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

A better year ahead? (Sunday, 9/30/01)
Experts seem to believe that only those characterized by unrealistic imaginations still think that the U.S. economy isn't in recession now, following the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. An apparent collapse of consumer confidence, which had been holding the U.S. economy out of recession before the attacks, certainly isn't helping at this point. Moreover, the damage has spread to many cities where economies were hot only a short time ago, according to Mary Williams Walsh. However, a strong recovery may be on its way. Also, while World War II pulled America out of the Great Depression of the 1930s, military conflict, while sometimes initially helpful economically, can cause long-term problems as well. Mark Felsenthal has more about what the experts are saying.

Minnesota state workers may be heading for a strike (Sunday, 9/30/01)
Robert Whereatt of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that talks broke off without agreement last night, so a strike of thousands of state workers in Minnesota has become more likely.

When will the airline industry's "bread and butter" return? (Sunday, 9/30/01)
Patrick Markey says some experts expect that it will take at least a year for business travel to regain former levels.

The difference ten years have made in Argentina (Sunday, 9/30/01)
In the early '90s, Argentina's economy was strong and nearly everybody was optimistic. Now, many other Latin American countries are hoping that Argentina's flu won't be too contagious. What happened? Clifford Krauss offers a report from Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, economic conditions have been improving a bit where you may not have expected it, and, as Sabrina Tavernise reports from Moscow, quite a lot of Russians have extra money to spend on little indulgences, such as sushi.

Wildcat strike in Belgium (Sunday, 9/30/01)
Sabena Airlines of Belgium had to cancel many of its flights Friday when pilots walked off their jobs.

Why the Japanese economy has been struggling so long (Sunday, 9/30/01)
A speculative bubble years ago led to a huge number of bad loans, the number of which seems to be increasing. For example, Mizuho Financial Group has 5.5 trillion yen worth.

Suffering the psychological impact (Sunday, 9/30/01)
Mental health experts in New York City are saying that mental health services are being overwhelmed and that many people are showing early symptoms of "post-traumatic stress disorder." Abby Ellin tells how many New Yorkers are seeking help and healing wherever they can find it.

Taking a closer look at tech worker immigrants (Sunday, 9/30/01)
Authorities appear convinced that it's highly likely that there are still many "sleeper" terrorists in the United States who have entered in various ways. Now, anxiety seems to rising in relation to hi-tech experts who have entered the country to work for American technology companies.

Marching to one's own drummer down one's own career path (Sunday, 9/30/01)
People willing to following their dreams are able to accept risks, even when it means leaving successful careers to embark on different paths. Here's more from Mary Sit-DuVall of the Houston Chronicle.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: CIA World Factbook: Afghanistan (Sunday, 9/30/01)
It's fairly likely that members of the United States Central Intelligence Agency have had Afghanistan on their mind quite a bit lately. If you would like an overview of the country in order to see it in terms of something other than the likely home of a major international terrorist, a loony government, and extreme poverty, the CIA's Factbook article on Afghanistan will be helpful.

Competition for "Democrats' favorite Republican" (Saturday, 9/29/01)
It's a well-known fact that family members who fight like cats and dogs under ordinary conditions often pull together when threatened or injured by an outsider. This has been happening in the United States over the past two weeks, and big-time politicians in both major parties aren't an exception. Familiar partisan bickering has almost disappeared in Congress. One might expect things to return to normal once conditions return to normal, but given what we're being told about the global terrorist threat, that might be a very long time, so it is possible that some fairly permanent changes in American politics could result. At the moment, the Mayor of New York City, about whom there was a tremendous amount of partisan controversy only a few weeks ago, seems to enjoy tremendous approval now, even among the Democrats. However, a few miles away, guess who seems to be working hard to accommodate Congressional Democrats in ways that would have astonished key members of both parties before the world shifted in its orbit on September 11? President George W. Bush appears prepared to sign what could be a $686 billion (sic) spending bill for next year which may also include an increase in the minimum wage. Here's more from Ron Fournier in Washington.

Meritocracy promoted in Japan (Saturday, 9/29/01)
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare wants it to be easier for employers to get rid of less productive workers in order hire more productive ones. Here's more from Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun.

Aircraft companies make cuts (Saturday, 9/29/01)
Boeing plans to cut 5,000 jobs in Wichita, Kansas during the next two years, and Embraer in Brazil will cut 1,800 workers. Incidentally, this is no small company. Embraer is the fourth-largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. The principal reason for all these layoffs, of course, is the big downturn in the airline industry, in which United is working on details having to do with its job cuts, and Northwest and American have decided to pay severance benefits to laid-off workers. Here's more on that from Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times.

More job losses in the tourism industry (Saturday, 9/29/01)
Daniel Fricker reports that tourism may lose 25,000 jobs. No, that's not in the United States; that's just in southeastern Michigan. A lot of people are staying home. For instance, Las Vegas is being hurt in a big way, as well, and casinos are cutting jobs in large numbers.

Yes, there still are some billionaires (Saturday, 9/29/01)
There are fewer than there used to be, though, and the world's most wealthy, as a group, are a bit less wealthy than they used to be. The new Forbes list will be published soon, and a familiar name will still appear at the top of the rankings. Bill Gates is still the richest man in the world, but with total assets of about half of what they were a few years ago.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: John Maynard Keynes (Saturday, 9/29/01)
During much of the mid- and late-20th century, John Maynard Keynes was a darling of American "liberals," with economic theory that emphasized fiscal policy and government spending as primary means for getting out of difficulties. Then, American politics entered a period during which it appeared that contemporary economic conservatives "won" many arguments, and Keynesian economics fell somewhat out of fashion, at least in Washington, D. C. However, it's a mistake to assume that words like "liberal" and "conservative" have consistent meanings across time, and, of course, much remains in the eye of the beholder. One person's "moderate" is another person's "radical" or "reactionary," depending on the ideological filters of observers. Ideologically--and you'll have to try not to be distracted by non-ideological issues such as Watergate or the Monica scandal--Nixon was almost a Democrat in some ways, and Clinton was almost a Republican while in the White House. In fact, on some issues, it appears that conservative President Nixon was a bit more "liberal" than liberal President Clinton. At any rate, it's time to take another look at Keynes, because the federal government appears to be getting ready to do some major spending in an effort to rescue the post-attack American economy. And who seems to be leading this Keynesian effort now? Why, "conservative" President George W. Bush, of course. Here's a description of John Maynard Keynes and his ideas, as well as a rich listing of resources, from traditionally "liberal" New School University in New York City, where "conservative" Republican Mayor Giuliani now seems to be popular with nearly everybody, including the "liberals." Confused? Well, it's most likely to be confusing for folks who rely on stereotypes and caricatures. Far less so for those who have been focusing on genuine underlying realities all along.

Growth pitifully small during the second quarter (Friday, 9/28/01)
The American economy did grow during the second quarter of this year, but just barely. It wouldn't have taken much to blow away the 0.3 percent growth rate even before the tremendous dislocations caused by the terrorist attack. The third quarter ends in two days, so stay tuned. Editorial writers at the Minneapolis Star Tribune like home state Senator Wellstone's plan for providing stimulus, while at the same time helping workers laid off because of the economic aftermath of the attack.

How some previously high-priority items have slipped on the government agenda (Friday, 9/28/01)
Changes recommended by the presidential commission on Social Security are likely to be put off until next year, given the shift of attention in Washington caused by the September 11 terrorist attack. Debate on the new 10-year farm aid bill has mostly ground to a halt in Congress too, according to Robert Pierre in Lafayette, Indiana.

A black cloud drifts in from the west (Friday, 9/28/01)
America's terrorist-aggravated economic slump is being felt in Europe, according to Edmund Andres in Frankfurt.

Record unemployment in Japan (Friday, 9/28/01)
The unemployment rate in Japan hit 5 percent last month, which is a modern Japanese record. The slumping economy has made it increasingly difficult for Japanese banks to write off bad loans, and, as Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun reports, bigger isn't necessarily better.

Safety problems ignored, families say (Friday, 9/28/01)
Families of miners killed in two mine explosions blame the company for ignoring warnings.

Workers at troubled Daewoo are unhappy about sale (Friday, 9/28/01)
General Motors plans to buy bankrupt South Korean automaker Daewoo and hundreds of workers have rallied in Seoul to protest the sale.

Pakistan hopes for better economic times (Friday, 9/28/01)
It's probably safe to say that Afghanistan is one of the very poorest places on earth, even though that hasn't always been the case. Still, in recent years, neighboring Pakistan has been following close behind in terms of the suffering of its people. The change of relationship with the United States during the past two weeks may mean an economic turnaround for the country, according to Pamela Constable of the Washington Post.

Independent contractors on the increase in Australia (Friday, 9/28/01)
Australia's Productivity Commission says that there can be tax benefits for both employers and workers who are self-employed contractors rather than employees.

Called up reservists have re-employment rights (Friday, 9/28/01)
Columnist L. M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle explains how federal law protects those workers who are called to their nation's defense, and what employer obligations are when they return. Speaking of Houston, Greg Hassell tells about Continental Airlines' job fair for laid-off employees. In other airline news, the hard times have hit British Airways too, and they're cutting back.

