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Bush may be isolating himself at home and abroad...already? (Friday, 3/30/01)
Robin Pomeroy reports from Brussels on the firestorm of exasperation and criticism that seems to be building over much of the world now that the Bush administration has announced that it wants nothing to do with the 1997 global warming treaty. America's allies seem puzzled and annoyed, while polls show that Americans overwhelmingly favor aggressive action to stop or reverse climate changes, if possible, including about 2/3 of Republicans.

Politically, the President may be providing the Democrats a gift by appearing to be mostly president of the American oil industry. The past decade leads to suspicions that environmental contamination has reached all the way into the centers of government--that something may have gotten into the White House water supply.

While Clinton and Bush come from very different backgrounds and are very different in many ways--Clinton self-invented, gifted, greatly flawed, mercenary, shameless; Bush born on third base, apparently modest gifts, in part defined by a stunning lack of curiosity over most of his life which seems to have left him with limited perspective--they appear to share some attributes in common too.

As somebody has remarked, Clinton has retained at least one power he had during his presidency--the power to drive people nuts. Persons who feel like strangling the former president will have to get in line behind most major Democrats, given that he seemed to give them a final "flick of the finger" with the Rich pardon which many Democrats have feared could cost them their opportunity to regain control of the Congress in 2002 and possibly the presidency again in 2004. It might also have finished Senator Hillary Clinton's chances of becoming a serious presidential candidate.

But, now, suddenly, Bush may be turning it around for the Democrats. What is it with these people? Many American work sectors still seem to be at least half-filled with very high-quality people who are not only greatly informed and competent, but also highly principled and responsible. What seems to be the problem at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

BIG cuts at Delphi (Friday, 3/30/01)
Delphi is the largest auto parts manufacturer in the world, but they're going to get quite a lot smaller. About 11,500 jobs will be cut. Incidentally, in case you've lost track, here are some of the big companies that have made job cuts recently, and it's quite a long list.

24-hour strike creates big snarl in London (Friday, 3/30/01)
Thousands of people who work for the London Underground went on strike for 24 hours, and Ben Webster of The Times says it's likely to be costly as well as inconvenient.

Oil workers' strike ends in Venezuela (Friday, 3/30/01)
Striking workers have not achieved their aims, though. Here's more from Alexandra Olson in Caracas.

Carpenters leave AFL-CIO (Friday, 3/30/01)
It appears that the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America union has decided to discontinue its affiliation with the big labor confederation. Leigh Strope reports from Washington on the reasons.

Court ruling may benefit ex-spouses (Friday, 3/30/01)
Gene Meyer tells how a partner in a previous marriage might benefit because of a new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. It means that if your spouse dies, pension and insurance benefits could go to somebody else in some states.

House passes tax cut for married folks (Friday, 3/30/01)
Sixty-four Democrats joined the Republican majority in passing a $400 billion tax cut for married couples that is intended to provide a push for the President's big tax package.

More wealthy Americans paying no taxes (Friday, 3/30/01)
The number of wealthy Americans who have not been paying taxes has been on the rise, according to John McKinnon's report in today's Wall Street Journal.

Labor problems at Boeing (Friday, 3/30/01)
Office and technical workers at Boeing have acted against their union's advice and have rejected a contract offer from the company, but the vote was pretty close.

Americans cool on idea of privatizing part of Social Security (Friday, 3/30/01)
The stock market decline seems to have taken some of the wind out of the sails of people wanting to invest some Social Security funds in the stock market. Will Lester reports that a new poll shows that Americans are losing enthusiasm for the idea.

Viacom president Karmazin expects Hollywood writers' strike (Friday, 3/30/01)
Before long, many actors on Hollywood sound stages may open their mouths and find that they have nothing to say. Viacom's head expects that a writers' strike is likely.

The American economy almost stopped growing at the end of 2000 (Friday, 3/30/01)
Growth declined to an unimpressive one percent during the final quarter of the year, the slowest rate in five years. Some experts expect that the Fed will have make several more interest rate cuts fairly soon. A genuine recession--i.e., two consecutive quarters of negative growth--may be avoided, in part, because Americans are still spending, according to this report from the Christian Science Monitor's David Francis.

Delta's pilots reject arbitration (Friday, 3/30/01)
The pilots at Delta Airlines may be headed for a strike now, according to Dan Reed at the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

The Administration hasn't forgotten ergonomics (Friday, 3/30/01)
The Bush administration's Secretary of Labor says that, despite the turning around of the Clinton administration rule on the prevention of repetitive stress injuries, the new administration does intend to do something about the problem.

Why the national debt should not be paid off (Friday, 3/30/01)
Columnist Jerry Heaster makes a case against elimination of the national debt.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Global Climate Change (Friday, 3/30/01)
Here's the Global Climate Change site from the World Bank.

Strike comes to Venezuelan oil industry (Thursday, 3/29/01)
Last-minute efforts to avoid a strike of oil workers in Venezuela were unsuccessful, according to Alexandra Olson in Caracas. Ana Isabel Martinez reports that teachers in state schools also have gone on strike. In other economic news from South America, Kevin Gray writes from Buenos Aires that President Fernando De la Rua has been given broader powers to cope with that country's worst recession in a decade.

Bush II administration pulls out of treaty. Now what? (Thursday, 3/29/01)
The Administration's decision to abandon the idea of participating in the global-warming treaty may amount to abandoning a good deal of diplomatic work over the past decade, according to Brad Knickerbocker, and has many allies very upset. The President says that pushing ahead with the treaty might harm the American economy, which suggests to some experts that he still doesn't get it, while he says that he wants to work out an agreement based on "sound science."

Energy Department likes "polygraphs" too (Thursday, 3/29/01)
It should make citizens nervous if their government seems to be in the hands of superstitious people. In response to the big spy case, the FBI wants to administer the so-called "lie detector" to nearly everybody in sight. Similarly, the Department of Energy, in response to the Wen Ho Lee case, wants to "test" scientists at U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories, but a number of scientists are boycotting the procedure.

No wonder, because scientists tend to know something about the methods necessary for providing trustworthy answers to questions about nature. Research psychologists, who tend to know something about the methods necessary for answering questions about human nature, would like to see the "polygraph" go the way of phrenology, trial by ordeal, and other abusive and irrationally-based instruments of interrogation used during the Spanish inquisition and other dark periods of human history.

People who have never been to school or who have been chained to the water pipes in the basement all their lives might be forgiven for such naivete and gullibility. However, the fact that government officials, most of whom, according to rumor, at least, have had some education, can have so little genuine verifiable knowledge relevant to their work makes one wonder about the conditions under which real knowledge really makes a difference.

Welfare-to-work and the slowing economy (Thursday, 3/29/01)
Today's Washington Post examines the effect of an economic slump on the effort to move people from welfare dependency to self-sufficiency in the workplace. In the meantime, at least one state is trying to decide what to do about highly vulnerable people whose welfare benefits are about to run out.

Bush looks to tech's future and likes what he sees (Thursday, 3/29/01)
The President said yesterday that it would be a mistake to judge the future of America's technology sector and its impact on the overall economy from current stock troubles. He's right, of course. The market is simply adjusting to reality after a period of intemperate speculation and a high-stakes game of "chicken" during which stock buyers were assuming that they would be able to find a greater fool who would pay an even higher price unrelated to real values. This is what Alan Greenspan called "irrational exuberance" a few years ago, and he was concerned that it could lead to the kinds of problems that Japan has now.

House expected to vote on tax cut for married people today (Thursday, 3/29/01)
Donna Smith reports from Washington that the House of Representatives is expected to pass a "marriage penalty" bill today.

Companies such as Microsoft are finding it easier to hire technical help (Thursday, 3/29/01)
With so many dot-coms crashing and burning, the supply of technically-skilled workers isn't so tight as it was, and major companies don't have to compete with so many startups that promise overnight riches. Among others who are benefiting from the epidemic of dot-comas are people in need of rental office space. Incidentally, here's what students at Montreal's McGill University are saying about the get-rich fever that, for a time, seems to be spread via the Internet.

Unions not in favor of TWA buyout (Thursday, 3/29/01)
Three unions at American Airlines fear problems in absorbing TWA's workers into American. Here's more from Fort Worth.

Congratulations! You are among the last to ride the tube (Thursday, 3/29/01)
A woman has received recognition for being the one-billionth person to travel on London's Underground. The irony is that this event occurred only hours before the subway system was scheduled to be shut down by a 24-hour strike.

Help with elder care (Thursday, 3/29/01)
Many workers have dependent children. Others have dependent parents. Some have both. Much attention has been given to the child-care needs of parents who work, but, in an aging population, the number of workers who have similar needs for parents has been increasing. Kelly Greene writes in today's Wall Street Journal about new efforts to help. The Journal is available on the web, but, following a free introductory period, there is a subscription fee.

