unchanged during April from a month before. It's the first time consumer prices remained flat since last June. The interest rate increase surprised nearly nobody, mostly because the Fed had clearly telegraphed its intended actions so as not to jolt the stock market with a surprise.

Coke attempts to head off discrimination suit (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Coca-Cola says it is committing $1 billion to a program to increase opportunities for minorities and women, according to today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Eight current and former employees are suing the company.

What year is it in Indonesia? (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
It could just as well be two or three years ago when the financial crisis was sweeping across Asia. The Indonesian rupiah has been weakening, and growth forecasts have been cut drastically.

Candidate Bush outlines his plans for Social Security and Medicare (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Among other things, the Republican candidate favors retirement savings accounts. Here's more from Alison Mitchell and James Dao of the New York Times, while Richard Stevenson offers some analysis and perspective on the eternal Social Security question. Both presidential candidates are challenging one of the retirement system's traditional principles, he says.

United to hire more pilots (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
United Airlines is responding to a refusal on the part of some of its pilots to work overtime by announcing that it will hire more pilots. The airline has had to cancel a considerable number of flights during recent days, but part of the reason has been bad weather.

Japan moves to create more than a third of a million new jobs (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Considering high unemployment to be an emergency, the Japanese government is pushing ahead with a program to create 350,000 new jobs during the next twelve months. Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun reports that the rate of suicide among university students has also reached emergency levels, and a bleak job market seems to be one of the reasons.

Getting what you pay for where your children are concerned (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Child-care workers in the United States, as a group, are poorly paid, and that's the case in Australia too. Considering the importance of the work, it seems curious that parents are willing to put their children in the care of people whose skills might be commensurate with the very low pay available to them. It might be a disaster if it were not for committed, talented people who are willing to endure the low pay in order to serve children.

Accreditation council wants to tighten standards (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Colleges that train teachers will have to meet higher standards if the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has its way.

Top women-owned companies (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Working Women magazine has released its top 500 list. The Fort Worth Star Telegram's Sandra Baker notes that some home-town companies have made the list for the third year in a row.

A Wal-Mart store's meat workers will not unionize (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
A narrow vote will be allowed to stand without challenge at a Wal-Mart store in Palestine, Texas. Here's the story from today's Houston Chronicle.

One reason for recent increases in worker productivity (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Yes, across the entire American economy, high-technology clearly is making a difference now, after years of investment and uncertain effects. Productivity levels have been high recently, and this is important because a society's overall standard of living is linked to the efficiency with which it deploys its resources. But, as Amy Gage reports in today's St. Paul Pioneer Press, output-per-unit-input is influenced by the fact that fewer people are doing the work more people used to do, and this is leaving workers short of time for other areas of their lives. In another piece today, Ms. Gage says that employers had better get used to older workers, because there will be a lot of them, and the economy needs them. It may be time for an attitude adjustment, according to her.

A lottery that isn't a lottery (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Gambling is taboo in Iran, so this televised lottery is intended to help the poor, according to Hoard Schneider writing from Tehran for the International Herald Tribune.

Will the U.S. leave everybody else behind throughout the 21st century? (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
Reginald Dale writes that, at the moment, at least, the United States is farther along in its development of the sort of economy that is likely to characterize the new century, but there are reasons for Europeans to be optimistic about their own prospects.

Kemp and Cisneros may not agree on much, but they agree on this (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
A leading Republican and a leading Democrat are hoping that other members of their parties will agree that immigration restrictions should be eased, particularly when it comes to skilled workers needed by the American economy. They also want to see amnesty granted to large numbers of illegal immigrants in the U.S.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Better Business Bureau Resource Library (Tuesday, 5/16/00)
The Better Business Bureau Resource Library lists available publications and a good deal more.

Take a deep breath--the Fed meets tomorrow (Monday, 5/15/00)
Richard Stevenson writes that the Federal Reserve is concerned about growing signs that inflation is preparing to make a comeback. David Francis of the Christian Science Monitor expects a major interest rate increase on Tuesday because efforts so far have failed to slow the American economy, and Detroit Free Press columnist Susan Tompor agrees. Ken Moritsugu says that no recession is expected, but fewer Americans will be going "Wheeee!." The American economy is about to get less "irrationally exuberant," to borrow a phrase from Mr. Greenspan. Among the consequences of what is likely to be the biggest single interest rate hike in several years will be tighter money for companies that need it, according to Nancy Leinfuss.

