IWS Documented News DAILY POSTINGS

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

National Women's Law Center

Tools of the Trade: Using the Law To Address Sex Segregation In High School Career and Technical Education [27 October 2005]
http://www.nwlc.org/details.cfm?id=2462&section=education
[scroll down for individual tool kits by state]
or
http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/NWLCToolsoftheTrade05.pdf
[full-text, 40 pages]
and
Executive Summary
http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/NWLCToolsoftheTrade05ExecSummary.pdf

Press Release
IT’S STILL A PINK AND BLUE WORLD: COSMETOLOGY FOR GIRLS, CARPENTRY FOR BOYS
Girls’ Opportunities Severely Limited in High School Technical Education Programs
http://www.nwlc.org/details.cfm?id=2463&section=newsroom


(Washington, D.C.)­ High school career and technical education programs haven’t progressed much since the days when girls were required to take home economics and boys were required to enroll in shop, according to Tools of the Trade, a report released today by the National Women’s Law Center.

The comprehensive report ­ and 12 state-specific toolkits ­ examines girls’ participation in career and technical education (CTE) programs that are nontraditional for their gender. The report finds that, in spite of the 33-year-old Title IX law that prohibits sex discrimination in education, girls still represent the vast majority of students in traditionally female fields and boys are nearly all the students enrolled in traditionally male programs ­ a pattern virtually unchanged over the last three decades.

AND MORE....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

OECD Policy Brief:
Economic Survey of the United States 2005 [27 October 2005]
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/11/35541272.pdf

Economic Survey of the United States 2005
http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,2340,en_2649_34569_35512231_1_1_1_1,00.html

Executive Summary
http://www.oecd.org/document/18/0,2340,en_2649_34569_35512850_1_1_1_1,00.html

[excerpts]

Despite higher energy prices, the expansion has continued at a solid pace, driven by private domestic demand. With the output gap closing, stimulus is appropriately being withdrawn. However, monetary tightening since mid 2004 has not yet translated into higher long-term interest rates, and the incipient decline in the federal budget deficit owes much to the recent buoyancy of revenues. Over the next 18 months, the economy is projected to grow at an annual rate of 3¼ per cent, roughly in line with estimated potential output. Although such a soft landing is the most likely outcome, there are some risks. With little economic slack left, inflation could continue to pick up, in particular if oil prices keep rising. Insufficient public spending restraint or renewed dollar weakness associated with concerns about the external deficit might also add to inflationary pressures. On the other hand, an end to the house price boom, let alone a sharp correction, could entail a retrenchment of household expenditure that has been underpinned by rising household wealth.

The longer-term outlook also appears to be favourable. But addressing a number of issues would improve the chances of sustaining the recovery and good economic performance. They are mainly related to the lack of national saving and the associated large fiscal and external imbalances, but also concern some structural policy areas where progress in implementing reforms has been slow.
...

Addressing problems in the labour market

Expenditure on active labour-market measures (such as training) has been modest by international comparison, and the limited assistance available to job losers may be a factor contributing to rising protectionist sentiment. Trade adjustment assistance programmes (including wage insurance) could be expanded to cover displaced workers more generally. Moreover, to boost labour force participation, programmes for the disabled should be reviewed so as to reduce work disincentives.

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Women “Take Care,” Men “Take Charge:”
Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed
http://www.catalyst.org/files/full/Women%20Take%20Care%20Men%20Take%20Charge.pdf
[full-text, 45 pages]

Contents--
Foreword—The Obvious but Unspoken 1
Chapter 1: Introduction and Key Learnings 3
Chapter 2: Understanding Stereotypes and Their Enduring 5
Impact on Women Leaders
Chapter 3: Perceptions of Women and Men Leaders Map to 9
Misleading Gender Stereotypes
Chapter 4: Leadership Behaviors Link to Different Sources 18
of Power
Chapter 5: Factors that Put Women at High Risk of Being 21
Stereotyped
Chapter 6: Recommendations 26
Chapter 7: Conclusion and Future Research 30
Chapter 8: Detailed Respondent Profiles and Methodology 32
Acknowledgments 36
Appendix 37
Catalyst Board of Directors 38
This study was conducted in cooperation with Theresa Welbourne, Ph.D., of the Executive Education at the
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and eePulse, Incorporated.