Seattle's economy slows, and this isn't displeasing everybody (Thursday, 3/29/01)
Sam Howe Verhovek reports that many people in Seattle seem to welcome a bit of a slowdown as an opportunity to catch their breath. While the overall American economy has been expanding for a decade, Seattle's economy has been expanding for almost two decades.

The possible repeal of "first hired, last fired" (Thursday, 3/29/01)
David Francis reports that if you were hired a long time ago, you may be about to leave. Seniority doesn't carry the weight it once did, and senior workers may be targeted by the people who are planning the layoffs.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Career Key (Thursday, 3/29/01)
Professor Lawrence Jones of North Carolina State University wants to help you make high-quality career decisions with The Career Key.

Helping the out-of-breath (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
President Bush, who not so long ago was running a sports franchise, has been trying to talk positive about the American economy, while, at the same time, continuing to make his case for a big tax cut. His impersonations of a contortionist are beginning to make some economists scratch their heads and wonder how much he really knows about economics and taxes, particularly given the rebound in consumer confidence and stock prices very recently (Warren Buffett says that stocks are still overvalued, though, so stay tuned). The American economy is like a strong long-distance runner who has become a bit winded, the President says. Vicki Allen reports that he's about to get what he wants from the House of Representatives, but things in the Senate aren't likely to be quite so easy. Noted writer Michael Kinsley implies that the President may be getting a bad rap from those who blame him for "talking down" the economy. Who's really paying attention and who's really being influenced, he wonders?

More tech companies to cut jobs (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
After various other companies, including Apple Computer, unsuccessfully tried to tap what has appeared to be a huge potential handheld computer market, Palm seems to have gotten it right and seems to be well-positioned to play a key role in the developing wireless revolution. Nonetheless, the slowing economy has slowed their sales, so they're cutting back by cutting jobs. Jim Fuquay reports that Nortel Networks will add 5,000 jobs to the 10,000 cuts they've already announced, and Minnesota-based ADC Telecommunications will cut as many as 4,000 additional jobs as well.

More non-tech companies to cut jobs (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
Mickey has survived, for now, but his employer will slice 4,000 jobs from its worldwide workforce, which will leave Disney with approximately 97 percent as many workers as it has had before the cuts. Also, for a growing number of people who make heavy use of the Internet, the conventional printed greeting card may be a product whose time has gone. For this reason, as well as the slowing economy generally, American Greetings is going through some bad times and will lay off 1,500 of its employees.

What it still takes for some employers to hire the people they need (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
The slowing of the American economy has reduced the urgency of the competition for workers in many regions and sectors, but some employers are still struggling to find and attract needed workers. Stephanie Armour of USA Today tells about some of the incentives that are being offered.

Strong possibility of an oil strike in Venezuela (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
Venezuela is a country that Americans often don't think of when they think of OPEC, but it is a member of the oil cartel. Oil production in the country could be shut down by a strike for a couple of days, and frantic efforts are being made to prevent it. Here's more from Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas.

Remember Florida? Here are more measurement controversies (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
WHAT we know depends entirely on HOW we know it. Methodology is basic. Use flawed methods, and you won't be able to trust your results, and, in the political world, that means those results will become an "ink blot" in which everybody will be able to see whatever they want.

Which presidential candidate got the most votes in Florida? We have no idea, and we don't believe that anyone else really does either. It's just that a lot of people merely BELIEVE that they know. The way America measures voter preferences is at least a century of two out of date and is incapable of determining what the genuine reality is.

Similarly, trying to conduct a census--which means counting EVERYBODY--in a society of approximately 280 million persons is highly likely to provide results that no one can really trust--if you know anything about research methodology, that is, and, if you don't, you may be willing to trust just about anything, depending on whether it's what you want to hear.

One man who does understand methods is Fed Head Alan Greenspan. He acknowledges that he doesn't really doesn't understand what's going on with the American economy, which is not to imply that other people really do. One of the reasons is that it may well be the case that some fundamental conditions have changed so that old assumptions and principles don't work any more. Also, though, Mr. Greenspan isn't satisfied with the quality of information that is available, because he isn't satisfied with the quality of the measures. In the new economy, it's harder to know what's going on, what's going to happen, and, so, what one should do.

Too much work, too little sleep (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
As we've reported numerous times during the past couple of years, Americans are working more hours, on average, which means that they have fewer available hours for other things, including family. Those who are trying to do it all are taking the extra hours from their sleep schedules. Ah, drive defensively out there.

Nearly four-fifths of students are underestimating the cost of their student loans (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
Andrew Clark reports from Washington on the results of a new survey that confirms what many persons who have been worrying about America's younger generation have been suspecting. Most students who take out loans to cover the cost of their higher education don't fully realize what they're getting into and what it's going to mean for their long-term financial future.

When virtual companies leave no traces, who sends out the W-2's? (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
People who worked last near for dot-coms that no longer exist may have difficulty filing their taxes this year. Here's an explanation from Susan Stellin.

Taking your laptop on an overseas business trip? Here's some advice (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
Actually, you may be interested in what James Derk has to say if you're planning domestic travel with your computer too.

Schroeder optimistic about Europe's future (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
The German Chancellor sees sold growth ahead for the European economy, and expects Germany to make a positive contribution to that growth.

Now the flirting starts (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
Seattle's loss will be somebody else's gain, and many communities will be winding up and making their pitch to Boeing. Bob Cox reports on Dallas' efforts.

Why corporations have very practical reasons for being concerned about harassment and discrimination suits (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
While some individuals will feel considerable pain in a $50 fine, it takes a good deal more to attract the attention of most big-time corporate directors. However, much attention has been drawn to recent lawsuits in which the awards have been great enough to impress nearly anybody.

If you're an African job-seeker, how do you get into Europe? (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
Many are finding that the most accessible doorway is located in Spain, according to today's Washington Post.

If you think you can wish "good riddance" to half the federal work force, you may want to think again (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
About fifty percent of federal workers are scheduled to retire during the next four years or so, and, despite all of the stereotypical thinking and political posturing about "government bureaucrats," there is a crisis on the horizon that you probably should care about.

Maybe not when; maybe if (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
Economics columnist Robert Samuelson wonders if Japan really CAN regain its former prosperity and economic influence, or whether its destined to play a much smaller role in the 21st century than most people assumed only a few years ago.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: TeleBright (Wednesday, 3/28/01)
TeleBright is one of the handy sites that enables you to search for the best deal on telephone service in your area by inserting your ZIP code or area code.

Another fracture in the Bush II administration? (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
President Abraham Lincoln, who had less than a year of formal education, had been part owner of a small store in New Salem, Illinois which failed while he was still in his 20's, leaving him deeply in debt for years. Later, he ran a two-person law office in Springfield. That was the grand total of his management experience by the time he was put in charge of the United States and the North's war effort during the most agonizing period of American history. Yet, most historians agree that he performed admirably and may be America's single greatest president.

George W. Bush, on the other hand, is the first American president with an MBA (from Harvard, no less) plus lots of business management experience. He seems to have organized his administration along corporate lines, delegating much, while remaining above day-to-day hassles as Chairman and CEO.

He seems to recognize his own limited experience as a political leader, and, as a consequence, has brought a number of highly experienced, very strong personalities into the Administration. Whether this is going to work will depend, in part, on the extent to which the role of president resembles that of a chief corporate executive. So far, there are mixed indicators. For instance, unless he can exercise both vision and control, America could end up with two foreign policies, one headed by Donald Rumsfeld and the other headed by Colin Powell.

Now, there is reason to believe that former Governor Christine Todd Whitman, who now heads the Environmental Protection Agency, and other members of the Administration aren't singing off the same page when it comes to environmental issues. Both major parties are made up of complex coalitions of people who ordinarily have little in common, so any president faces the task of pleasing a lot of supporters who may have contradictory interests. However, in the case of the environmental question, it would be nice if Bush and many other politicians did not suffer from so much scientific illiteracy.

Next? (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Airspace over the United States may get less busy for a while. John Gallagher of the Detroit Free Press says that the pilots' strike at Comair, the second-largest regional airline in the U.S., might be only the first of several strikes that may either shut down or curtail airline operations. President Bush has expressed concern about how strikes might further impair a vulnerable economy, and has indicated that he would intervene in the conflict between Northwest Airlines and its pilots. However, he says that he will stay out of the strike at Comair, where, at the moment, no talks are scheduled.

High Court will take federal affirmative action case (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
In a case that is likely to have broad implications, the U.S. Supreme Court said that it will hear a challenge to the U.S. Transportation Department's affirmative action program. Meanwhile, a U.S. District Judge has ruled that the University of Michigan law school's admissions procedures are unconstitutional because race is used as a criterion in the selection of applicants. However, another judge ruled earlier that the university's undergraduate admissions program is constitutional, so, ultimately, the Supreme Court is likely to decide this issue as well, with broad implications for American higher education.