Guess what may be the principal issue of the presidential campaign? (Monday, 5/15/00)
For many years, Social Security was so politically taboo that any politician not intending to seek another line of work would hardly mention it, and NEVER in the same sentence as the word "reform." That's changed. In fact, the presidential candidate who, at the moment, appears to be the front-runner, has a plan, and he clearly expects that it will help him get elected, rather than preventing it.

Singapore workers to receive personal computers (Monday, 5/15/00)
Singapore's National Trade Union Corporation will supply its 300,000 union members with computers and Internet access. The computers will come from PeoplePC Inc.

Fund for Los Alamos lab workers (Monday, 5/15/00)
Energy Secretary Richardson has announced that the U.S. Energy Department is setting up a fund to help employees of the Los Alamos National Laboratory who have been affected by the wildfires that have been sweeping through the community.

Blair will remain as PM (Monday, 5/15/00)
The British prime minister will try to spend as much time as possible with their new baby, but he won't be taking paternity leave, and he won't become a Mr. Mom. Speaking of which, H. J. Cummins has some thoughts. Many stay-at-home dads are reassessing their positions, he says.

An answer to Tom Friedman (Monday, 5/15/00)
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman offered an analysis of union resistance to the China trade deal the other day, but this union official, writing in Friedman's hometown newspaper, says the columnist didn't get it right. He should have talked to actual union members, says Friedman's critic.

Flight cancellations at United (Monday, 5/15/00)
In part because of a refusal of many pilots to work overtime, United Airlines cancelled 108 flights on Sunday alone.

The high cost of high income (Monday, 5/15/00)
Freshly minted attorneys who sign on with major law firms for big starting salaries often find that they hardly have time to dream wistfully of a 48-hour week, which might seem like semi-retirement. Meanwhile, Amy Gage and Sheryl Jean find that many other workers in the new economy are attracted more by "quality of life" perks than by money alone, and information technology workers, in particular, usually get what they want, according to Martin Moyland of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Major churches are also major work centers (Monday, 5/15/00)
The New York Times' Julie Flaherty writes that there's plenty to keep a staff of non-clergy very busy throughout the work week.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: History of Economic Thought (Monday, 5/15/00)
The History of Economic Thought site is fun for browsing, if you're interested in the historical development of economic ideas. You'll also find reference to more than 500 economists. The site comes from students at what, until 1997, was called New School for Social Research, but is now New School University. TV viewers, particularly those who watch the Bravo cable channel, may think of the New School's drama program, but, for many decades, the institution's programs have been varied, deep, and often experimental.

Fuss over spending bill (Friday, 5/12/00)
The President threatens a veto and the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously passes a big spending bill for health, education, labor, and social programs. Senator Harkin thinks the President's threat came too early in the process.

New trade bill is sent to the President for signing (Friday, 5/12/00)
The Senate has passed a trade bill approved by the House of Representatives last week that will provide trade benefits to a number of countries, including some in Africa. William Gumede writes in South Africa's Financial Mail about the politics of trade liberalization, and says the U.S. bill is "watered down." Also, here's Ethel Hazelhurst's cover story on South Africa's President Mbeki and his plans for his country, including lifelong education and training.

Some may be breathing easier at Ford's Dagenham plant, but who? (Friday, 5/12/00)
It had been feared that Ford would close its Dagenham plant in the UK. The company is saying that this will not happen, but major restructuring will.

What to do about attitudes toward immigration in Germany? (Friday, 5/12/00)
Germany needs to bring in a lot of tech experts from outside the country, if it is to make a full transition from an old heavy industrial economy to an information economy. German President Rau is trying to persuade Germans to be more accepting of foreigners.

More experts predict strong growth throughout the year (Friday, 5/12/00)
The National Association of Business Economists has revised upward its economic forecast for the year 2000. Now, they expect the American economy to grow at a 4.9 percent rate for the year, but think it will slow to 3 percent next year.

The Administration proposes H-1B visa increase (Friday, 5/12/00)
The Clinton administration would like to see 200,000 tech visas issued during each of the years 2001 through 2003.