The feds will help the states (Friday, 9/28/01)
The U.S. Treasury Secretary says that the federal government will help states whose unemployment insurance reserves are being depleted.

We've dug and we've dug, and we've actually found some genuinely good news (Friday, 9/28/01)
Well, here it is: the number of Americans lacking health coverage declined for the second year in a row. Here are details from Robert Pear of the New York Times.

Union vote at Nissan (Friday, 9/28/01)
A Nissan factory in Tennessee could become the first foreign-owned factory in the United States to be organized by the United Auto Workers. The vote will be held next week. Also, Nike workers prepare to unionize in Mexico.

Companies and inmates meet behind bars (Friday, 9/28/01)
Meg Jones of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports on a job fair in a Wisconsin prison.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Economic Development Administration (Friday, 9/28/01)
The Economic Development Administration says that economic development is about making full use of land, labor, capital, and technology so as to increase production at national, state, or local levels. The EDA is part of the United States Department of Commerce.

Much depends on Americans' willingness to fly again (Thursday, 9/27/01)
Treasury Secretary O'Neill has emphasized the importance of the Administration's restoring public confidence in airline safety very soon. The airline industry amounts to about 10 percent of the U.S. economy, and the big downturn in demand as well as the big layoffs are producing effects that are radiating through much of the remainder of the U.S. economy. In other airline news, U.S. Airways is set to close four of its reservation centers, while Northwest has announced a relief plan for laid-off workers following its earlier announcement that it would not pay severance.

Tourism industry expected to suffer throughout the world (Thursday, 9/27/01)
The combined travel-tourism industry is the largest in the United States, but Americans also make up a large proportion of tourists worldwide. The World Tourism Organization has been meeting in Seoul and sees grim prospects for the months ahead following the terrorism attack in the U.S. Among the immediate effects are the shutting down of at least one cruise line and also a shifting of the gambling industry's attention a bit from casinos to the Internet. With tourism slamming on the brakes, state tax revenues are slumping too, exacerbating bugetary problems that were already in place before September 11.

How to help a struggling economy (Thursday, 9/27/01)
It appears that the Administration and Congress will take some action sometime soon to give the American economy the boost it needs Richard Stevenson says there are a variety of choices when it comes to means and methods. However, Susan Tompor says that none of them will provide a quick fix. Jeff Madrick writes that the White House has been preoccupied with diplomatic and military matters relating to the September 11 attack and hasn't had much to say about more general economic issues lately.

Glum projections (Thursday, 9/27/01)
The International Monetary Fund expects the worst performance of the global economy since shortly after the end of the last recession in the United States, and also scales back its forecast for the Japanese economy.

More cost-cutting (Thursday, 9/27/01)
Christine Dugas of USA Today reports that some companies are reducing their matching contributions to employee 401(k)s.

Jobless claims shoot upward last week (Thursday, 9/27/01)
Claims for first-time jobless benefits reached their highest level last week since 1992. It's one of the first economic measures reflecting post-attack conditions. However, Jeannine Aversa reports that numbrs coming out now show a declining economy before the September 11 attack as well.

How the layoffs are adding up (Thursday, 9/27/01)
Here's an overview from Leigh Strope in the Seattle Times of the painful job losses that have been accumulating since the terrorist attack.

Help for small businesses (Thursday, 9/27/01)
Small businesses are feeling pressure on several fronts, given the apparent recession the American economy seems to be starting as well as the call-up of military reservists. Yvette Armendariz writes in the Arizona Republic about help that is available to businesses in that state. Joseph Treaster writes that the U.S. insurance industry expects to need governmental help too if there are future attacks. It has enough money to cover claims resulting from the September 11 incidents, though.

Wartime spending puts farm subsidy plan in doubt (Thursday, 9/27/01)
There may not be enough money to cover the cost of the $171 billion farm bill in the House. Here's more from Elizabeth Becker in Washington. Actually, it may depend on how big a deficit the government will be willing to accept. Older readers may recall discussion about something called "surpluses" earlier in American history. It was way back about three weeks ago, in fact. For a variety of reasons, including civil defense, local, state, and federal government tech expenditures are expected to increase, according to the Wall Street Journal, which will help some American comapnies and the technology sector.

Finding a job is getting quite a lot harder (Thursday, 9/27/01)
If you've been searching for a job, you're suddenly going to have to compete with all those people who are being laid off now. Here's more from Rick Barrett of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Jonathan Glater writes that anxiety is rising among soon-to-graduate students on American campuses too.

Specifically, why the increased health care costs last year? (Thursday, 9/27/01)
An analysis conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change finds that increased hospital costs and higher prescription medication costs brought the averages up significantly last year.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Bilingual Jobs (Thursday, 9/27/01)
Bilingual Jobs is a specialized site for persons who speak more than one language and want to take advantage of that capability. Job opportunities involving many languages and locations are represented.

Cuts at Delta (Wednesday, 9/26/01)
Delta Airlines will cut 13,000 jobs. Here's more from Atlanta from USA Today . Air Canada joins the long list of airlines that will cut jobs. Michael Janofsky writes from Denver about the big decline in the number of airline jobs in that region. American Airlines has announced that it can't afford to pay severance benefits to the people its laying off, and that has union officials steaming. Also, American's acquisition of TWA has people there concerned that they could take much of the hit from layoffs at American Airlines. Union people at Northwest Airlines are complaining that the company continues to use foreign repair shops while it lays off its domestic workers and uses government money. Joe Sharkey tells how things have changed dramatically, not only for travelers and airline people losing their jobs, but also for airline employees who, for the moment, at least, are surviving the big cuts. Meanwhile, there are more travelers on the planes than a few days ago, but empty seats remain highly conspicuous. Vacationers are changing their plans, and businesses are trying to find suitable alternatives to sending their employees back and forth over broad regions. As the travel industry contracts, large numbers of skycaps are also losing their jobs.

Good news about poverty (Wednesday, 9/26/01)
New data from the Census Bureau shows that the poverty rate in the U.S. last year was at its lowest rate since 1974, but, incomes have leveled off. Like most other available data at the moment, this measure occurred before the terrorist attack of two weeks ago. Still, news from the Conference Board that consumer confidence had declined significantly during the days before the attack isn't very uplifting. The drop was the greatest since the last recession. How will consumer spending respond to the attack and its economic aftermath? Stay tuned.

Bye, bye surplus (Wednesday, 9/26/01)
The cost of fighting terrorism plus the recession that, in all likelihood, is already underway, may mean no surplus next year, according to William Welch of USA Today. It's all likely to cost the global economy dearly, as well, but David Kalish says that economists are expecting a fairly quick recovery. U.S. officials are thinking that a federal stimulus package may be needed to hurry things along, and Congressional leaders got some advice yesterday from Greenspan and Rubin on what a possible $100 billion package might look like in specific terms. Among other things, the one present official, one past official advised against a capital gains tax.

Prospects for the tech sector (Wednesday, 9/26/01)
Technology has been driving the U.S. economy during recent years, and has had a broad influence throughout most of the new global economy. The future very much will depend in large part on when businesses start buying again, and Sun Microsystems president Sander says that it isn't clear when that will be, particularly now. Nonetheless, despite a sense of gloom that pervades the hi-tech industry over much of the world, at least one tech company will be hiring. NEC in Japan will need more software engineers, they say.

Minnesota state workers may still be heading for a strike (Wednesday, 9/26/01)
The September 11 terrorist attack resulted in a postponement of talks and a delay in the strike date originally set, but no further delay is needed, according to officials of unions representing 28,000 state workers.

The importance of "connections" (Wednesday, 9/26/01)
Networking still seems to be the most effective way of finding the tech job you want, according to a new survey. Here's more from Porter Anderson of CNN.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Airline History Website (Wednesday, 9/26/01)
You know about the airline industry's present, particularly how things have been during the past two weeks. Maybe it would be a good idea to give yourself a break from current stresses and take time out to look at its past. Here's the Airline History Website, which includes information about the history of individual airlines as well as about the industry as a whole.

Miners die in explosion (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
At least four are dead in what may be the worst mine disaster in the U.S. in 17 years.

The uncertainty has been eliminated, columnist says (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
It's time to quit wondering. A recession almost certainly is underway, according to columnist Chris Lester. We will look back at September 11, 2001 as the date when the latest American economic recession began, he says. It's still a prediction rather than a description, though, because a recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of "negative growth." We won't know for certain until after the last day of March 2002.

It might not have taken a catastrophe to drive the economy into recession (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
New numbers show that the American economy had been weakening further even before the terrorist attack two weeks ago today.

What Americans are thinking and worrying about (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
Between September 10 and September 12, the United States became a different country. Americans now seem to feel that they have joined the rest of world which has felt vulnerable to terrorism and other scourges for a long time. But, according to a new poll, they also seem to feel that the best defense is a good offense, and seem willing to accept large casualties if necessary, as well as the economic costs of a large-scale, prolonged campaign. At the same time, there appears to be widespread concern about the American economy. Here are details from Richard Berke and Janet Elder of the New York Times. Treasury Secretary O'Neill says that the Administration will have a new plan for assisting the ailing economy within ten days or so. One thing that the President and many key experts seem to agree on is that no panicky impulse decisions are called for. There is time to think things through and be careful so as to minimize the likelihood of wasting resources or doing more harm than good.