Cuts, cuts, cuts, but not all for the same reasons (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Some of today's job cuts are in the U.S., while some aren't. Some are in hi-tech companies, such as Ericsson, Nokia, Conexant, and several chip makers, while some are in the transportation sector, such as Delphi, Ford in Ontario, and Kansas City Southern. Many current job cuts are occurring because of the slowdown of the American economy, but not necessarily all. For instance, Clothing manufacturer Haggar will close a Texas plant, idling 600 workers, and export many of its jobs to other countries, presumably in search of less expensive labor.

Airbus deal will result in 1,500 new jobs (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
An agreement between management and labor organizations clears the way for Airbus to create 1,500 new jobs in Germany.

American auto workers better prepared, suffering less (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Keith Bradsher of the New York Times says that auto workers in the United States are doing better during this economic downturn than during most downturns past.

Job hopping rate declines (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Kathy Chen writes in today's Wall Street Journal that the slowed American economy has also slowed the casualness with which Americans are hopping from one job to another.

Using one's break to help those who haven't gotten a break (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Jodi Wilgoren writes about students who are spending their spring breaks in Florida, but not doing what you might expect. Meanwhile, Alexandra Marks of the Christian Science Monitor reports that mentoring organizations are having difficulty recruiting helpers who feel that they are short of available time.

When overseas experience doesn't work (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Employers and workers who are sent on overseas assignments often have different interpretations, according to Bill Bergstrom. A result is that the consequences may not be what employers expect and their investment in the overseas experience might be lost. Frequently, the employee him/herself is lost to the company as well.

Argentine president given special powers (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Laurence Norman reports from Buenos Aires that the Argentina's lower house of Congress has agreed to give President Fernando de la Rua part of what he has asked for to enable him to deal more effectively with the country's 33-month recession.

The rest of the world is still more influential than the U.S., writer says (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
America's economy is the largest in the world, and certainly influences the global economy. Nonetheless, Peter Grier writes that the U.S.'s problems alone can't pull the entire world into recession. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that a new poll shows fairly widespread skepticism about the American economy and President Bush's plans for fixing things. Also, a slowing economy with large numbers of layoffs means an increase in the already huge number of uninsured. Here's how some members of Congress are preparing to help.

Nursing infants in the workplace (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Only three states require employers to allow mothers to nurse their infants at work, even though 30 states have breast-feeding legislation of some kind. Here's more from columnist Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star.

Boeing won't change its mind (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
It appears that Boeing's decision to move its corporate headquarters out of the Seattle area is a done deal and that nothing will make them reconsider.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Law and Economics of United States v. Microsoft (Tuesday, 3/27/01)
Here's information about New York University's upcoming seminar on The Law and Economics of United States v. Microsoft.

O'Neill to divest his Alcoa holdings (Monday, 3/26/01)
The new Secretary of the Treasury has decided that there could be at least an appearance of conflict of interest, given his approximately $90 million in Alcoa stock and his governmental position. So, he will put his money into index funds. It has been common practice for presidents and other high officials to put their money into blind trust. For instance, sometime ago, when some persons were claiming that the Reagans had accepted a large amount of money from friends to buy a house when they left the government, Nancy Reagan pointed out that it was a loan which was repaid with interest, not a gift. At the time, according to Mrs. Reagan, they didn't know how much money they had because all of their assets had been in trust during the time that Ronald Reagan was president. This was to insure that he could not know which of his presidential decisions might favorable influence his investments and which might diminish them. Incidentally, are there any key members of the current Administration who do NOT have tens of millions of dollars worth of assets?

O'Neill also has some advice for Japan (Monday, 3/26/01)
The Treasury Secretary says that Japan has to come to grips with the reality that, unlike his own, what might once have been genuine assets no longer exist, and they should write them off and move on by opening up their markets.

Strike at Comair (Monday, 3/26/01)
Pilots at Delta-owned regional carrier Comair have gone on strike. Workers at two Pepsi plants in the Kansas City area remain on strike after a month and have turned down the latest contract proposal from the company.

The tech revolution in entertainment (Monday, 3/26/01)
Hollywood film production already has been transformed by high-technology and is likely to undergo further revolutions. In fact, all across the huge American entertainment industry, which amuses not only Americans but also much of the rest of the world, technology is making most things different. Today's Wall Street Journal has a special section on these issues. Many articles, and, as always, all are worth reading.

Why many people are changing their minds about retiring right now, if they can (Monday, 3/26/01)
Christine Dugas of USA Today says that many persons are finding that the big decline in stock values has scrambled a lot of nest eggs.

"Farmaggedon" feared in Ireland (Monday, 3/26/01)
To the astonishment of many living Irish and what would be to the amazement of previous generations, Ireland's economy has been the envy of Europe recently. However, hi-tech has slumped, in part because of the slowing American economy. Now, in addition, there is concern about the economic implications of foot-and-mouth disease.

Longer commutes (Monday, 3/26/01)
Americans have been moving farther out to the sub-suburbs and beyond, meaning that it's taking them longer to drive and from work. Here's more from Genao Armas of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Preparation counts (Monday, 3/26/01)
Nearly 400,000 Americans have gotten the bad news during the past three months. Will you be one of the laid off sometime soon? Shannon Buggs passes on some advice from financial planners. Also, the Washington Post's Amy Joyce discusses the practical implications of using some time after your job disappears to take a break. Don't forget that, when you're in need of a job, finding a job is your full-time job.

The stereotype of the male lawyer is REALLY out of date (Monday, 3/26/01)
Given the law's cumulative nature and its relation to precedent, you might expect that change would come more slowly than in nearly any other field. However, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of women lawyers in the U.S. during recent years, and, as the New York Times reports,, a numerical majority of law students will soon be female.

Hangover by the Bay (Monday, 3/26/01)
A few months have made a very large difference in San Francisco where dot-comers used to live it up. Here's more from Evelyn Nieves.

New economic realities create tensions and modify family structures (Monday, 3/26/01)
A woman's place is in...well, it depends on who you ask. Japan's decade-long economic dreariness has greatly cut into household incomes, meaning that many women have been entering the workforce to help out or to become the principal rice-winner, according to MSNBC.

Yes, boss. No way, dear (Monday, 3/26/01)
While some people might thinks it's simply too much togetherness, Suzanne Monson reports that some marriage partners are able to be co-workers too, and get along successfully, even when one is the other's boss. At work, that is. Not necessarily at home.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: JobBoom (Monday, 3/26/01)
JobBoom appears to be one of Canada's busier jobs sites, and, of course, is available in both English and French, except that the career advice section is available only in French.

How to keep the EU going within a slowing global economic context (Sunday, 3/25/01)
European Union leaders have been in Stockholm discussing ways to make the EU economy continue creating jobs and also to increase the EU's competitiveness.

Congress about to encourage more retirement savings (Sunday, 3/25/01)
With bipartisan support, it appears that Americans soon will be able to contribute more to retirement plans.

Anxiety about jobs shifts at Boeing (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Kyung Song of the Seattle Times says that Boeing's stunning announcement this past week is leaving many workers expecting that their jobs won't just be relocated, but eliminated altogether. The company's decision to move its corporate headquarters out of Seattle may be only the beginning of an historic restructuring, according to them.

Hanssen case leads to FBI fishing expedition (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Five-hundred people working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be administered the "Polygraph" because of broader concerns following the arrest of spy Robert Hanssen. The fact that there really is no such thing as a "lie detector" should make citizens nervous about government officials who appear to have so little understanding of the methods necessary for achieving genuine verifiable knowledge of nature, including human nature. We've already commented on the issues relating to the FBI's action on the fourteenth of this month, so there is no reason to repeat ourselves.

Ford shuts down operations because of Legionnaires' disease (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Two sections of an Ohio Ford assembly plant have been shut down because the bacterium causing Legionnaires' disease has been detected.

Signal-to-noise ratio (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Samuel Fromartz says that, in order to tell what's going on with the economy, it's necessary to tune into the messages behind all the static.

Personalizing the statistics (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Thousands of layoffs here, thousands there--it's easy to be numbed by the numbers and to forget that each one is a person with a story. Edward Eveld and Lisa Gutierrez have a few of those stories for you in today's Houston Chronicle.

Who has the scariest messages? (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Is it the President who has been talking down the U.S. economy, or publications such as Newsweek that have been reporting on and adding to what the Bush administration people have been saying? Here's more from today's Washington Post. Still, the reality is that, for whatever reasons, the American economy has been slumping, and David Sanger writes about how the slump is affecting the rest of the world in more direct ways now. Finally, can you understand economics without paying attention to its psychology? Probably not.

Why the end may not be in sight (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Former political science professor and syndicated columnist George Will examines the prospects for a second troublesome decade for Japan's economy.

Hispanic girls and education (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Too many Hispanic girls are dropping out of school, according to this report from today's New York Times.

Retaliation from Bush? (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Steven Greenhouse says that many leaders in American organized labor believes that the President has been retaliating against unions because they supported Gore's presidential candidacy.