Pilots at United refuse overtime (Friday, 5/12/00)
Contract talks between United Airlines and its pilots have not been progressing well enough to satisfy many of their participants, so the pilots have decided not to accept any overtime, which is resulting in the cancellation of about 100 flights per day.

Wage gap continues in hi-tech (Friday, 5/12/00)
According to the Council of Economic Advisers, the boom in technical jobs has done little to narrow the gender gap, so far as pay is concerned.

One university worries about the effect of its pay levels on its future (Friday, 5/12/00)
A new report to the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents claims that pay for professors must be increased if the University is not to lose ground among major research institutions.

Mixed messages from Hearst (Friday, 5/12/00)
Scott Andrews reports that Hearst has been saying that its proposed purchase of the San Francisco Chronicle would not result in job losses, but this isn't consistent with its own analysis, which suggested a loss of 208 jobs.

Canada to send out yearly statements on its pension plan (Friday, 5/12/00)
If you're Canadian and pay into the Canada Pension Plan, you will receive a statement each year showing where you stand. The Canadian government had resisted the 13.5 million piece mailing each year, but has changed its mind, according to the Toronto Star.

Women feel that their military careers would be jeopardized by reporting harassment (Friday, 5/12/00)
Harassment may be fairly common in the U.S. military, even among senior officers, but women usually don't report it because of a concern that it would be bad for their careers. Here's more from Elizabeth Becker of the New York Times.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Tech: Making the Grade (Friday, 5/12/00)
The National Education Association examines the use of technology in education in Tech: Making the Grade.

Army confirms general's allegations (Thursday, 5/11/00)
Officials of the United States Army have concluded that Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy was the victim of inappropriate sexual advances on the part of another general, as she has alleged.

One-day strike in India (Thursday, 5/11/00)
A major labor union has called a one-day strike across India, which has disrupted business and transpiration. Incidentally, demographers estimate that India's population passes the 1 billion mark this week.

More about the new prime minister of Russia (Thursday, 5/11/00)
Michael Wines of the New York Times says that Mikhail Kasyanov is young, smart, experienced, and an economic liberal.

Did you know that today is Equal Pay Day? (Thursday, 5/11/00)
According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, American working women have had to work through 1999 and the year 2000 so far in order to equal the pay men received during 1999 alone. On average, women who work outside the home now earn 73 percent of what men earn. A new report is being released today, according to Francine Knowles of the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, Candace Boforth of the Akron Beacon Journal writes about an advantage that parents who work for the federal government have over parents working in the private sector.

American executives expect boom to keep on keeping on (Thursday, 5/11/00)
Members of the Business Council, a group of top corporate executives, appear to agree that economic good times will continue in the United States, although growth will be slower and inflation slightly higher.

Keeping employees while working through Chapter 11 bankruptcy (Thursday, 5/11/00)
Chapter 11 bankruptcy doesn't mean going out of business. In fact, it is intended to protect a company from its creditors long enough to enable it to get things together and because a financially viable firm again. MicroAge would like its employees to understand this and stay with the company in order to help insure its future and their own. Dawn Gilbertson of the Arizona Republic reports that the company is offering a 10 percent bonus for people who stick with them during the reorganization.

EEOC critical of air freight company (Thursday, 5/11/00)
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Eagle USA Airfreight has been trying to avoid hiring African Americans and women of child-bearing age. It has also created a hostile work environment for women, says the agency report.

One jobs site prepares to sue another (Thursday, 5/11/00)
Hiawatha Bray of the Boston Globe explains the issues and why Monster.com seems to be ready to sue CareerPath.com over the latter's Resume Scout service. Elsewhere in cyberspace, AltaVista prepares to cut about 6 percent of its workforce as part of an effort to get the financial hemorrhaging under control. Finally, a study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that an additional 9 million women have come to the Internet during the past six months. Their results also indicate, contrary to an earlier, highly publicized study, that Internet use is enhancing social interaction, rather than isolating people.

How US West is attempting to market its DSL service (Thursday, 5/11/00)
Martin Moylan of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says that US West will try to persuade employers to provide high-speed Internet access for its employees who work at home.

Canadian restaurants feeling the hiring squeeze (Thursday, 5/11/00)
A new study from the University of Guelph finds that many restaurants are having difficulty hiring quality workers, and, instead, are having to hire people with various problems that may interfere with their job performance. Here's more from Laura Landon of the Ottawa Citizen.

