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Supreme Court reduces ADA coverage (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not take precedence over workplace seniority rules, according to the U.S. Supreme court. Here's more from Linda Greenhouse of the New York Times.

Psychiatry's friend in the White House (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
Persons suffering from psychiatric illness as well as the professionals who treat them have a friend at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, at least so far as insurance parity for mental health services is concerned. President Bush has long favored eliminating insurance coverage discrimination against those suffering from so-called "mental" illness.

He's right, of course, and we say "so-called," not because there's any doubt at all about their being illnesses, but because the use of the word "mental" is misleading in this context and badly out of date. The illnesses are as real as any other, and, just like all the others, they are a product of natural processes gone awry. They're not imaginary, they're not under voluntary control, and they don't occur because of personal weaknesses, lack of will power, or because a person isn't smart enough.

However, largely because of the knowledge explosion so recently, it's probably safe to say that most of things that the majority of Americans believe about psychiatric illness are simply flat-out wrong. Fortunately, we now have a president, plus a growing number of people in Congress, who have gotten the word...finally. Now, if the President could just learn as much about research in other science-based areas, such as issues having to do with the environment. He's not alone, of course. For the most part, the general public doesn't believe that there is a serious environmental crisis, even though most scientists certainly do.

There is an enormous gulf between what most scientists believe about science and what most members of the American public believe, and that's because of the appalling level of science literacy in the United States. Many people, particularly those who get most of their news from television, have simply GOOFY ideas about what science is, what scientists do, and why they reach their conclusions. A new survey finds that about 70 percent of Americans really don't understand the scientific process, which means that they can't have a clue as to where scientific conclusions come from. This should provide plenty for journalists to think about, but also professionals in higher education, because approximately 25 percent of the adult U.S. population now has at least four years of college. Even many college graduates fall back on the most ancient, most ridiculous, most easily discredited traditional ideas about nature, including human nature.

Australian doctors lose protection, cancel procedures (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
Medical malpractice suits have been on the rise over much of the world, so physicians have special need for liability insurance, even with rising premiums. In Australia, though, many physicians suddenly have no coverage at all because of the collapse of United Medical Protection.

Taiwan doesn't want to share its engineers with the mainland (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
Taiwanese engineers will have to get government permission before working on China's mainland, and many of them don't like the restrictions. It's only been during recent years that Taiwan has become genuinely democratic to a significant extent, so, during their youth, many of the older people on the island wouldn't have expected the relatively high degree of personal freedom now enjoyed by the Taiwanese overall. They wouldn't have expected engineers or anybody else to have a choice of working on the mainland either, unless they wanted to defect. Times have changed. Incidentally, times have changed for engineers and other techies in the U.S. too, but more recently. IT managers and others are experiencing an average drop in pay and benefits as demand for technical skills has slackened a bit.

China's need for lots...make that LOTS of jobs (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
China contains approximately one-quarter of the world's population, so nearly anything that can be said about that enormous country requires the use of very big numbers.

Not so many years ago, Communist ideologues believed that it really was possible to provide cradle-to-grave security for everybody, so long as personal freedoms were sufficiently restricted. Now, in what used to be the old Soviet Union as well as in China, there appear to be few genuine Communists left, and almost nobody believes in the viability of highly centralized economies of any kind, if for no other reason than that nobody is smart enough to make all the decisions necessary for distributing and utilizing resources in a way that can work in the long run.

Russia is trying to build both a democracy and a free-market economy, while China's rulers may or may not have eventual democracy on their minds--for the most part, they're not saying--but they are trying to build a vigorous market economy. Part of the process has been to shut down those huge state-run factories that have been producing poor-quality products that nobody wants to buy which would have to sell at a high price in order to support the people who produce them. The country is better off without those antiquated factories, but what about of those former workers? China is desperately trying to produce jobs for millions of them before social upheaval sets in. Craig Smith reports from Hanghai that Chinese officials expect unemployment to get worse before it gets better.

Normality may be settling on Argentina (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
The banks are open and the peso is floating, not sinking. The country's latest economy minister seems to be succeeding so far, but, then, he's been in office only three days. However, he seems committed to doing what is necessary to attract help, particularly from the IMF.

Staff reductions at one of the world's greatest museums (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
The British Museum will eliminate 150 jobs during the next two years in order to cope with an expected budget deficit of $7.3 million. Staff reductions will be carried out by attrition.

Four-day holiday strike planned at Air France (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
Air France pilots intend to make their point about higher salaries by going on strike for four days over the weekend.

Why is the abortion argument holding up new bankruptcy legislation? (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
It might not seem that the two have any connection, but, of course, many things are different from how they appear. Here's an explanation from Philip Shenon in Washington.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Getting Through Customs (Tuesday, 4/30/02)
Here's a helpful collection of articles for business people who do a lot of international travel. It comes from the same people who have authored Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to Do Business in 60 Countries.

Good news and bad news for cash-hungry Argentines (Monday, 4/29/02)
The bank will open in Argentina, so that people who have been without access to their own money for a week will be able to make withdrawals again. However, with the peso cut loose to float freely, only time will tell how much their money will buy. One way or another, most people in Argentina will have to accept considerable pain in order to satisfy the IMF and gain its help in solving the country's lingering economic crisis, which, incidentally, may start affecting the U.S. economy, according to Martin Crutsinger in Washington. Elsewhere on the troubled South American continent, Venezuelan President Chavez is putting a new economic team together, presumably with the intention of satisfying some of his critics, including people who supported the attempted coup that removed him from power for a couple of days recently.

Bad year for Japanese workers (Monday, 4/29/02)
Japan's unemployment rate was higher for the year 2001 than at any time since data were first gathered following World War II. And, if you think it can't get worse, you may not want to read this Asahi Shimbun story by Jun Saito in Tokyo.

One step at a time (Monday, 4/29/02)
While a comprehensive prescription medication benefit under Medicare is likely to take a while longer, Congress seems ready to provide for the cost of cancer drugs this year. Here's more from Robert Pear in Washington.

Health costs continue to march skyward, putting business as well as workers in a tighter bind (Monday, 4/29/02)
Kim Norris of the Detroit Free Press reports on how the rapid increase in health premiums is affecting Michigan business, while Yvette Armendariz of the Arizona Republic provides a similar report on small business in Arizona. Given that President Bush's Republican coalition includes many influential business people, it's a fairly rough time for the President to spend some of his political capital to support parity for mental health services, something that mental health professionals have been calling for for years. It appears to be one of those "Nixon goes to China" kinds of moves which the President believes is sufficiently important to justify the heat from his own supporters. However, by the time the next presidential election rolls around, things may have cooled a little, and, besides, most of those angry Republicans are likely to vote for Bush anyway, feeling that they have no place else to go.

Consumers spent more in March (Monday, 4/29/02)
American consumers seem to be doing their part to rev up the American economy. Consumer spending was up 0.4 percent in March.

IRS may make various stock incentive plans less attractive (Monday, 4/29/02)
The Internal Revenue Service would like to extend the application of payroll taxes to stock incentive plans not currently covered.

One of the grimmer aspects of the new economy (Monday, 4/29/02)
Certain things about the new economy look very much like the old, including VERY old economy. For example, despite the historic movement of Western societies toward the elimination of race-based slavery during the 19th century, slavery, which, in one form or another, has persisted since Classical times and before, continues throughout much of the world. Moreover, because global population is many times larger than it has been during most of the experience of modern humans on the planet, it appears that more people are living under conditions of slavery now than at any other time. It takes many forms in many places. For instance, here's Somini Sengupta's report on the trafficking in children in Bangladesh.

Turning a bad thing into good things (Monday, 4/29/02)
Ruth Walker reports that increased concern about "spiritual" values in the workplace seems to be one consequence of the Enron debacle. Incidentally, specifically, what does the word "spiritual" mean to you? Does everyone have the same meaning for it? Of course, the current climate seems to include a variety of trends, including increased surveillance and eroding privacy. Here's a Newsday story about new security software from Computer Associates that will REALLY be capable of keeping track of you. Also, here's more on why you shouldn't assume that your instant messages aren't being monitored at work.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: B-SPAN (Monday, 4/29/02)
You know about C-SPAN, now here's B-SPAN, the "webcasting station" from the World Bank that allows you to attend from a distance seminars and conferences held at the Bank's headquarters in Washington, D. C.

Northwest and its pilots agree on a holding pattern (Sunday, 4/28/02)
Northwest Airlines and its pilots aren't going negotiate a new contract for another year, with the hope that economic conditions in the airline industry will improve by that time. They've agreed to extend the current contract for a year.

Protesters arrested in Montreal (Sunday, 4/28/02)
A couple of dozen protesters have been arrested in Montreal at the G8 meeting. G7 refers to the seven richest industrial nations in the world, while G8 is G7 plus Russia, which is not only a rich wannabe, but also a country that the world has learned to pay attention to, whether they're enjoying good times or not. Meanwhile, Christopher Pala reports on how corruption continues to reduce the efficiency with which Russia moves toward a genuinely viable market economy within a genuinely democratic political context. Also, corruption there has a special Russian character: it's bureauocratized.