Performance from day one (Sunday, 3/25/01)
Nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Carol Kleiman tells about why success on a new job now depends on your not expecting a lot of time to build up momentum at the beginning.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Canadian Journal of Economics (Sunday, 3/25/01)
The Canadian Journal of Economics is the journal of the Canadian Economics Association.

Uncertainty about the U.S. means uncertainty about the world (Saturday, 3/24/01)
Daniel Sternoff writes from New York that a global recession is seen more and more as a possibility now, and a principal reason may the greater degree of uncertainty about how long it will be before the huge American economy begins recovering from its current slowdown, although Japan's continuing difficulties are also making much of the rest of the world nervous. The U.S. and Japan together comprise more than 40 percent of the world economy. Germany has the third-largest national economy, but, as Ian Geoghegan reports from Stockholm, it is only part of the European Union which seems strong, according to EU leaders, and has a chance to become the strongest and most competitive economic force in the world for a while.

Boeing tries to reassure Seattle (Saturday, 3/24/01)
The big aerospace company is moving its headquarters out of Seattle after 85 years, but says that the core of its operations will remain in the area. However, some 757 assembly operations will be transferred to Wichita, Kansas. About 500 jobs will be affected.

An attempt to jump-start the Argentine economy (Saturday, 3/24/01)
Argentina's new economics minister has the support of Congress in moving an emergency economic package to quick implementation. Here are details from Clifford Krauss reporting from Buenos Aires.

Kraft to shut down chocolate factories in Brazil (Saturday, 3/24/01)
According to the Miami Herald, production is being moved elsewhere in the country. The shutdown of the two plants will result in the elimination of more than 2,000 jobs at those locations.

More violence at Daewoo (Saturday, 3/24/01)
Workers at the bankrupt South Korean automaker, angry because of announced layoffs, have clashed with riot police again. Demonstrators threw firebombs after police prevented them from gathering in Seoul's city center.

The growing roles of women in the new economy (Saturday, 3/24/01)
While women clearly have made progress in working their way up major corporation ladders, glass ceilings still seem to be in place. However, at the same time, more new small businesses are being started by women than by men, and, as Jent Fix of the Detroit Free Press reports, women have become a major force in the American organized labor movement.

Awards tomorrow, strike soon after? (Saturday, 3/24/01)
The biggest news in Hollywood today is the Academy Awards presentations tomorrow, but the increasingly likely prospect of the fantasy factories' wheels being brought to a halt because of a major strike is also much on minds in the world's film capital.

Deadline for seeking legal status (Saturday, 3/24/01)
Under a new law signed by former President Clinton, some illegal immigrants will be able to change their status to legal, but they must do so by the end of April, according to Suzanne Gamoa who reports from Washington.

Pilots resume negotiations with Comair (Saturday, 3/24/01)
Offhand, you might have difficulty thinking of an airline that is NOT in conflict with one or more of its unions. It's not just the big names like American and Northwest. Several regional airlines have been having labor difficulties as well. For instance, John Nolan reports that Comair is resuming talks with its pilots, but they're prepared to walk out if necessary.

Whoops! What to do about the tuition now? (Saturday, 3/24/01)
For investors with highly diversified portfolios who can sit tight for a while, there may not be a great deal to worry about in the long-run, because, overall, stock values over the long haul are about as secure as the long-term prospects of the United States, and that's pretty secure. However, for people who are just reaching retirement and have been counting on the value of their stocks, the current Wall Street slump is highly inconvenient. Others who may not be able to wait for values to recover are people who have been depending on their stocks to cover the cost of college tuition. Here's more from today's Washington Post.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Wall Street Research Net (Saturday, 3/24/01)
Wall Street Research Net can help you remain in daily contact with your investments.

Another tax cut proposed (Friday, 3/23/01)
This one would be a $60 billion cut effective this year in order to boost the economy and it may happen, given that it seems to have bipartisan support. It would be in addition to the President's original tax cut plan which is more "back-loaded" and doesn't appear likely to get through the Senate without modification.

Leading Indicators down (Friday, 3/23/01)
The Conference Board's Index of Leading Economic Indicators fell 0.2 percent last month, but still isn't forecasting a recession, says the Board's experts. Technically, a recession means two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The U.S. economy isn't there yet, and may not enter a recession at all before it starts growing at a faster rate again. Nonetheless, the American economy clearly has changed its mood, and the statistical indications are all around. Also, despite the tumbling stock market, by the end of the trading day yesterday, Wall Street wasn't technically in a bear market yet either, according to this report from Lorene Yue of the Detroit Free Press, but it wouldn't take much more. What is a "bear market?" The Fort Worth Star Telegram provides an explanation.

Canal workers sue U.S. (Friday, 3/23/01)
When the United States gave up control of the Panama Canal two years ago, it neglected to pay $1 billion in severance, social security, and other benefits for some of its employees, according to a suit filed in federal court in Miami.

Arbitration offered at Delta (Friday, 3/23/01)
Delta Airlines and its pilots have been negotiating for 18 months without success. Federal mediators are saying that binding arbitration may be the best solution. Meanwhile talks between Northwest Airlines and its mechanics may start up again soon, and flight attendants at American Airlines will be trying to make a deal with their employer on bringing TWA flight attendants into the company.

More big cuts (Friday, 3/23/01)
Charles Schwab intends to cut up to 3,400 jobs, Motorola has announced that another 4,000 jobs will go, and Kmart will offer an early retirement incentive to older workers at its corporate headquarters. Overall, though, as Jeannine Aversa reports, first-time jobless claims declined a bit last week.

Legionnaires contamination feared (Friday, 3/23/01)
The union representing hundreds of workers at Telstra want them tested after the bacterium was detected to two of the company's centers. Legionaires disease can be life-threatening.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: International Trade Administration (Friday, 3/23/01)
The International Trade Administration is a division of the United States Department of Commerce and will be of interest to Americans wishing to export their products or services.

Sleepless in Seattle (Thursday, 3/22/01)
Boeing spent most of the 20th century in Seattle, but it will spend nearly all of the 21st century someplace else. The Seattle community is reeling today from the announced loss yesterday of its crown-jewel employer. Boeing will move its headquarters out of the Pacific Northwest after 85 years. Thanks to Teresa Callies for our headline.

Bush to push his own "patients' bill of rights" bill (Thursday, 3/22/01)
The President isn't satisfied with any of the bills presently in Congress that would protect the rights of patients in their dealings with their HMOs, so he will soon describe the kind of legislation that he will be willing to sign.

One "poison pill" is rejected (Thursday, 3/22/01)
Some Republican opponents of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill have wanted a "paycheck protection plan" which would greatly reduce the power of organized labor as an influence in American politics, and, in effect, kill the reform bill. However, the Senate has voted 69-31 to reject the plan, keeping McCain-Feingold hopes alive.

Want a tough job? (Thursday, 3/22/01)
If you have masochistic tendencies, or if you simply feel insufficiently challenged in your present role, you might want to make yourself available to be the fourth Argentine economics minister during the past three months or so, in case Domingo Cavallo, like his immediate predecessor, decides to get out after a couple of weeks. Kevin Gray reports from Buenos Aires on how his job has been complicated by a strike of public workers.

What to do about a lot of big debts that can't be paid (Thursday, 3/22/01)
In Holland a few centuries back, it was the price of tulips. In the U.S. recently, it was the price of Internet company stock. In Japan a few years ago, it was the price of real estate, which managed to reach stratospheric levels before collapsing. Before that happened, though, a lot of loans were made by Japanese banks based on those inflated values. Now, what once appeared to be secured debt has become very unsecured indeed, and the banks themselves are threatened. Raising the world's second-largest economy from its decade-long slumber will require solving the debt problem, and two top officials are saying that the Japanese government will have a plan within six months.

Results worse than expected at 3Com (Thursday, 3/22/01)
3Com Corporation, citing a stunning third-quarter loss, will cut jobs as a consequence.

The new economy values flexibility, and that's okay with Australian workers (Thursday, 3/22/01)
Regimentation, paramilitary organization, and standardization tend to be far less functional in the new economy than in the old. A new survey in Australia finds that workers in that country would prefer something other than a regular nine-to-five schedule.

Afghans take flight in search for work (Thursday, 3/22/01)
In part because of an insane government during recent years, Afghanistan may be the least desirable place on earth to live, although there's still a lot of competition. However, as the Washington Post reports, natural disasters have added to the overall calamity, and many people are desperately searching for work elsewhere in order to survive.

Sweeney to mobilize forces in support of airline workers (Thursday, 3/22/01)
Key figures in American organized labor don't believe that the Bush II administration is a friend of American workers, and battle-lines are being drawn all over the map. For instance, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says he will take the lead in encouraging the labor movement to support airline unions which the President has indicated he will prevent from striking, at least for a while, thus reducing their bargaining power.