Another sweatshop goes by at 65 MPH (Thursday, 5/11/00)
Joey Ledford of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that many people are referring to the Intestate's familiar 18-wheelers as "sweatshops on wheels." Many drivers work as much as 95 hours per week, and their income has declined significantly since the deregulation of their industry.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: WORKSAFE! (Thursday, 5/11/00)
WORKSAFE! is a coalition of volunteers, both individuals and other organizations, interested in promoting occupational health and safety protection in California.

Russia's younger generation takes charge (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Russian President Putin is not yet 50, and he wants a 42-year-old economist to be his nation's prime minister. The time for geriatric leadership seems past in a country that can use all of the fresh ideas and youthful vigor that it can get.

Nationwide 24-hour strike in South Africa (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Allan Seccombe reports from Johannesburg that about 50 percent of South Africa's workforce has walked off the job for a day in order to call attention to declining employment levels across the country.

Ford Europe prepares for major surgery (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Ford Europe has been having some hard times over much of Europe and needs to reduce costs...drastically. Among those who have a more than casual interest in what is about to happen are the folks who work at Ford's Dagenham plant near London. Reason: it may be set for closure.

Racial discrimination alleged at Lockheed Martin (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Two suits are being filed against Lockheed Martin today alleging a long history of race-based abuse and discrimination. Here's more from E.N. Smith, who writes today from Marietta, Georgia.

San Diego janitors ratify new contract (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Two-hundred--seventy-five janitors will be back on the job tomorrow.

These children aren't playing soldier (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
If you think you've heard it all and can no longer be shocked by anything, try this: According to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, 300,000 children serve in various kinds of military units around the world.

Perhaps a summit is needed so that labor can become progressive again (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Thomas Friedman is one of the New York Times' superstars and has written a book on globalization. He's been wondering out loud about what has been happening to American organized labor and why some of its recent behaviors make so little sense. Maybe it's time for a biz-gov-labor summit, he suggests.

Online education and training expected to be a $50 billion industry within five years (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Eric Wieffering writes about one company that hopes to have a big slice of a big pie, and it isn't pie in the sky, they would say.

Some young fathers want to be fathers more than they want to be workers (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Scott Baldauf of the Christian Science Monitor writes about shifting work-family priorities among a growing number of male 20-somethings and 30-somethings.

Fed tech problems (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
The federal government employees a lot of people and uses a LOT of computers, but many of the people who are best-equipped to handle government's technical issues are finding greener pastures in the private sector. John Schwartz of the Washington Post tells about the federal government's problem attracting and holding on to tech talent.

The American contradiction (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Americans are acquisitive materialists who try to be highly spiritual at the same time, according to Robert Samuelson, and he points to a new book that says this contradiction in the American character produces cyclical moral crises.

Education wasn't the culprit after all (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
Richard Rothstein of the New York Times writes that many were blaming the state of American education for the country's economic problems a dozen years ago. Now, the economy is in tremendous shape, even though American education hasn't changed much.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Economist Intelligence Unit (Wednesday, 5/10/00)
If you're interested in what's really going on around the world that might affect your business, The Economist Intelligence Unit is ready to provide just the information you need for a fee. The Unit comes from the same company that publishes The Economist magazine, and relies on a vast network of information gatherers who are highly trained to be alert to tremors of all kinds. However, their site also presents some interesting and important overviews free of charge.

Strike ends in Norway (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Union workers have returned to their jobs all across Norway today. A tentative agreement has been reached on a pay raise. Meanwhile, a national strike was schedule to start today in Portugal. However, this one is supposed to last only 24 hours, in part, because it includes some critical public personnel.

Several members of one of the world's most exclusive clubs support China trade bill (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
President Clinton has the support of three former presidents, two of whom are Republicans, in his effort to gain Congressional approval of the bill that would grant permanent normal trade relations with China.

Farmers protest "last plantation" (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Thirteen demonstrators were arrested yesterday outside the U.S. Department of Agriculture building on the Mall in Washington. They were protesting USDA practices, which, according to African American farmers, continue to be discriminatory.