See also FACT SHEET
http://www.catalyst.org/files/fact/Stereotype%20factsheet.pdf


Press Release [19 October 2005]
CATALYST STUDY EXPOSES HOW GENDER-BASED STEREOTYPING SABOTAGES
WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE
Stereotyping Contributes to the Stark Gender Gap in U.S. Business Leadership
http://www.catalyst.org/files/pr/10_19_05%20-%20Stereotype%20Press%20Release.pdf

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, October 19, 2005—Gender-based stereotyping—and not factbased
information—often informs senior executives’ perceptions of men and women
leaders and misrepresents the true talents of women leaders, contributing to the startling
gender gap in business leadership, according to Women “Take Care,” Men “Take
Charge:” Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed, a study released today by
Catalyst, a leading research and advisory organization dedicated to advancing women at
work.
The effects of gender-based stereotyping can be devastating, potentially undermining
women’s capacity to lead, and pose serious challenges to women’s career advancement,
the study finds. Women “Take Care,” Men “Take Charge:” Stereotyping of U.S. Business
Leaders Exposed reveals that men and women stereotype senior leaders in similar ways
and that this stereotyping is not a matter of style; rather, it reflects leaders’ perceptions of
men’s and women’s leadership behavior.

AND MORE....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Africa, 2005 (September 2005)
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2004-2005/africa/index.html
or
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2004-2005/africa/ssptw05africa.pdf
[full-text, 185 pages]


This third issue in the current four-volume series of Social Security Programs Throughout the World reports on the countries of Africa. The combined findings of this series, which also includes volumes on Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and the Americas, are published at 6-month intervals over a 2-year period. Each volume highlights features of social security programs in the particular region.

The information contained in these volumes is crucial to our efforts, and those of researchers in other countries, to review different ways of approaching social security challenges that will enable us to adapt our social security systems to the evolving needs of individuals, households, and families. These efforts are particularly important as each nation faces major demographic changes, especially the increasing number of aged persons, as well as economic and fiscal issues.

Social Security Programs Throughout the World is the product of a cooperative effort between the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the < http://www.issa.int/>International Social Security Association (ISSA). Founded in 1927, the ISSA is a nonprofit organization bringing together institutions and administrative bodies from countries throughout the world. The ISSA deals with all forms of compulsory social protection that by legislation or national practice are an integral part of a country's social security system.

Previous editions of this report, which date back to 1937, were issued as one volume and were prepared by SSA staff. With the introduction of the four-volume format, however, the research and writing has been contracted out to the ISSA. The ISSA has conducted the research largely through its numerous country-based correspondents, as well as its Social Security Worldwide Database and a myriad of other types of data that must be drawn together to update this report. Members of the ISSA's Information System and Databases Unit analyzed the information and revised the publication to reflect detailed changes to each social security program. Social Security Programs Throughout the World is based on information available to the ISSA and SSA with regard to legislation in effect in January 2005, or the last date for which information has been received.

SSA staff members were responsible for technical and editorial assistance and production. Barbara Kritzer served as technical consultant and provided overall project management. Staff of the Division of Information Resources edited and produced the report and prepared the electronic versions for the Web.