Population implosion (Thursday, 3/22/01)
Which American state has a smaller population than before the Great Depression of the 1930s and has also been losing population faster than any other during recent years? New Census data show that the answer is North Dakota. Why is that? Is it because North Dakota is a horrible place to live? No, indeed. In fact, large numbers of people who would like to raise their families there are leaving involuntarily. It is because of the depression in American agriculture combined with North Dakota's dependence on its ag sector. Here's more from David Peterson in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Demand for H-1B visas subsides (Thursday, 3/22/01)
The slowing American economy has reduced the shortage of technical personnel, which has diminished the number of applications for tech worker visas, according to Michelle Kessler and Jon Swartz of USA Today.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: National Life/Work Centre (Thursday, 3/22/01)
The National Life/Work Centre is a non-profit Canadian corporation that develops strategic partnerships with organizations in both private and public sectors to assist Canadians of all ages in becoming self-reliant in the new economy. Their web site is available in both English and French.

To paraphrase Woody Allen, Mr. Greenspan may soon be placed UNDER a pedestal (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
During the long American boom, Alan Greenspan may have gotten more credit than he deserved. Now, he may be getting a bit too much of the blame. However, if the Fed was trying to boost the stock market by cutting interest rates yesterday, it didn't work. Wall Street wanted more, and Steve Liesman of the Wall Street Journal writes today that many economists are starting to see a prolongation of the current slump on the horizon. Some believe that the worst is yet to come, and, while "recession" has been whispered for a while, now it's being spoken right out loud in many places. Moreover, this Washington Post story says it's important to remember that the stock market isn't the economy and the Federal Reserve doesn't control either one. Also, things may be getting more complicated for the Bush II administration's tax-cut plans. The President says that the downturn means that the tax cut is needed, but what if it also means that the surplus, which the big tax cut seems to assume, may shrink or disappear?

What do you do if what you do doesn't produce the effects you expect? (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
Okay, all together now, repeat after us: "The term 'new economy' doesn't refer simply to Internet stocks, and the failure of Internet companies doesn't mean that the economy has gotten old again." Most fundamentally, the "new economy" is one which, for a variety of reasons, may not follow familiar rules. Our understanding of the economy and what we think we should do in order to influence it are guided by conventional economic theory, but it assumes a familiar set of conditions. What happens when those conditions change fundamentally? Robert Samuelson wonders about this too, and also wonders whether the monetary and fiscal treatments will cure anything this time.

Argentina's NEW new economics minister (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
The previous one stayed on the job only two weeks, so Domingo Cavallo has been called out of retirement to occupy the position that he held during the early 1990s. The Argentine economy's on fire, and President Fernando de la Rœa believes that Mr. Cavallo should be fire chief.

Cuts at Oracle (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
Though not as well-known to the general public as Microsoft, Oracle is the second-largest software company in the world, and, like most other tech firms, is feeling the effects of a slowed economy. It plans to cut about 2 percent of its jobs, and the fact that this amounts to about 866 of them, gives a hint as to the corporation's size. Cuts are beginning to show up across the economy, not just the hi-tech sector. Emily Nelson reports in today's Wall Street Journal that Proctor & Gamble expects to cut somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of its workforce.

That tidal wave won't arrive until a few minutes later than we thought, but don't relax too much (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
Treasury Secretary O'Neill thinks that Congress shouldn't be distracted by the news that Social Security and Medicare will remain solvent a bit longer. New long-term solutions are still needed, and this is the time to work them out, according to the Secretary.

Forced arbitration (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
In a new ruling, the Supreme Court says that employers can compel workers to take job disputes to arbitration rather than to court. The Court's decision is expected to have broad implications across American workplaces.

Repetitive crashing sounds (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
Internet companies are continuing to fail at a high rate. About a dozen per week are shutting down.

Is that an American on the other end of the line? (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
The call center that is trying to help you may not be located where you think, and some people who sound like Americans may never have been out of India. Here's more from Mark Landler of the New York Times.

Not a shuffleboard club (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
AARP, despite sounding like an amphibian mating call, is one of the most politically influential organizations in the United States, and, because of the huge, aging baby boom generation, it's getting a lot bigger and a lot more influential. It's also changing.

Another good reason for not keeping personal information on your workplace PC (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
Mary Williams Walsh tells about people who suddenly lose access to their own data when their jobs are terminated. Better to have your own computer and keep it at home.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Relocation Tools (Wednesday, 3/21/01)
If you're planning to make a move, this collection of relocation tools from USA Today can help you compare salaries in different regions, estimate moving costs, and a good deal more.

It's a half-point, but more could come soon (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the third time in 2001. The half-point reduction isn't quite what Wall Street wanted, though, and there has been much speculation during recent days about what the magnitude of the cut would be. However, the Fed has indicated that it's ready to cut more if necessary.

Are California's blinking lights sending a Morse code message to the rest of America...and the world? (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
There were blackouts around the biggest state yesterday, and more were expected today, given California's tight energy supplies. The President, who has been accused of "talking down" the economy in order to get his tax cut passed, may also be accused of trying to scare Americans about an impending national energy shortage in order to put pressure on Congress to help in the Administration's effort to tap energy resources in protected areas, notably Alaska. This may be particularly likely, given his recent turnarounds in relation to environmental policy, the fact that he and the Vice President have been oil executives, and the fact that much support for Bush's campaign came from energy companies.

A president's ability to lead, particularly into unfamiliar territory which people may not be enthusiastic about exploring, depends entirely on his credibility, which he will not want to squander. Still, America's appetite for energy has increased significantly during the historic economic expansion of the past ten years, and, as the President asserts, there are no "quick fixes" for what is likely to be a long-term problem with major economic implications.

However, it's much easier to offer solutions to PART of a complex problem than to the whole problem, and both politicians and environmentalists seem to be focusing on their favorite parts.

The Administration seems to be focusing pretty exclusively on efforts to increase supply. The only mention of environmental issues seemed to be the Energy Secretary's assertion that energy could be tapped in Alaska without endangering the immediate environment or wildlife in that region. There has been little mention of the larger issues having to do with global warming and whether the earth is becoming an alien planet. This is the elephant that's sitting in the middle of the table that everybody in the Administration is pretending isn't there. Bush seems sensitive to the political issues, immediate impact on the economy, and, of course, the desires of his political supporters who are expecting payback, but that seems to be about it.

Many self-proclaimed environmentalists, on the other hand, seem to pretend that the political and immediate economic issues can be ignored somehow, even though these are parts of the total reality as well.

Japan's current situation is similar. The political climate there prevents the government from taking the actions necessary to fix their economy, so they just continue to fumble along, while possibly allowing themselves to be caught in an accelerating downward spiral. Given the increasing rates of change in the new economy and the new world, among the key questions are whether, collectively, we will be able to determine our own fate, and what the role of democratic process can be, given the fact that democracies tend to require significant time to process and work things out. If the answer to either of these questions is "no," what then?

Turkey to get IMF help (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
Turkey's economy has been losing altitude fast, but an agreement with the International Monetary Fund may help. Ben Holland has details from Ankara.

He expects the economy to do better than he expects, or something like that (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
Does the President think that the American economy is doing well, or not? Depends when you ask him, apparently. Perhaps stung by accusations that he has been part of America's current economic problems, rather than part of their solution, Mr. Bush seemed to be playing a different tune yesterday, although maybe it was because Japan's prime minister was seated next to him. The two heads of state exchanged a little free and largely unsolicited advice on what the other should do to make things right in their respective countries, while back home, after trying various other things to awaken the Japanese economic giant, the Bank of Japan has decided to offer free money. Well, loans at no interest, that is. But, wait a minute. They tried that before, and it didn't work.

Argentina may not be ready for austerity either (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
The Japanese people don't seem to be prepared to bite any sort of bullet, and this has resulted in something resembling a revolving door on the prime minister's office in recent years. Argentina seems to have a similar problem, given a recession that has gone on for years, and the resignation of the new economic minister only two weeks after taking office. His austerity policies were not well-received. To the north, it remains to be seen whether Americans are prepared to curb their insatiable appetite for energy, and it remains to be seen whether there will be the political will in Washington necessary for supporting leadership in that direction.

Senator calls for a formal WTO-ILO connection (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
Senator Max Baucus of Montana would like to see a formal alliance between the World Trade Organization and the International Labor Organization, an agency of the United Nations. Here's more about the reasons from Doug Palmer in Washington.

Another 8,000 jobs are cut (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
Solectron Corporation of San Francisco manufactures electronic components for OEMs such as Sony, so it's not surprising that it has been affected by the tech-industry slump. Solectron will eliminate 8,000 jobs.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Career Development Process (Tuesday, 3/20/01)
Career Development Process is a site that organizes relevant Internet resources in relation to recommended stages of career development.