Dems focus on economic issues (Sunday, 4/28/02)
Democrats have good reason to be thankful that there is no presidential election this year, given President Bush's strength in the polls, although his administration certainly could sink in the quagmire that has always been the Middle East before election day. However, there is some question about how much his popularity will rub off on Republican candidates for the House and Senate, races which are particularly important to both parties this time, because control of Congress is at stake. A popular president won't necessarily help candidates from the same party, but a sure way for the Democrats to lose many of those races would be to be too critical of the President's handling of the war on terrorism or even of the Middle East mess, even when he hasn't been doing all that well. What's left for Democrats this time? Domestic issues, particularly economic ones, so expect to hear quite a lot about Social Security during the next several months, for instance. Democrats are encouraged by polls showing that more Americans regard economic issues as the most important than those who believe terrorism to be the most important challenge facing the country.

Update on European immigration (Sunday, 4/28/02)
Large numbers of illegals attempt to enter the wealthy member states of the European Union each year. Here's a country-by-country report on how things are going.

Legal obligations of those who sell or rent housing (Sunday, 4/28/02)
Many people violate the law without knowing it, according to Jennifer Loven. Here's more on a new survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

New IRS retirement account rules worth the wait, writer says (Sunday, 4/28/02)
They've been a long time coming, but the Internal Revenue Service has released new regulations governing withdrawals from IRAs and 401(k) accounts. Russ Wiles of the Arizona Republic says they were worth waiting for and explains why they will make a difference to a lot of people.

News of the demise of union power has been premature (Sunday, 4/28/02)
Even though a far smaller percentage of the private sector workforce is unionized than at mid-20th century, union strength has been increasing a bit recently. Here's news about one area in particular in which unions are increasing their influence over corporate conduct.

Hughes makes the choice (Sunday, 4/28/02)
Karen Hughes has had one of the most influential jobs in the world: top advisor to the President of the United States. Still, her teenage son isn't happy living in Washington, and wants to return to Texas to his school and his friends. Ms. Hughes has been listening. The Washington Post's Michelle Singletary discusses this highly publicized case involving a phenomenally successful career woman and what it says about the choices many people are faced with. How much money or power or prestige is enough, and what do you want it for anyway? Speaking of money, we recall the comments of one of Yahoo's founders who said that having $10 billion really wasn't any different from having $1 billion, and when money was most important to him was that point where he no longer had to worry about how he was going to meet his car payment.

Help over the rough spots (Sunday, 4/28/02)
Gregory Weaver reports that a growing number of employers are offering the services of a chaplain as an employment benefit.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: South Asia Network of Economic research Institutes (Sunday, 4/28/02)
So far, more than 40 countries participate in the South Asia Network of Economic Research Institutes, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

Bush expected to hold his nose and sign the farm bill (Saturday, 4/27/02)
It's not what the President wanted, but key Congressional leaders expect that he will sign the new bill that will boost farm spending by 70 percent, largely in agreement with farmers who have called the 1996 Freedom to Farm act "freedom to starve or go out of business." A market economy efficiently distributes resources by rewarding firms that can make it on their own while allowing others to fail and disappear. However, many economists believe that farming as a business, as opposed to centuries-old subsistence farming, is inherently unprofitable in the long-run. In a society in which most people can't grow their own, the agricultural sector probably has to be supported by collective action if everybody is to have food available indefinitely.

Strike at Hershey (Saturday, 4/27/02)
Three-thousand Hershey workers have left their jobs at two factories in Pennsylvania following the breakdown of talks. The company's latest offer was rejected largely because it would increase health insurance co-payments, an increasingly common trend, given increases in the cost of health care.

Why more people aren't whistling a happy tune on Wall Street (Saturday, 4/27/02)
The American economy surged during the first quarter, but investors seem little moved by the good economic news. Gretchen Morgenson examines the possible reasons.

Bigger refund checks this year (Saturday, 4/27/02)
Tax refunds are running at record levels, according to the IRS. Curt Anderson has some of the details and an explanation.

What are you worth to your employer if you die? (Saturday, 4/27/02)
Columnist L. M. Sixel reports that an increasing number of people are resenting the practice of employers taking out life insurance policies on their workers and listing themselves as beneficiaries.

What it will take to increase the economic power of African Americans (Saturday, 4/27/02)
Participants in Freedom Weekend at Cobo Hall in Detroit seem to agree that economic advancement for African Americans will depend on where they spend their money. Here's more from Daniel Fricker of the Detroit Free Press.

Giving it away (Saturday, 4/27/02)
Stephanie Strom writes about the newly rich and their generosity.

Generation neXt? (Saturday, 4/27/02)
Time is marching on, and Generation X is inheriting many of the problems and stresses familiar to members of the boomer generation, including the need to care for aging parents. Here's more from Stephanie Armous of USA Today.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: A Guide to Sources of Labour Information (Saturday, 4/27/02)
The ILO's Guide to Sources of Labour Information will be of special interest to libraries and information centers, according to its developers. The ILO is the International Labor Organization, an agency of the United Nations that predates the UN itself.

BIG growth during first quarter (Friday, 4/26/02)
First, the recession, if it really was a recession, wasn't as deep or as long as many people expected. Now, the recovery may be stronger than nearly anyone expected. The latest Commerce Department data show a big surge during the first quarter of this year with an annualized growth rate of 5.8 percent, the strongest since late 1999. Reports earlier the week reflected an improved economy, but not an improved stock market, and the Labor Department reports that worker compensation increased by less than a percent during the first quarter. However, the first-quarter growth rate may make investors more optimistic about the future, and a stronger economy may begin to put upward pressure on wages again soon. The UN also finds that the world economy is recovering more quickly than expected. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development also released a new report on the global economy yesterday.

Agreement at United Airlines (Friday, 4/26/02)
A tentative deal has been reached on a new contract between United Airlines and 23,000 ground workers. Here's more from Edward Wong of the New York Times.

Agreement reached on new farm bill (Friday, 4/26/02)
If the bill becomes law, it will increase farm spending by about 70 percent, and represents acknowledgment of the failure of 1996 legislation that intended to make farmers less dependent on government subsidies.

Bush may endorse parity for mental health coverage (Friday, 4/26/02)
President Bush is opposed by many members of his own party on an issue that the mental health professions have endorsed for many years. Business groups oppose the plan, thinking that it will make health coverage too expensive and result in the elimination of all health coverage for many workers.

More telecommunications casualties (Friday, 4/26/02)
Tyco International will close 24 factories and cut 7,100 jobs. Here's more from Concord, Hew Hampshire. Meanwhile, Nissan, the big Japanese automaker, will ADD 4,000 new jobs, which is REALLY news in Japan where a succession of recessions have dominated the past decade.

New economy minister in Argentina (Friday, 4/26/02)
Roberto Lavagna is the sixth person to take the post in about a year, and he likes free-markets. Meanwhile, Argentines are still trying to cope with frozen deposits.

More of the poor are working now, but are still poor (Friday, 4/26/02)
Jodi Wilgoren of the New York Times writes about a new report on how people who have moved off welfare are doing in the various states.

Senate bill would prohibit discrimination against gays in the workplace (Friday, 4/26/02)
The bill has passed a Senate committee and could be passed by the whole Senate later this year. The House isn't likely to take it up, though.

Nursing home data becomes available (Friday, 4/26/02)
The Administration is beginning to release data on the quality of care in nursing homes. So far, data covering 2,500 nursing homes in six states is available. The project is endorsed by the AARP, among others.

September 11 cooled desire of many Americans to work overseas (Friday, 4/26/02)
Some regions are less attractive to many American workers than others, though. Here's more from columnist L. M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: National Compensation Survey--Wages (Friday, 4/26/02)
Here's the National Compensation Survey on Wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. It provides wage data for localities, regions, and the nation as a whole.

Ouch! Biggest quarterly loss ever (Thursday, 4/25/02)
AOL Time Warner now has the distinction of losing more money in a single quarter than any corporation has ever done in American history: $54 billion. AOL seems to be the principal reason for the overall corporate losses, not only because of slowed subscriber growth, but also because of very dismal online advertising results, PLUS the implementation of new accounting rules. Of course, the fact that "old media" advertising revenues have been in a big slump, as well, hasn't helped, and the company's CNN cable network has been losing out to the Fox News Channel.

Actually, the company's current troubles also can be seen as an extension of the dot-com/tech bust. A few years ago, many online companies had tremendously inflated stock values, but most were unable to capitalize on these values before collapsing and going out of business. AOL's stock inflated to tremendous levels too, but Steve Case and others quickly took advantage of the big numbers to acquire CNN/Time-Warner, a company which was the product of several previous mergers. Now, some of the air continues to escape from AOL, as well, as the whole online sector descends closer to the earth.

The INS may be on its way into history (Thursday, 4/25/02)
President Bush appears to like the idea of eliminating the troubled Immigration and Naturalization Service as we've known it, although there is a chance that it could be broken into two separate agencies. Here's more from Eric Schmitt in Washington.

Charisma collides with reality (Thursday, 4/25/02)
Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi doesn't fit the conventional mold of a Japanese politician, and that was enough to send his popularity skyward for a while, along with expectations that he could somehow bring back the "Japanese miracle." Howard French reports from Tokyo that Japan's economic problems defy miracle-making, and the PM's popularity has been plummeting. Mexico's Vicente Fox is experiencing a similar although perhaps somewhat less pronounced loss of popularity following a very strong beginning that was launched by the historic election that brought him to power and strengthened democracy in Mexico. Still, too many Mexicans had too many inflated expectations.