   * Social Security Programs Throughout the World, 2004-2005

       * Europe, 2004 (released September 2004)
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2004-2005/europe/index.html

       * Asia and the Pacific, 2004 (released March 2005)
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2004-2005/asia/index.html

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Social Security Administration (SSA)

Benefits and Earnings Public-Use File, 2004 [October 2005]
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/microdata/earn/index.html
[scroll to bottom of page to find files]


Content and Sample Design of the Benefits and Earnings Public-Use File

The Benefits and Earnings Public-Use File, 2004, consists of two separate but linkable subfiles­one with benefit information and the other with longitudinal earnings information. Sample beneficiary records drawn from the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program can be linked to their corresponding earnings histories.

Information about beneficiaries needed to administer the OASDI program resides on SSA's Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) file, which in December 2004 contained records for approximately 47 million individuals who were entitled to receive a Social Security (OASDI) benefit for that month. Data in the benefit subfile are an extract from the MBR, consisting of a 1 percent random, representative sample of approximately 470,000 records. These records are representative of OASDI beneficiaries who were entitled to receive an OASDI benefit payment for December 2004. Each record in the benefit and earnings subfiles has a unique identifier that allows each earnings record to be linked to its appropriate benefit record. Both subfiles are available as flat text files or SAS data sets.

Since the sample for this public-use file is a representative, 1 percent random sample of persons entitled to receive an OASDI benefit payment for December 2004, all records have weight equal to 100. Variances and standard errors can be approximated with the standard formulas used for simple random sampling.

Descriptions of data fields are provided in the Data Dictionary for this file. The descriptions cover the content of each field, the method of presentation, and the disclosure avoidance steps taken to provide confidentiality. Because information on the internal MBR file is used to administer the OASDI program, these data are validated and kept current. As a result, the quality of the data in this public-use file is extremely high. Note that benefits payable for December 2004 are computed using earnings through the year 2003.

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Social Security Administration (SSA)

OASDI Beneficiaries by State and ZIP Code, 2004 [26 October 2005]
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/oasdi_zip/2004/index.html
[scroll down the page to find data tables by STATE and REGION]


This annual publication focuses on the Social Security beneficiary population at the ZIP Code level. It presents basic program data on the number and type of beneficiaries and the amount of benefits paid in each state, Social Security Administration field office, and ZIP Code. It also shows the number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older.

The data are derived from the Master Beneficiary Record, the principal administrative file of Social Security beneficiaries. The Social Security Detailed Office Organization Resource System (DOORS) file was used to associate the field office data with the ZIP Codes. Data for field offices in each state include only beneficiaries in that state. However, some Social Security field offices serve residents of more than one state. To obtain field office totals in these situations, it is necessary to combine data for each state served by the field office. The data include only persons whose benefits are currently payable. Those whose benefits were withheld are excluded.

To avoid disclosure of the reason for Social Security eligibility of small groups and the amounts of benefits received, a controlled rounding procedure was used for field office and ZIP Code data. Data are not shown for ZIP Codes with fewer than 15 beneficiaries.

Under the controlled rounding procedure, ZIP Code data on the number of beneficiaries shown in the table are changed according to the following formula:
   * If the number is divisible by 5 (ends in 0 or 5), then the numbers are not changed.
   * Otherwise, the number is rounded either to the next higher number divisible by 5 or the next lower number divisible by 5, in such a way that the difference between each rounded and unrounded cell value, each rounded and unrounded row total, and each rounded and unrounded column total is less than 5.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Widespread Gross State Product (GSP) Growth in 2004 Led by Services-Providing Industries
Accelerated Estimates of GSP by Industry for 2004 [26 October 2005]
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2005/gsp1005.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2005/gsp1005.pdf
[full-text, 10 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2005/gsp1005.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/bea/newsrelarchive/2005/gsp1005_fax.pdf

In 2004, U.S. growth in private services-providing industries outpaced growth in private-goods producing industries, 5.1 percent to 3.1 percent. Private services-providing industries accounted for more than 70 percent of economic growth in all 8 BEA regions, according to GSP estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (chart 1). Real U.S. GSP grew 4.3 percent in 2004, significantly faster than the 1997-2003 average annual growth rate of 3.0 percent (chart 2).

