International press reports on life and work in the revolutionary new world economy
				NewWork News Archives
							Home

The recent actors' strike may have been a prelude to the big one to come (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
The actors who work in television commercials are returning to the sound stages now following a strike that lasted for months. However, as Lynn Elber reports from America's film factory town, most of Hollywood could be shut down within the next year if an expected strike of actors and screenwriters materializes as many fear.

Unemployment down in France, but up a bit in Japan (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
France's unemployment rate fell a tenth of a percent from August to September, reaching 9.5 percent in the most recent numbers. In Japan, unemployment increased a tenth of a percent during the same period to 4.7 percent in September. There are no consistent criteria determining the definition of "unemployment" across the many nations that gather that information, however, so these numbers do not mean that France has more than twice the unemployment problem as Japan. In Japan, a 4.7 percent unemployment rate is severe, while, in France, 9.5 percent is considered fairly good. Only a tiny bit of work over a long period qualifies a person as "employed," according to Japan's definitional criteria.

How rapid is Japan's recovery? (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
Scott Stoddard reports from Tokyo that there appears to be less disagreement now over whether Japan's economy is recovering from the worst recession since World War II, but much disagreement about the rate of recovery.

Booming Dublin (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
It would be a great surprise to many generations of Irish who felt that their only possibility of achieving economic security and opportunity was to leave their native land, but the Irish economy has been booming. Alan Cowell reports on how Dublin has become a major hi-tech center that creates jobs and attracts people.

Shrinking federal aid for farmers (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
Becky Bohrer reports from Billings, Montana on the hard times still being faced by many American farmers, and why there is little basis for optimism for the future.

If you're thinking local, it may be better to search locally (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
Columnist Amy Lindgren tells correspondents that job posting sites on the Internet may not be particularly helpful if they are interested in finding a job in a particular local area.

The changing meanings of "globalization" and what might be done (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
Business Week has a major report on the many sides of global capitalism and how it might be tuned to work better for more people, as well as for the environment.

More Minnesota employers offer benefits for unmarried domestic partners (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
Kristin Tillotson reports that the number of corporations in Minnesota extending benefit coverage to unmarried domestic partners has been increasing, and, as we have reported earlier, various agencies of government in the state have also been looking at the possibility of following suit after Governor Jesse Ventura called attention to the issue.

Big award in discrimination case (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
A former manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Twin Cities has won a sex-discrimination case and has been awarded $1.625 million. In a somewhat related story, USA Today reports that many minorities believe that getting the job is one thing, but getting promoted is something else. The number of suits alleging discrimination in promotion has almost doubled during the past ten years.

Life-balance not just an issue for people with children (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
Nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman says that, even though working parents first brought the issue of work-life balance to broad public attention, it is something that concerns a great many persons, including those without children, in an economy in which the average work week has lengthened considerably during recent years.

The importance of politics to unions (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
The Washington Post reports that many unions regard political relevance and clout as being key to their own future in the new economy, and many are also using hi-tech in order to have the needed political influence during a presidential election year.

Careful--that email message might be misconstrued (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
Nonverbal communication is an important part of interpersonal communication overall, and when factors such as postures, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and so on, are left out, it's particularly important to be very careful with your words in order to head off possible misunderstandings.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: WomenAsia.com (Tuesday, 10/31/00)
WomenAsia.com intends to help businesswomen in Asia network with their counterparts in North America.

Teachers settle in Philadelphia (Monday, 10/30/00)
Philadelphia teachers had gone on strike, but because of the weekend and an early Monday morning settlement on a new contract, students won't miss any classes.

Incomes rise in the United States (Monday, 10/30/00)
Commerce Department data show the fastest average increase in incomes in over a year. Spending increased sharply too.

Leaders of pilots' union resign (Monday, 10/30/00)
Three top leaders of the union that represents 10,500 pilots at American Airlines have resigned.

The prodigal workers (Monday, 10/30/00)
Internet startups had lured many tech experts away from the world's largest software firm, but Microsoft is welcoming a lot of them back now that opportunities have cooled in the independent dot-com world. Here's more from Kristi Heim of the Toronto Star.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: ACTU Worksite 2000 (Monday, 10/30/00)
The Australian Council of Trade Unions Worksite 2000 is intended for teachers and students who are interested in learning about the Australian union movement, including its history.

Construction workers killed in trench collapse (Sunday, 10/29/00)
Two construction workers were killed when they were buried under 14-feet of dirt, but a third has been rescued.

New farm assistance law loosens trade restrictions with Cuba (Sunday, 10/29/00)
President Clinton has signed the new farm bill into law. It is intended to help American farmers by allowing the sale of food to Cuba.

Economic separation carries risks (Sunday, 10/29/00)
It appears that Israel is prepared to separate the Israeli and Palestinian economies if an independent Palestinian state is declared on November 15. Ora Coren writes in Ha'aretz that economic separation could result in an escalation of the violence.

Will this be Mexico's century? (Sunday, 10/29/00)
Mexico's new president managed to break the political stranglehold that, for 70-years, made the country a one-party state. Now, Vicente Fox wants to help Mexico leave its third-world economic history benhind. The New York Times' Tim Weiner and Graham Gori examine his chances.

Frigidaire workers strike (Sunday, 10/29/00)
Seventeen-hundred workers have walked off the job at the Frigidaire Freezer Products plant in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The principal issue has to do with increasing health care costs.

Who's having trouble adjusting to the new economy? (Sunday, 10/29/00)
John Cunniff says that it isn't just the dot-coms that are struggling with the demands of the new economy. Some old-timers are also having some adjustment diffiiculties. Despite the ups and downs of Internet startups as well as the needed adjustments of old-economy companies, technology continues to be the principal engine driving the American economy, which is still strong, despite slowing a bit in response to interest rate increases over the past year or so.

The new Junior League (Sunday, 10/29/00)
Jilian Mincer reports on how the Junior League has been reinventing itself in order to serve the needs and schedules of working women.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Career Resumes (Sunday, 10/29/00)
Career Resumes claims to be the largest resume writing service in the United States. They offer services to individuals, of course, but also to corporations. If your employer offers to have Career Resumes write a resume for you so that you can find a new job, he may be trying to tell you something.

Teachers strike in Philadelphia (Saturday, 10/28/00)
More than 200,000 Philadelphia children are staying home because their teachers have left their classrooms for the picket lines. Pennsylvania Governor Ridge has suggested that the state might take over the schools in order to keep them open, but there is no late word on that question. Pennsylvania is considered to be one of the key states that might determine whether the next President of the United States is named Bush or Gore, and when large numbers of children are at home, that may mean that large numbers of parents will have to stay home too, rather than making it to the polling places on election day. Which candidates is this likely to benefit? We don't know either.

Twin Cities hotel workers wonder if their strike really is paying off (Saturday, 10/28/00)
Kimberly Hayes Taylor writes in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune that many hotel workers, back at their jobs now for four months, are thinking that little has changed as a result of the strike.

Some likely consequences of slowed growth in the American economy (Saturday, 10/28/00)
The American economy is still growing, and no one is seeing a recession on the horizon, but it's growing at a slower rate than a few months ago. In fact, growth during the 3rd quarter was less than forecast. The Republicans may try to use these smaller numbers to support their argument that the Clinton-Gore team hasn't been so good for the American economy as candidate Gore would have voters believe. However, it was the Federal Reserve, headed by Republican Alan Greenspan, that deliberately attempted to slow the economy a bit by raising interest rates several times because of inflation fears. It might have been an over-correction on the part of the Fed, and some economists are beginning to wonder out loud whether a rate decrease might be coming a bit later. Even if that doesn't happen, the modest increase in wages and salaries during the 3rd quarter is likely to help stock prices, because it means that inflation fears have moderated and that further interest rate increases are not likely for a while.

Renewed effort to remove union leaders (Saturday, 10/28/00)
Two top officials of the Allied Pilots Association may still face a recall election.

High-demand, highly-paid helpers (Saturday, 10/28/00)
If you want to be in a hot occupation, take a look at hi-tech consulting. James Flanigan of the Los Angeles Times says that this helping sector may be generating as much as $500 billion per year throughout the world. Hi-tech is hot; no doubt about it. And, the new technologies are likely to continue driving the world economy for many years to come. Still, the highly speculative, blue-sky attitude of the past several years has collided with some inconvenient realities. As the Washington Post reports, investors and others are finding that not everything in hi-tech goes up, and what goes up doesn't necessarily keep going up and up and up.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Justice Department's ADA Home Page (Saturday, 10/28/00)
The Americans with Disabilities Act passed its 10th anniversary a few months ago. The United States Department of Justice has responsibility for enforcing it. Here's Justice's ADA Home Page.

The American economy taps the breaks (Friday, 10/27/00)
The American economy grew by 2.7 percent during the third quarter of the year, which is the slowest rate in a year and a half. The new report from the Commerce Department might have implications for one of the closest presidential elections in decades, although the Federal Reserve intentionally acted to slow what it had considered to be an economy in danger of overheating several months ago.