Honeywell adds to the long list of layoffs (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
Honeywell is very much affected by the health and vigor of the airline industry. It announced layoffs last week, but has decided to further increase the number. An additional 3,800 jobs will go, which will result in a total of 13 percent of the company's workforce this year.

"Right to work" vote in Oklahoma today (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
Oklahoma may ban labor contracts that for all workers covered to pay union dues, even if they aren't union members. The special election occurs following a lengthy and very expensive fight.

Raising time standards (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
Mary Corcoran tells how you can improve your performance by improving your time standards.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Articles about poverty (Tuesday, 9/25/01)
Here are a collection of artcles on poverty that have been published in the Atlantic Monthly.

What about the workers? (Monday, 9/24/01)
New federal legislation throws a $15 billion lifeline to airline companies, but the Minnesota version of the Democratic Party, which in the land of 14,000 lakes is called the DFL, or Democratic-Farmer Labor party, would like to see similar help for workers laid off as a result of the terrorist attack. That might be a rather tall order, if help is not limited to laid-off airline employees, because, as Stephanie Armour reports, there could be an additional 1.5 million layoffs by sometime next year. However, it won't necessarily be easy to tell how much of the economic skid is occurring because of the attack and how much for reasons that were already underway before September 11.

If you're one of the persons who sees possible layoff in your future, Eileen Alt Powell has some suggestions on how to prepare. Incidentally, Adam Geller reports that some companies are trying to be creative about cost-cutting to help protect both the company and its workers. Sara Terry reports that the catastrophe seems to have had a more general effect on the relationship between workers and their companies as well. Will it also result in a narrowing of the pay gap between corporate workers and CEOs? We'll have to wait and see.

Most "current" economic data really aren't current right now at all because they reflect conditions and events before September 11. This is also the case with the numbers reported in "Executive Excess 2001" from the Institute for Policy Studies and United for a Fair Economy, so stay tuned.

Immigration policy changes in the works (Monday, 9/24/01)
America is likely to tighten its borders for obvious reasons. Here's more from Susan Sachs of the New York Times. At the same time, government officials have been working hard to head off the development of general anti-foreigner attitudes. Clayton Collins of the Christian Science Monitor offers perspective on the long mutually beneficial relationship between immigrants in search of opportunity and American society, including its economy.

Lower growth expected in South Korea (Monday, 9/24/01)
The terrorist attack has affected the U.S. economy which, in turn, is affecting economies worldwide. For instance, South Korea's finance ministry now expects less growth of that country's economy this year. Another example is Swissair's plan to cut 3,000 jobs because of the big slowdown in commercial aviation over much of the world.

When your employees are called up for military service, you can't hold it against them (Monday, 9/24/01)
Both employers and employees in the National Guard or the Reserves may be wondering about their legal rights and obligations now that many workers are being called to active service. Melanie Payne of the Sacramento Bee summarizes some of the main points of the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The objectives of the distribution of wealth in Islam (Monday, 9/24/01)
Here is at least one interpretation of the objectives of the distribution of wealth in Islam from an Islamic-oriented investment company and may help provide some insights into widespread attitudes toward the West in the Moslem world.

Airline compensation bill becomes law (Sunday, 9/23/01)
The $15 billion package to assist the American airline industry has moved through the Congress and across the President's desk in almost record time. The President has signed the bill that is intended to prevent a financial disaster that could otherwise result in several major carriers going out of business.

Careful...quick start, quick stop may be needed, but be careful... (Sunday, 9/23/01)
Editorial writers at the Minneapolis Star Tribune advise caution about legislative efforts to stimulate the American economy, and the President seems to agree. Senator John McCain would like to see the now almost certainly receding American economy get a boost by fiscal means, but, these authors say, if that effort is to be made, it should be done in a way that turns on quickly and turns off quickly, because, given all the strong fundamentals, the U.S. economy is likely to be doing fine on its own within a year or less. Immediate legislative action shouldn't be based on panic or an effort to take advantage of current fears in order to advance a longer-term agenda, such as the lowering of capital gains taxes.

The tourism industry takes a major hit (Sunday, 9/23/01)
Frances Kerry writes from Miami about the impact of the terrorist attack on business and employment across the American tourism industry.

It's business again, but not business as usual in many companies (Sunday, 9/23/01)
People are back at work across America, but daily routines are far from normal in many cases.

Video conferencing gets a boost (Sunday, 9/23/01)
Business travel is down and people are relying more on hi-tech means of getting together at a distance.

"Government spending" can be uttered in mixed company again (Sunday, 9/23/01)
It's no longer a taboo expression, writes Louis Uchitelle, and it shouldn't be. As 1970 economics Nobel Laureate Paul Samuelson always insisted, the American economy is a mixed economy, meaning that both private and public sectors play key roles. In his New York Times piece, Mr. Uchitelle agrees, saying that the health of the private sector has always depended on government participation in the economy.

We may look back on the events of September 11, 2001 as representing a watershed in other ways as well. In his important little Time magazine article, Roger Rosenblatt says that the "age of irony" ended with the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He expects Americans to take things more seriously from now on and be better able to tell what really is a joke and what isn't.

Perhaps we can hope that there will also be less cynicism about government and those who serve in it. If you search hard enough, you might be able to find a dentist somewhere who likes to torture small animals, but, if you locate the guy, what does it tell us about other dentists? Not a single thing. What do the personal habits of Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, or Gary Condit tell us about the thousands of other public officials across the United States? Absolutely nothing. Maybe fewer Americans will be inclined to believe in the odd alchemy by which a long-respected judge or neighbor is somehow thought suddenly to become a crook, or worse, simply by virtue of being elected to Congress.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Preparedness (Sunday, 9/23/01)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers advice and guidance on preparing for a range of possible disasters. Now that many Americans are feeling more vulnerable, it's probably important to note that life is complicated, difficult, and dangerous by its nature, and there are plenty of other risks to take seriously besides those having to do with possible terrorist attack.

Bush believes the economy's fundamentals are sound (Saturday, 9/22/01)
Despite the shock from the aftermath of the terrorist attack, the American economy is fundamentally strong, according to President Bush. There's no doubt about the shock part. Wall Street hasn't had a week like this since 1933. Moreover, almost half of Americans surveyed by the Conference Board expect a recession, and a growing number of economists are saying that it's probably inevitable. Nonetheless, as we've been reporting, various experts, including the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, expect that recovery may be quite rapid, so the President and the Congress have adopted a wait-and-see attitude with respect to efforts to provide additional stimulus, thinking that they may not prove necessary, and could do more harm than good.

In addition to structural problems which have kept the Japanese economy limping along for a decade, officials there are expecting some sort of wave to sweep in across the Pacific from the east, given the Japanese economy's sensitivity to what happens in the U.S. The U.S. boom during the 1990s didn't pull Japan out of its funk, but a U.S. recession is almost sure to make it even more unlikely that the Japanese economy will start growing again in the near-term. Here's more from Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun.

Senate and House pass airline aid package (Saturday, 9/22/01)
It was nearly unanimous in the Senate, and the vote was lopsided in the House. The President is expected to sign the bill into law quickly. Adam Entous reports from Washington that an unanticipated feature of the $15 billion assistance program is that the government may end up owning shares in some airlines and may have a seat on some boards. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Howard has announced a new plan to assist his country's airlines as well.

Theater workers agree to pay cuts (Saturday, 9/22/01)
Unions representing some of the people who work on Broadway want to do their part, so have agreed to pay cuts that will last for four weeks. Here's more from Michael Kuchwara of the New York Times.

D.C. hotels make big staff cuts (Saturday, 9/22/01)
The reduction in business and tourist travel is hurting hotels and restaurants over a wide region. However, in Washington, D. C., there is the additional influence of the closing of Reagan National Airport for security reasons. Dana Hedgpeth reports the D. C. hotels are cutting their staffs in half.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Perspective on Islam's relations with the West (Saturday, 9/22/01)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune offers historical perspective, an explanation for anti-Americanism in the Middle East, and some editorial advice on the need for careful diplomacy so as to avoid radicalizing the entire Islamic world while attempting to disable the global terrorist network.

Agreement reached on airline aid package (Friday, 9/21/01)
The Bush administration and the Congress have agreed on a $15 billion package to help prevent the collapse of the U.S. commercial airline industry. Julie Mason says that language seems important, and that many people in the Congress would like to hear the plan called a "recovery package," not a "giveaway," not a "handout," not a "bailout." Some of these other terms might be appropriate during normal times when the government secures the survival of a company that has gotten itself into trouble. In this case, though, the airlines were put out of business entirely for several days by government order and have suffered drastic declines in consumer demand as a consequence of a national tragedy over which they had no control. In addition, there is the very practical issue of the airlines' making up 10 percent of the U.S. economy, which, in all likelihood, may already be starting what will qualify as a recession at the end of next quarter, keeping in mind that the technical definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth. So, as bad as things may already be, we can't say that we're in a recession yet, only because there hasn't been time.