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES, CHARTS....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

(The following is courtesy of the Centre for Industrial Relations, University of Toronto).

Weekly Work Report for the Week of October 24, 2005

These highlights of the week's HR/IR news are prepared by the Librarians at the Centre for Industrial Relations for our subscribers, alumni, faculty and students, and are intended for their individual use only.  Please visit the CIR website for terms of use and information about organizational subscriptions.  This message is composed in MS Outlook Express and contains hyperlinks that require an HTML-enabled email program.

The WWR is protected by Canadian copyright law and should not be reproduced or forwarded without permission.   For inquiries or comments,  please contact the Editor,  elizabeth.perry@utoronto.ca.

----------
BC TEACHERS RETURN TO WORK AFTER $500,000 FINE FOR CIVIL CONTEMPT:  Members of the BC Teachers Federation voted by a margin of 77%   to accept facilitator Vince Ready’s proposals to end their 10 day illegal strike and to return to the classrooms across B.C..  Ready’s report recommended $85 million for teachers’ salaries and benefits, an extra $20 million in 2005/06 to improve learning conditions, and a greater role for teachers on a new education roundtable. Although the union initially demanded a written guarantee that the government would amend the School Act to include specific limits on class sizes, teachers returned to work on October 24th with only verbal assurance. 

In a decision on October 21, Madam Justice Brown of the Supreme Court of B.C. considered the differences between civil and criminal contempt and fined the union $500,000 for civil contempt for its failure to comply with her earlier orders of October 9 and 13.  The Justice also reminded the union that “as a result of my order of October 13, 2005, individual teachers will not be reimbursed for pay lost while in contempt of court”.

LINKS:

“Teachers return to work in BC after illegal strike” in the Toronto Star (Oct. 24) at < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1130147341978 >

Recommendations  by Facilitator Vincent Ready (October 20, 2005) (7 pages, PDF) at < http://www.bctf.ca/FacilitatorsReportVinceReady.pdf>

BC Supreme Court decision  BC Public School Employers Assoc. v BC Teachers Federation, 2005 BCSC 1490   (October 21, 2005) (8 pages, HTML)  at < http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/Jdb-txt/SC/05/14/2005BCSC1490.htm>

“BC Teachers and contempt” update posted October 22 on the Thoughts from a Management Lawyer Blog at < http://labourlawblog.typepad.com/managementupdates/>

“The first skirmish in a long war with labour” in the Toronto Star  (Oct. 22) at < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1129931410361 >

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EMPLOYER MUST PAY ONTARIO’S HEALTH PREMIUM TAX ACCORDING TO DIVISIONAL COURT: In the first court decision regarding Ontario’s Health Premium tax (introduced in May 2004) , the  Ontario’s Divisional Court has ruled  that Arbitrator Anne Barrett's award of October 6, 2004 was "not patently unreasonable" , and has upheld the arbitrator’s order that the  LaPointe Fisher  nursing home must  pay the provincial health premium tax on behalf of its employees.  The judgment in the case is based on the particular wording of the collective agreement between the nursing home and the U.F.C.W. Local 175/633 and uses the standard of review of “patent unreasonableness”.   The issue of who should pay the tax has been controversial; a Fasken   Martineau Alert on the topic lists 17 arbitration awards that concluded that employers were NOT responsible to pay the health tax.