The e-commerce world's top movers and shakers, and they're not shaking with fear, despite recent downturn (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Business Week would like to introduce you to the people the big business magazine regard as the top 25 e-commerce leaders, as well as some up-and-comers.

Which workers are more likely to develop respiratory problems? (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Whether they smoke or not, blue collar workers are more likely to develop breathing problems than white collar workers, according to a new study conducted in the UK.

Japanese finance minister says recovery is coming soon...really (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Ami Miyazaki reports from Tokyo that Finance Minister Miyazawa expects that the last part of the fiscal year ended in March was quite strong, so the Japanese economy may hit the 0.6 percent growth rate for the fiscal year as a whole that had been the government's target.

DOL jobs report to be updated (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
It will be the biggest change in the Department of Labor's jobs report in nearly 100 years. Meanwhile, the DOL is sponsoring an event in Boston aimed at eliminating the gender gap when it comes to pay.

Job cuts decreased during the month of April (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports that American employers have been cutting jobs at a lower rate recently. Cuts were down 33 percent in April from a month before.

Here's a major hot spot in the new global economy that you may not have expected (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Only about 25 years ago, an old ally of Hitler and Mussolini still ruled Spain. But, following Franco's death, a courageous young king led his country through the sort of transition that's usually doomed to failure: from a totalitarian dictatorship to a viable democracy in only a few years. Now, among the fruits of that historic success is a major economic surge with global implications.

Much talk, but not so much action (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
Columnist E. J. Dionne of the Washington Post says it's fashionable to point out how much America's poor are being left out of the current economic boom, but serious efforts to do something about it seem scarce.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The International Distance Learning Course Finder (Tuesday, 5/9/00)
If you'd like to enroll in an online course, you have tens of thousands to choose from. The The International Distance Learning Course Finder can help you find courses offered by colleges, universities, and corporations from 65 countries.

Strike continues in Norway; talks resume (Monday, 5/8/00)
The nationwide strike in Norway could quickly become the most damaging labor conflict in that country's history. Negotiations have resumed today in an effort to prevent that from happening.

More janitors reach contract agreement (Monday, 5/8/00)
This time, it's janitors in San Diego. Tentative agreement has been reached on a new three-year contract following a month-long walkout.

Why business isn't too enthusiastic about the three H-1B visa bills (Monday, 5/8/00)
It's likely that more technically-skilled foreign workers will be allowed into the U.S. to work, but the devil's in the details. Three different bills are trying to find their way through Congress, and the American hi-tech industry doesn't appear to be greatly satisfied with any of them. Also, like the U.S., Israel has a lot of foreign workers who haven't been invited, and Ha'aretz correspondent Einat Fishbain says that one government official thinks a special police force should be set up to identify those persons and send them out of the country.

Nike retaliates (Monday, 5/8/00)
Chris Stetkiewicz reports that the big athletic footwear company is cutting off financial support to many universities where a movement to impose labor standards on its factories throughout the world has been gathering momentum.

Lack of health insurance disrupts communication between body and mind (Monday, 5/8/00)
A Case Western Reserve University study finds that people who lack health insurance tend to ignore warning signs. All the details can be found in the new edition of Archives of Internal Medicine. Incidentally, there are about 44 million persons who lack health coverage now in the world's richest nation.

Where to invest your money? Choices, choices, choices (Monday, 5/8/00)
Today's Wall Street Journal has a special section on global investing. As usual, many articles, and, as usual, all worth reading.

The revolution in telephone communications (Monday, 5/8/00)
As additional evidence of the convergence of technologies, pay phones are getting lonelier now that so many Americans have cell phones, and Siona LaFrance sees long-distance calls for a fee to be in danger of obsolescence. To the millions of computers tied together on the Internet, it's all a matter of little zeros and ones marching single-file, whether these represent words, stock quotes, facsimiles of great paintings, television programs, music, or conversations. Actually, computers don't know about zeros and ones. It's a matter of two different voltages, isn't it? At any rate, computers and human brains both understand only binary languages. For the computer, it's either a "zero" or a "one;" for a neuron, it's the "all-or-none law." The neuron either fires everything it has, or it doesn't fire at all. In both cases, enormous complexity can be represented in the simplest terms.

Women advised not to ignore money issues (Monday, 5/8/00)
Young people are marrying later, the divorce rate is higher than