Greenspan reads the same history as Soros (Friday, 9/21/01)
Yesterday, we reported than financier George Soros expects that the aftermath of last week's terrorist attack may very well push the American economy into recession, but may also result in a faster recovery. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan yesterday told the Senate Banking Committee much the same thing, and urged patience. Go slow on efforts to provide additional stimulus, he urged.

Northwest announces its cuts (Friday, 9/21/01)
Northwest Airlines, the nation's fourth-largest carrier, will cut 10,000 jobs. Continental already has announced 12,000 layoffs, part of which involved the closing of its reservation center in Denver, which puts a thousand people out of work. Delta Airlines' president has explained to the company's workers that there is no alternative to its cutting jobs. It's a "life or death situation" for the company.

More fallout from the decline in business travel (Friday, 9/21/01)
Navigant International, the corporate travel management company, is laying off 13 percent of its work force and will cut wages. It means, among other things, that 800 jobs will be lost, at least for now.

Japanese government moves to apply a tourniquet (Friday, 9/21/01)
Fearing that Japan's record-high unemployment rate could worsen further, Prime Minister Koizumi has adopted an emergency jobs package to help reduce job losses during efforts to restructure the Japanese economy. Japanese officials almost certainly are keeping a close eye on what is happening to the American economy, because Japan and the rest of the world are affected by what happens in the U.S.

Lawyers urged to wait before filing suits (Friday, 9/21/01)
American lawyers appear to be responding to the urging of the Association of Trail Lawyers of America to hold off on filing lawsuits relating to the September 11 disaster in order to give the government an opportunity to do its investigative work. It's the first time that the Association has made this kind of recommendation. Also, the U.S. Department of Education intends to do what it can to relieve college-loan pressure on people affected by the terrorist attack.

Deficits may make a come-back (Friday, 9/21/01)
Less than two weeks ago, much of the argument in Washington was about what to do with the remaining surplus. That isn't likely to be a problem any longer, given that the world has become a different place and the American government's priorities have been rearranged, if not permanently, at least for many years to come. Alan Fram writes from Washington that there may be a federal budget deficit next year for the first time since 1997.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Airline Industry News Headlines (Friday, 9/21/01)
Here is a continuously updated listing of Airline Industry News Headlines from numerous news sources.

The White House offers $5 billion to the airlines (Thursday, 9/20/01)
Airline executives have told Congressional leaders that $17.5 billion would be needed to keep major carriers in business, but not all of it would have to be cash. The Administration's proposal for a direct cash payment of $5 billion would not preclude the possibility of loan guarantees a bit later. Treasury Secretary O'Neill has indicated that he favors direct cash payments, but hasn't indicated how much those should be. The Administration and leaders in Congress do seem to agree on the need for government help to keep the U.S. airline industry from collapse, but they want to compensate the airlines only for losses related to the terrorist attack, not bail them out from unrelated financial problems they were having before the attack. Incidentally, here is a summary of air transport industry layoffs so far, which total about 86,000 but is likely to move considerably higher. Moreover, it isn't just the U.S. carriers that are being affected. British Airways has announced that it will cut another 5,200 jobs, and Lufthansa, the big German airline, has put a freeze on hiring as well as plane purchases, but doesn't plan layoffs at the present time. British Airways and Lufthansa are Europe's largest and second-largest airlines, respectively.

Layoffs may be the final straw (Thursday, 9/20/01)
Before the tragedy of September 11, the American economy was being kept barely out of recessionary territory only by consumer spending. The big layoffs which have followed the terrorist attack and its aftermath not only will reduce the willingness to spend of those directly affected, but may reduce overall consumer confidence as well. Moreover, capital investment has been anemic for a long-time, and a economy that slams on the brakes will mean even more surplus capacity and even less encouragement for business investment.

Susan Chandler and Bruce Japsen of the Chicago Tribune report that many experts fear a full-scale recession now. Noted financier George Soros doesn't disagree, but thinks that recovery might also be quicker because of the dislocations of the past week. The Bush administration and leaders of both parties in Congress are conferring on how to best stimulate the economy now, but would like to see more information about what is actually happening before settling on a plan. Here's more from Glenn Kessler and Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post.

Steven Pearlstein writes that experts seem to agree that there are no sure-fire ways of providing quick stimulus. The New York Times reports that countries around the world are following the American Federal Reserve's lead and are cutting interest rates in anticipation of how a recession in the U.S. could set off a global recession.

Incidentally, as an example of the need for current data, the latest jobless claims data show a decline in the number of Americans applying for first-time benefits. However, these are data from last week and do not reflect any effects of the terrorist attack. Under ordinary conditions, this latest Labor Department report might be interesting, but, under present circumstances, it's about as helpful as last month's weather forecast.

Life insurance companies want to pay quickly (Thursday, 9/20/01)
Insurers are searching their records right now, not intending to wait until families who lost members in the terrorist attack last week come to them. They want to pay death benefits quickly. However, Jim Dwyer and Diana Henriques report that benefits will vary greatly, with some families receiving relatively little assistance. Should there be a national effort to assist the families of those who lost their lives, not only with their immediate problems, but also to secure their futures?

The tech sector may benefit from the rebuilding (Thursday, 9/20/01)
Billions of dollars worth of technology was destroyed in last week's terrorist attack and must be replaced. The American economy has been largely driven, both up and down, by its technology sector in recent years, so a boost for tech industries could mean an overall boost. The two companies that are most likely to get computer replacement orders are Dell and Compaq, according to at least one industry analyst.

If the past is a reliable guide... (Thursday, 9/20/01)
How will the disaster affect the American economy in the long-run? Alan Krueger looks to experts who have studied the effects of previous disasters on economic activity. Ordinarily, economies seem to be fairly resilient, but lasting effects have been seen in some cases. However, in a much-changed world, it may be necessary to reconsider the adequacy of "gross domestic product" as a measure of national well-being. Also, the principal dangers to American life from now on may be far more fundamental than the strictly economic. Not only the American way of life, but also democracy and the rule of law are threatened. It's probably not possible to exaggerate how high the stakes are, but it's certainly possible to exaggerate our helplessness or that of the civilized world. Killers who think it's fun to assume that the U.S. and its allies are impotent had better watch their backs. The real test will be whether we can protect ourselves without destroying our own freedoms or radicalizing the entire Islamic world, and the terrorist leaders know that.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Disaster Relief (Thursday, 9/20/01)
Disaster Relief offers a central source of disaster aid and information on the Internet. The site comes to you from the American Red Cross, CNN Interactive, and IBM.

More airline layoffs (Wednesday, 9/19/01)
Northwest Airlines plans to lay off more than 10,000 of its workers, following big announced layoffs at United, Continental, Delta, and others. American Airlines is the largest U.S. carrier, and there will be layoffs there too, although the numbers haven't been decided yet. Richard Stevenson and Alison Mitchell report in today's New York Times that billions of dollars in aid will be coming from the federal government. There seems to be little resistance in the Administration or in the Congress to providing necessary help to prevent a total collapse of the U.S. airline industry, but the details still have to be worked out.

Also, VERY big layoffs at Boeing and elsewhere (Wednesday, 9/19/01)
With the huge cutbacks at the major airlines, many planes will be staying on the ground for the foreseeable future, so most won't be buying many new planes for a while. As a consequence, Boeing will lay off up to one-third of its entire workforce. Honeywell is also feeling the effects of the crisis in the commercial air transport industry and will cut about 10 percent of its workforce, which will amount to about 12,000 employees.

Other elements of the tourist industry also face layoffs (Wednesday, 9/19/01)
Feeling that they may be safer at home, Americans are deciding to cancel or delay vacations as well as nights out, and this means a hurting tourist and recreational industry. New York City hotels and restaurants are particularly hard hit, but they're not the only ones. Lorene Yue writes in the Detroit Free Press about empty restaurant tables over a wide region. One thing leads to another, and that leads to other things still. Fewer people are flying so fewer people are sleeping, eating, and playing away from home, and that means less local and state tax revenue, among other things. Pam Belluck reports on how state economies are being hit. Overall, though, the good news is that the stay-at-homes haven't locked up their checkbooks. Leslie Kaufman and Julian Barnes report that consumer spending seems to be returning to fairly normal levels.

Fear of flying is widespread (Wednesday, 9/19/01)
Not only are companies cutting back on business travel, but large numbers of prospective tourists are cancelling their vacations too, in order to stay off the airplanes. John Fountain and Susan Saulny report that many crew members are experiencing the same kinds of anxieties, wondering, in many cases, whether it would be better to be laid off or to continue going to work in the skies.

Employers prepare for absent employees, and NOT because of layoffs (Wednesday, 9/19/01)
It appears that many people will be leaving their jobs for a while in order to fulfill their military obligations. Diane Stafford of the Kansas City Star reports that employers throughout the United States are beginning the task of preparation. Meanwhile, employers in New York have the additional task of trying to reassure employees who are back at work now under conditions none could have imagined.