Tentative agreement in L. A. County (Friday, 10/27/00)
A union representing 47,000 people who work for Los Angeles County has reached a tentative deal on a new contract.

If you've suffered injuries, it's best to return to work quickly, experts say (Friday, 10/27/00)
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, in a new report, explains the reasons why returning to work as soon as possible has benefits for workers, as well as employers.

Korean car company cuts jobs in Poland (Friday, 10/27/00)
South Korea's Daewoo Motor Company will cut 200 jobs at a factory in Poland. Here's more from Andrzej Stylinski who reports from Warsaw. Speaking of Korea, or, the TWO Koreas, that is, columnist Jerry Heaster says that the American Secretary of State's journey to Pyongyang offers an opportunity to compare life in the one with life in the other. To most reasonable people, it would seem to be no comparison at all. For both economic and political reasons, North Korea is one of the most grim places on earth.

What it can cost to take a year off (Friday, 10/27/00)
Planning is important, but expect the unexpected if you try to get away for a year. Here's some information about Lynda Cronin's new book, Midlife Runaway, in which she shares experiences and advice arising out of the year that she and her husband took off to travel around the world. For one thing, take LOTS of money.

Scrambling for workers in some of America's smaller cities (Friday, 10/27/00)
Columnist L. M. Sixel says that the unemployment rate in Sheboygan, Wisconsin is half what it is in Houston, and that means lots of problems for employers. However, they been developing novel and aggressive methods for finding and attracting the workers they need.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Introduction to Inflation (Friday, 10/27/00)
If you don't really understand what inflation is and how it works, this Introduction to Inflation from "Investopedia" may help you get started. "Brief" is hardly the word for it, but it's a beginning.

Average pay goes up in the U.S. (Thursday, 10/26/00)
Pay and benefits increased by 0.9 percent during the third quarter in the United States, according to the Labor Department. A full percentage increase had been forecast.

Many at Honeywell may be breathing easier (Thursday, 10/26/00)
Honeywell, for a decades a fixture in the Twin Cities, was sold less than a year and a half ago, and now it's being sold again, this time to General Electric. GE is trying to reassure Honeywell employees, saying that the takeover should have minimal effect on employment. Many nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities that have benefited from Honeywell's generous contributions may also be relieved to hear that GE doesn't intend to cut off the flow of funds.

The State of Pennsylvania might take over Philadelphia's schools (Thursday, 10/26/00)
A teachers' strike could begin tomorrow, but state officials, including Republican Governor Ridge, have indicated that they would not tolerate a lengthy strike and might take over control of the Philadelphia school system in order to keep it operating. In other labor news, pilots at United Airlines have ratified their new contract.

Unemployment up in Israel (Thursday, 10/26/00)
The number of unemployed persons seeking jobs increased by 3.3 percent in September, compared to the previous month. Experts say that part of the reason is Israel's transition to the new economy, which is leaving many people with old-economy skills behind.

Discrimination suit settled at CBS-owned television stations (Thursday, 10/26/00)
CBS has agreed to pay 200 women technicians $8 million and improve working conditions in order to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed in 1996.

Back wages for some of New York City's homeless (Thursday, 10/26/00)
A couple of advocacy organizations sued on behalf of 200 homeless persons who had been paid $1.00 per hour for cleaning up an area of Midtown Manhattan. Back wages of $816,000 have been awarded.

Japanese retailer cuts jobs (Thursday, 10/26/00)
Sogo Corporation operates department stores in Japan and has filed for bankruptcy. More than 3,000 jobs will be cut as part of a major consolidation.

Not everybody is working non-traditional jobs in the new economy (Thursday, 10/26/00)
A study conducted by the Employment Policy Foundation finds that nearly three-quarters of Americans are still working in traditional full-time jobs, despite all you've heard about the increased number of "free agents."

Who's in charge when you're not at your place of business? (Thursday, 10/26/00)
Running your own business can mean never having time to do much other than be at work. Exhausted business owners crave employees they can trust to keep things going when they take a break. Columnist Diane Stafford explains why some less-than-trustworthy workers are kept on the payroll. If you're puzzled, think "tight labor market."

New work-life patterns because of the Internet (Thursday, 10/26/00)
New research shows the ways and the extent to which the Internet is impacting on American life. It's affecting work and more, according to Jeff Bennett in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Skill transferability will pay off in a new economy that changes rapidly and values flexibility (Thursday, 10/26/00)
Columnist Amy Lindgren responds to a couple of correspondents who ask about how well their skills are likely to transfer to next contexts.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: CUErgo (Thursday, 10/26/00)
CUErgo refers to Cornell University Ergonomics from the University's human factors and ergonomics research group at the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis. The terms "human factors" and "ergonomics" have meant various things at various times. Thirty years ago or so, "human factors" at many universities referred to "human factors in engineering," and often involved specialized psychologists working with engineers in the design of equipment that took the capacities and limitations of its operators into account so that a whole person-machine system could operate more effectively. During that period, "ergonomics" was a common European term for the same thing. During more recent years, "ergonomics" has been used commonly to refer to the design of user interfaces in computing, the design of keyboards, mice, computer furniture, and so on, but sometimes is broadened now to include the design of entire work environments.

Giuliani wins one in relation to workfare (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Following an appeals court ruling, New York City's mayor is now free to reinstate the Virginia company that the city originally hired to help thousands of welfare recipients find jobs.

Remember that eternal newspaper strike in Detroit? (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
The labor dispute involving both major Detroit newspapers has been going on for five years now. John Gallaher of the Detroit Free Press reports that union members will vote on new contract proposals that do not have the support of union leadership.

Tough times at Xerox (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Xerox Corporation occupies a special place in the history of modern business, and not only because of its copying technology. It has also supported one of the premier private "think tanks" in the world, the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Among other things, the iconographic computer interface now used by tens of millions of computer users worldwide on both Macintosh and Windows machines was invented at PARC. Things haven't been going well lately, though. Xerox lost money last quarter, and, in an effort to get things under control, is preparing to cut jobs.

A reconsideration of Silicon Valley's motivation may be indicated (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
An increase in the number of "hi-tech visas" will be a reality now that the President has signed the change into law. More foreign tech experts will be able to come to the United States to work for American hi-tech companies, and that pleases the people who are running those companies. They've been saying that it's because of a shortage of people with technical skills. Critics have been saying that it's more because they want to have those technical jobs filled by people who are willing to work for less. Now, a new study from the National Research Council says that the large number of foreign workers is suppressing pay levels of techies overall.

Corporate support for affirmative action (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Some of the people working to keep affirmative action in place are ones who might surprise you. Here's more from Brad Knickerbocker of the Christian Science Monitor.

More evidence of Russia's hard times (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Ideologues in the West found it easy to believe that nearly anything would be better for the Russian people than the old totalitarian Soviet government. However, that hasn't turned out to be the case, suggesting that, perhaps independent of particular ideologies, it's generally easier to end something old that to build something better. For many Russians, the infamous old Soviet period may seem like "the good old days." For example, an official of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences reports that there has been a decline in public health and that life expectancy has also declined.

Much corporate training likely to move online (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Peter Drucker thinks that online education will become one of the largest industries in the new economy, but not necessarily replace conventional educational institutions. Instead, it can be a perfect way to provide continuing education to people who are already highly educated. Corporate University Xchange president Jeanne Meister appears to agree, and, according to the Financial Times, predicts that there will be $11 billion worth of web-based training by 2003, compared to only $1 billion last year.

Internet company executives more likely to have things in their past that they'd rather you not know about (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Kross Associates is a corporate security firm, and they recently conducted a study which involved doing background checks on a number of top executives and board members from conventional corporations as well as from Internet companies. A larger percentage of the dot-com folks had unsavory involvements in their past, according to the study. Here's more from the Financial Times.

In various ways, employers are encouraging their employees to vote (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Stephanie Armour of USA Today reports that companies wanting their employees to vote isn't entirely new, but technology is making new means of encouragement available.

The hazards of mixing roles (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Thinking of hiring a friend? May want to think again. Tara Parker-Pope and Kyle Pope of the Wall Street Journal describe the ways in which things can really get complicated. Incidentally, the authors of this article have two roles in relation to one another. They work together and they're also married to each other.

Toxic work environments (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
Some work places really can make you sick, and some of those places are offices. Here's more from today's New York Times.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: University Business Online (Wednesday, 10/25/00)
University Business is intended to help top executives who run higher education institutions to make use of business strategies while not forgetting that universities aren't corporations.

More labor conflict may be coming in Hollywood (Tuesday, 10/24/00)
The actors who work in TV commercials have settled Hollywood's longest strike, but, as Steve Gorman reports, more labor problems may be coming in America's big film factory town. Meanwhile, writers in Hollywood have filed suit alleging age discrimination.

California's minimum wage is going up (Tuesday, 10/24/00)
The minimum wage will be raised a dollar over the next two years. Here are details from Joshua Chaffin in Sacramento. Meanwhile, in Santa Cruz, the minimum wage may go up considerably more to what proponents regard as a "living wage" level.