LINKS:

Ontario Division Court decision LaPointe-Fisher Nursing Home v. United Food and Commercial Workers' International Union, Local 175/633 (October 17, 2005) (12 pages, HTML)  at < http://www.canlii.org/on/cas/onscdc/2005/2005onscdc10205.html>

Ontario Health Premium - Court decision upholds union claim at the Lancaster House website at < http://www.lancasterhouse.com/about/headlines_1.asp>

Court upholds employer liability to pay Ontario Health Premium Tax (6 pages, PDF) at the Fasken Martineau website at < http://www.fasken.com/web/fmdwebsite.nsf/AllDoc/1AF0256DF81AF15B882570A1004C5A17/$File/FMALERT21OCT05.PDF >

----------
CONFERENCE BOARD COMPENSATION PROJECTS NON-UNION PAY INCREASES OF 3.4% FOR 2006:  The Conference Board of Canada forecasts that non-union pay increases  will average 3.4 %  in 2006, driven mainly by a tightening labour market that makes recruitment and retention top priorities. The forecast for unionized employees in both public and private sectors is for average wage increases of 2.5 %.  The Conference Board conducted its annual survey among 347 large and medium-sized Canadian organizations in July and August 2005 and released its findings on October 24 at the annual Compensation Outlook conference in Toronto.  The publication, Compensation Planning Outlook 2006: Pay Pressure Builds as Labour Markets Tighten, includes information on base pay, collectively bargaining wage increases, variable pay, long-term incentives, HR priorities, recruitment and retention, performance management, turnover, absenteeism, benefits, and collective bargaining issues.

LINKS:

Press release at the Conference Board of Canada website  at < http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/2005/CompHR.asp>. (The full 26-page document can be ordered for $950 Cdn.)

----------
GENDER STEREOTYPES AND LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOURS:  The research organization Catalyst has released a study on gender stereotyping in organizations. Entitled Women “Take Care,” Men “Take Charge:” Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed, the study considers 10 essential behaviours required of corporate leaders, “pinpoints” where women leaders are vulnerable to stereotyping, and makes recommendations to overcome the stereotypes.  It also examines the costs that organizations incur because of the barriers to advancement into leadership positions that women face due to stereotyping.

LINK:

Women “Take Care,” Men “Take Charge:” Stereotyping of U.S. Business Leaders Exposed, (45 pages, PDF) at the Catalyst website at < http://www.catalyst.org/files/full/Women Take Care Men Take Charge.pdf>

----------
MACLEAN’S IDENTIFIES 100 EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE FOR JOB SEEKERS:   The Maclean’s list of top 100 employers in Canada has been released,  compiled for the benefit of job seekers.   To be invited to participate in the annual list, organizations ­ including not-for-profit groups, government agencies and private-sector companies ­ must be fast-growing, in hiring mode, and must offer employees a superior work environment through compensation, benefits, work-family provisions, or community involvement.  The Macleans website overview highlights a few case studies and provides an alphabetical list; a full-book edition of Canada's Top 100 Employers will be released by Mediacorp Canada publishers in early November.

LINKS:

Top 100 employers at the Macleans.ca website at < http://www.macleans.ca/webspecials/article.jsp?content=20031020_67488_67488 >

Top 100 employers List (3 pages, PDF) at < http://www.macleans.ca/pdf/top100list.pdf>

----------
GTA WORKERS WORK LONG   HOURS:   A recent survey by the polling firm Leger Marketing examined the working life of residents of the Greater Toronto Area. The survey revealed that on average employed residents work 41.2 hours per week at work and an additional 13 hours at home for their employer. They also spend on average 3.2 hours per week on personal activities at work. Other findings:  92 % of the respondents liked their co-workers and 70% said they liked them very much.

LINK:

Summary of Work Life in the GTA  (6 pages, PDF) at the Leger Marketing website at < http://legermarketing.com/documents/spclm/051020ENG.pdf>

----------
OFL CAMPAIGNS FOR ONTARIO HEALTH CARE SECTOR WORKERS:   The Ontario Federation of Labour has released a new report, Understaffed & Under Pressure: A reality check by Ontario health care workers, as part of a province-wide campaign in October and November to draw attention to working conditions for health care workers.  The report is the result of an OFL fact-finding tour of 17 cities in 2005, giving voice to health care workers in all sectors of the health care system: emergency services, homecare, hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, mental health and public health.   The report calls on the government to impose an immediate moratorium on layoffs in hospitals, establish a required minimum standard of 3.5 hours per day of nursing and personal care for residents in nursing homes and homes for the aged, and minimum full-time staffing standards in all health care sectors.