Down through the centuries, charismatic political leaders frequently haven't worked out all that well in the long-run. Napoleon and Hitler are only two of many examples. In fact, there has been growing consensus among historians that President Dwight Eisenhower often deliberately pretended to be less articulate than he really was in order to give the impression of being fairly conventional and ordinary, rather than emphasizing the heroic stature he had toward the end of World War II.

Also, despite the straight-laced innocence of 1950s television programming, and so on, Americans were not naive and innocent. Only a few years before, nearly every family and certainly every neighborhood had been touched directly by the brutality of war, and the papers had been filled with stories about the Nazi death camps. The 1940s had been among the least innocent periods of human history, and President Eisenhower felt that Americans needed a break. Being publicly low-key and operating more behind the scenes as president seems to have been part of his strategy.

Enron echoes in the House (Thursday, 4/25/02)
With the Enron/Andersen debacle on their minds, members of the House of Representatives have passed bills intending to protect pensions and tighten regulation of the accounting industry.

Why prescription drugs cost so much (Thursday, 4/25/02)
Jim Barlow of the Houston Chronicle writes that, while everybody knows that people are spending far more on prescription medications than they used to, many may not have considered that it really may represent a good thing, and he explains.

For instance this is a fairly good time to be old, if you have access to health care services and medications. As the body ages, some parts wear out more quickly than others. For most older people over the centuries, if the liver or the pancreas started to sputter, for instance, there wasn't much to do other than expect to die before too long. Now, technology can make numerous "fine-tuning" adjustments, thus extending not only life, but also the quality of life for many persons.

Even through much of the 20th century, there was not a great deal that physicians could do to help with a broad range of ailments. In many cases, about the only tools a doctor had available were placebos and bedside manner. Now, there's a great deal that medicine can do, but it costs, so society will spend the years ahead working out how relatively scarce medical resources will be rationed, because there won't be enough money for everybody to have unlimited access to everything.

Along related lines, many of what have traditionally been referred to as "mental illnesses" are really just additional physical illnesses, but, in their case, it may be the brain that is malfunctioning, rather than the heart or some other organ. We know far more about nearly all types of psychiatric illnesses now, and we're capable of DOING much more to treat them than only a few years ago.

However, society's institutions will need time to catch up with our knowledge and broadening options. For instance, much of the criminal law rests on the presumed information base of our remote ancestors, and many of its assumptions are now known to be either flat-out wrong, or, at least, simple-headed and inadequate.

Also, we now know that there is no rational basis whatever for insurance companies to distinguish between familiar physical illnesses and psychiatric illnesses when it comes to coverage. Senators Paul Wellstone, a liberal Democrat, and Pete Domenici, a conservative Republican, have worked together in the Congress to pass legislation to gain health coverage parity for psychiatric disorders. Both have family members who have suffered greatly from psychiatric illnesses, so it is interesting to note here the power of knowledge. Simply knowing something about these things has been enough to override ideology in their case. Now, Senator Domenici is in the news again, as he attempts to convince the White House to help expand health coverage for psychiatric illnesses.

What are Senator Domenici's chances? He may have partial success, but we're living in a time when there will be more competition for medical services of all kinds and tens of millions of Americans have no health coverage at all. Stay tuned.

Of course, with respect to medications, whether for familiar physical or psychiatric illness, there is an additional problem for which there may not be a solution. Competition tends to drive prices down, but when a powerful new medication is created by a company, there usually isn't a substitute available from other companies. Its inventor needs to recover research and development costs, and has a right to a patent. Until the inventor's patent runs out, the company is likely to enjoy a monopoly, unless a competitor is able to create an alternative medication that is capable of producing similar effects.

Seniors with debt (Thursday, 4/25/02)
We've reported numerous times on the tremendous debts that many graduating seniors take with them as they leave their campuses. However, here's USA Today's story on the debts that are piling up for seniors on the other end of the lifespan. For many, the "golden years" may refer only to the gold in their teeth, and they may be ready to cash that in too.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Halfing World Poverty by 2015 (Thursday, 4/25/02)
Here's a report from the United Kingdom's Department of International Development that outlines a plan for reducing the number of people in the world who live in extreme poverty from 30 percent to 15 percent by 2015.

Argentina's latest government stumbles (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
Argentina's deep economic crisis has turned into a major political crisis that appears to be getting worse again. President Duhlade's economic minister has resigned at the same time the country's Senate has declined to consider the President's proposed emergency legislation for dealing with the economic crisis. The Duhalde government has been weakened by its inability to obtain help from the International Monetary Fund, and proposed reforms that might gain that assistance are highly unpopular. Meanwhile, to the north of Argentina, labor opponents of Venezuelan President Chavez intend to go ahead with their planned May 1 march, despite the recent violence and unsuccessful coup in that country.

Airport security problems you wouldn't expect (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
Some of the people you might least expect to cause airport security problems are doing it: pilots and other airline employees, among others. Meanwhile, more than 100 airport workers have been arrested at the three Washington, D. C.-area airports and charged with supplying false information in order to obtain jobs or security clearances. In happier airline-related news, a settlement appears to be near between United Airlines and its ramp workers.

Consumer confidence increases in Japan (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
Japan can use some good economic news, and, as Ken Belson reports from Tokyo, a government survey of consumers suggests that at least some improvement may be coming. Meanwhile, in the United States, there is evidence that the latest recession may not have been as mild as commonly supposed. Here's more on the latest Commerce Department data from Jeannine Aversa in Washington.

Labor relations not so sweet at Hershey (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
Two contract offers have been rejected by a union representing 3,000 workers at Hershey Foods, and a strike warning has been issued.

Texas healthcare cost increases race ahead of national increases (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
Healthcare costs are becoming an increasing problem for employers and employees alike in many regions, but things have gotten particularly serious in Texas where premium increases are forcing some businesses to drop health coverage altogether. Here's more from Bill Hensel of the Houston Chronicle.

More Hispanics own their own homes (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
Date from the Census Bureau show that home ownership rates among Hispanics increased during the 1990s, although there are differences among various groups. Also, Census data show that income inequality increased in five states, with the gap between rich and poor narrowing only in Alaska.

Shelter in more ways than one (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
In some states, the roof over your head can also shelter much of your wealth from your creditors if you declare bankruptcy. Philip Shenon reports from Washington on a compromise between the House and Senate that could limit the extent to which expensive homes can shield assets.

Thursday is the last "Take Our Daughters to Work Day" (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
The reason: sons will be included starting next year.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Best Corporate Citizens (Wednesday, 4/24/02)
Business Ethics magazine has released its latest list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens in terms of social responsibility, and, according to them, IBM tops its list..

Is Andersen evaporating? (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
What do you do when your once-prestigious company blows away its credibility by being implicated in the implosion of what had appeared to be, with the use of smoke and mirrors, the seventh-largest corporation in the United States? Well, you'd probably want to bring in somebody with a pristine reputation to try to clean things up. Andersen has done that by enlisting the guidance of former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. While Mr. Volcker is publicly hoping for miracles, Andersen officials are insisting that bankruptcy isn't imminent. However, chances of the needed miracles seem to be diminished as large numbers of Andersen's partners leap overboard and swim for shore. As our guest commentator, SUNY finance professor Dr. William Raynor, points out, conventional accounting procedures tend to miss much of what gives a firm value in the new economy: its talented people. This seems to be the case with what had long been the nation's largest accounting firm itself.

Bank holiday in Argentina (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Argentina's banking system remains on a precipice as a "bank holiday" is declared and all foreign exchange and banking transactions are halted indefinitely. Meanwhile, President Duhalde's government announces crisis legislation. Here's more from Larry Rohter in Buenos Aires.

Ericsson bleeds (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Ericsson, the big Swedish wireless company, has been losing money and expects to continue doing so, despite plans to cut its workforce by another 20 percent.

Florida tourism expected to recover soon (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
The big theme parks in central Florida expect to have a good summer and intend to hire 4,000 people to accommodate "pent-up" tourist demand.

Cheaper labor calls jobs FROM Mexico (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Many manufacturing jobs have been exported from the United States to Mexico over the years. Now, many of those jobs are on the move again to places such as Central America and China. Here's more from Traci Carl in Mexico City.

Hollywood suddenly becomes unexplored territory (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Hollywood SAG members no longer have a contract with their talent agents, which means that controls in place since "Gone With the Wind" was released have disappeared. Gary Gentile has more on SAG's rejection of a proposed deal with the agents.

AARP calls in its lawyers (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
AARP used to be called the American Association of Retired Persons, but, since nearly every American receives an invitation to join roughly 90 seconds after turning 50, it's really not just for people who actually are retired or even for those who are particularly old. Officially now, the organization is simply AARP, which can stand for whatever you like. However, there is no doubt that it is one of the largest and most influential political action organizations in the U.S., so when it decides to get behind the movement to make lower cost prescription medications more accessible, it has to be taken seriously. Robert Pear writes from Washington on ARRP's decision to join a number of lawsuits around the United States.

Class-action suits change Ford's corporate mind on employee evaluation (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Ford Motor Company is still trying to develop an employee evaluation system that serves its needs without getting it sued for discrimination. Ed Garsten has more from Dearborn, Michigan.

Who doesn't like the new campaign finance law? (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Many Democrats seem to like to assume that the new law strikes a painful blow against Republican politicians and their "soft money" benefactors. But wait--haven't many Democrats been dependent on these sources of funding as well? Guess who's in court claiming that the new law violates the First Amendment to the Constitution. It's America's largest labor federation, that's who. Here's more from today's New York Times.