Teachers in Philadelphia may be ready to walk out (Tuesday, 10/24/00)
They've been working without a contract, and have set Friday night as their strike deadline.

A new majority (Tuesday, 10/24/00)
The Census Bureau reports that the typical American family with children now has two incomes. The report also says that nearly 60 percent of new mothers are back in the work force shortly after the birth of their children. It isn't only necessity that pulls women into the workforce. Columnist Jilian Mincer discusses women who are also on career paths in order to fulfill their dreams.

Coping with blinding speed (Tuesday, 10/24/00)
Being a tech entrepreneur means having to get used to the pedal pushed to the metal. A seminar in Kansas City attempts to assist entrepreneurs in their effort to deal with a market that routinely produces "entrepreneurial terror." Speaking of things happening fast, the rate of layoffs has also been accelerating in Internet companies.

First anniversary (Tuesday, 10/24/00)
The labor conflict between the Teamsters and Overnight Transportation is one year old today.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Political Economy Bibliography (Tuesday, 10/24/00)
If you'd like a little light bedtime reading, here are references to several hundred books on political economy from the University of Missouri at St. Louis.

You'll be happy to know that TV commercial production will soon return to normal (Monday, 10/23/00)
Actors who work in television commercials have been on strike since May 1, and it's been the longest strike in Hollywood history. It's about to end now, though. A tentative agreement has been reached. The 55-day strike at Bath Iron works in Maine is also over. Korean Air Lines pilots have returned to work too, but their strike lasted for only a day.

If only they could print money (Monday, 10/23/00)
Lexmark manufactures printers, but they haven't been selling quite enough of them lately, so profits have suffered. In an effort to get their financial house back in order, Lexmark will cut 900 jobs.

Big report on e-commerce (Monday, 10/23/00)
Today's Wall Street Journal contains one of those special reports for which the great business newspaper is famous. This time, it's all about e-commerce. Many articles; all worth reading.

Microsoft aims at the net (Monday, 10/23/00)
Microsoft has been dominating personal computing for quite a long time now with Windows, but computing's future seems to lie with the Internet, not with applications running in isolation on millions of desktops. Microsoft would like to be a major force on the Internet too, and here's what they've been working on toward that end. Incidentally, this story suggests that Gates and company have been moving ahead as though Microsoft will never be broken up as ordered by that judge some months ago. Will that ever really happen? The company may win on appeal, of course, but what about the effect of a possible Republican administration along with a Republican-dominated Senate and House? Would that make a difference? Is it possible that the Justice Department could change its mind about Microsoft's policies and procedures? Stay tuned.

New GDP numbers come out on Friday (Monday, 10/23/00)
New data on the Gross Domestic Product will be released Friday by the Commerce Department, and they are expected to show that the American economy has slowed considerably.

Evolving guidelines for employers who have workers with psychological illnesses (Monday, 10/23/00)
The Clinton administration and the courts have been changing the rules on the limits of employer responsibilities toward employees who are suffering from psychiatric disorders.

Dressing for success has gotten more confusing (Monday, 10/23/00)
As American work life has retreated from its traditional paramilitary organization, the "business uniform" has gotten less standard too. In the old economy, it was fairly easy to tell what "dress for success" meant. But, with dress in the workplace becoming more casual, it can be confusing.

The Amish aren't keeping them down on the farm either (Monday, 10/23/00)
The American agricultural sector has been struggling and the number of family farms has diminished dramatically in recent years. How are people who are farming with horses getting along? For various reasons, the young are moving on to other careers in Amish communities as well. Here are more details from Spartansburg, Pennsylvania.

Quick! What will it cost you to raise junior to age 18? (Monday, 10/23/00)
It's getting very close to a quarter million dollars, according to a new study from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, but college will be extra. Of course, usually, that comes after age 18, which won't soften the impact of this news for most families, according to Robert Little of the Baltimore Sun. Once you have those children, it's probably a good idea to help them learn a little about finances themselves, but that may be harder during a period of prosperity, according to the New York Times' James Schembari.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Tutor 2U Economics (Monday, 10/23/00)
There are quite a lot of places on the web to learn something about economic principles, and we've pointed to a number of them over the years. Tutor 2U Economics is an information-rich site intended for students and teachers in the UK, but access is free from anywhere, and the site may tell you lots of things you don't already know.

When one company buys another, specifically what is it buying? (Sunday, 10/22/00)
In order words, in what does the value lie? Physical plant and facilities, of course, but, for many companies in the information age, these may be the least important contributors to overall purchase value, because they're probably not unique, and if you throw a little money in the right directions, they can be easily duplicated. Market share and good will are important, and in an info economy, these may depend on the company's ability to innovate. And upon what does this depend? Key people, in many cases, and no one can guarantee that they will stick around once the merger is complete. Patricia Vowinkel reports on what the experts advise when you want to keep valued employees from moving elsewhere. Meanwhile, Max Jarman of the Arizona Republic says that merger time can be a very stressful time for employees. At Honeywell, thousands may be about to go through it all for the second time in about a year.

Auto finance companies hit with discrimination suits (Sunday, 10/22/00)
Class-action discrimination suits have been filed against General Motors and Nissan finance companies. In these cases, discrimination against employees isn't alleged. Instead, it is claimed that minorities pay higher finance charges when purchasing automobiles and financing them through the "company stores."

The imperfections of statistics? (Sunday, 10/22/00)
If "statistics" refers to a collection of numbers, those numbers can be imperfect indeed, depending on the methods used for gathering them. On the other hand, if "statistics" refers to the branch of applied mathematics on which the modern world utterly depends, it is neither perfect nor imperfect, but simply what it is.

Statistics is a tool, and, like any other tool, can be used competently or incompetently, wisely or foolishly. A high-quality hammer can be used to build your house, or to pound the daylights out of your foot, and it's use is up to you. If your foot is maimed as a result, it doesn't mean that the hammer is imperfect. Also, of course, a hammer isn't a very good screwdriver and we shouldn't expect to use it for that purpose with much positive result. It is often remarked that "you can prove anything with statistics," which is true, but only to persons who know nothing whatsoever about statistics.

Jim Barlow discusses why it's important to take the methods and tools into account when attempting to interpret economic statistics, because they may not say what the more naive and gullible among us might like them to say.

Incidentally, it is a presidential election year, so statistics-based public opinion polls are cited constantly, but in a way that suggests that the journalists doing the citing often don't have a clue about what "margin of error" means, for instance. It's really the "standard error of measurement," but, specifically, what does that mean?

Among other things, it usually means that differences in the polls of one, two, or three points usually should be ignored and not interpreted as representing real differences. The percentages are from SAMPLES, but most people are interested in what is going on out in the POPULATION from which the samples are drawn.

Here's an important thing to keep in mind: If the population were to remain absolutely unchanged; i.e., if everyone's opinion were to remain precisely the same, and several successive samples were drawn from it, we would expect to obtain exactly the kinds of fluctuations in those samples that are being reported day to day on TV during the campaign. These small differences, often shifting direction, are consequences of random sampling error and don't mean anything, so far as American perceptions of the candidates are concerned.

More single housing, and we don't mean single-family housing (Sunday, 10/22/00)
A strong economy has been pumping up optimism for a lot of people, and, as Kristi Arellano reports, more single persons are buying their own homes.

Young entrepreneurial lawyers (Sunday, 10/22/00)
The big law firms can offer top young graduates sky-high salaries and impressive benefits, but the burnout rate is very high. Doug McPherson writes that young lawyers are going it alone in increasing numbers.

What a difference a year can make (Sunday, 10/22/00)
Particularly if you're between 62 and 65 and want to keep on working. Randolph Heaster writes about how a change in the law is making a difference of thousands of dollars for many people.

Here's an alternative to posting your resume online or sending it through conventional mail (Sunday, 10/22/00)
Diane Stafford suggests you send it via email, but she has some tips.

Many minorities haven't heard the big boom yet (Sunday, 10/22/00)
Sound travels slowly across social strata, apparently, and the big American boom that economists have been talking about is yet to be heard...or felt...by many members of American minority populations. The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Byczkowski has more details.

What can destroy the value of your stock options? (Sunday, 10/22/00)
Or, perhaps that should be "who." A big drop in the value of company stock can do it, but, even if that doesn't happen, you can blow away a lot of the value all by yourself, particularly if you don't know what you're doing and don't understand the tax implications.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Closed College Consortium (Sunday, 10/22/00)
What do Detroit Institute of Technology, Mackinac College, Northrop University, and Briarcliff College have in common? They're all closed, which means that persons who graduated from those institutions don't have a place to which they can make a homecoming. There are hundreds of others, which means that there are thousands of people with degrees from schools that no longer exist, except in their memories. The Closed College Consortium isn't a physical place either, let alone a campus, but it is a place in cyberspace where those who have been orphaned by the deaths of their colleges can gather in order to keep memories and identities alive.