Is the Bush tax cut dead? (Monday, 3/19/01)
Some Senate Democrats are saying that Bush won't have the votes, so it's either a compromise alternative or nothing, but it's highly unlikely to be nothing. Eric Black writes that the President hasn't forgotten about Social Security, despite his silence about it recently. Still, according to a new reports, the heat seems to be off for a while. Neither Social Security nor Medicare is expected to go broke quite so soon as expected earlier. Here's more from USA Today.

Greenspan is getting both his right and left arms twisted (Monday, 3/19/01)
Both Congressional Republicans and Democrats are urging Fed Head Greenspan to cut interest rates again, and another cut is highly likely to come this week. The only question seems to be whether it will be a half-point or three-quarters of a point.

More cuts at Daewoo (Monday, 3/19/01)
Daewoo is South Korea's third-largest automaker, but the company is bankrupt and seeking purchase by General Motors. There have been violent protests because of domestic job cuts, and now the company plans to cut 6,500 jobs off-shore.

Ah, ah, ah...don't touch that 401(k) (Monday, 3/19/01)
Detroit Free Press columnist Susan Tompor says laid-off workers may be sorely tempted to cash in their 401(k)s, but they should think twice, and, then, a third and fourth time. Meanwhile, the stock market slump has come at a bad time for people who are scheduled to retire and aren't really prepared to stay the course. Here's more from today's Kansas City Star. It isn't just investor confidence that worries economists. Paul Wenske says drooping consumer confidence is also much on their minds.

Listen carefully, because the market may not be saying what you think you're hearing (Monday, 3/19/01)
Mark Davis says that isn't always telling you what a company's stock is worth. He thinks there is less than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Louis Uchitelle discusses what kind of interest rate cut will be enough to encourage stock buyers.

Japanese PM doesn't receive a big enthusiastic send-off (Monday, 3/19/01)
He's going to meet with President Bush, but the summit is seen as a waste of time by some Japanese opinion leaders. Economics is on the minds of most Japanese leaders, but what will the two heads of state talk about? David Sanger of the New York Times says that the lame-duck PM doesn't have much new to say, so the meeting is likely to be mostly ceremonial with relatively little talk about Japan's economic troubles and their implications for the American economy.

And you thought you were done with grades when you got out of college (Monday, 3/19/01)
Reed Abelson says that many employers are grading on a curve now too, and it's setting off a round of lawsuits.

Pittsburgh program seeks to ease the transition from welfare to work (Monday, 3/19/01)
The problem with throwing people off the high diving board and leaving them to sink or swim is that a lot of them don't have time to get the strokes right before they have to be fished out of the pool again. Francis Clines tells about how a safety net can help make the transition successful and permanent.

First stress carrier? (Monday, 3/19/01)
David Rosenbaum compares President Bush's role as non-cheerleader with his predecessors ways of "reporting the news."

Wanna job? Get an agent (Monday, 3/19/01)
Joshua Kurlantzick says that's really what temp firms are. How are they doing now that the economy has slowed? Business is off a bit, but expect part-time and contract workers to be a permanent feature of the new economy.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Point.com (Monday, 3/19/01)
Wireless telephone service has become a staple of contemporary business, but there are a lot of options from which to choose. Point.com can help you make comparisons.

Isn't the President a friend of business? (Sunday, 3/18/01)
Well, maybe more a friend of major business than small business, actually, because large corporations have provided more campaign support. Riva Atlas of the New York Times writes that, even though the new bankruptcy legislation which the President is almost certain to sign into law is aimed in large part at individuals who may be a bit too casual about walking away from unsecured debt, its effect on some small businesses could be devastating.

Bush: Be a bearer of good news (Sunday, 3/18/01)
It isn't necessarily that the President would discourage the Congress from emulating him, because, despite accusations from Democrats, he doesn't believe that he has been a cause of America's economic downturn and widespread public expectations of a recession. Nonetheless, as this Washington Post writer asserts, he seems to have given up some of his earlier optimistic tone. At any rate, Bush is urging the Congress to bring "good economic news" to the American people by passing his $1.6 trillion tax cut.

World's largest union coming to Germany (Sunday, 3/18/01)
Five unions are disbanding in order to become part of a new "super-union." Here's more from Burt Herman who reports from Berlin.

Murky Turkey (Sunday, 3/18/01)
The Bush II administration has reason to be concerned about Turkey's dismal economic situation at the moment. An unstable Turkey could destabilize the entire region.

More violence over Daewoo layoffs (Sunday, 3/18/01)
Bankrupt South Korean automaker Daewoo has the support of the government in its effort to cut costs by cutting jobs, thereby making itself more attractive to General Motors as a possible buyer. The company certainly doesn't have the support of a lot of its workers, though, and a new round of violent protests has been going on in Seoul.

Mysteries of the new economy (Sunday, 3/18/01)
Some seem to think that the term "new economy" refers only to doing business on the Internet, but it really means that most things are different and that the old rules may not apply as we have been led to expect. Richard Stevenson thinks it may be time to enroll in Econ 2001, except that nobody really knows how to teach it.

Work/life balance in Japan (Sunday, 3/18/01)
We've heard a lot during recent months about increasing concern with keeping one's work from throwing family life out of whack, but, as Yoshiko Kaku of Asahi Shimbun reports, a new survey shows that Japan's younger generation of men seems less married to the job in a society that is undergoing transformation as it attempts to adjust to membership in the new global economy. There are other changes in Japan too, including the impressive increase in home ownership among single women. Incidentally, Jeffrey Garten explains why American leaders in virtually all sectors have reason to be concerned with Japan's economic problems, because, when Japan is at risk, the U.S. is also at risk.

Why executives are worried about casual workplace dress (Sunday, 3/18/01)
Well, it depends upon who you ask, but a traditional paramilitary corporate organization that its reflected in standardization, including the wearing of "uniforms," has power implications for those who want to feel as though they're really running things. Here's more from Jim Steinberg of the The Fresno Bee. Trouble is, a paramilitary organization was more functional in the old economy than it is in the new.

It appears that there are half again as many illegals in the U.S. as previously thought (Sunday, 3/18/01)
New Census data indicate that the number of persons in the United States illegally may be closer to 9 million than 6 million.

What the law won't be requiring, some businesses are doing anyway (Sunday, 3/18/01)
Today's Washington Post reports on what many employers are doing to help prevent repetitive motion injuries on the job.

Why is Europe squandering a major opportunity? (Sunday, 3/18/01)
David Ignagius writes that this is the year that Europe should be taking the lead, given the economic problems experienced by Japan, and, to a much lesser extent so far, by the United States. But, not so, he says.

How much SMALLER will the world's population be at the end of the 21st century? (Sunday, 3/18/01)
The 20th century has been one of tremendous increases in world population, but it appears that this century will be quite different. For instance, fertility has declined in at least 83 countries to the point that populations are not replacing themselves.

Plentiful cheap little freebies, but a scarcity of job offers (Sunday, 3/18/01)
Jim Yardley reports on the changed climate at spring job fairs attended by soon-to-graduate college students.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Black Collegian (Sunday, 3/18/01)
The Black Collegian is where many students and professionals obtain information relating to career opportunities.

The economy appears to be growing...a little (Saturday, 3/17/01)
Final results on 2001's first quarter won't be available for awhile yet, because it will be nearly two more weeks before the quarter ends. However, the latest economic reports indicate that the American economy continues to grow, ever so slightly, but that the manufacturing sector clearly is in recession. Jeannine Aversa reports from Washington that the safe bet seems to be that the Fed will make further interest rate cuts soon and be rather aggressive about it.

Whom new bankruptcy legislation will benefit (Saturday, 3/17/01)
Editorial writers at the New York Times think that the timing for a revised federal bankruptcy code could be better, and suspect that the President will sign the bill that both houses of Congress have passed, in part, to pay back some major campaign contributors, an explanation that some critics are using for Bush's recent environmental backtracking, as well. Long-time print and broadcast commentator Daniel Schorr reminds us that Bush is a Harvard MBA, but that it may really mean that he is "master of a business administration." People who make large financial contributions to political campaigns almost always expect something in return. It may be that the principal difference between what Bush has been doing lately and what Clinton did with many of his pardons is that there appears to be no possibility that there is anything illegal about Bush's actions, which, of course, is not a minor difference.

Bush and Mori will meet and form a joint consultative body (Saturday, 3/17/01)
The interests of the world's two largest economies are closely linked, so their leaders intend to try to coordinate their strategies, and will seek advice on what to do. Here's more from Isabel Reynolds in Tokyo. Everybody knows that the American economy affects the entire world, but, as James Flanigan writes, so does Japan's economy, both directly and by influencing the American economy.

New problems for Xerox (Saturday, 3/17/01)
Xerox Corporation has been a fixture of American life for a long time, and has made key contributions to the development of the hi-tech revolution. Recently, though, it has been struggling to regain its footing and insure its survival. Now, according to some employees, it hasn't been a good place to work for reasons other than it's generally not fun to work in a company that is in danger of declining or going out of business. Some members of its sales staff have filed a discrimination suit against the company.