Florida retirement fund may file suit because of Enron fallout (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Kurt Eichenwald reports that Florida's state employee retirement fund is being advised to sue Alliance Capital Management, which, they would claim, continued to invest state funds in Enron stock even after Enron itself had acknowledged that things weren't quite as they had seemed. If true, it would have amounted to pouring public money into what should have been seen as an obvious bottomless hole.

Chairman Greenspan is impressed (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
The Chairman of the Federal Reserve made a speech yesterday in which he expressed approval of the American economy's "impressive ability" to recover from what may have been the mildest American recession so far. That is, if it really was a recession at all, given the conventional definitional criterion of two consecutive quarters of "negative growth."

Is America becoming a nation of financial doofuses? (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
A new survey finds that if you've been thinking that student financial illiteracy couldn't get worse, you may have to think again. Here's more from Jeannine Aversa in Washington.

"Government" no longer a dirty word for many young grads seeking employment (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
There's nothing like a national crisis to change the minds of a lot of people who have wanted to believe that government, by its nature, is always incompetent or mostly filled with crooks. Suddenly, even its most outspoken critics can be reminded that the military, police, and fire departments are government services too, and most Americans like having them available when their lives are in jeopardy. Moreover, maybe government work can be honorable as well as essential after all. Mary Deibel writes that many young grads are noticing the various attractions of public sector employment.

Lou does well for CNBC (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
Louis Rukeyser's new-old program on CNBC last Friday night drew the largest primetime audience that the cable network has had this year. However, the 609,000 viewers were a far smaller audience than he's been used to with his PBS "Wall Street Week" show of 32 years. Nonetheless, Lou seems optimistic that we ain't seen nuthin' yet. For one thing, it appears that his program will run more than once per week on CNBC. For another, individual PBS stations which have been encouraged to pick it up and re-broadcast it free are beginning to sign on. Finally, CNBC is part of the same organization that runs MSNBC and the over-the-air NBC television networks. Is it possible that Lou will have other roles with the organization as well? At sixty-nine, he could be heading into the most interesting and lucrative stage of his career, and, besides, his new studios are much closer to his home, meaning that he won't have to spend a lot of hours on the highway each week.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: World Bank Experts (Tuesday, 4/23/02)
The World Bank makes a panel of experts available to the media.

G7 ministers agree that education is a key to development (Monday, 4/22/02)
Finance ministers from the world's most wealthy nations met in Washington over the weekend and have decided to focus special effort on helping the estimated one billion persons in the world who live in poverty. In the new global economy, people have to be prepared to do what needs to be done and what markets are willing to pay for, and that requires education and skill. Incidentally, they're using a fairly restrictive definition of "poverty" when they come up with a total of one billion persons. Other measures estimate that there are about 5 billion relatively poor people in the world and about 1 billion relative rich ones, about a quarter of whom live in the United States.

Tech sector may heat up a bit (Monday, 4/22/02)
Intel executive Louis Burns believes that corporations are about to start buying computers again. Suddenly, within just a few years, the tech sector is playing a key role in driving the overall American economy either up or down, making economic trends somewhat less predictable.

A reason: "information" has become a major factor in production, and most traditional economic theory really doesn't know how to handle it. At the very least, it operates differently from traditional natural resources, capital, or labor in that "scarcity" doesn't apply when an unlimited number of copies of software can be made at low cost, and hardware advances are sometimes so rapid that over-capacity can be achieved at almost lightning speed. Also, a given generation of software and hardware can become obsolete quickly and totally, in many cases before research and development costs have been recovered. For these and additional reasons, profitability in tech industries isn't sure and is almost never easy, despite the historic technical advances that many people have learned to take for granted.

Speaking of economic unpredictability, just a few years ago, forecasters were saying that it would be at least ten years before the gap between demand for tech experts and the supply would begin to narrow, if then. Well, maybe not. The Cox News Service reports that applications to university computer science programs are way down, meaning that many people are no longer drawn to the field because they don't see hot opportunities waiting after graduation. They may be exaggerating the nature or extent of the downturn, though, and experts are worried about another shortage sometime soon.

Economies of scale in the professions (Monday, 4/22/02)
Some large law firms are VERY large, and the really big are forcing out the mid-sized, according to David Kapan of the Houston Chronicle. Among other things, this tends to narrow the range of employment options for young attorneys.

A new type of assembly line moves very slowly (Monday, 4/22/02)
Many decades ago, automobile manufacturers decided to let the assembly workers stay in more-or-less the same place while moving the autos-in-making past them. Boeing has decided that, when the machine people are building is hundreds of feet long, workers spend an awfully lot of time walking around it. Allison Linn writes from Everett, Washington about a new approach to building the huge 747's.

This week's statistics (Monday, 4/22/02)
Kansas City Star columnist Jerry Heaster guesses what the week's statistical reports will say. Among other things, he expects that the government will report strong first quarter growth. Meanwhile, fellow columnist Diane Stafford writes about workplace generation gaps. Also, here are some of Ms. Stafford recent columns.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Sloan Work and Family Research Network (Monday, 4/22/02)
The Sloan Work and Family Research Network is supported by funds from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and is located at Boston College.

G7 expresses willingness to refinance loans (Sunday, 4/21/02)
Poor countries with crushing debt can benefit by having more time to pay off their loans, and the seven richest industrial nations are willing to help. G7 representatives have been meeting in Washington, D. C.

IMF demands stepped-up reform in Argentina (Sunday, 4/21/02)
The kinds of things that the Argentine government needs to do in order to gain assistance from the International Monetary Fund are difficult because they are painful for many people and politically unpopular. No one likes to bite the bullet in preparation for major surgery on the battlefield. Still, the IMF says it needs to see more and see it faster if Argentina wants a hand extended to help it out of its deep economic hole.

The INS will attempt to close the open door in the north (Sunday, 4/21/02)
Assuming that it can move before it is broken into multiple agencies or replaced with something else, the Immigration and Naturalization Service will attempt to make America's northern border with Canada less like a sieve. Of the 8,000 new employees the agency intends to hire and train, 6,000 will be deployed on the largely open northern border with the hope of at least discouraging terrorists from walking into the United States. The fact that the U.S. and Canada share the longest undefended international border in the world is a measure of the mutual trust and cordial relationships between the two countries. The new U.S. plans don't reflect a change of attitude about Canadians, but simply the fear that international terrorists from other regions of the world will use Canada as an entry point into the U.S.

Former Tyson manager kills himself (Sunday, 4/21/02)
One of six former executives of Tyson Foods who had been indicted in relation to a scheme to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States has committed suicide in Shelbyville, Tennessee.

Forbes expects a common currency in North America (Sunday, 4/21/02)
Speaking in Vancouver, former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes said that he expects that Canada eventually will adopt a currency in common with the remainder of North America. Given that the American dollar already has become essentially the de facto currency in Cuba, of all places, one might expect that it is the U.S. dollar that Mr. Forbes is referring to but might be too polite to say at a time when many Canadians already resent economic domination by their huge neighbor to the south. However, it is possible for national identity and pride to give way to practical realities and convenience. As evidence of the unlikelihood of some events, it's useful to remember that France, a country that has even tried to keep foreign words out of its language, has adopted the euro. On the other hand, Britain has not...yet...so stay tuned.

Driving along the road to recovery (Sunday, 4/21/02)
Peter Kilborn reports that the people who move the huge 18-wheelers on down the Interstate have good reason to believe that the economic recovery is real. They can see it all around them.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Money: What It Is and How It Works (Sunday, 4/21/02)
Money is one of those things everybody thinks they know about, but many people find they really don't, as soon as questions move slightly beyond the surface appearance of things. William Hummel is a retired aerospace engineer with an impressive background and varied interests. His detailed examination of money is worth a read and can be highly instructive.

A judge sides with the Labor Department on Enron pensions (Saturday, 4/20/02)
As requested by the U.S. Department of Labor, an independent firm will manage Enron's pension plans, which will be taken out of the hands of Enron executives. Meanwhile, Enron officials are asking a bankruptcy judge for more time to work out a deal with former employees on severance and vacation pay.

Sun rises again (Saturday, 4/20/02)
Sun Country Airlines has been sold and will experience rebirth as a much smaller company. However, hundreds of displaced employees aren't happy with the way they were treated.

Democrats wonder how many employers will want to "do the right thing" (Saturday, 4/20/02)
Senate Democrats expressed skepticism about Labor Secretary Chao's claims that there will be widespread voluntary compliance with the Administrations voluntary ergonomics guidelines.

G7 see complacency as a possible enemy (Saturday, 4/20/02)
Finance ministers representing the world's seven richest industrial countries have been meeting again, and, while they agree that economic recovery seems to be underway, they also emphasize that nothing should be taken for granted.

Minimum wage violations in American Samoa (Saturday, 4/20/02)
A court has ordered a $3.5 million payment to hundreds of workers in an apparel factory in American Samoa.

Being laid off past 50 can be the least fun of all (Saturday, 4/20/02)
Maureen West tells about the special employment problems of older workers who have been caught in the recent flood of layoffs.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: CorpsWatch (Saturday, 4/20/02)
If you want to hold corporations accountable, CorpsWatch wants to help, and you can do your own research on individual companies on their site.