Charitable contributions may set a record (Wednesday, 9/19/01)
Americans are being very generous again, so far contributing more than $200 million to the victims of last week's terrorist attacks. Still, while the contributions may be unprecedented, so are the needs.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Counter Terrorism Program (Wednesday, 9/19/01)
Here's a description of the Counter Terrorism Program from the Office of Emergency Preparedness, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Airlines say they need $25 billion (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
Before the disaster last Tuesday, some major U.S. airlines were in relatively shaky financial condition. Now, the entire industry is in danger of bankruptcy. Industry spokespersons are saying that it needs an immediate $24 billion in order to avoid the meltdown of an industry that represents 10 percent of the American economy. Assistance is on the way, according to Maria Recio of the Detroit Free Press, and this helped airline stocks stabilize a bit this morning. Randall Mikkelsen reports from Washington that President Bush seems to favor direct financial help for an industry that was shut down for several days by government order and which is hit now with reduced passenger demand, as companies cut back on business travel, which is the "bread & butter" for the American air travel industry. Most major airlines have been scrambling to reduce their flight schedules and also lay off workers. One of the latest is US Airways, which will cut 11,000 jobs. With more people deciding to stay home, it isn't just the air travel industry that is hurting. Ralph Bivins reports for the Houston Chronicle that hotels and other businesses which depend heavily on the convention industry are also reeling as a wave of cancellations hits.

More tax cuts may be in the works (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
President Bush says that additional tax cuts may be necessary to provide the stimulus that the formerly sluggish and now possibly recessionary American economy needs. Here's more from Glenn Kessler and Mike Allen of the Washington Post. This, combined with the additional spending that appears to be necessary, may mean the return of budget deficits, which, to any remaining Keynesians in Washington, may not be such a bad idea, given the need to stimulate the economy. Change in fiscal policy may be just what is needed, they might say.

The Fed's monetary approach hasn't worked too well yet, in part because lower interest rates alone won't persuade most businesses to buy if they already have a surplus of what they need combined with declining customer demand. With consumer confidence also slipping, apparently, it may be the government that will have to do the necessary extra spending, and not only because of the special needs arising from the aftermath of the terrorist attack.

You may recall that the House was hard at work before the attack attempting to develop a new assistance program for American agriculture that could help keep many farmers in business. Much of that may be off the table for a while, given that Congress and most other Americans have other things on their minds. Still, the crisis in American agriculture has not gone away.

Incidentally, a bit more than a week ago, the news was filled with stories about sharks attacking swimmers near some American beaches, while politicians were arguing about the Social Security "lockbox," and TV comedians were still making jokes about how dumb the President presumably is and how he would coast through a single term until a "real president" would take over.

What a difference a week makes. The earth has shifted in its orbit, and the country may well be watching this president, whatever his limitations, grow to fill the job during a time of national crisis, much as did Presidents Lincoln, Truman, and Eisenhower who were also accused by their opponents of being "stupid." Yes, many Americans during the 1950s actually managed to convince themselves that the supreme commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, the commander of the Normandy Invasion was stupid!

President Bush may well be facing the combination of war and global recession, which would challenge any political leader. If he manages to hold his own at all under these conditions, he will be essentially unbeatable in the next presidential election, but, only the most cynical among us would assume that he or key members of his administration have that uppermost in their minds at the moment.

Stocks recover somewhat (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
The panic selling seemed to be over this morning, at least for a while. Incidentally, it isn't easy to return to work in the financial region of New York, but, as Charlie LeDuff reports, people of all walks of life are re-establishing their work routines, determined not to allow an attack, not just on New York's financial hub or on the United States, but on lawfulness and democracy themselves to win. Most people have a sense of how high the stakes are and how America and the rest of the free world face the challenge of protecting themselves without destroying their own freedoms. The American experiment continues, and its ultimate success is not guaranteed. The world cannot be complacent about the survival of democracy and the rule of law. Eternal vigilance is required. We must recommit, as Lincoln said at Gettysburg, to insure that "government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

Economic weapons will be used in the new war (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
Wars can be conducted on many fronts through the use of many types of instruments. The Bush administration intends to take full advantage of the fact that America has the most powerful economic engine in the world, which makes a variety of economic tools available for influencing nations who might help or hinder the U.S. war on terrorism. Here's more from Steven Mufson of the Washington Post.

The President urges Americans to make contributions to support disaster relief efforts (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
This is one issue on which the President is not likely to get much resistance from thoughtful Americans, even those who opposed him before last Tuesday. However, even during a time of national catastrophe, there are Americans who are mostly predators. Beware of scams, and the Internet is a good place to find them. Ignore email messages requesting money, and, before you send money to somebody via a website, it's important to know a very great deal about the site's origins and the people behind it. We suggest that you visit the Yahoo site which contains a list of safe sites maintained by genuine charities involved in the relief effort. You will see this listing at the top of Yahoo's home page.

The impact of terrorism on mental health (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
Erica Goode reports on what experts are saying about the likely incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder and other problems following last week's terrorist attack. Columnist Diane Stafford pass on some advice for dealing with the new stresses in the workplace.

Consumer inflation up a bit (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
The U. S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index increased by 0.1 percent in August.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Response to Terrorism (Tuesday, 9/18/01)
Response to Terrorism is a new, frequently updated site from the United States Department of State.

Bad opening on Wall Street (Monday, 9/17/01)
The Dow was hit by its largest point loss ever today, although, in percentage terms, things look much better. Airline stocks were hit hard, as the airlines themselves have been during the past week. The airline industry was weak even before last Tuesday, and having to shut down for several days, plus a reluctance to fly, even on the part of business travelers, has put many of the major carriers on the brink. Many are cutting back flight schedules and personnel, including Continental, Northwest, and American. Jim Krane reports that the carriers want government's help with security and finances, and President Bush met with his economic advisors today with the airlines' problems high on their agenda. Meanwhile, a number of companies scrambled to buy back their own stock in an effort to hold up its value. Intel and PepsiCo are only two among a number of examples.

Fed cuts rates by a half point (Monday, 9/17/01)
Fearing that economic fallout from last week's disaster could push the U.S. economy into recession and pull much of the world in with it, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the eighth time this year. The Vice President indicated in a television interview yesterday that recession was a real possibility under the circumstances, but Secretary O'Neill, for whom the role of economic cheerleader is part of his job, tried to cast a brighter light on things.

Consumers cut back on spending (Monday, 9/17/01)
Before last week's disastrous attack, consumers were keeping the American economy out of recession. Now, they need something to take their minds off the miseries for a while, so they're browsing in the malls. But, as Anne D'Innocenzio reports, they aren't buying much. The Toronto Star says that American consumers are "stunned", which seems understandable. Even though it may seem crass and insensitive at a time like this to say that America needs for consumers to spend, spend, spend, it really isn't, because people's jobs will depend on it, and the last thing we need right now is more suffering for more Americans.

Will the world reorganize as a consequence of this war too? (Monday, 9/17/01)
Minnesota-born Tom Friedman of the New York Times has been thinking about the possible geopolitical consequences of the war on terrorism, given that the world became a different place after both of the 20th century's world wars. Meanwhile, Americans are strongly in favor of a formal declaration of war, but they're also willing to wait until it's clearer who the U.S. will be at war against. The war against Spain was at least partially "created" by the Hearst newspapers more than a hundred years ago, because it was easy to believe that the Spanish were responsible for blowing up an American ship in Havana harbor. However, in retrospect, it appears that they had nothing to do with it. Similarly, many Americans initially assumed that Osama bin Laden was responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing, which was later found to be untrue. The polls are showing that Americans want action, but they want it to be appropriate. They don't want the U.S. government simply to blast somebody, hoping that it will make them feel better.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Yahoo's help sites (Monday, 9/17/01)
Today, we'd like to draw your attention to Yahoo, the most frequently visited site on the web, because they've done a nice job of listing the various organizations whom you can contact in order to help the helper's help the victims of last week's national catastrophe. Here are the NY Firefighter's 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army's Disaster Relief Efforts, the United Way, the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund, and Emergency and Relief Information in the Wake of the Terrorist Attack On the U.S. All, once again, come to you as a public service from Yahoo.

More tax cuts may be on the way (Monday, 9/10/01)
The Fed is expected to lower interest rates again next month, which would be the eighth time this year. Also, with economic stimulation in mind, there seems to be growing bipartisan support for cutting taxes more as well, given that the big Bush tax cut is so heavily back-loaded, meaning that most of it won't take effect for several years. One very influential Senator, Minority Leader Trend Lott, says he's in favor of a plan, supported by many Democrats, to reduce the Social Security payroll tax.

Rice doesn't favor reparations (Monday, 9/10/01)
In Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, he indicated that he felt that the huge losses on Civil War battlefields amounted to the great price America paid for permitting the primitive institution of slavery over so many years, and some have cited the more than 600,000 Civil War dead, from a total U.S. population of only 30 million at the time, as an argument against paying reparations now.