 LINKS:

Understaffed & Under Pressure: A reality check by Ontario health care workers  (74 pages, PDF) at < http://www.ofl.ca/uploads/misc/US-UNDERSTAFF.PDF>

----------
RETENTION OF OLDER WORKERS:  The Policy Research Initiative, established by the federal government, has recently published another study in its Population Aging and Life-Course Flexibility project. Encouraging Choice in Work and Retirement  looks at the economic implications of the aging workforce and how the labour supply might be increased by encouraging individuals to remain in the workforce. It discusses both employer policies that might retain older workers and public policies to remove barriers and disincentives to continue working.

LINKS:

Encouraging Choice in Work and Retirement (57 pages, PDF) at the PRI website at < http://www.policyresearch.gc.ca/doclib/Encour_Choice_E.pdf>

----------
JEAN PIERRE BRUN WINS PIONEER AWARD DURING NATIONAL HEALTHY WORKPLACE WEEK:  National Healthy Workplace Week, October 24 to 28, is an  annual promotion of health workplace practices, begun in 2001 and  led by the Canadian Healthy Workplace Council.  The Council serves as an advisory body to the National Quality Institute (NQI) on workplace health issues and adjudicates the annual Canadian Workplace Wellness Pioneer Award that is presented at the Health, Work & Wellness Conference.  That conference was held in Montreal from October 20 to 22; winner of the Pioneer Award for 2005 is Jean Pierre Brun, a professor at the Faculty of Business Administration of the Universite Laval and  a leading expert on mental health issues in Canada, particularly mental health in the workplace.

LINKS:

Healthy Workplace website at < http://www.healthyworkplaceweek.ca/index.php>

Health Work and Wellness Conference website at < http://conferences.healthworkandwellness.com/>

Quebec mental health expert wins Canadian workplace Pioneer Award   (1 page, PDF) at < http://conferences.healthworkandwellness.com/pics/pioneer_award_news_release_eng.pdf >

----------
IMPLICATIONS OF DELPHI BANKRUPTCY FOR THE AUTO INDUSTRY:  An article from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania considers the impact the Chapter 11 filing by auto parts giant Delphi on the October 8  and the subsequent agreement between GM and the UAW to cut healthcare benefits for retirees on October 17.  According to experts at the Wharton School, “The Delphi filing and the tentative GM-UAW accord set in motion a chain of events that may forever alter the relationship between America’s Big Three carmakers and the UAW, and they underscore the degree to which globalization is exerting downward pressure on the wages and benefits paid to U.S. workers.”

LINKS:

A bumpy road for Delphi, GM and U.S. Auto Workers (5 pages, PDF) at the Strategic Management Wharton website at
< http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1301.cfm>

Auto industry rocked by Delphi bankruptcy ( 4 pages,  HTML)  at the MSNBC News website at < http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9644882/>

UAW statement on tentative agreement with GM at the UAW website at < http://www.uaw.org/news/newsarticle.cfm?ArtId=359>

----------
SOME SECOND GENERATION CANADIANS EARN MORE THAN NATIVE BORN PEERS:  A new study released by Statistics Canada on October 25   investigates the link between the socio-economic status of immigrant fathers and their Canadian- born sons and daughters.  Except for those whose fathers were from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Oceania, children had higher weekly earnings than native-born Canadians.  The earnings advantage was about 6%, except for those from the traditional source countries, where it was 14%.  This research uses new information from the 2001 Census, the first to ask Canadians which country their mothers and fathers were born.; it focuses on  young adults aged 25 to 37 years whose parents were both born in a country other than Canada and immigrated here before 1981.