Strike vote may be coming in Germany (Friday, 4/19/02)
For the moment, at least, negotiations between IG Metall and German employers have collapsed, and union leadership expects to call for a strike vote soon. Here's more from David McHugh in Frankfurt.

Presidential hopeful criticizes Administration plan for reducing repetitive stress injuries (Friday, 4/19/02)
Democratic Senator John Edwards expressed a lack of enthusiasm in a Senate Labor Committee hearing yesterday for the Bush administration's plan to rely on voluntary guidelines and the threat of lawsuits to reduce the incidence of workplace injuries which appear to be common in the new economy. However, Labor Secretary Chao has defended the plan.

A better world by the end of 2002? (Friday, 4/19/02)
The International Monetary Fund forecasts global economic recovery this year, in large part because of a stronger than expected U.S. recovery.

Labor Department doubts Enron's sincerity (Friday, 4/19/02)
A Department of Labor official claims that Enron's agreement with the government to turn over control of its employee pension plans to an independent organization wasn't entered into in good faith.

Russian President wants to see a higher rate of growth (Friday, 4/19/02)
Russia's President Putin wants his country's economy to grow more rapidly in order to lift millions of Russians out of poverty and possibly improve his chances of re-election. Other top government officials are afraid that pushing too hard will destabilize the Russian economy. Here's more from Richard Balmforth in Moscow.

Farm growth (Friday, 4/19/02)
Crop prices haven't been cooperating, so the farm subsidy bill that is being worked out between the Senate and House could end up costing $10 billion more than expected.

Big communications companies make big job cuts (Friday, 4/19/02)
In the United States, troubled Qwest Communications, which already has cut 11,000 jobs, intends to cut 2,000 more. In Japan, the cuts will be deeper at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. NTT will slice 17,000 jobs, which amounts to almost 8 percent of its total workforce.

Tales of two cities (Friday, 4/19/02)
The Detroit Free Press' John Gallagher reports that Detroit has been lagging behind much of the rest of the country, prolonging the misery for many people, including skilled workers. Across the country, Ralph Bivins reports that Houston has lost 3,000 jobs during the past year.

Waiting for sweeter traveling music (Friday, 4/19/02)
The overall American economy seems to be recovering from recession and the effects of the September 11 terrorist attack, but the travel industry is still waiting for better times, according to columnist L. M. Sixel.

Another major American export (Friday, 4/19/02)
Berkeley Professor Anna Lee Saxenian has conducted a study for the Public Policy Institute of California and finds that the "brain drain" in technology isn't quite what it might appear to be. Among other things, foreign workers attracted to work in Silicon Valley often export the Valley's entrepreneurial culture back to their homelands.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: National Archives (Friday, 4/19/02)
Here's the UK's National Archives.

More protests in Latin America (Thursday, 4/18/02)
Argentina is back in the news again, as state employees protest throughout much of the country. They don't like the budget cuts that the International Monetary Fund has been seeking in exchange for IMF help. Meanwhile, to the north, the Venezuelan crisis may have settled down a bit for now. The New York Times' Ginger Thompson is in Caracas and offers some perspective if you're wondering what has been happening, and, perhaps more importantly, why.

Greenspan likes what he sees...mostly (Thursday, 4/18/02)
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has been examining the American economy again, and has decided that it's doing well without additional Fed intervention at this time. An interest rate INCREASE had been feared by many. Meanwhile, Jeff Madrick takes up the questions of whether there really was a recession, after all, and, if so, whether it was one of the shortest or whether it was longer than some, and so on. Part of the confusion and disagreement comes from an over-reliance on the Gross Domestic Product as a measure, he says.

More time in a longer unemployment line (Thursday, 4/18/02)
The number of people filing for first-time jobless benefits is often taken as a sign of how the job market is doing, but there may be other instructive numbers. Even though the economy seems to be growing again, the job market remains cranky. In fact, the Labor Department reports that the number of people who remain unemployed and continue collecting benefits is at its highest level in 19 years. Among the strugglers are many in the new crop of graduates this spring, according to Clayton Collins. Moreover, many grads are checking out nontraditional alternatives they might not have been willing to consider a couple of years ago, according to Amanda Paulson in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Nortel still struggling, will cut more jobs (Thursday, 4/18/02)
The big Canadian telecommunications company has only about half as many workers as it had only a short time ago, but more job cuts will be necessary, as the company struggles to regain profitability.

Northwest's mechanics lose one in court (Thursday, 4/18/02)
Northwest Airline mechanics sued their employer, claiming that Northwest exceeded federal law when doing criminal background checks, but a federal judge has dismissed the suit.

Of two minds about job sharing in Japan (Thursday, 4/18/02)
Tokuhiko Saito reports that some prefectural employees are going to be asked to accept cutbacks in work and income in order to preserve more jobs for more people. At about the same time, Hitachi is moving in the other direction.

Teamsters claim things don't go better at Coke for many workers (Thursday, 4/18/02)
Coca-Cola is an international product that is bottled at many locations around the world, and, according to Teamsters President James Hoffa, things are grim for many of the people who do the work. Here's more from Greg Winter in Manhattan.

Why people like Gates and Letterman are known for worrying (Thursday, 4/18/02)
Even the high-flying have to keep going or they can quickly lose altitude. There are no guarantees in this life; ask any old Roman emperor you happen to bump into. And, in a competitive market economy, even the most successful, most dominant companies can easily become yesterday's news.

For example, Kmart, which once dominated the discount retailing sector in the United States, has reached a point where even great generosity to executives may not convince them to stay on board. Another example is Xerox, which is in real jeopardy of going out of business soon, despite its dominant market position in several product categories only a few years ago and its historic role in developing new technologies brought to market by others, including the graphical user interface now employed by nearly all personal computer users worldwide.

Also, much aware that they have not succeeded by divine right, J. C. Penney and Sears are following different strategies for insuring their own long-term survival, according to this Washington Post story, and both seem to be enjoying some success...for now.

Because a buck ain't what it used to be (Thursday, 4/18/02)
A few decades ago, many Americans earned $5,000 per year and felt they were doing quite well. As everybody knows, inflation changes the meanings of all the numbers, even when living standards remain essentially the same. When a dollar buys about what a quarter did a while back, it makes no sense to treat a dollar in the same way as earlier. Thus, a bill is moving through Congress that would increase federal insurance coverage for bank deposits.

Did you hear the one about the IRS employees who are on your side? (Thursday, 4/18/02)
No, really, it's true: the Internal Revenue Service really does employ taxpayer advocates who will try to help you over some of the rough spots, they say.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: The Index of Economic Freedom (Thursday, 4/18/02)
The Index of Economic Freedom offers detailed economic policy information for more than 160 countries. It comes to you from The Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal.

Millions of workers strike in India and Italy (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
Millions of people who work for state-run companies in India conducted a one-day strike Tuesday to protest economic reforms. Among other things, the reforms would make it easier to lay off workers. Similarly, millions of Italian workers have stayed off their jobs in the first general strike in Italy in 20 years. Here's more from Melinda Henneberger in Rome.

Big cuts at General Electric and Corning (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
GE will cut 7,000 financial services jobs this year, and, after cutting 12,000 jobs last year, Corning intends to slice another 4,000 this year.

Canadian aircraft manufacturer hit by strike (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
Production has been interrupted at Bombardier Inc., as 7,500 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have walked off the job in an effort to obtain higher pay and improved pensions.

Daschled hopes (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
President Bush would like the Congress to help make last year's big tax cut permanent, but Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle is against the idea.

Has democracy been saved in Venezuela? (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
The Bush administration wasn't sad to see the departure of Venezuela's President Chavez, but there are conflicting reports of how active a role was played by the American White House. The official word coming out of the Administration is that, while U.S. officials had been in touch with those who removed Chavez from office for two days, they cautioned against the use of non-democratic means.

It doesn't strengthen democratic institutions to have a revolving door installed on a president's office. Still, considering that Hugo Chavez attempted a coup himself ten years ago, and, before last week's unsuccessful coup, had been talking much like a man who, once installed by an election, might intend to dismantle whatever democratic apparatus remained.

Whether or not there will be future free elections now that Mr. Chavez is back in power, the events of the past week seem to have made him more accomodating toward his opposition, at least for the moment, including employees of the state-owned oil company whose strike brought the current political crisis to a head. The international oil market doesn't seem too comfortable with having Mr. Chavez in charge of one of the world's major sources of supply. Prices went up 4.7 percent as he regained power in Venezuela. Meanwhile, the Christian Science Monitor examines the condition of democracy across Latin America and finds it shaky.

Western ports could be hit by strikes (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
Many West Coast longshoremen and others could go on strike and close a number of American ports, according to Simon Avergy, who reports on the tough and acrimonious contract negotiations that are going on. Incidentally, Alexa Olesen reports from Singapore on the new longshoremen who are far more knowledge workers than muscle workers.

Moving from welfare to work doesn't necessarily help moms' children, according to a new study (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
Researchers studied mothers and their children across three states and found that, in general, the lives of children are not improved when mothers successfully make the transition from welfare to work, as required by 1996 legislation.

Inflation still does not threaten, but it has crept up a bit (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
Consumer prices were up 0.3 percent in March. Here's more from Jeannine Aversa in Washington. The Federal Reserve reports that the U.S. economy continues its comeback, but there is concern about how oil prices might affect things. Recent increases are mostly responsible for the moderate increase in inflation.