However, others have argued that, while some might see those losses as representing some sort of justice or divine retribution, they had little to do with repairing the damage to the victims of slavery, and "reparations" is about repairing, not penance. While all the slaves and slaveholders are long dead and gone, their descendants are all around us, and slavery's descendants continue to suffer disadvantages from a 250-year period that casts a very long shadow. Moreover, it is argued, many others continue to enjoy the benefits of an overall economic success that was built on the backs of involuntary, unpaid labor.

Still, while polls show that most American whites oppose reparations, opinion seems to be divided among influential American blacks. One highly influential African-American is scholar, former high official at the University of California, and present national security adviser Condoleeza Rice. She doesn't favor reparations, as that term seems to be most commonly interpreted, and Sue Pleming tells about Dr. Rice's reasons. Meanwhile, the U.N. conference on racism has ended in Durban, South Africa. All the delegates have gone home amid little agreement about whether anything tangible was accomplished.

Uncle Sam in bib overalls (Monday, 9/10/01)
When the 1996 farm legislation was in development with the intention of getting rid of a farm program with roots in the Great Depression, it wasn't expected that farm product prices were about to decline to Depression levels. Even Republicans, who like to see government get out of people's lives, aren't expecting government to leave farming alone. A new ten-year farm support program is in development in the House, and the devil's in the details. Meanwhile, some farmers are trying to stay in business by expanding into entertainment industries.

Many workers don't trust their bosses (Monday, 9/10/01)
According to a recent survey, workers tend to perceive half of their bosses as lacking in integrity, according to the Indianapolis Star.

A gender gap narrows (Monday, 9/10/01)
We're not talking about pay this time, or anything else having to do with work. According to Census data, the numbers gap has narrowed. There are still more females than males in America, even though slightly more males are born, but the difference is smaller than it used to be. Some reasons: immigration and men living longer because they're taking slightly better care of themselves.

Who are the victims of the child sexploitation industry? (Monday, 9/10/01)
Sexual slavery, including the trafficking in children, is rampant over much of the world, and, according to research at the University of Pennsylvania, about 325,000 U.S. kids are among its victims.

Back to reality, back to school (Monday, 9/10/01)
During the go-go period when the dot-com bubble was inflating beyond all reason, the appetite for technically-skilled people was so voracious for a time that college and even high school students were receiving offers they felt they couldn't refuse. The bubble has burst now, though, and, as Amie Parnes reports, many young people are heading back to the classrooms. Still, those who will graduate fairly soon may find re-entry into the job market to be more difficult than expected. Here's more about the tight market for grads from Allison Pries in New Jersey's Bergen Record. Deidre Silva writes in the Seattle Times about others displaced from hi-tech companies who are looking for new jobs right now, rather than returning to school, and it's not easy. Incidentally, remember to save receipts for job-hunting expenses. You can deduct them, says Gary Klott in the Houston Chronicle.

Blaming office politics (Monday, 9/10/01)
Politics isn't just about political institutions, political parties, elections, and the like. It's an essential part of human relationships in all contexts. However, the word "politics" usually isn't used in such a general, benign fashion. In fact, this Arizona Republic article tells why people who lose contests within work organizations are often the ones who blame their failures on "politics."

Many government checks are about to shrink (Monday, 9/10/01)
Government workers who owe the IRS money may soon find that their paychecks have gotten smaller. The big federal tax agency will begin taking 15 percent off the top each month.

Further blurring the line between work and the rest of your life (Monday, 9/10/01)
If you're already having some difficulty telling when you're home when you're at work, wait until Cisco Systems and Verizon Communications get finished wiring your life. Actually, while it may make it harder for some people to get away from there work, it may be greeted with enthusiasm by people who will be able to do some of their work at home while keeping an eye on the children at the same time. As with nearly every innovation, somebody's good news is somebody else's bad news.

Public attitudes vs. reality (Monday, 9/10/01)
The great majority of mothers with young children work outside the home, while an overwhelming majority of Americans don't approve, according to a new report.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Working Mother Websites (Monday, 9/10/01)
Here are 15 websites aimed at working mothers, with mini-mini-reviews of each included.

Downsized forecasts (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Andrew Priest reports from New York that the mood has been fairly subdued at the annual meeting of the National Association of Business Economists. Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post finds that many other economists agree that their earlier growth forecasts were probably a bit too optimistic.

Would it be too rude to say "It's the economy, stupid?" (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Many representatives of the Administration and its opposition appear on television and behave in very partisan ways because that's their job. Meanwhile, out in society, there are people on both sides who are reflexively partisan and deal mostly in stereotypes and caricatures, because they can't help it or don't know any better, but, like other naive or irrational hate groups of varying and sometimes contradictory ideologies, routinely engage in behaviors, the motivation of which should be obvious and transparent.

Some of these persons are gleeful everytime a TV comedian does a joke about how dumb President Bush presumably is. Never mind that many of the same things were said about Lincoln, Truman, and Eisenhower, among others, often in essentially the same words, and that some of the same dumb quotes have been attributed to all of these people, as well as to Dan Quayle.

Like ethnic jokes which are repeated word for word around the country with different ethnic groups' names inserted in different regions, all this suggests that quite a number of people aren't doing any thinking at all. Across American history, Jefferson-haters, Lincoln-haters, Roosevelt-haters, Nixon-haters, Clinton-haters, and George W.-haters have shared quite a lot in common and might make interesting case material for some college courses.

While President Bush may or may not be an inspiration to "C" students everywhere, like Presidents Lincoln, Truman, and Eisenhower, he may not mind that his opponents insist on underestimating him. For example, it may come as a surprise to many people that the President does indeed recognize that many people will hold him responsible for America's current economic troubles, because presidents almost always get credit when times are good and blame when times are bad, whether or not they have had much to do with either condition.

Richard Berke and David Sanger of the New York Times report on the Administration's effort to organize a full-court-press on the economy. In the meantime, we can all dream, perhaps unrealistically, of a time when popular American political thought will move beyond cartoon or supermarket tabloid levels.

Gloom on the Korean peninsula (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Conditions are gloomy in North Korea almost by definition, and, for most residents there, it has never been otherwise, except that things have gotten worse in recent years. That the current gloom in South Korea is relative should be kept in mind. Nonetheless, there is a political crisis building in the South and an economic crisis seems to be building beneath it. Here's more from James Brooke in Seoul. Meanwhile, a relatively few miles to the east, Japan faces a crisis of fairly historic proportions, but Howard French suggests that we should keep in mind that "crisis" can be defined as a time of both danger and opportunity.

Overhaul of unemployment benefits system sought (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Many think that reform of the system is overdue. Brian Tumulty of the Gannett News Service explains why.

On being a miner in a Communist society that really isn't Communist anymore (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Philip Pan reports on the increasingly grim situation of China's 6 million coal miners who are experiencing most of the disadvantages of a totalitarian Communit system while no longer enjoying any of the benefits and none of the benefits of an evolving market system either.

Issues to consider in new farm legislation (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Members of the House of Representatives will be thinking quite a lot about how to help some farmers stay in business while, at the same time, not providing handouts to people who don't need help. They'll also be thinking about how a new farm subsidy program can be financed in the present economic climate, according to Elizabeth Becker in Washington.

For many, "M.D." means "Much Debt" (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Physicians are still among the higher paid occupational groups in American society, but the gap between them and quite a lot of other folks has been narrowing. It's a mistake to assume that all doctors are rich, though, particularly during the early years of their careers. In fact, given the huge debts that many have accumulated by the time they begin practicing, plus the tremendous amounts of interest they will pay before they retire that debt, it's a good thing that they're likely to enjoy fairly high incomes.

However, with the dominance of managed care organizations has come a change in the role of physician, although not a reduction in the often backbreaking number of work hours. Not only have expected incomes declined for many, most doctors have lost a lot of their former professional autonomy.

Everything considered, it's probably in everybody's best interest not to make the idea of becoming a doctor too discouraging if we want to have medical service available during the years ahead.

At first, the U.S. seemed to have, not so much a health care crisis, as a health care cost crisis. Managed care was intended as a way of getting costs under control, but, then, some observers began to suspect that the quality of care in the U.S. also was beginning to suffer, in part because many medical decisions were taken out of the hands of physicians. Now, health care costs are skyrocketing again, physicians tend to be unhappy with the managed care system, a growing number of people seem to be unhappy with their health coverage, and nearly 40 million Americans have no health coverage at all.

Another possible reason why the Teamsters have been fairly supportive of the Administration recently (Sunday, 9/9/01)
The Teamsters have not been reflectively Democratic since Bobby Kennedy was in pursuit of the elder Jimmy Hoffa. They don't like to be taken for granted by politicians, and there have been times when the Teamsters have thrown their support to Republican candidates. Recently, they've indicated a liking for the President's desire to do more oil drilling in Alaska, because they've seen it as a source of thousands of new jobs. In fact, the President was even invited to their picnic recently. Now, there is thought that this period of mutual admiration and warm feeling might also be a good time during which to seek an end to federal supervision of the union which, for so many years, was known mostly for its corruption. The younger James Hoffa heads the Teamsters now, and, while he's certainly not his father, he does appear to be relatively street-smart, in addition to being a sophisticated lawyer. He hasn't let the White House forget that Teamsters members vote, among other things.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Agricultural Economics Journals (Sunday, 9/9/01)
Here are two dozen scholarly journals dealing with agricultural economics.