American Airlines profits expected to galvanize flight attendants (Saturday, 10/21/00)
Bill Hornaday reports that the union representing flight attendants at American Airlines hopes to leverage information about the company's third-quarter profits to help bring their two-year negotiations with the airline to a successful conclusion.

What Belarus will need to do in order to obtain IMF loans (Saturday, 10/21/00)
The jury still seems to be out on whether the fifteen countries that used to make up the old Soviet Union can make it on their own. Belarus is an example, and they want to obtain loans from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF says that substantial reforms will have to come first, and Belarus is behind schedule, they say.

Inflation is up in Canada too, and the price of oil products is a major reason (Saturday, 10/21/00)
Canada's consumer price index rose last month because of high fuel prices. James Flanigan of the Los Angeles Times says that $20 crude oil may be coming, so there should be less price pressure in the long-run. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is worrisome to a lot of people for many reasons, but, of course, if it were to flare up into a war that could draw other Middle Eastern countries in, the world's oil supply could be affected. Meanwhile, Ora Coren of Ha'aretz reports that the head of Israel's Finance Ministry expects a separation of the Israeli and Palestinian economies, given the way things have been going.

New free-trade deal imminent (Saturday, 10/21/00)
The United States and Jordan are about to close the deal on a new free-trade agreement. The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been on the mind of negotiators, and it is hoped that the new agreement will help encourage peace and prosperity in the region. The Administration may begin similar talks with Egypt soon.

EU official not in favor of a "wild west" new economy (Saturday, 10/21/00)
The European Union's Competition Commissioner, Mario Monti, believes that competition in the new economy will be served by regulation. Mr. Monti has been criticized recently for not understanding the new markets and for blocking hi-tech mergers.

More dot-com layoffs, but the longer-term future looks bright for Internet employment (Saturday, 10/21/00)
Drugstore.com is among the latest Internet companies to cut jobs. However, most experts seem to feel that the downturn in the Internet sector represents a correction or a sobering up after a long period of irrational euphoria, not long-term decline for the Internet sector. In fact, according to this story from the Washington Post, no other industry has created so many jobs in such a short of time as the Internet. Here are Internet employment projections for many nations in the new economy.

New information about women in top management (Saturday, 10/21/00)
Women who make it into top corporate management tend to make what their male counterparts make now, given the same age and experience. However, there are still far more male executives than female, and the women still aren't making it to the very top of the ladder.

What's holding back Japan? (Saturday, 10/21/00)
After several post-war decades of having an economy referred to as "the Japanese miracle," the last ten years have been frustrating and disappointing for Japan. A solid recovery from the worst recession since World War II has not really gotten a foothold. Structural problems are among the principal reasons, according to this story from Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Information Central on Management Consulting Worldwide (Saturday, 10/21/00)
Information Central on Management Consulting Worldwide is a place to begin if you're looking for a management consultant, a conference, or information about management consulting throughout the world.

What's going on in the tire industry? (Friday, 10/20/00)
Several major tire companies are having a variety of different kinds of troubles, but troubles, nonetheless. Firestone apparently shoved a tremendous amount of faulty product out into the market which has had to be recalled and which has resulted in nightmarish public relations which could finish the company, or, at least, the brand. Now, Cooper is laying off 1,000 employees, and L.M. Sixel is puzzled because Goodyear is asking workers to take a pay cut. What's with the tire industry?

Rocky Mountain highs (Friday, 10/20/00)
Colorado's economy has been reaching new heights and so have wages.

Savings matching (Friday, 10/20/00)
Mark Davis writes about a foundation-supported program that is helping people lift themselves out of poverty by matching money they invest in their own savings accounts. Actually, it's even better than that. If participants put up to $30 per month in their savings accounts, the Family Asset Building Program will deposit twice as much. It means that $30 can become $90, and it's enough to make a major difference in some lives.

Boycott of gunmaker leads to layoffs (Friday, 10/20/00)
Sales of Smith & Wesson firearms are down, but the company will cut 15 percent of its workforce as a consequence.

The difference one Senator can make (Friday, 10/20/00)
There are numerous examples of how one vote has influenced history, including the single vote that gave women the right to cast their own votes in the United States and the single vote that prevented President Andrew Johnson's removal from office, which was among the dramas reported by John Kennedy in his book, Profiles in Courage.

Now, here's another story: Rob Hotakainen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes about how Minnesota Senator Wellstone stood alone two years ago when he voted against a bill that would make it harder for individuals to free themselves of debt through bankruptcy. The Republican-led Senate is set to pass the bill now, but Wellstone seems likely to win in the long-run because of an ally in the White House whose single vote counts for a lot when it comes to new law.

Incidentally, speaking of voting, both major presidential candidates have been talking about Social Security and Medicare a lot, as if these were the only important issues of interest to people. More accurately, they are of great interest to older people, and Bush and Gore know that this is a demographic segment that is very politically active. The candidates are going where the likely votes are that could determine what appears to be one of the closest contests in nearly a half-century. If you want to be taken seriously by a politician, don't stay at home on election day. If candidates know that you're unlikely to vote, you may as well be dead so far as they're concerned.

Hi-tech is accelerating natural selection processes among familiar species of workspaces (Friday, 10/20/00)
Detroit Free Press columnist Lorene Yue writes about one of Michigan's best-known industries. No, not automobiles, but furniture, particularly business furniture. Two of the heavyweights in the office furniture market are Herman Miller and Steelcase, and they are located in the same general Michigan community in and around Grand Rapids. Ms. Yue reports that both companies are working hard to develop alternatives to the nearly ubiquitous but increasingly obsolete cubicle of the old economy in order to accommodate the realities of the new economy, including high-technology. The irony is that Herman Miller invented the Dilbert-style cubicle in the first place.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Teaching Jobs Overseas (Friday, 10/20/00)
An organization based in Portland, Oregon can help you find Teaching Jobs Overseas, and also help you decide if this is really what you want.

If you're a Social Security recipient, you're about to get a raise (Thursday, 10/19/00)
Social Security benefits have a built-in cost-of-living escalator, and the latest data show an increase in the CPI. Your benefit checks will show a 3.5 percent increase, beginning in January. So, why is the government announcing it now? It may have something to do with the fact that there is a presidential election in three weeks. Older Americans vote in large numbers. Incidentally, to put things into perspective, there are approximately as many Americans receiving Social Security benefits as the number of Americans who lack health coverage. That's a lot in both cases.

Farmers to receive $3.6 billion in disaster assistance (Thursday, 10/19/00)
The Senate has given its approval, and the President says he will sign the bill, but it includes much more than help for farmers.

Paper cuts (Thursday, 10/19/00)
International Paper will slice 2,500 jobs from its payroll. Meanwhile, the Bank of Nova Scotia isn't sure that jobs will disappear, but it's warning 550 workers that it could happen .

Strike at Safeway, and violence breaks out (Thursday, 10/19/00)
Sixteen-hundred Safeway warehouse workers have gone on strike, and eight people have been injured in a violent outbreak. In other labor news, there will be no end to the 57-month lockout at this point at Crown Central Petroleum Corporation. Workers have rejected a proposed contract.

Secular sermonizing (Thursday, 10/19/00)
Wait--is that Jimmy Swaggart pacing across the stage with a wireless microphone in one hand while flailing about in the air with the other? No, it's one of the vast army of corporate motivational speakers. Work organizations in the new economy are flatter and rely less on close supervision and hierarchical control. More of the "rank-and-file" on the front lines are highly skilled technical workers or professionals, so watching these people closely while telling them specifically what to do and how to do it doesn't work--particularly if you don't understand the work the people under you are doing. So, how do you maintain organization and get everybody to sing off the same page? You promote common values, that's how, and many companies have been using commercial performers--secular evangelists, really--who preach capitalistic doctrine and try to get the adrenaline flowing, as a means toward that end. But, does it work? Here's CNN's report on motivational speakers .

Careful, your fantasies could get out of control when you start thinking about stock options (Thursday, 10/19/00)
Columnist Diane Stafford warns that there are many other important things to consider when you're aiming at new employment.

Japanese universities to accept cybercredits (Thursday, 10/19/00)
Japanese students will be able to earn college credit from courses online and apply it toward their degrees at their home institution. Incidentally, here's one job some young Japanese people might be going to college in order to avoid. The idea of hanging out in space in order to wash windows dozens of stories above the ground for a few dollars a day may make your job seem better.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Tech Training at Creighton (Thursday, 10/19/00)
If you'd like a career change, Creighton University in Omaha offers a fast track into a technical role in the new economy.

Metro trains and busses roll again in L.A. (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
Striking transit workers accepted their new contract, and Los Angeles' public transportation system started up again today. Meanwhile, the trains that roll across country, rather than across cities, are requiring fewer new rail cars, and this has put a squeeze on Trinity Industries. Trinity is closing plants, and laying off workers, but perhaps fewer than you might expect, given the size of the company and its workforce. Only 200 jobs will go in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina.