Too much work for many students, not enough for many grads (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
Mary Beth Marklein of USA Today writes about a new survey that finds that full-time college students are working more than five years ago, with a larger number saying that work is reducing their academic achievement. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that some new grads who thought they had jobs waiting at Andersen have been left hanging.

First things first (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
Phyllis Oakley of the Washington Post writes about the UN meeting on aging held in Madrid, saying that, while the proportion of the world's population over 60 will double within 50 years, those future seniors are only 10-years-old now. Other crises will hit sooner. Fortunately, she says, a suggested strategy for dealing with the great increase in the number of older people--raising the status of the world's women--can help with those too.

Free time at Enron (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
The once characteristic sense of urgency at Enron has been much reduced, and many executives still on the payroll seem to have time for other things. Here's more from David Barboza and John Schwartz in Houston.

Giving new meaning to the term "company policy" (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
In fact, it's probably a term policy. Columnist L. M. Sixel tells about the common but little-known corporate practice of taking out life insurance policies on workers. No, surviving family members usually aren't the beneficiaries.

The new circuit riders (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
During the 19th century, there were many preachers riding the circuit and some lawyers, such as Lincoln in Illinois. Now, as Peter Kilborn writes, many of the circuit riders are physicians.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: FAIRMODEL (Wednesday, 4/17/02)
FAIRMODEL comes to you from Yale University and allows you to perform large-scale macroeconomic analyses yourself. The site should be of special interest to business and government analysts and researchers, as well as students and their teachers.

Chavez, out for two days, is back again (Monday, 4/15/02)
A political crisis that started with oil worker protests continues in Venezuela. Hugo Chavez attempted a coup ten years ago, but was elected to the presidency in 1998. Then, following violent mass protests last week, he was removed from office by the Venezuelan military. More mass protests followed and the military's hand-picked interim president resigned. Now, Hugo Chavez has been released from custody and has resumed his presidency. Oil prices declined for a while when he was removed from office, but, now that he's back, they're on their way up again. Venezuela is a major oil producer and exporter, and oil is a state monopoly in that country. Moreover, President Chavez seems to admire Fidel Castro and the way things are done in Cuba.

IMF report on global economy comes out Thursday (Monday, 4/15/02)
A fairly strong U.S. economy seems to be leading the world economy into more positive territory than many had expected after September 11. The International Monetary Fund has revised its "World Economic Outlook" and will release it toward the end of this week.

More bad loans (Monday, 4/15/02)
The Japanese economy has been held back by a tremendous number of bad bank loans, and a new audit finds that it's much worse than previously thought.

SEC scrutinizes Enron bonus plan (Monday, 4/15/02)
Bankrupt Enron Corporation wants to distribute about $140 million in retention bonuses and severance, but the Securities and Exchange Commission is wondering about it and wants more specific information, according to Brad Foss in New York.

New labor deal at AT&T (Monday, 4/15/02)
Tentative agreement has been reached with two unions representing nearly 28,000 workers at AT&T Corporation.

Help for minority businesswomen (Monday, 4/15/02)
Yvette Armendariz of the Arizona Republic tells about Odyssey Network 2002, a program to help minority businesswomen advance in their fields.

College faculty are doing better (Monday, 4/15/02)
A new survey conducted by the American Association of University Professors finds that, on average, U.S. college faculty salaries are up the most in more than a decade.

Privacy continues to fade in the American workplace as suspicions and technological capabilities increase (Monday, 4/15/02)
Your email has been an open book for quite a long time and, in the present climate, employers have more reasons for being more concerned about what their employees are doing and who they're talking to. Now, your boss is able to monitor your instant messages too. If you want to send private messages, don't try to do it from work. Here's more from Matthew Fordahl in Foster City, California.

Child care workers begin to organize (Monday, 4/15/02)
David Crary tells about the national union organizing movement among child care workers, and says that it may or may not result in confrontational relationships with employers. Various kinds of situations have arisen so far. Meanwhile, a growing number of parents are thinking that it would be neat to keep the kids at home and stay with them all day, while getting their work done and earning a living too. Home-based businesses do have an appeal for many people, but Yvette Armendariz suggests that some advance reality-testing is in order, as well as other types of practical research. It may not work as well in reality as it does in your dreams, and may even be illegal in some communities.

Ergonomics issue moved back to the front burner (Monday, 4/15/02)
Shortly after taking office, the Bush White House rolled back Clinton-era policies on workplace injuries, favoring, instead, voluntary measures. Democrats in Congress would prefer legislation that would require employers to make changes in order to reduce repetitive-stress injuries on the job. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao will testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this week, and some tough questions are expected from Committee chairman Senator Edward Kennedy and others.

Who loves ya, baby? (Monday, 4/15/02)
President Bush would like you to feel a little better about April 15 and is hoping that you will think about his administration's 10-year tax-cut. He wants Congress to make the cuts permanent.

Boomer bust (Monday, 4/15/02)
Joyce Rosenberg reports that many boomers, intending to retire early without sacrificing living standards have been coping with a number of surprises. Given the size of the boomer generation in the United States, there will be a dramatic increase in the number of older people during the years ahead. However, the world's population is aging overall, and a United Nations meeting has been going on in Madrid to plan for the global demographic shift and serving the needs of a tremendous number of old people.

Work or health (Monday, 4/15/02)
Some people who love their work experience special conflict because it makes them sick to do it. Lisa Belkin of the New York Times has more.

Low-profile whizzes (Monday, 4/15/02)
The era of "rock star" tech entrepreneurs may be over for a while. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a new generation of them. You simply have to know where to look.

Relax more efficiently (Monday, 4/15/02)
A cartoon from years ago showed an overweight, over-stressed, middle-aged executive running up the beach carrying two pails of seashells. His wife tells a bystander that after much effort to increase his efficiency, he's able to fill those pails in only seven minutes. Matt Richtel, only slightly more seriously, tells how hi-tech can help you more efficiently use your leisure time. In fact, you may be able to generate an "executive summary" of your life and settle for that.

Whoops! (Monday, 4/15/02)
There are a growing number of scams that have convinced some people that, for a fee, they will be able to obtain slavery reparations tax credits from the IRS. No such credits exist, but, as Curt Anderson reports, the IRS has allowed about $30 million worth anyway.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Help! It's April 15! (Monday, 4/15/02)
If you're scrambling here at the last minute in order to get your taxes filed by the end of the day, some advice and assistance might be helpful. Here's MSN's Tax Guide, as well as the Tax Time guide from the Washington Post and some tips for last-minute filers.

Chavez government falls (Friday, 4/12/02)
An oil workers' strike led to a general strike which has resulted in at least 13 deaths and the resignation of President Hugo Chavez. The Venezuelan military has assumed power with the stated intention of restoring democracy. The resignation of Chavez also has been followed by an easing of oil prices.

Pension bill clears the House (Friday, 4/12/02)
The House of Representatives has passed a Republican bill to provide greater protection to pensions in the wake of the Enron scandal. Democrats are saying that it doesn't go far enough, so the next stop is the Democratically-controlled Senate.

Republicans work on long-term alliances with American unions (Friday, 4/12/02)
In the world of consumer products, there have been multiple examples of two major contenders in a new product category having essentially equal market shares for a time until, often quite suddenly, the market "tips over." One suddenly becomes the long-term leader, with the other falling back into a clearly secondary position. The orginal contest many years ago between the pre-soak laundry products "Biz" and "Axion" was an example. So was the original battle between "Taster's Choice" and "Maxim," when freeze-dried instant coffees hit the market.

Similar things have happened in American politics, with 1896, 1932, and 1968 being periods when a new political equilibrium established itself and persisted for many years. Presently, as indicated in the tied 2000 presidential election as well as in an essentially evenly-divided Congress, we appear to be in a time of political instability which many political scientists believe cannot last. Before long, the political climate is likely to "tip over," and a new equilibrium with a new consensus should be established, and this could mean that either the Democratic or Republican party could become the majority party and dominate for years to come, with significant long-term effects on American society.

However, for this to happen, both major parties are likely to have to be composed of something other than their familiar coalitions of recent years. For example, as Sharon Theimer reports, the Republicans are courting the AFL-CIO.

Gender bias in Ireland (Friday, 4/12/02)
Despite Ireland's Employment Equality Act, gender discrimination continues to be widespread, according to the Equality Authority's chief executive.

Lonnnnggg hours in New Zealand (Friday, 4/12/02)
According to Census data, at least 200,000 New Zealanders work at least 60 hours per week. Here's more from the latest edition of New Zealand's The Jobs Letter.

Face-to-face is best (Friday, 4/12/02)
Houston Chronicle columnist L. M. Sixel says that learning by voice-mail that you've been fired or laid off just doesn't smell right. Speaking of layoffs, General Mills is preparing to cut several hundred jobs during the next several days following its acquisition of Pillsbury six months ago. Big company mergers usually result in duplication and redundancy, so layoffs in this case aren't surprising.

Magazine rankings make a difference to business schools (Friday, 4/12/02)
The people who manage MBA programs care what the editors at U.S News think, but their rankings aren't the only ones. Here's more from D. C. Denison of the Boston Globe.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: 2003 Graduate School Rankings (Friday, 4/12/02)
Here are the latest 2003 Graduate School Rankings from U.S. News.

General strike continues in Venezuela (Thursday, 4/11/02)
Oil exports have been reduced and more cutbacks are threatened as organized labor in Venezuela continues its dispute with the Chavez government. One major labor leader asks for the support of the military.