LINKS:

Intergenerational earnings mobility among the children of Canadian immigrants  ( Catalogue #11F0019MIE2005267)  (44 pages, PDF) at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/11F0019MIE/11F0019MIE2005267.pdf >

----------
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX RISES DUE TO HIGH GASOLINE PRICES:  The Consumer Price Index for September 2005 was released by Statistics Canada on October 25, showing a large jump of 3.4%  for the 12-month All-items index (CPI).  Not surprisingly, the rise is attributed mainly to substantial increases in gasoline prices. In addition, Canadians paid 13.7% more for fuel oil and 7.4% more for natural gas prices in September.

LINKS:

Latest release from the Consumer Price Index at the Statistics Canada website at < http://www.statcan.ca/english/Subjects/Cpi/cpi-en.htm>

----------
Book of the Week :
Proving the Value of HR: How and Why to Measure ROI
by Jack J. Phillips and Patricia Pulliam Phillips. Alexandria, Virginia: Society for Human Resource Management. 256p. ISBN: 1586440497

The authors argue that measuring the return on investment (ROI) of human resources is critical for success in today's business world and is a requirement for HR professionals who are part of the senior executive team. HR managers and executives must show HR's contribution and prove that HR policies, practices, and solutions add directly to the organization's bottom line.

They provide basic, step-by-step instructions to develop the ROI of HR and show how the ROI methodology is a communication tool to strengthen the relationship with senior management as well as a process-improvement tool to enhance and improve HR's contribution.

About the Authors:

Jack J. Phillips is the chairman of the ROI Institute and is the author of Accountability in Human Resource Management, The Human Resources Scorecard, and Managing Employee Retention.

Patricia Pulliam Phillips is president and CEO of the ROI Institute.

----------
  121 St. George Street, Toronto Canada  M5S 2E8              http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/cir
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Compensation and Working Conditions Online [24 October 2005]
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/home.htm

Preretirement Distributions: Can You Take Them with You? (10/24/2005)
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/cm20051018ar01p1.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/print/cm20051018ar01p1.htm

Workers may accumulate retirement benefits from several employers over a lifetime; complicated rules and choices make it difficult to ensure that such workers have adequate income when they reach retirement age.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS)

Mapping Immigration: Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) [October 2005]
http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/data/maps/lprmaps.htm

Legal permanent residents (LPRs) are foreign nationals who have been granted the right to reside permanently in the United States. LPRs are often referred to as simply "immigrants", but they are also known as "permanent resident aliens" and "green card holders."

Below are links to maps (in PDF format) showing LPR flow by state for the years 1980 to 1989, 1990 to 1999, 2000 to 2003, and 2003. Three sets of maps are presented: 1) total LPR flow, 2) class of admission, and 3) region and country of birth. Each map shows the LPR flow by state as a percent of the total LPR flow.

(Thanks to Janie Harris, Cornell Collection Development Librarian, for the tip)

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

MASS LAYOFFS IN SEPTEMBER 2005 [25 October 2005]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/mmls.pdf
[full-text, 11 pages]

  Mass layoff data for September 2005 reflect the impact of Hurricane
Katrina on workers in Louisiana and Mississippi and, to a lesser extent,
the impact of Hurricane Rita on workers in Texas.  In September 2005,
employers took 2,069 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured
by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.
Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single establishment, and
the number of workers involved totaled 257,454, on a seasonally adjusted
basis.  (See table 1.)  The number of layoff events in September rose by
927 to 2,069, the highest number of events for any month since November
2001 and the fourth highest number of events since the program began in
April 1995.  The number of associated initial claims increased by 129,988
from August to 257,544 and was at its highest total for any month since the
series high in September 2001.  In the manufacturing sector, 422 mass
layoff events were reported during September 2005, seasonally adjusted,
resulting in 54,245 initial claims; both figures were higher than a month
earlier.  (See table 1.)