The President scrambles to fight fires (Saturday, 9/8/01)
Suddenly, President Bush is having to do his best to put out several political brush fires before they get out of control. In addition to the inevitability of dipping into the Social Security surplus, despite all that previous talk about "lock boxes," he is making a special effort to communicate his concern about the large number of Americans who are losing their jobs. His says that his administration intends to do something about it, but doesn't offer any new proposals. His Treasury Secretary implies that what the Administration already has done is beginning to work, and he feels that the American economy is beginning its recovery. Columnist Jerry Heaster adds that workers and consumers may be better off that commonly believed, in fact. Meanwhile, the White House also is vigorously denying press reports that it intends to ease regulations affecting nursing homes, and a Republican Senator is trying to help the Administration save its drug discount card plan by introducing new legislation.

Durban conference may not be a complete washout after all (Saturday, 9/8/01)
Following the pullout of the U.S. and Israel from the U.N. racism conference in South Africa, many observers expected very little result. However, it appears that a deal has been reached on slavery with the European Union.

Plan now, pay later (Saturday, 9/8/01)
The House of Representatives intends to put aside for the moment the question of how revised farm and food programs will be financed, given the shrinkage of the surplus. Work on the development of new legislation is about to begin anyway. Actually, there is essentially zero doubt that the so-called "Social Security surplus" will be used to pay other government bills, and there appears to be little doubt that this will be a genuine problem for anybody, other than the President and some other politicians who have reason to be concerned about political cover.

The difference a year can make (Saturday, 9/8/01)
In only about a year, the Hickory, North Carolina community has gone from an abundance of jobs to one of the nation's highest unemployment rates. Here are details from David Firestone of the New York Times.

Tuition goes up at state schools (Saturday, 9/8/01)
Large numbers of public universities are finding that the end of the economic boom is being reflected in their budgets, and tuition is on the increase as a consequence.

Economist in hot water with the World Bank (Saturday, 9/8/01)
Freedom of expression apparently doesn't apply if you're a top economist working for the World Bank. William Easterly is under investigation following the publication of his article in the Financial Times.

Sex discrimination suit against Morgan-Stanley? (Saturday, 9/8/01)
Patrick McGeehan reports that insiders are saying that a discrimination suit against Morgan Stanley Dean Witter is expected to be filed by the EEOC quite soon.

There are nearly 4 million multigenerational households in the United States (Saturday, 9/8/01)
According to an analysis of 2000 Census data, 3.7 percent of American households contain three or more generations.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Chronology of the History of Slavery (Saturday, 9/8/01)
This is not a world history of slavery, but, instead, a Chronology of the History of Slavery in the region that has become the United States. This ambitious project has been the work of Eddie Becker and is available in three segments: 1619-1789, 1790-1829, and 1830-the end.

Fox challenges Mexican stereotypes (Friday, 9/7/01)
Many Americans tend to think of Mexico as an impoverished third-world land and Mexicans as illiterate, unskilled, and desperately trying to leave their country. Since the U.S is a representative democracy, it's fairly likely that this view is shared by quite a number of members of Congress as well. Mexico's new democratically elected President Fox may have caused some "cognitive dissonance" in Congress yesterday when he spoke to a joint congregation of its members. Fox is brilliant, highly educated, urbane, rich, tough, and has a record of business success that rivals that of nearly anyone in the Western Hemisphere, including President Bush. He doesn't seem to regard himself as anyone's inferior, and he seems to have a similar attitude about his country on the world stage.

Incidentally, about a hundred fifty years ago, it was Mexico that was trying to keep Americans from coming in without invitations, rather than the other way around. Also, when Mexicans cross the U.S. border now, in many cases, they are crossing into what was once part of their own country before the U.S. simply conquered and absorbed half of Mexico's land area during the mid-19th century.

At the time, there was fairly strong sentiment in the United States supporting a complete takeover of Mexico, and some Americans felt that all of North America should be included in the United States.

Lincoln opposed the war with Mexico while he served in the House of Representatives, and that made him temporarily unpopular back home. Among other things, he feared that a complete grab of all of Mexico would have the result of tipping Congressional balance in favor of the slave states and perhaps mean that slavery would become the law of the land.

Moreover, the strong expansionist urges of some American politicians made European countries nervous, notably Britain, which remembered Napoleon not too many years earlier. Lincoln was afraid Britain might recognize the Confederacy in order to weaken the U.S. and diminish what was seen as its effort to take over the entire continent, which he felt would have been the end of the union.

Bush's Democratic support (Friday, 9/7/01)
In addition to an odd kind of metathesis that seems to occur now and then causing American political parties to switch positions on some issues, party divisions tend to arise out of a particular historical context. As time moves on, old issues become obsolete, and new ones take their places, one is likely to find that party or ideological labels become less accurate or satisfying. For instance, President Bush and many Congressional Democrats appear to be on essentially the same side on the immigration question, while Bush is getting plenty of resistance from members of his own party. Incidentally, the President also is taking a little heat on a different issue from Republican Senator Domenici, a man who is not unaccustomed to telling the truth. And, as if that weren't enough, the President's plan for providing prescription medication discount cards to seniors has taken a hit from a federal judge.

Unemployment hits four-year high in August (Friday, 9/7/01)
The unemployment rate in the United States increased .04 of a percent from July to August, reaching 4.9 percent last month. Here's more from USA Today. In Japan, problems are more serious. During the 1990s when the U.S. was experiencing an historic boom, the once-mighty Japanese economy was fumbling and occasionally shrinking. It's shrinking again. It contracted by 0.8 percent in the second quarter, and, among other things, this puts pressure on the APEC which is holding talks in China this weekend. Michael Zielenziger writes from Tokyo that Prime Minster Koizumi's honeymoon surely seems to be over, given what he thinks his country's economy needs.

There will be only one Microsoft, but...? (Friday, 9/7/01)
Karen Gullo reports on the varied responses to the government's decision not to seek the breakup of Microsoft Corporation, and Steve Lohr offers some perspective on what appears to be an important win for the world's largest software company and the world's richest individual. Still...

One major pocket of inflation in the United States (Friday, 9/7/01)
Overall, inflation isn't a problem in the American economy at the moment, but this surely isn't the case in healthcare. Recent increases have been the greatest since about the time the Clintons were trying to reconstruct the American healthcare system from the ground up in the early '90s. At the same time, corporate earnings are way down, and many companies are finding that they can't afford to sponsor health coverage at all, while others are shifting more of the burden to their employees.

The hacker beside you (Friday, 9/7/01)
They aren't all brilliant misfit teenagers or agents of foreign governments or practitioners of industrial espionage. IBM says that nearly ever office contains a hacker.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: America's Best Colleges (Friday, 9/7/01)
Who sez, and what does "best" mean? This is the new 2002 list of America's Best Colleges according to the criteria used by U.S. News, but their criteria have been in dispute recently. Our view is that the whole idea of treating higher education institutions each year as though it were an Academy Awards presentation ceremony should be re-examined. It may not be possible to exaggerate the significance of genuine knowledge, because the only alternative is ignorance, which has had a perfectly horrible record over many centuries. However, it certainly IS possible to exaggerate the significance of "credentials," degrees, which school one attended, and so on. Moreover, America's continuing preoccupation with such things may simply represent the last decaying remnants of European aristocratic attitudes to which America was intended as at least a partial antidote in the first place. We would like to see a time when bragging about one's titles or degrees or which school one attended, or whether or not one has ever attended any school, becomes about as socially unclassy as urinating on the sidewalk. Should you really expect deference depending on where you bought your copy of the New York Times? Should you feel second-rate if you didn't buy it at all, and, instead, read it thoroughly at the local public library? It seems that there are two essential questions: "Do I really know anything and can I really do anything?" If the answer to those questions is "yes," there aren't any other important questions. If the answer is "no," there aren't any other important questions either. It's best not to confuse means with ends.

One president tries to twist another's arm a bit (Thursday, 9/6/01)
Mexico's President Fox said the other day that he didn't expect a comprehensive immigration agreement between his country and the U.S. for several years, but that doesn't mean he can't apply a little pressure here and there. He's visiting Washington this week, and made it known yesterday that he would like to see an agreement by the end of this year which would allow large numbers of Mexicans to work legally in the United States.

Incidentally, it isn't just the workers who are seeking a better life who would like to see a change. Much of American agriculture and many other U.S. employers depend on workers who are now undocumented. The American economy needs them, wants them, and they want to work, but the U.S. government continues to try to track them down and send them home, or keep them out of the country in the first place. A bit more consistency might be desirable. Incidentally, indications are that President Bush would like to move ahead rather rapidly, but he's been getting considerable resistance from some members of his own party in Congress.