CPI lurches upward (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
The Consumer Price Index headed upward by 0.5 percent in September, putting inflation on the minds of many people, including some highly influential persons at the Federal Reserve.

More H-1B visas are on the way (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
Yesterday, President Clinton signed the bill that will give many Silicon Valley employers what they want: more foreign tech experts. Clinton also made a bill into a new law that will increase the government's support of small business entrepreneurs.

Fewer personnel will be watching more prisoners (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
The Minnesota prison system prisoner population continues to grow, but the cost of caring for each has been too high, in the judgment of state officials. Costs will be cut by cutting 186 jobs.

Excessively cautious investors (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
Large numbers of American should move their money from savings accounts to equally safe vehicles that pay more. A new survey estimates that over-cautious Americans are losing between $30 billion to $50 billion per year by keeping $1 trillion in the wrong places.

Firestone sales are down, and it is influencing employment (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
A great many people working for Firestone, including many who have had nothing to do with the production of recalled tires, have been hoping that they will all wake up from their nightmare sometime soon, but it's all reality, not a dream. There's nothing like the worst possible PR to reduce sales, and customers for Firestone tires have been getting more scarce. As a consequence, some plants will be closed temporarily, and hundreds of workers are being laid off. In Minnesota, a company that really is in the sleep business has decided to move its operations both north and south of the American borders, and 260 Twin Cities jobs will disappear as a consequence.

Among the worst things that can happen when you can't get help (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
Employers in Portsmouth, New Hampshire won't be employers for long, and they may not be in business much longer either. Labor shortages are actually beginning to result in the closing of businesses that rely on low-wage workers.

What's the difference between dot-coms that make it and those that don't? (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
Here's a top 12 list from Fortune magazine. It's a list of things that help determine whether an Internet company will soar or crash and burn on takeoff.

Making a necessary options adjustment (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
Stock options have done a lot to attract and hold workers in hi-tech companies, but, if a company's stock value declines significantly, those options can become worthless. Some months ago, after Microsoft's stock spiraled downward, top management scrambled to offer new options to the people it couldn't afford to lose. Suzanne King reports that Sprint is doing that right now, and for the same reasons.

Poverty as a business opportunity (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
A team of business experts have been finding ways to provide needed products and services to people who have less money than most American could ever imagine, and make a profit doing it.

The new economy makes things new for...nearly everybody (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
It isn't only workers who are affected by the fundamental changes that have been occurring at the American economy has been transforming itself. The whole system has been changing, and that means new conditions for nearly everybody it touches. Here's more from Debra Rinard of the Arizona Republic.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: New Economy Information Service (Wednesday, 10/18/00)
People with a special interest in or special involvement with the new global information economy shares tips, ideas, information, and resources at the New Economy Information Service.

Settlement in L.A. (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
The paralyzing transit strike of more than a month in Los Angeles seems to be over. A tentative agreement has been reached, and Jesse Jackson seemed to have something to do with making it happen. More than 4,000 rail operators and bus drivers will get their chance to vote on it very soon. It is expected that public transit will be back in operation and that hundreds of thousands of L.A. citizens will be able to put away their walking shoes.

Fallout from the oil strike in Venezuela (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
Oil workers in the Venezuelan oil industry conducted a successful strike, and this has emboldened other unions in the country. Here's more from Alexandra Olson reporting from Caracas.

Dissatisfaction on the rise (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
Research conducted by The Conference Board finds that only about half of American workers are satisified with this jobs now. Baby boomers are among the least happy, according to Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star.

Job-related anxieties cause Japanese to spend less (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
Consumer spending is down in Japan now that traditional Japanese job security is mostly a condition of history, and the consumer's extreme caution is helping to prevent the Japanese economy from recovering from its worst recession since the devastation of World War II. Here's more from Yoshikazu Yada of Asahi Shimbun.

Some of today's layoffs (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
Michelin plans to cut 950 jobs at one of its major tire factories in Britain located at Stoke-on-Trent. Willamette will close a Louisiana plywood plant and cut 246 jobs. Canada's largest software company, Geac Computer Corporation, will cut 500 jobs, which amounts to about 12 percent of its work force, and they would like to sell out. Finally, BORN, a Twin Cities computer consulting firm will cut 70 workers from its payroll. The odd thing about the latter case is that BORN recently spent $1 million on a company party.

A worker shortage that could keep a lot of people close to the ground (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
The American commercial airline industry doesn't have enough airplane mechanics, and insufficient numbers are being produced by the schools. Marilyn Adams of USA Today reports that a major reason is that many people are no longer attracted to the work, the hours, or the pay. In other airline industry news, Ireland's state-run airline, Aer Lingus, has canceled all of its flights after most cabin crew members have gone on strike.

College tuition rising faster than overall inflation (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
The cost of going to college in the United States continues to rise, and it's doing so faster than the cost of a lot of other things. Still, given the strong correlation of college with earnings, it's likely that few people who are able to swing it, one way or another, will be dissuaded from heading to the campuses.

Being in a state of perpetual "jet lag" seems to have major health consequences for many people (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
A worker's vulnerability to developing heart disease appears to be increased by swing shift work. The moral of the story is that you should try not to confuse your circadian rhythms on a regular basis.

Computer and Internet penetration in the U.S. has been impressive (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
The U.S. Department of Commerce recently completed a survey of computer usage in the U.S. and finds that more than half of American homes now have computers. That's still far behind the percentage of American households with television or telephones, but nonetheless impressive. Incidentally, are there more households with television or telephones? You may be surprised to know that the leader is television. There are quite a number of American households with a television set but no telephone, and this has been the case since before the availability of cellular phones. More and more people are making their cell phone their only phone now.

The evolution of the American workplace (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
Hi-tech, including wireless communications, is changing, not only the way people work, but also extending their availability so that many people are never "out of touch." Work environments are changing rapidly as a consequence. Porter Anderson reports on a relevant exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

New economy, new workplaces, some old complaints (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
Robert Greensberger writes in today's Wall Street Journal that unfair labor practice complaints have been increasing in frequency in Internet companies.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Breathing Room (Tuesday, 10/17/00)
Breathing Room is an article by Jennifer Grant written especially for the Encyclopedia Britannica online. She provides a number of reasons why your local community college may be the best place for you to complete your first two years of college, and not just because it's nearby.

Jackson brings progress to transit talks (Monday, 10/16/00)
Jesse Jackson is one of a number of American political figures on all sides of the ideological spectrum who have been able to exercise great influence in American society without holding public office. In a number of cases, because of his prestige as well as communication gifts, he has been able to solve problems and bring people together. His mediation role in the Los Angeles transit strike seems to be the latest example.

IRS expands staff for the first time in years (Monday, 10/16/00)
America's big tax collection agency has been understaffed, in the judgment of people who run it, but, after six years of retrenchment, will add more than 2,000 workers.

Japan has high hopes for its trade deal with Singapore (Monday, 10/16/00)
Singapore and Japan are working out the last-minute details of a free-trade agreement, and, as Yoichi Funabashi of Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun reports, Japanese officials are hoping that it will boost the Japanese economy, which needs boosting.

"Dilbert" in Tokyo (Monday, 10/16/00)
America has Dilbert, but Japan has "Salaryman Kintaro." Only a comic book character can say some of the things that are on a lot of people's minds in a society where conformity and staying in one's proper place have been valued so much traditionally.

Whoops! Is that inflation on the radar screen? (Monday, 10/16/00)
Kansas City Star columnist Jerry Heaster says the CPI probably will be up for September. The report comes out on Wednesday.

Are you important enough to get good service? (Monday, 10/16/00)
Amazon.com has been in the news a lot lately because of presumably having different prices for different customers. This cover story from Business Week indicates that the same sort of thing seems to be happening with respect to service.

Asia wants to catch up on the Internet (Monday, 10/16/00)
According to this major report, the Internet is changing things in the West more than in the East, where many companies are lagging. Are Asian languages providing one of the barriers to high levels of web participation?

Auto makers concerned about their new commercials (Monday, 10/16/00)
The auto industry usually hits American television with a blitz of commercials in order to introduce its models for the new year. This time, it's harder because of the actors' strike. In Italy, Fiat has other kinds of problems. Flood waters have forced the company to lay off 6,000 workers.

Stock options become the norm, not the exception in hi-tech firms (Monday, 10/16/00)
Margaret Steen writes that if you work for a hi-tech firm and have stock options, it no longer means that you're CEO. The new economy values flexibility and a sharing of risk, as well as reward.

Incidentally, one of the highest concentrations of hi-tech firms in the world can be found in the valley connecting San Francisco with San Jose, a valley informally named after the stuff of microprocessors which comes from the second-most-common substance in the earth's crust. However, as Brian Bergstein reports, Silicon Valley is beginning to sag under its own weight. Too many people making too much money have driven the price of everything on toward the ozone layer, and tech start-ups are looking for good locations elsewhere. Silicon Valley enjoys an extremely high standard of living for its "haves," but a diminishing quality of life for nearly everybody.