There are far too many potatoes (Saturday, 3/17/01)
Through much of the 1990's, the agricultural sector seemed disconnected from the booming American economy, and remains in something resembling a depression. For instance, many potato farmers who believe that their business is a bad business to be in probably won't be in it much longer. Here's more from David Barboza in Idaho Falls.

Here's one woman who is pleased with the Australian government's record (Saturday, 3/17/01)
Senator Amanda Vanstone believes that the Howard government has been the most female-friendly in Australian history. But, then, she isn't a disinterested observer. She's been assisting the PM on women's issues.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: American Industrial Hygiene Association (Saturday, 3/17/01)
The American Industrial Hygiene Association isn't just about encouraging people to wash their hands before returning to work. Well, that, but also just about anything that may help prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, or support the well-being of workers or members of the surrounding community.

Bush wouldn't mind something other than the $1.6 billion tax cut (Friday, 3/16/01)
He might be happy if it were larger, that is. Also, he would like more of it up-front so that it could have a more immediate effect on the slumping American economy. Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats are claiming that one reason for the slump is the President himself. He's been "talking down" the economy by encouraging consumers, investors, and others to dampen their confidence, they say. The effect might be similar to that apparently produced by a very popular (now, not necessarily then) Democratic President Carter, who spoke about America's "national malaise," which a lot of people may not have realized they were part of until he brought it up and they started to think about it. Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, whatever his private thoughts about the state the country was in when he took office, became the national cheerleader with the intention of influencing the national mood in positive ways, rather than simply describing it, and thereby influencing it in negative ways. Is President Bush really naive about these kinds of things, or is he simply interested in using the nation's present economic condition as an instrument for bringing about structural changes that will result in a redirection of power away from Washington?

Bush's change of direction may jeopardize global warming agreement (Friday, 3/16/01)
Most scientists seem to believe that if President Bush and a lot of other politicians really had any understanding at all of science, they would get a lot less sleep and might even do things differently in their work. During the recent presidential campaign, because he was running against a candidate who has written a book on environmental issues, the President apparently felt that he had to talk an environmentalist's talk in order to satisfy a public that seems increasingly concerned that the earth may be turning into a different kind of planet. Now that he's decided to change his mind on the curtailing of power plant carbon dioxide emissions, there is growing concern that an international global warming agreement might be a casualty, and that could make everybody a casualty. The Minneapolis Star Tribune's editorial writers seem to agree that Bush should have taken a few more science courses in college. Did he take any? Did he skip class a lot?

Compaq to become more compact (Friday, 3/16/01)
Compaq Computer Corporation will cut 5,000 jobs in order to adjust to lowered market demand for its products plus a PC price war that is also affecting more upscale business markets upon which Compaq depends. When the tech sectors slumps in a new economy largely driven by technology, the effects tend to radiate in all directions. Technology companies certainly aren't producing all the layoffs. For instance, even though people have to eat, whether anyone is buying computers or not, Heinz will lock the doors on two of its plants and cut 1,900 jobs.

What New Zealand's low unemployment numbers may not mean (Friday, 3/16/01)
New Zealand has its lowest unemployment rate in a dozen years, but economist Linda Wannan-Edgar recommends caution when interpreting it, because it may not mean what many assume. For one thing, the measure is sensitive to people who move in and out of the official workforce. Her comments originally were reported in the New Zealand Herald, but come to you via New Zealand's highly influential The Jobs Letter. Incidentally, the problem of distinguishing between people who are officially "unemployed," as opposed to "not in the labor force," has influenced employment data in the United States as well. People who give up and no longer search for work because they've become convinced that they have no chance of finding it may not be considered "unemployed" anymore.

Japan's economy goes into a stall (Friday, 3/16/01)
When that happens to an airplane, it means that something has to be done fast in order to prevent a disastrous loss of altitude. The Japanese government acknowledged today that recovery from the worst recession since the devastation of World War II seems to have taken a breather. Meanwhile, the American economy is in far better condition, in part, because it enjoyed its longest expansion ever during the 1990s when Japan's once-surging economy was sputtering. Still, there is growing concern that a recession in the U.S. could combine with Japan's troubles plus slowed growth in Europe, in part because of demographic trends, to bring the entire world into a difficult and painful period. To put things in perspective, Japan's economy is more than twice as large as all of the other economies in Asia, and, even though Americans are still extremely well-off by global standards, the loss of stock wealth in the U.S. during the past six months has been much greater than the total gross domestic product of the entire continent of Africa. Also, as the American economy has lost some of its shine, many people are beginning to feel that Alan Greenspan may not really be so bright that you have to shield your eyes. Economic difficulties seem to be popping up all over, though. For instance, Guy Rolnik reports that problems aren't limited to Israel's tech sector.

If you're planning to declare bankruptcy, better do it quick (Friday, 3/16/01)
A new federal bankruptcy law is almost sure to go into effect soon. Yesterday, the U.S. Senate followed earlier action by the House and voted to pass a bankruptcy reform bill that is very similar to the House version. The President has indicated that he will sign it into law. Incidentally, the vote in the Senate was 83 to 15, so it's not something that can be attributed only to the Republicans, because there are only 50 Republican Senators. Here's more from Philip Shenon of the New York Times, as well as an analysis from Riva Atlas of how the new law will affect small business.

Is the clock turning back in rural America? (Friday, 3/16/01)
New Census data show an emptying out of many rural areas during the 1990s as more people abandon a depressed agricultural sector and head for the cities and suburbs.

Okay, let's look at this again (Friday, 3/16/01)
The new edition of Business Week contains a major cover story on rethinking the Internet. Appropriately, perhaps, the report is available on the Internet, but there is a subscription fee.

Can Hollywood producers do without scripts? (Friday, 3/16/01)
Probably not, but they may get an opportunity to try. Lynn Elber reports from America's big film factory town on the prospects of a writers' strike.

Ethnic profiling in the insurance industry (Friday, 3/16/01)
Connie Mabin reports in the Fort Worth Star Telegram that state officials have calculated that the insurance industry in Texas has been overcharging minorities to the tune of more than a billion dollars, and several state lawmakers say they're going to insist that the money be returned to its rightful owners.

The biggest U.S. city has gotten even bigger (Friday, 3/16/01)
New York City has more than 8 million inhabitants for the first time, according to new Census data, and the increase has been mostly a consequence of Asian and Hispanic immigration. The African American population in the city has been holding steady, while Euro-Americans make up a smaller proportion of city population than before. But, of course, that's the trend nationally too, because Euro-Americans are on their way to becoming one of several minorities, not the "permanent" majority much longer. Also, immigration is changing the entire country, much as it did during the period from the late 1880s on into the 1920s when the ancestors of many native-born Americans first came to the U.S.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Kids Money Cents (Friday, 3/16/01)
Kids Money Cents is intended to help children between the ages of 8 and 14 learn about money with the help of cartoon characters, trivial questions, games, and calculators.

Investors chased by a bear? (Thursday, 3/15/01)
Buyers appear to be scattering for whatever reason. The rapidly weakening stock market in the United States, plus what has been happening in the world's second-largest economy, are making some people worry more about the chances of a global recession.

The turmoil in Japan (Thursday, 3/15/01)
The Japanese government is trying to turn down the stress level a bit by asserting that the country's economy is in sound shape, despite the fact that deflation appears to be taking hold while a political power struggle is going on, suggesting that there may be some disagreement about the nation's economy and what should be done within the government itself. Governmental efforts to reassure may have helped calm the stock market a bit, but the yen is at a 20-month low against the American dollar and Japanese banks, many of which may be near bankruptcy, have been put on "negative review" by a major agency. The Japanese government is setting up a task force to deal with what many who are not obligated to make happy talk regard as a growing emergency.

Mixed signals? (Thursday, 3/15/01)
According to this Washington Post article, President Bush seems to be saying contradictory things about the American economy, and this can be risky, because high government officials tend to influence things when they think they're only describing them, as Japan's finance minister learned recently. Alan Greenspan has been aware of this for a long time and often says things that are deliberately ambiguous, leaving people scratching their heads rather than rushing to take ill-considered action. Bush continues to insist that his proposed tax cut would give the economy a needed push, even though a relatively small part of it would be immediate, with most of it coming later when there may or may not be need for a stimulus and there may or may not be a surplus. Arshad Mohammed of the Washington Post reports that many economists agree that the President risks making things worse by talking about how much the economy needs help. Finally, Ken Moritsugu says what seems to be turning into a bear market could threaten Bush's tax cut plans by eliminating the surplus.

Hey, guys--look what's been happening while you've been asleep (Thursday, 3/15/01)
Jeff Madrick says that the new economy isn't just about stocks and he's about equally impressed with both the Democrats and the Republicans at the moment. That is, he thinks both parties have their heads...well, in the sand.