Learning to count (Thursday, 9/6/01)
Some people aren't as old as they think they are, according to Paul Krugman, and, for the same reasons, recent American economic growth rates apparently weren't as high as we thought either.

But, will there be a recession now? Top Fed official William McDonough says it's unlikely, the Treasury Secretary says that tax rebates will make a difference in an economy that appears to have stopped its descent. So, has the old business cycle been repealed in the new economy? The shape of the curve on the graph certainly looks unfamiliar. We're already in the longest expansion in all of American history, and, if recession is avoided, that expansion may be nowhere near its end. However, as President Truman once remarked, he would have liked to have had one-handed economists in his administration, because his economic advisors were always saying, "On the other hand..." Ron Scherer says there may still be some major bumps in the road ahead. For instance, consumers seem to be getting less enthusiastic about spending, and it's been consumer spending that seems to have kept the U.S. economy out of recession so far.

What happened to pay levels during the 1990s? (Thursday, 9/6/01)
Depends on who you're talking about. The gap between top executives and the rank and file widened considerably, according to researchers at United for a Fair Economy. Here's more from David Francis of the Christian Science Monitor.

The new meaning of "instant photography" (Thursday, 9/6/01)
Digital cameras make many of Polaroid's products less interesting to consumers. At one time, Polaroid was one of the hottest hi-tech companies on the planet, but now, it's doing its best to avoid bankruptcy. The Boston Globe reports that the company is curtailing health benefits in a big way in a desperate effort to cut costs and cope with mounting debt.

What's different about the end of that strike at Volkswagen in Mexico (Thursday, 9/6/01)
An agreement has been reached between VW management and its workers, and the interesting thing is that the Mexican government didn't step in in a heavy-handed way and tell everybody to get back to work or else. It's one more indication of the difference and the difference it makes when it comes to Vicente Fox's National Action Party government. In some ways, Fox is a swashbuckling economic conservative similar to Ronald Reagan. He's also a former big time executive with a global corporation. Still, this doesn't mean that he's willing to use the power of the state to disable unions. Fox is a democrat, and Mexico is in the process of becoming a genuine democracy, and THAT is news.

Employment offices whistle a happier tune (Thursday, 9/6/01)
Susan Saulny reports that laid off workers have good reason not to approach employment offices with utter dread now, and the 1998 Workforce Investment Act seems to be a major part of the reason. Incidentally, if you've lost your job, it's a good idea not to treat your date as your therapist. Lisi de Bourbon writes about Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider's book, The Rules.

Workers will pay a larger share for healthcare in Japan (Thursday, 9/6/01)
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi feels that some painful structural reforms are necessary, if Japan's struggling economy is ever to resume any of its former vigor. Salaried workers are among those who are likely to feel their share of the pain, and not just from whatever illness they might experience. Healthcare will get more expensive for many of the people who use it.

Bush's plan for privatization in a way that will help women and minorities (Thursday, 9/6/01)
President Bush would like to see more of the government's work done in the private sector, rather than by government employees. Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post tells how the President would like to make it easier for women- and minority-owned businesses to obtain federal contracts.

The new economy's "always open" (Thursday, 9/6/01)
It's always daytime someplace in the world, and, in a global economy, it means that somebody's always working, even in those parts of the world where it's the middle of the night. Of course, that's always been the case, but Neal Learner reports that the proportion of the American workforce on the night shift has been increasing.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Shift Work (Thursday, 9/6/01)
Here are the potential problems and some possible solutions for those who work the night shift or alternate shifts. It's the Shift Work page from the Sleep Disorder Channel.

Two presidents meet today (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
Presidents Fox and Bush meet today in Washington, D. C. Both had hoped to be able to announce a new immigration agreement, but both now know that it was an unrealistic hope and won't happen for quite a while.

Jackson to dedicate himself to reparations (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
Jesse Jackson has been an influential American political figure for decades without holding public office. He says he will return from the racism conference in Durban, South Africa, from which Israel and the U.S. withdrew, and make the achievement of reparations for African-American slavery in America a priority.

How American politicians have gotten themselves into a...well, lock box (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
Many experts believe that the Social Security surplus is a political fiction that will have little genuine economic impact, but, now that it's been talked about so much, it has been given a political reality. Americans don't want that money used for anything else, according to the polls, and politicians in both parties DO read the polls. Who was the last major politician who insisted on maintaining a surplus during an economic downturn? Herbert Hoover, maybe? That was before the Great Depression, wasn't it? And weren't most Democrats essentially Keynesian only a few years ago? Moreover, there is some likelihood now that a Republican president may be the first one to lead the country into deficit spending this time. Weren't Republicans mostly allergic to deficits a few years ago? What's going on? Has hell frozen over? Are pigs flying now too?

Signs of recovery? (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
There have been various mixed signals for quite a long time, but generally quite a lot of bad economic news lately. Still, as Marjorie Olster reports, things are beginning to look better in the manufacturing sector, which has been greatly depressed for a long time. Labor productivity increased during the second quarter, but not by as much as many had expected. An increase in productivity means that more work is being done by fewer people, which is influenced by layoffs as well as by the full and effective use of technology. It appears that there has been more change in the labor force than in the use of hi-tech recently. Many economists are saying that they expect the economy to coming roaring back next year. However, the longest expansion in American history has been taken by many as evidence that familiar rules may no longer apply as we've learned to expect. In Japan, after a boom period, including a large speculative bubble, they've been expecting recovery now for a decade. Will we be surprised by the novelty of things once again? Does anyone really understand how the new economy works, and, if not, does anyone really know what to expect?

The need to come up for air in Australia (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
The statistics indicate that Americans are now the world's leading workaholics, a least in terms of hours per week and weeks per year. However, they're not the only ones. Adele Horin and Vanessa Wilson of the Sydney Morning Herald write that many Australians are caught on the same treadmill.

New beryllium regulations sought (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
Exposure to beryllium is a hazard to persons working in several manufacturing fields, and a consumer group and a labor union are urging the government to lower permissible levels.

OCD in the workplace (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
Mary Corcoran tells how to cope with perfectionistic co-workers, and to say that someone is "perfectionistic" shouldn't be taken as a compliment. Incidentally, "OCD" stands for "obsessive-compulsive disorder."

Charity work in lieu of severance (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
A few of the thousands of people laid off from Cisco Systems in Silicon Valley have opted to work for charities for a third of their former pay, rather than take severance. One reason: they keep their benefits.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Productivity Commission (Wednesday, 9/5/01)
The Productivity Commission is an agency of the Australian government and reviews and advises on microeconomic policy and regulation, including issues relating to productivity.

Which is the largest computer company in the world? (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
For many years, it has been no contest. From now on, though, it may be a contest indeed between the venerable IBM and the company that will result from the $25 billion merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq. The world is watching, because HP's purchase of Compaq could mean more layoffs in many countries, and, as Jennifer Tan reports from Singapore, Asian technology companies are likely to be hit as well.

U.S. walks out of racism conference (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
The continuing global plague of slavery has been on the agenda at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, in addition to other issues. However, Secretary of State Powell has recalled U.S. delegates to the conference because of the draft declaration's references to Israel. Steven Swindells writes that many expect that the U.S. withdrawal has rendered the conference ineffective. Israel also pulled out.

Bush reads Clinton's script: I feel your pain (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
President Bush did his best yesterday to communicate an attitude of caring to workers who are being hurt by the sputtering American economy, Patricia Wilson says that his father's experience may well have been on his mind. The President was invited to the Teamsters picnic in Detroit, but it may not be so surprising as many might think. The Teamsters often have gone their own way, don't like to be taken for granted by the Democrats, and they have indicated enthusiasm for the Administration's desire for new oil drilling in Alaska, seeing it not as an environmental or energy issue, but primarily as a jobs issue.

Why such a long expansion? (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
The term "new economy" does not simply refer to dot-com companies, and it doesn't mean that all of the principles of the traditional economy have been repealed. However, technically, and just barely, the longest economic expansion in all of American history continues. That fact, plus the fact that it's still somewhat of a mystery as to why this has occurred, suggest that some fundamental things are different.

BART workers may strike (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
It could become much harder to get from point A to point B in the San Francisco area after midnight tonight. Bay Area Rapid Transit workers are threatening to strike.

Reaching a threshold (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
A study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco finds that a small increase in income is associated with a major health benefit for many workers.

Fox indicates that he doesn't expect overnight miracles (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
Mexican President says that it is likely to take several years to develop a comprehensive immigration agreement between his country and the United States, and that includes the legalization of some Mexicans who are working illegally in the U.S.

The bad news about living longer (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
On average, people in the rich countries are living longer than their ancestors could have imagined. While most of the individuals involved might approve of this trend, aging populations are setting up a major crisis for many countries. Nick Edwards discusses what some of the experts are saying must be done in order to head off a major decline of the biggest economies before many of today's children retire.

Working fewer years, earning less, single longer, living longer (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
All those things add up to a much greater probability of being poor during the later years for American women. AARP is holding investment seminars for women. Here's Jilian Mincer's column about the one scheduled in Kansas City.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The History of Labor Day (Tuesday, 9/4/01)
Here's The Histo