In related news, the U.S. has been sucking up as many hi-tech experts from other countries as possible, but this Toronto Star story tells why you might want to be cautious before you pack your bags and head for Silicon Valley and any of the other major U.S. tech corridors, while the Washington Post reports that the big brain drain that resulted in large numbers of China's best and brightest heading elsewhere, many for political reasons, has been reversed somewhat.

Employers can't legally prohibit you from discussing your pay (Monday, 10/16/00)
Some people would rather discuss their body functions than tell anyone how much money they make, and employers who may be paying different people doing the same job different amounts might prefer this situation. However, you're legally entitled to discuss your pay with other workers if you want to, in the U.S., at least.

Here comes your competition. Lock up your workers! (Monday, 10/16/00)
Somebody's probably trying to hire your techies, and they may be getting very bold in their tactics. Here's more about "guerrilla recruiting" from David Koenig in the Arizona Republic.

It's the season for making benefit choices (Monday, 10/16/00)
Hank Ezell says you shouldn't toss all that information your employer has provided you. Now is the time to reconsider your benefit choices.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Glass Ceiling (Monday, 10/16/00)
The Glass Ceiling has been on line since 1966 and offers people an opportunity to share their "glass ceiling" stories and much more.

For these people, being called a geek is a badge of honor (Sunday, 10/15/00)
The Geek Squad keeps a lot of Twin Cities computers working flawlessly with much expertise and a flair for the theatrical. Also, founder Robert Stephens has a recruitment policy that is becoming increasingly prominent in the new economy: "credentials" aren't the main thing. In fact, when hiring, he doesn't much care about formal certification, tech degrees, and things of that nature at all. His is a competence-oriented, performance-oriented policy, not credentials-oriented.

What it will take to maintain your standard of living in Canada following retirement (Sunday, 10/15/00)
Your late years will be more comfortable and secure if you have a private pension plan to supplement other benefits. Today's Toronto Star offers some details to assist your retirement planning. One solution to keeping your income high might be to continue working instead of retiring. Jerry Ackerman of the Boston Globe reports that a lot of North Americans are making this choice.

Another hi-tech valley (Sunday, 10/15/00)
Stephen Dunphy writes about the large number of technology companies that have been sprouting up along Interstate 90 between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene and bringing technology jobs to the region.

What it takes to get your workers to unpack their bags and stay awhile (Sunday, 10/15/00)
Stephanie Franken reports that employers in the Houston area are having some of the same problems as employers throughout much of the country, and these include the difficulty of hanging on to valuable workers. It's requiring a lot of creativity to maintain a happy workplace that people won't want to leave. Along similar lines, Michael Rosenwald quotes Sunny Steadman, a major Boston-area recruiter, that money isn't the main reason people change jobs, and columnist Diane Lewis explains why flextime has become such a big hit.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: TAO: Transition Assistance Online (Sunday, 10/15/00)
Transition Assistance Online offers specialized assistance for those making major life transitions, including career military personnel who wish to enter the civilian workforce.

Agreement at Bath Iron Works (Saturday, 10/14/00)
A tentative agreement at Bath Iron Works in Maine seems about to end a seven-week strike there. Here's more from Meadow Rue Merrill of the Boston Globe.

Jackson gets involved in L.A. transit strike (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Jesse Jackson has convinced the sides in the Los Angeles transit strike to start talking again.

Decrease in employment blamed on Olympics (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Australian employment fell during the month of September, and the Olympic Games are being blamed. Here's more from Josh Gordon reporting from Canberra for Melbourne's The Age.

Three new government reports tell the same story (Saturday, 10/14/00)
The U.S. economy is still in its longest period of expansion in all of American history, but there is accumulating and compelling evidence that it is slowing down a bit.

Presenting...elderly jugglers! (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Not for entertainment, though, and it may not even be much fun for the participants. The Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Clements writes about juggling stocks, bonds, cash investments and immediate annuities in order to maintain an acceptable cash flow during retirement.

Need mechanical engineers? Here's how to attract and hold them (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Consultant Barbara Strandell has some advice for engineering firms that are suffering from the tech labor shortage.

Shouldn't you be thinking about being laid off? (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Columnist Amy Lindgren suggests that you should avoid surprises by anticipating how the new economy's turbulence might end up getting highly personal. Develop some scenarios and contingency plans ahead of time in case you become among the downsized.

Something else we have in common with the chimps (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Professor Nigel Nicholson of the London Business School analyzes why people gossip at work. Also, Carol Pine tells about what business researchers have learned from the work of Margaret Mead from so many years ago. It's all about "ethnographic" consumer research.

Well, okay, who WILL teach our kids? (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Edward Lotterman writes in today's St. Paul Pioneer Press about the Newsweek cover story and says that part of the solution to the growing shortage of teachers...and nurses, by the way...is to pay them more. Abby Goodnough reports from New York on another way, which may be only a short-term solution, and is surely to remain highly controversial. New York City's program involves creating alternatively-certified teachers in record time through a crash-course in how to do it.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Minority Careers in Education (Saturday, 10/14/00)
Minority Careers in Education will hold its next annual expo on Saturday, March 31, 2001. Their web site is a good place for school districts and job-seeking educators to find each other.

Bus drivers don't go along with cardinal's wishes (Friday, 10/13/00)
Thousands of Los Angeles County workers suspended their strike after an official of the Roman Catholic Church asked them to do so, but the transit strike continues. As Don terry of the New York Times reports, it's mostly L.A.'s poor who are suffering from the additional problem of not having transportation.

Job cuts at Fingerhut (Friday, 10/13/00)
Federated Department Stores owns Fingerhut now, and the subsidiary has been experiencing losses. About a quarter of the workforce at its Minnesota headquarters will be cut, which amounts to 550 jobs.

Retiree's health plan slips into insolvency (Friday, 10/13/00)
Thousands of retired workers from Colorado grocery chains have been covered by a health plan that is running out of money because of very high payouts in September.

Professor says white Americans confused about immigrant workers (Friday, 10/13/00)
On the one hand, there is growing anti-immigration sentiment, but Washburn University law professor Rogelio Lasso says that the American economy depends on immigrant labor. For instance, without these people to work the fields and packing plants, food costs in the United States would increase dramatically.

How kids feel about their working parents (Friday, 10/13/00)
Houston Chronicle columnist L. M. Sixel writes about Ellen Galinsky's new book. Children don't mind that their parents work, she says, but they are bothered when the parents come home exhausted and in a bad mood.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Campaign for Labor Rights (Friday, 10/13/00)
Campaign for Labor Rights is an organization that promotes activism throughout the U.S. in an effort to end sweatshops and child labor across many underdeveloped countries.

Cardinal persuades L.A. county workers to return to their jobs (Thursday, 10/12/00)
The strike of Los Angeles County workers has been suspended, but there will be continuing negotiations. Union leaders were persuaded to change their minds by Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Meanwhile, oil workers in an OPEC country walk of their jobs. Here's more from Caracas about the oil workers strike in Venezuela.

China says it hasn't changed its mind (Thursday, 10/12/00)
The Chinese Premier insists that China wants to join the World Trade Organization and will not backtrack on its commitment to open its markets. American President Clinton has been concerned that China's WTO membership might be delayed.

EU offers concessions at Banff ag conference (Thursday, 10/12/00)
European Union farmers have been heavily subsidized for a long time, which helps explain why a lot of them are still in business. Countries with farmers who have to compete with European farmers on the international market would like those subsidies reduced. As Stuart Laidlaw reports, that might be a possibility, but the Europeans would like something in return from countries such as Canada and the United States.

Unisys profits slip, so the company will cut a lot of jobs by attrition (Thursday, 10/12/00)
Unisys plans to slice its workforce by about 8 percent, which amounts to 1,500 jobs. However, they hope to do it all by encouraging early retirement. Four-hundred-fifty jobs will go at Bausch & Lomb as well.

Minnesota might make long-term health insurance available to state retirees who currently aren't eligible (Thursday, 10/12/00)
Governor Jesse Ventura doesn't want to encourage people to assume that the government will take care of them, but he may ask the Minnesota Legislature to allow already-retired state workers to buy long-term care insurance. Currently, it must be purchased while the workers are still employed.

First-time benefit claims up last week (Thursday, 10/12/00)
The latest data from the United States Department of Labor shows an increase in unemployment claims during the latest week. Demand for workers is still strong, but not quite as strong as it was.

Discrimination suit settled at Tom Thumb (Thursday, 10/12/00)
Tom Thumb is a grocery chain and was sued in 1998 for racial discrimination. The company has agreed to pay $3.7 million to settle the class-action suit.

Denver affordable (Thursday, 10/12/00)
A survey finds that the Denver area is the seventh most affordable area in the U.S. to live and work for technical personnel.