Bush's pension bill expected to pass in the House (Thursday, 4/11/02)
A pension reform bill favored by President Bush is heading for the House floor and is expected to pass. Democrats don't believe it goes far enough, given what has happened to many former Enron workers.

Jobless claims down from the previous week, but... (Thursday, 4/11/02)
Fewer Americans applied for first-time unemployment benefits last week, but the previous week's numbers were inflated because people already unemployed had to file new claims in order to obtain an extension of their benefits.

Having worked for Ford will begin to cost a bit (Thursday, 4/11/02)
Persons retired from the Ford Motor Company will be paying a monthly premium for their health insurance for the first time. Here's more from Jeffrey McCracken of the Detroit Free Press.

Oxfam backs free trade (Thursday, 4/11/02)
Oxfam, an organization known for its advocacy on the part of the world's poor, has been allied with anti-globalization organizations, but now has come out favoring free trade as a way to lift millions of people out of poverty.

Millions have paid too much (Thursday, 4/11/02)
While some American taxpayers attempt to cut corners and even cheat on their taxes, others have been paying too much, and they shouldn't. A study from the General Accounting Office finds that more people should itemize deductions, for instance.

John Nash and non-zero-sum games (Thursday, 4/11/02)
The big hit film, "A Beautiful Mind," has made a celebrity of John Nash, a man has been both a Nobel Prize winner and a schizophrenic. It's commonly believed that he won his big prize in mathematics, but that's not true. He is a mathematician, but he is a Nobel Laureate in economics. Hal Varian tells what was special about his work and why it still matters after all these years.

New higher ed contract contains same-sex benefits (Thursday, 4/11/02)
Members of the Inter Faculty Organization have ratified a new contract with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the fifth-largest higher education organization in the United States, including community colleges, technical colleges, and state universities, and it includes same-sex benefits.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Tax Guide (Thursday, 4/11/02)
With T-Day approaching shortly, you may find the Arizona Republic's Tax Guide helpful. Of course, the information about state taxes will apply only to those of you in Arizona, but the remainder should be of interest to Americans anywhere.

General strike extended through today (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
Many Venezuelan labor and business leaders agree on at least one thing. They don't like President Hugo Chavez. A one-day strike has turned into a two-day strike, and more disruptions may follow. Given the conflicts in the Middle East, much of the world has been paying special attention to developments in Venezuela because it is a major oil producer.

Consumer spending warms up with the weather (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
Japan has been enjoying some unseasonably pleasant weather, and consumers have been less reluctant to spend, which could help the long-troubled Japanese economy warm up a bit too. Meanwhile, more persons than expected have been taking advantage of early-retirement incentives at Hitachi and Toshiba.

Still a tough row to hoe (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
A Congressional conference committee has reconvened on issues relating to new farm legislation, but disagreements persist. Many Republicans, including a key one who works in the White House, prefer more fixed payments, while Senate Democrats want payments linked to prices and production. Meanwhile, new welfare legislation is moving through the House, where Republicans are saying that they will agree to more flexible work requirements than those preferred by President Bush. Finally, a bill in the House of Representatives intending to provide more pension protection following Enron's collapse is being criticized by those who believe that it is biased in favor of the highly paid.

Northwest is accused to exceeding federal regulations in its background checks (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
The AMFA, which represents mechanics at Northwest Airlines, is seeking an injunction to prevent the airline from disqualifying workers who have had problems with the law more than ten years ago.

Asbestos-related suits may continue in great number until about 2030 (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
Many persons who are still healthy but who have been exposed to asbestos are bringing suit, according to Alex Berenson.

CNBC confirms that it will carry Rukeyser's new show (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
We reported last Sunday that Louis Rukeyser, creator and former host of PBS' "Wall Street Week," seemed to be heading toward CNBC. The news became official late yesterday: Rukeyser's new show, which he intends to be much like his old show, will occupy the familiar time slot on Friday nights. Whether Mr. Rukeyser will also play roles on the affiliated MSNBC or over-the-air NBC remains to be seen.

No, last year's tax rebate is NOT to be counted as income on your tax return (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
Curt Anderson reports that millions of tax returns submitted to the IRS already contain errors relating to the 2001 rebate. Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service has indicated that it intends to step up the rate at which it will conduct audits from now on.

Their first recession (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
For many Americans in their twenties, the longest expansion in American history occupied most of the time they were growing up, so they haven't had an opportunity to learn about the personal effects of recession until very recently. Mary Wiltenburg of the Christian Science Monitor tells how some are dealing with the surprises.

If you're a lawyer with an EE degree, these folks REALLY want to hear from you (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
A Boston law firm with offices in other regions is offering signing bonuses of $50,000 or more to some people who are both attorneys and engineers.

More drug companies sign on to senior discount program (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
Are you a bona fide card-carrying old person? If so, check to be sure you have your Social Security card, your AARP card, your Medicare card, and, now, your Together RX card. Julie Appleby of USA Today explains what that's all about. Meanwhile, the President wants some of your time, but not the 4,000-year commitment that he first called for (He meant 4,000 hours). He would like to beef up the Senior Corps volunteer program, though, and he would like you to start thinking of yourself as a "senior" at age 55, rather than waiting until age 60. That makes him a "senior" too, doesn't it? Incidentally, President Bush isn't the only major politician who sometimes suffers from what might be called the "Yogi Berra syndrome," meaning saying things he doesn't quite mean. Remember Vice President Dan Quayle? Also, former President Jimmy Carter once introduced Hubert Humphrey at a national convention by shouting out "Hubert Horatio Hornblower!"

Economics writer acknowledges that his crystal ball has been fogged over a bit (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
Economics columnists Robert Samuelson says that the hangover from the intoxicating boom of the 1990s hasn't been as bad as he expected, at least so far. Nonetheless, he identifies at least four problems left over from the expansive 1990s.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Job Analysis and Personality Research (Wednesday, 4/10/02)
Professor Robert Harvey at Virginia Tech conducts job analysis and personality research. You can read about it, and also participate.

National strike threatened in Germany (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
Thousands of German workers already have left their jobs in a pay dispute, and they could be followed by thousands more. Here are details from Tony Czuczka in Berlin.

Strike in Venezuela's oil industry (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
One very important member of OPEC is not located in the Middle East. Venezuela is a major world oil producer, and labor problems threaten to disrupt the flow of its oil to its global customers, including the U.S., at the same time that Iraq has announced that it is suspending oil exports and war in the Middle East is causing a general case of the jitters across oil-dependent industrial nations.

Andersen lays off more than a quarter of its U.S. workers (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
As clients abandon it almost daily and it struggles to survive, Arthur Andersen lays off 7,000 employees.

Levi's closes pants plants (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
Levi Strauss was among the few who did very well during the California gold rush, not by finding gold, but by selling rugged denim trousers to the miners. More recently, the company he founded prospered because Levi's jeans were highly fashionable internationally across socioeconomic strata. Fashions change, though, and so has Levi's fortunes. The company will close six U.S. factories and lay off more than 3,600 workers. Production won't decrease by a commensurate amount, because many of the jobs are being exported to lower wage regions, including Mexico.

Hong Kong deports 2,000 Chinese migrants (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
"Deportation" usually means moving people out of a country, but not necessarily in China. Two-thousand Chinese from the mainland are being forcibly evicted from Hong Kong, now part of China again, and more "deportations" are coming. The government is being accused of unfairly dividing families. All this may seem a bit strange to persons, such as those in the United States or Western Europe, who are used to freedom of movement. To go from Wisconsin to Illinois, for instance, you simply walk or ride or drive, and pay attention, or you may miss seeing the border as you go by.

Cookie plant hostages (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
Workers in Spain are trying to change the minds of managers of United Biscuit Group about closing the plant by holding some of them hostage.

U.S. economy threatened by spreading unavailability of terror coverage (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
Following the September 11 attack, many insurers are specifically exempting destruction of insured properties as a consequence of terrorist acts, and this is putting the brakes on new commercial construction. It's yet another way that a relatively small number of terrorists can threaten an entire nation and its economy, and President Bush is concerned about it. Here's more from today's Washington Post.

Insurance premiums are driving some from the practice of medicine (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
There is a blizzard of malpractice suits ending in large awards from sympathetic juries, and all this is driving malpractice insurance premiums into the stratosphere and some practitioners from the medical profession. Steve Friess has more from USA Today.

Community colleges may become less of a bargain (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
If you feel the need to compete with your friends over how much you can spend on your children's education, there are plenty of expensive private colleges that will be happy to take your money. However, if you believe that substance is more important than symbols, you may look elsewhere for good educational opportunities, keeping in mind that, with sufficient commitment, it's still possible to become very well-educated for nothing at the public library. Knowledge is knowledge, however obtained. But, to those who "know the price of everything but the value of nothing," knowledge obtained inexpensively won't have sufficient show-off value.

Community colleges can be great places for all but the most exceptional beginning college students who really do require the resources of a major research university. The majority of students in their first two years of college will find many experienced faculty at these institutions who really do like to teach, rather than being preoccupied with "publish or perish" pressures or simply with their own course work or theses, which is often the case with distracted, inexperienced teaching assistants at major universities.