Census shows familiar picture of the balance between the sexes (Thursday, 3/15/01)
More males are born, but simply being male is a health hazard at any age, particularly during maturity. At any particular time, there are more females in American society, and this is particularly pronounced during the later years. Given that the population is aging, on the average, the gap between males and females seems to be widening. There were nearly 8 million more women than men in the U.S. last year, according to the latest Census data. Even though women are in the majority in the U.S., and America is a democracy, males continue to dominate in many areas of American life. For instance, Kalpana Srinivasan writes about a new study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania showing that there are still few women at top echelons in media companies.

Transit strike averted in Philadelphia (Thursday, 3/15/01)
Talks have broken down for the moment, but Philadelphia transit workers have decided not to strike right away anyway.

Unemployment rate among the blind unnecessarily high (Thursday, 3/15/01)
Columnist Diane Stafford tells the story of one woman who seems to demonstrate that many sightless persons could be productive workers if arbitrary barriers were not placed in their paths.

New grads finding less opportunity in Israel (Thursday, 3/15/01)
Ruth Sinai reports that the unemployment rate for newly-minted degree holders has been on the increase in Israel. Meanwhile, in the United States, a slowing economy hasn't cut into the overall unemployment rate too much yet, but the supply of ex-convicts seems to exceed demand at the moment. As Peter Kilborn reports from New Orleans, large numbers of Americans are coming out of the prisons hoping to gain membership in the workforce, and this is because, starting a few years ago, Americans seemed to believe that there is some reason that the United States should have a larger proportion of its citizens incarcerated than any other country in the world. More going in means more coming out when sentences are completed.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Global Volunteers (Thursday, 3/15/01)
Volunteer work IS work, after all, and the new economy needs people whose principal motivation is to serve and contribute, as well as people whose principal motivation is to gain financial rewards. Here are some stories from people who have served throughout the world as part of the Global Volunteers organization, including our own Teresa Callies, editor of WITNE.

The net worth of Americans shrinks (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
The net worth of American households declined by 2 percent last year, the first such yearly decline since the Federal Reserve started its measure after World War II.

British unemployment down; German inflation up (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
Unemployment in Britain hits its lowest level in February in a quarter century, while inflation in Germany was at its highest level in six years last month.

The President might act to delay other airline strikes as well (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
President Bush has intervened in the case of Northwest Airlines and its mechanics, who might otherwise have started a strike this week. However, strikes could result at other airlines as well, and the Administration is saying that executive action might be taken elsewhere because of the American economy's vulnerability at the moment. Incidentally, the union representing Northwest's mechanics has rejected a company offer, to the puzzlement of some of the union membership, and, because of the rejection, Northwest officials are saying that the offer is no longer on the table.

Diversity, yes, but not really a "melting pot" (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
Analysis of the most recent Census data continues, and while the American population has become far more diverse, Laurent Belsie of the Christian Science Monitor reports that communities haven't increased their integration. For one thing, ethnicity supports individual identity to a great extent, and people tend to cluster with those with whom they share key attributes in common. However, the traditional confusion of "race" with ethnicity, culture, social class, and, of course cause with consequence, continues throughout much of American society.

More on the "fallacy of composition?" (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Samuelson talked a great deal about the tendency to assume that what is true of the part is also true of the whole. In most cases, for a family or a business, getting rid of debt is a good thing. Does it mean that it's always a good thing for the federal government? Well, maybe, but, then, maybe not. Columnist Jerry Heaster thinks it could be a mistake. Interestingly, though, at one time it was the "liberals" who were making this kind of argument; now it seems to be the "conservatives." So, what does it mean to be either "liberal" or "conservative," and are there any consistent or permanent definitional criteria?

Detecting imaginary flaws in careers (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
The FBI makes heavy use of the so-called "Polygraph" (which simply means "multiple graphical records") and recent internal spy cases have made them want to "test" everybody in sight, including employees whose careers can be damaged as a result. Anyone who is willing to believe the results of the so-called "lie-detector" has to be tremendously naive about the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and human cognitive functions. There really is no such thing as a lie detector, which is to say that there is no machine capable of detecting lies. There are good reasons why polygraph results are not admissible as evidence in most American courts. When it appears to work, it's either random (flip a coin each day, saying "heads, it rains; tails, it doesn't," and you'll be right a good share of the time), or because of something resembling the placebo effect. That is, law enforcement agencies often use it to get confessions from people who BELIEVE that it works. At any rate, we might all wish that our government officials, including several recent presidents, were less naive and gullible about a lot of things.

Why the bankruptcy bill could make things worse (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
Economics writer Robert Samuelson is afraid that a new law restricting bankruptcies could worsen the downturn. Here's more on that bankruptcy reform bill from Philip Shenon of the New York Times. The Toronto Star's David Crane discusses what might be called "faith-based monetary policy" and why it may or may not work to fix an economy that may or may not be heading for recession.

Bush won't order pink slips from the government printing office (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
The President wants the federal government to employer fewer people, but he favors the use of attrition as the means for achieving leaner employment levels.

When the workers are the owners, things don't necessarily turn out okay (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
Laurence Zuckerman of the New York Times examines the case of what may be a failed experiment at United Airlines.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Quicken on Taxes (Wednesday, 3/14/01)
Tax day in the U.S. for most people will be a month from tomorrow. Quicken, a leading producer of personal finance software, offers help and advice on its tax page.

Dwindling confidence (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
Recent measures of consumer confidence have shown a slump, and yesterday's sharp stock drop shows relatively little confidence on the part of investors as well. The on-again, off-again talk about recession is on again. Here's more from the Los Angeles Times.

Gloom darkens in Japan (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
Yuri Kageyama writes from Tokyo about the possibility of a major crisis in Japan. Political leadership appears to be in disarray, the country's stock market hit its lowest point in 16 years, and, as we reported yesterday, deflation appears to be setting in and taking hold. Stephanie Strom of the New York Times is in Tokyo too and reports that an economic growth rate of only 0.8 percent during last year's final quarter isn't cheering up anyone.

Opponents of the Bush II tax cut begin to focus on Medicare (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
The Congressional Democratic leadership is claiming that if the President gets his tax cut, it will be at the expense of Medicare.

Hazardous work (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
Six are dead as a result of a U.S. Navy training accident yesterday in Kuwait. Also, three workers died in Amoco Polymers plant explosions in Augusta, Georgia very early this morning.

Job cuts at Motorola (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
Cellular phone sales have declined, so Motorola, which is the world's second-largest producer of cell phones, has to cut back. The company announced that it will slice another 7,000 jobs in that part of the company.

Northwest's mechanics picket White House (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
An executive order has diminished the bargaining power of mechanics at Northwest Airlines, at least for the moment. A strike had been authorized by the mechanics union and could be starting about now, but the President has delayed it, at least until May. This has pleased the airline, but has not pleased the mechanics, some of whom marched in protest at the White House yesterday.

Texas is the second-largest state (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
Is that in terms of area or population? Well, both. The new Census data show that Texas now contains more people than any state except California, which pushes long-time number 2 New York to third place.

Minnesota-based Center could become national prototype, writer says (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
Leonard Inskip of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has considerable enthusiasm for the Center for True Economic Progress, and so have quite a number of other people, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Welcome to Harvard, President Summers (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
Student protesters provided a noisy and not entirely friendly welcome for the former Secretary of Treasury who will head Harvard University. They want a more open selection process and higher pay for some people who work for the university.

How to hang on to the workers you really need (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
As the American economy slows, labor shortages have diminished somewhat overall, but there is still considerable competition for highly-skilled, highly-desirable employees, so retention is still much on the minds of many employers. Susan Vaughn tells how to keep key workers thinking that the greenest grass is on your side of the fence.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: CEO Express (Tuesday, 3/13/01)
CEO Express is a portal created by a CEO for other business leaders. It zeros in on finding the kinds of information that executives are likely to be interested in.

Slight growth in Japan (Monday, 3/12/01)
Technically, Japan's economy is not in recession, but there isn't much to celebrate either. The Japanese economy grew ever so little during 2000's fourth quarter, but a vigorous recovery from a frustrating and painful decade still eludes the world's third-largest economy. Stephanie Strom reports from Tokyo on some of the reasons. One is deflation, which is beginning to compound.

What are taxes for? (Monday, 3/12/01)
To raise revenue for necessary government services, of course, but are there also other functions? Steven Pearlstein suggests the use of taxes to narrow the widening income gap. A governmental role in the redistribution of income and wealth is not a new idea, of course, but it's one that annoys conservatives no less now than during earlier times. It's an ongoing argument. On the one hand, it can be argued that this sort of governmental intervention interferes with the natural order of things and usually does more harm than good. On the other hand, history teaches that tremendous disparities of wealth in a society eventually lead to social and political upheaval. Of course, government-supported programs can be an indirect way of redistributing income as well, and conservatives have not been