The miracle is that so many qualified people DO choose a teaching career (Thursday, 10/12/00)
Columnist Diane Stafford discusses what it will take to attract sufficient numbers of the right people into the teaching profession. This is important, because America will need a tremendous number of new teachers during the next several years. However, while great, the financial disparities aren't quite what they may seem to be. While many teachers aren't able to earn enough money to live on and raise a family, it's probably important to keep in mind that many teachers' salaries for four about three-quarters of a year. There is a problem, but it wont' be solved by distorting the nature of the problem.

New econ laureates not household names (Thursday, 10/12/00)
An economics professor says that the latest winners of the Nobel Prize in economics weren't on his list of likely possibilities, but he's not quarreling with the choices.

Looking back at the "good old days?" (Thursday, 10/12/00)
Many partisan observers in the West used to say that once Eastern Europe managed to throw off their Communist masters and install open-market economic systems, things would get better for everybody in those countries. Er, well, not exactly, at least so far. For tens of millions of people in the former Soviet block, things have gotten a lot worse instead.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: FirstGov (Thursday, 10/12/00)
Would you like a little government information? No? Okay, then, how about a LOT? FirstGov makes 27 million web pages available to you from where you sit right now.

L.A. County largely shuts down (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
The Los Angeles transit strike continues after nearly a month, but that may be the least of everybody's worries where county employees have gone on strike, shutting down or at least disrupting operations of everything from jails to libraries. However, a judge has ordered medical workers not to join in. There's better labor news from Boston, where the city and its teachers may be nearing agreement and may avert a strike that would shut down the public schools.

New Nobel Laureates in economics (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
We know more about how and why consumers make decisions because of the ground-breaking work of James Heckman and Daniel McFadden, and they now share a Nobel Prize in economics. Their work seems particularly important for understanding the new economy, and the work of six other Nobel Laureates has been important in making the technology possible that largely drives the new global information economy. These are the new winners in physics and chemistry.

Clinton signs China trade bill as expected (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
Many people in the Administration may be crossing their fingers, hoping that they're right about how normalizing trade relations with China will eventually lead to greater political changes within the country, including human rights guarantees, than resistance and confrontation could ever do. At least, that's what they've been saying. President Clinton signed the bill yesterday that grants permanent normal trade relations to China, and calls it "a great day" for the United States. He's also hoping to be able to do his part to help settle disputes that could stand in the way of China's gaining membership in the WTO. Among other things, the Administration hopes that the new trade arrangement with China will strengthen the market for American agricultural products, which American farmers need in the extreme. Larent Belsie of the Christian Science Monitor tells why bumper crops don't necessarily cause glee among farmers anymore. Meanwhile, an international meeting on the future of agriculture is going on in Banff, Canada. Here's more from Stuart Laidlaw of the Toronto Star.

Serb workers get rid of their bosses (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
When there is a drastic change in a country's political realities, it's not a good time to be associated with the former, highly unpopular regime. Many bosses in Serbia are losing their jobs, and it is their workers who are throwing them out.

Chicago's decline (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
Not as a city. It's still a great city. But, Business Week reports that it's lost some of its former business and financial clout, and this is bothering many leaders in the windy city who are trying to figure out what to do about it. Chicago is participating in and benefiting from the booming new economy, but it's no longer playing the leadership role it did for so long in the old economy.

Making revolution from the front lines (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
Historically, Political revolutions have not been led by the people on top and in power. Similarly, it may not be the corporate boss who is benefiting from the status quo who will transform the company so that it will be viable in the new economy. Gary Hamel of Harvard Business School says that you may be able to do quite a lot yourself even if you're not CEO---maybe BECAUSE you're not CEO. Here's a look at Professor Hamel's new book, Leading the Revolution.

Striking actors call for boycott (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
Striking actors are claiming that P&G has been using non-union actors in its TV commercials, and they're calling for a boycott of the company's major products.

Are you at home or at work? (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
The boundary is becoming blurred because the Internet enables you to do quite a lot of your work nearly anyplace. Here's more from Alan Goldstein of the Dallas Morning News.

Strike at Goodyear (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
L.M. Sixel reports that more than half of the people working at a Goodyear chemical plant in Houston walked off the job yesterday in a dispute over a company outsourcing plan.

When you may feel like claiming that you're unemployed, or, at least, that you have a perfectly disgusting job nobody will want to talk about (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
Tell strangers that you're a psychologist, and you know how the conversation will go from there. You've heard all the responses a thousand times. "Oh, I suppose you're going to psychoanalyze me now." It's true of many occupations that people find particularly interesting or if they want some free advice. Lisa Belkin tells about the people who dread being asked what they do for a living.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: WashingtonJobs (Wednesday, 10/11/00)
WashingtonJobs is the Washington Post's employment site. It helps job seekers and employers find each other in the general D.C. area, but also includes many information and advice features of interest to persons who are located elsewhere.

China gets permanent normal trade status today (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
President Clinton is scheduled to sign the China trade bill into law today, and not everybody's happy about it. Here's more from Adam Entous reporting from Washington.

Don't blink, or you may miss a lot that's happening in Yugoslavia (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
Now that the principal obstacle to membership in the international community has been removed, expect things to move fast in Yugoslavia. For instance, with a new government in place, the country expects to rejoin the International Monetary Fund by the middle of December.

Doctors in South Korea return to their patients (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
According to the Korean Medical Association, South Korean physicians charge fees that are only one-fourteenth those paid to American physicians. Traditionally, they have supplemented their incomes by selling prescription medications, but a new law prohibits them from doing that. This, in turn, led to a five-day strike. The issue hasn't been resolved, but the doctors decided to return to work because they could not tolerate any longer seeing patients suffer, they say.

Big Canadian labor conflict (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
However, this time it's different. This isn't a conflict between a labor union and a company. This time, it's a big battle between two major labor organizations. Here's more from Timothy Pritchard in Toronto.

Teachers union sued for improper use of non-members' fees (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
Evergreen Freedom Foundation has filed a complaint with Washington state's Public Disclosure Commission against the Washington Education Association, alleging that the teachers' union has been improperly using non-members' fees for political purposes. On the other side of the continent, negotiators for the Boston teachers' union and the school district have broken off talks. Six-thousand teachers could be on strike soon.

Among the costs of hi-tech efficiency (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
A new survey finds very high levels of stress and stress-induced psychological disorder to which the information technology revolution appears to be contributing in several countries.

Internet access lags in low-income households (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
Government research indicates that fewer than half of American households earning less than $19,000 will have Internet access by 2005, and there are 20 million of them in the United States. The federal government is cooperating with a number of corporations in an effort to make Internet access available to Americans who are in danger of being left behind as the Internet changes nearly everything, including the range of economic options available. More than $100 million in corporate assistance has been made available so far and will be distributed through the government's New Market program, according tot he October 2000 edition of Governing.

A bull other countries would like to clone (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
Jonathan Clements reports in today's Wall Street Journal on a bull that has reached age 10, but he wonders if it will survive to age 11. If you're curious as to what bull this might be, think investments and Wall Street, and the expanding American economy.

Silicon chips become nearly as familiar as their native desert sands (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
Marco della Cava writes in USA Today from New Mexico about Native American youngsters who are making the transition to the hi-tech world and making the grade.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Pre-employment Testing and the ADA (Tuesday, 10/10/00)
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that pre-employment testing not introduce unjustified barriers to employment for persons with disabilities. Pre-employment Testing and the ADA provides the details and comes to you from the Job Accommodation Network at West Virginia University.

More labor strife in L.A. (Monday, 10/9/00)
The Los Angeles transit strike continues, but now there's more for residents of the region to cope with. Los Angeles County workers have been staging one-day work stoppages in order to make their point, and are now threatening a general strike.

Conflict distracts from main issue (Monday, 10/9/00)
South Africa's Financial Mail editorializes about a conflict between major employers and labor unions over labor laws that misses the point, in their judgment. The REALLY important issue is economic growth, they say. Across the African continent, the needs may be different. Editorial writers at the Minneapolis Star Tribune say that human rights provide the key, not only to peace in Africa, but also prosperity.

Italian economy feeling pressure (Monday, 10/9/00)
Increases in interest rates and oil prices are producing worrisome effects in Italy, according to this Business Week article. Also in the big international business magazine this time, the sour mood in Germany ten years after reunification, the appearance of a genuine Russian middle-class on the radar screen, and how hi-tech in the U.S is contributing to the nice productivity numbers in ways you might not expect.

Why American small business is worried (Monday, 10/9/00)
The Labor Department continues to work on its ergonomics mandate, and small business sees trouble ahead because of it.

What to do with a child who's ill if you're a working parent (Monday, 10/9/00)
Gail Rosenblum writes about the growing number of sick kid centers for children who are down with the normal temporary ailments of childhood. With parents working more and more parents working, the need for ordinary child-care services has increased dramatically during recent years. But, what do YOU do when your child gets sick, as they all do?

What! You're over 65, and you're working? Well, you're not alone (Monday, 10/9/00)
In Minnesota, at least, nearly a fifth of persons over 65 are in the labor force. Along these lines, you may be interested in learning about the 77-year-old recipient of the Prime Time Award.