   From January through September 2005, the total number of events
(seasonally adjusted), at 11,884, was lower than in January-September
2004 (12,054), while the number of initial claims (seasonally adjusted),
at 1,309,263, was higher (1,213,262).


AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

AARP Public Policy Institute

Rethinking the Role of Older Workers: Promoting Older Worker Employment in Europe and Japan
Research Report, October 2005
http://www.aarp.org/research/work/retirement/ib77_workers.html
or
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/ib77_workers.pdf
[full-text, 32 pages]

Older worker employment and retirement trends in the European Union (EU) and Japan as well as the United States are examined in this Issue Brief by Sara E. Rix of the AARP Public Policy Institute. The brief presents responses by the EU and Japan to the aging of their populations and the soaring costs of pensions, with an analysis of their goals and initiatives to foster older worker employment.

In Japan, worklife extension is encouraged by raising the pensionable age and providing subsidies for employers to hire and retain older workers.

In Europe, efforts to prolong working life include
   * removing incentives to retire early
   * reforming pension policies to reward later retirement
   * providing more flexible work and retirement options
   * banning age discrimination
   * educating employers about potential labor shortages

The EU has set ambitious older worker employment goals for its member countries and has put pressure on these countries to reach the established targets. Older workers in the United States, in contrast, have not been the focus of this kind of sustained high-level attention, and there are no official goals or objectives regarding their employment or retirement age. (32 pages)

Pub ID: IB77
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

The AARP Public Policy Institute, formed in 1985, is part of the Policy and Strategy Group at
AARP. One of the missions of the Institute is to foster research and analysis on public policy
issues of importance to mid-life and older Americans. This publication represents part of that
effort.


#2005-13
October 2005
Transition Provisions in Large Converted Cash Balance Pension Plans
by Daniel J. Beller
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/2005_13_pension.pdf
[full-text, 29 pages]

Purpose
This report investigates the effects on older workers of conversions of traditional DB
plans to cash balance plans.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies                   Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations           Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor                    Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016                        Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) for Research, Education, Health and Safety (REHS)
and the
Hans Boeckler Stiftung's
The Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK)
http://www.boeckler.de/cps/rde/xchg/SID-3D0AB75D-972DD24B/hbs/hs.xsl/36176.html
was founded in January 2005. The institute's objective is to strengthen the macroeconomic focus in economic analysis and policy advice. The IMK analyses the business cycle on the basis of a coherent macroeconomic modelling framework. In their empirical research the IMK's researchers rely on modern Keynesian economic theory as well as state-of-the-art econometric methods.


Euro Area Economic Trends 2006: Time for a New Economic Policy Approach [25 October 2005]
http://www.etui-rehs.org/media/files/imk/time_for_a_new_economic_policy_approach
[full-text, 26 pages]

Abstract:
This is the first twice-yearly forecast produced by the Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK) in collaboration with the ETUI-REHS. The report provides a detailed economic forecast for the euro area: for the current year growth of just 1.2% is expected, rising only slightly to 1.5% in 2006. It also contains a study of the economic effects of the oil-price rise, which has seriously depressed the economy. In addition the report makes a number of concrete policy recommendations. In particular it calls on the ECB to cut interest rates by half a percentage point, and urges governments to make use of the scope created by the revisions to the implementation rules for the Stability and Growth Pact in order to ensure that fiscal consolidation does not weaken economic growth further. A proposal is made to set for each country a longer-run cap on non-cyclical government spending that ensures consolidation in the medium run.  Finally wage setters are called upon to avoid beggar-thy-neighbour strategies of excessive wage moderation, which are a zero-sum game in the context of the euro area, and instead to anchor price and demand expectations by orienting wage settlements to the medium-rate of national productivity growth plus the inflation target of the ECB.

_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   *
Director, IWS News Bureau                *
Institute for Workplace Studies *
Cornell/ILR School                        *
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             *
New York, NY 10016                        *
                                            *
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                *
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       *
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  *
****************************************