Moreover, the American community college movement has grown out of an effort to broaden access to higher educational services. As a consequence, while the instruction itself may not be less expensive than on many other campuses, students are likely to have to pay a smaller proportion of the cost themselves. However, as Mary Beth Marklein reports today, budget squeezes at state levels are putting the squeeze on community colleges because of their greater dependence on state support. Community college tuition in many states appears to be on its way up.

Big taxpayers (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
Income and wealth are very unevenly distributed in the United States, but so is the tax burden. Curt Anderson reports that the wealthiest 5 percent pay more than half of total taxes. The wealthiest 1 percent pay over a third of the taxes. Does this mean they also have over a third of the income? Nope, they earn about 19 percent of the income. In a "progressive" tax system, those who earn more not only pay more taxes, but also a higher tax rate. Nonetheless, other research indicates that, despite the tax system, the income and wealth gap has increased during recent years. Part of this can be attributed to a "skills gap" in the new economy.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: jobscience (Tuesday, 4/9/02)
jobscience is a jobs site specializing in healthcare-related occupations.

Violent protests in southern China (Monday, 4/8/02)
About 1,500 workers were fired from a Chinese factory without being given their pay for February and March. Violent protests broke out when security guards attempted to evict them, and ten workers have been injured.

Will the latest troubles in the Middle East derail the U.S. economic recovery? (Monday, 4/8/02)
The White House, perhaps with the fall election in mind, is joining the chorus of economists suggesting that increased gasoline prices could short-circuit the economic recovery. Saddam Hussein, who may be pleased that the war in Israel has deflected attention from his regime for the moment, may also feel that his decision to suspend oil exports in order to drive oil prices even higher may weaken President Bush's position, not only politically in the United States, but also in terms of his goal of bringing down Iraq's regime. Meanwhile, American corporate CEOs aren't sure they believe that a genuine recovery has been going on, even without the possible slowing effect of rising energy prices. They could use a little recovery themselves, so far as image and job security are concerned, according to Del Jones in USA Today.

Putin wants more from his cabinet (Monday, 4/8/02)
The Russian president doesn't believe that the government is sufficiently ambitious in promoting the development of the Russian economy. He wants more ideas and more creative ones.

Too few opportunities for educated persons in the Philippines (Monday, 4/8/02)
The Philippines' many political and economic problems are leading to a "brain drain." Here's more from Jane Perlez in Manila.

An early start to contract talks at Boeing (Monday, 4/8/02)
Contracts affecting tens of thousands of machinists and engineers run out before the end of the year, and union leaders and Boeing management are trying to get a head start on avoiding possible strikes.

Big cuts at BT Group (Monday, 4/8/02)
BT Group intends to restructure in order to focus on broadband telecommunication services while also cutting costs. The company expects to eliminate as many as 18,000 jobs over the next three years.

Texas physicians, alarmed over litigation, plan "labor action" (Monday, 4/8/02)
Hundreds of doctors in the Brownsville, Texas area are closing their practices for a day in order to call attention to the litigious climate and high insurance fees that are driving some from the practice of medicine in the region.

Teacher salaries barely keep pace (Monday, 4/8/02)
A new report from the National Educational Association says that teacher salaries barely kept up with inflation during the booming 1990s and lagged considerably behind many other fields of work requiring similar education levels.

Bush encourages volunteerism (Monday, 4/8/02)
The first President Bush promoted his "thousand points of light," and the second President Bush seems to be following in his footsteps with his Citizen Corps. Basically, political and economic conservatives prefer private solutions to government agencies and programs in dealing with social problems. Nonetheless, the President says that he wants to spend $230 million to support the system of volunteers.

Women who haven't had time to have it all (Monday, 4/8/02)
Karen Peterson reports on research that finds many successful women haven't gotten around to being mothers, and time is running out.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: National Skills Standards Board (Monday, 4/8/02)
The National Skills Standards Board is a voluntary organization intending to work toward the development of a national system of skills standards, assessment, and certification to enable to the U.S. workforce to compete more effectively in the global economy.

Challenger vs. Chancellor (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Edmund Stoiber wants to be the next Chancellor of Germany, and, as Steven Erlanger reports from Berlin, he believes that Gerhard Schröder's performance in the office has been particularly unimpressive when it comes to Europe's largest economy.

Big win for former Ralphs employees (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Six women have been awarded $30 million by a jury in their harassment suit against a division of Kroger foods.

Ambitious report on executive compensation (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Today's New York Times takes a close look at the use of stock options in rewarding top corporate executives, including a piece by columnist Louis Uchitelle on the role of "asymmetric information", plus many other articles on the typical U.S. approach compared to how companies in some other countries do it. The basic logic behind rewarding executives with stock options more than salaries is that benefits should be contingent on company performance. However, as the Enron/Andersen mess has indicated, stock values can be manipulated and may not be a very good measure of corporate performance or well-being.

Rukeyser on CNBC (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Cable network CNBC is promoting Louis Rukeyser as a commentator on one of its financial programs, suggesting that the former PBS "Wall Street Week" host may have made his deal. Will his own Friday night program be on CNBC with other appearances on both MSNBC and the over-the-air NBC television network? Stay tuned. The last time Rukeyser worked for a major network news division was before he founded "Wall Street Week" nearly a third of a century ago when he was an ABC News reporter. He can expect to have a smaller audience on a commercial cable channel than on his old PBS show, but a larger audience on NBC, so this may be a way of having it both ways. Meanwhile, despite the spiffy "Wall Street Week" set, Maryland Public Television has managed to turn their program into something that looks like a public access show or a "Saturday Night Live" parody since Lou's last appearance two weeks ago.

Will it be an "L," a "V," or a "W?" At least, it's probably not a "U" (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Martin Crutsinger discusses the metaphorical alphabet soup of recoveries. The Middle East war could turn a likely "V" into a "W," he says.

Many economists expect the Fed to hold off (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Short-term interest rates are about as low as they've been since John Kennedy was in the White House, so it's reasonable to expect that the Federal Reserve eventually will raise them with the possibility of future inflation in mind. However, a survey of economists finds that many expect the Fed to wait until at least June before taking that sort of action, and a modest growth rate seems to support this supposition.

A good decade for American workers (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Despite the highly speculative tech wreck and whatever role Enron-like creative accounting might have played in separating appearances from realities, it seems that the 1990s were substantive and good after all. This was particularly the case for workers, according to a study sponsored by Business Week.

Widening gap on the home front (Sunday, 4/7/02)
Home ownership rates for native-born Americans and immigrants diverged during the '80s and '90s, according to a study from the Research Institute for Housing America.

Mysteries of the IRS (Sunday, 4/7/02)
It appears that affluent Americans are cheating more on their taxes, but the Internal Revenue Service is more likely to audit lower-income wage earners. We don't know why either.

How Minnesota companies have been doing (Sunday, 4/7/02)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune has surveyed Minnesota's largest publicly held companies and finds that, for the most part, they have fared well, despite the recession.

The world continues to get older, and now, so does its population (Sunday, 4/7/02)
The global population explosion is leveling off a bit overall, and a consequence is that the balance is tipping in the direction of older people. Given current trends, the number of people older than 60 will triple in only 50 years. A United Nations conference in Madrid has been looking at the economic policy changes that may be needed for a world more heavily populated by older people.

Can we talk? (Sunday, 4/7/02)
How much personal talk at work is too much? Columnist Amy Joyce of the Washington Post examines that question.

Today's NewWork News Web Tip: Overview of Germany (Sunday, 4/7/02)
From the latest CIA World Factbook, here's an overview of Germany, which has the largest economy in Europe and the third-largest in the world.

Unemployment up 0.2 percent in March (Saturday, 4/6/02)
According to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor, the American unemployment rate rose from 5.5 percent to 5.7 percent between February and March. On the other hand, U.S. companies added jobs in March for the first time since before the September 11 terrorist attack. Today's Washington Post provides an overview of the "fair to partly cloudy" economic picture on the radar.

Bush wants no mandatory rules regarding repetitive stress injuries (Saturday, 4/6/02)
The modern workplace requires things from the human body that it doesn't seem well-constructed to provide. Repetitive stress injuries have become more common, and the Clinton administration wanted government-imposed rules to reduce those injuries. However, the Bush administration feels that the Clinton plan would be too expensive, so it prefers to rely on voluntary efforts on the part of employers to reduce workplace injuries. Here's that story from Steven Greenhouse of the New York Times as well as more from USA Today. Meanwhile, the government is being accused of lax enforcement of regulations at an Alabama mine where 13 workers died in September.

Fingerhut workers may be leaving for the last time (Saturday, 4/6/02)
There is still a remote possibility that Federated Department Stores will manage to sell Fingerhut intact and that laid-off workers will be called back. But, for the moment, at least, it appears to be over for thousands of employees in the St. Cloud, Minnesota area.

More pressure on future oil supplies? (Saturday, 4/6/02)
So far, there isn't a shortage of oil, but the rise of gasoline prices in the U.S. shows that many people influencing the flow are anticipating possible supply problems later because of the war in the Middle East. Now, an oil workers labor dispute in Venezuela could further complicate things for the big consumer nations, such as the United States.

Two employers are sued (Saturday, 4/6/02)
The State of Minnesota is being sued by its largest union for actions taken against a union member following last fall's strike, and Tyson Foods is being sued by former employees who are claiming that their wages suffered because the company hired illegal immigrants.

Diebold dies (Saturday, 4/6/02)
Economist William Diebold is dead at 84.

French publishing officials accused of violating labor laws (Saturday, 4/6/02)
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