An employer pays workers to vote (Monday, 10/9/00)
A subcontractor in Amarillo, Texas realizes that it doesn't take an entire day to vote, but he's giving his workers the whole day off with pay because he wants to eliminate excuses and is tired of hearing people complain about the government. Okay, now, that may be a good way of handling politics at the national, state, or local levels. How about at the workplace level? Alan Goforth repeats what some human resource experts are saying about office politics, conflict, and how to handle it. Also, it's good to do what you can to learn about the political climate in advance before you accept a new position.

Do headhunters suffer from stereotypical thinking on the part of other people? (Monday, 10/9/00)
Historically, human beings have tended to exaggerate differences across groups or categories of people, while underestimating individual differences, and this accounts for a lot of misperceptions and conflicts. Headhunters aren't all the same either, so forget at least part of what you've heard about them, suggests the Seattle Times.

A disadvantage to being self-employed is that it's not so much fun to blame everything on your boss (Monday, 10/9/00)
Claude Crowley writes about James Chan's new book, Spare Room Tycoon for self-employed people who may want to learn from Mr. Chan's experience. He runs a business out of his home.

Captive audience (Monday, 10/9/00)
More people are spending more time at work, so how can advertisers reach them? The Wall Street Journal reports that more advertisers are trying to get at people in those cubicles by putting their ads online.

Who should get the credit for America's unprecedented prosperity? (Monday, 10/9/00)
During a presidential campaign, the answer to that question will be almost 100 percent predictable, depending on whom you ask. Candidate Gore would like you to believe that it's all happened because he cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate on August 6, 1993. Do the Republicans agree? Is there blue cheese on the moon? Is beer made out of kerosene? Does the sun first appear in the west each morning? Richard Stevenson of the New York Times attempts to sort it all out. Incidentally, while you're at it, who's responsible for whatever problems you can think of in America? Again, it depends on whose ox is gored. Or bushed.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: American Management Association (Monday, 10/9/00)
Can you be a member of the AMA and not be a physician? Of course, if you're a manager. The American Management Association is "the other AMA."

Judge finds awards to be excessive (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Nineteen workers won a discrimination suit against Interstate Bakeries Corporation and thought they would receive $132 million. A judge has ruled that the jury awards were too great. Now, the big maker of Wonder Bread can expect to pay out $27 million instead.

Canadian farmers face particularly hard times (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Like so many farmers in the U.S., many Canadian farmers are able to produce tremendous amounts of food but little net income now, and globalization is making things even harder, according to Stuart Laidlaw's Toronto Star report. Many economists have claimed for years that, while subsistence farming has worked fairly well over much of the world for centuries, farming as a business is inherently unprofitable in the long-run. So, those who like to eat may have to make special arrangements through subsidies to keep farmers in business so that they can continue producing food. However, given that North American agriculture led in the effective use of technology beginning early, this can mean further excess production and even lower product prices. Approximately one-half of the world's population is malnourished, while there is a worldwide glut of food, and farmers in both the U.S. and Canada are going out of business at an alarming rate. It's a strange world, to say the very least.

Employer-assisted computing catching on (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Ford and Delta got lots of publicity a few months ago when they announced that they wanted all of their employees to have computers at home, and would help make it happen. Since, as Jerry Ackerman reports, dozens of other Fortune 500 companies have been following suit.

Measuring poverty in India (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Poverty isn't difficult to detect in India. In fact, it's hard to miss. However, precisely how many people are living in poverty in the world's second most populous nation? That's harder to say, and, in fact, it's even hard to be approximate about it, let along precise. Celia Dugger of the New York Times reports on the current controversy over India's measurement methods.

Is the "new economy" qualitatively different, or just speeded up a bit? (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Where did the current U.S. prosperity come from? The question extends considerably beyond current campaign arguments about how much difference government policies have made and whether Democrats or Republicans should have the greatest bragging rights. Louis Uchitelle of the New York Times is interested in more basic questions, and isn't convinced that the new economy is really all that new or that people will look back on this period as representing one of history's fundamental transitions.

Microcredit and the womens' global entrepreneurial revolution (Sunday, 10/8/00)
For persons in the U.S. and elsewhere who make too much, have too much, eat too much, waste too much, feel they need a palace to live in, and generally trivialize precious life through excess, it may be hard to believe that a $25 loan can be the difference between a dismal future and entrepreneurial success for some people, but it's true. Millions of persons over much of the world have benefited from tiny loans, and a great many of them are women. Here's more from John Oslund and Dee DePass. Meanwhile, Jennifer Beauprez reports that some women in the U.S. are now managing to secure much larger amounts of venture capital, despite the lingering effects of a males-only mindset. More new businesses in the U.S. are now being started by women than by men, incidentally.

The golden age of benefits (Sunday, 10/8/00)
It lasted about 40 years, according to Scott Burns, and ended around 15 years ago. If that period shaped your expectations, it's time to change your expectations. In fact, as D. Ian Hopper reports, the Congressional Budget Office says in a new report that balanced budgets from now on could be threatened by increasing health-care and retirement costs. North of the border, a demographic shift has influenced the Canada Pension Plan, which started in 1966. Originally, it was intended for persons over 70, but, now, most people applying for benefits are younger than 65.

Not only a shortage of nurses, but also a shortage of nurses who teach nurses (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Traditionally, there has been quite a lot of turbulence in the nursing profession, in part, because many burn out and leave the field, at least for a while. Recently, as we have reported, there have been severe shortages in many areas. Carla D'Nan Bass of the Dallas Morning News that the problem may be greater in the future because of a growing shortage of nursing teachers. For many years, there was a general shortage of physicians in the United States, in part because of deliberate efforts on the part of influential organizations to limit supply, but, in recent years, this has been less of a problem. In fact, some medical specialties have been over-populated. However, a future supply problem could develop now that so many doctors are deciding to retire early. Dissatisfaction with managed care is thought to be among the principal reasons.

Good time in watch repair (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Lots of watchmakers don't make watches, but do repair them, and you may have thought, because of inexpensive digital watches, that this field would be about as hot as the repairing of buggy whips by now. Not so. Whether it's part of a backlash against hi-tech or something else, as Angela Downing reports, the U.S. could use ten times as many new watch repair experts each year as are being produced.

NLRB ruling may make it easier to face your boss (Sunday, 10/8/00)
A recent ruling means that you can have a colleague with you in a disciplinary meeting, even if you're not a union member.

Many questions are illegal for employment applicants, but not for volunteers (Sunday, 10/8/00)
A corespondent doesn't like some of the personal questions when wanting to volunteer for work in nonprofit organizations, but finds that civil rights laws don't cover unpaid workers.

More concern about a casual work climate (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Yesterday, we reported that some clothing companies have banded together in an effort to head off a trend toward increasingly casual dress at work, claiming that it might contribute to sloppy attitudes about the work itself. But, of course, these people sell suits and such things. However, columnist Diane Lewis is becoming concerned too, and, to our knowledge, she isn't selling anything. She's not concerned with casual dress so much as an attitude that often seems to lead to rudeness.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Vault.com (Sunday, 10/8/00)
Nothing sells like exclusivity, and most people love the idea of having inside information. Vault.com offers it to you, as well as the rest of the estimated 330 million people on the Internet. Nonetheless, it offers an opportunity to search for information on thousands of companies in dozens of industries, and may be of special interest to management consultants, bankers, and hi-tech folks in financial services.

Canadian economy surprises some (Saturday, 10/7/00)
Canada's economy created more jobs than expected in September and the unemployment rate declined to 6.8 percent.

Bias suits at Northwest and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (Saturday, 10/7/00)
One is beginning at Northwest Airlines and another is ending at the FDIC. In California, a Supreme Court ruling will make it easier for companies to fire workers without their having recourse.

Very long labor dispute finally ends at Kaiser (Saturday, 10/7/00)
John Wiley reports from Spokane that hundreds of union workers are returning to their jobs at Kaiser Aluminum after two years of conflict.

Job cuts at Freei were just the beginning (Saturday, 10/7/00)
Many persons are used to "free" Internet access in Europe, but it hasn't caught on as much in the United States. In fact, we reported job cuts at Freei Networks the other day. Now, it appears that the company has more issues to deal with than simply shortening their path toward profitability. Most jobs are being cut now, and the company is filing for bankruptcy protection.

An end to hiring halls (Saturday, 10/7/00)
Jenalia Moreno reports for the Houston Chronicle that hundreds of longshoremen will no longer gather each morning at hiring halls hoping to sign on for a job for the day. The union is adopting a different procedure in order to compete with non-union workers.

Casual dress, casual work? (Saturday, 10/7/00)
Columnist Jane Applegate reports that some menswear retailers have banded together in an effort to head off the trend toward casual dress in the workplace, claiming that people who are sloppy about their dress might also be sloppy about their jobs.

Getting tougher on forced labor (Saturday, 10/7/00)
Involuntary servitude has been illegal in the United States for quite some time now; in fact, it's u