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
________________________________________________________________________

Unites States International Trade Commission (USITC)
Publication 3949  September 2007

U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economy-wide and Selected Sectoral Effects [20 September 2007]
Investigation No. TA-2104-24
http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/pubs/2104F/pub3949.pdf
[full-text, 393 pages]

See in particular --

Chapter 6. Impact of regulatory       Page

FTA Chapter 19—Labor . .. . . . . . . 6-30
Assessment . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30
Summary of provisions . . . . . . . . 6-30
Views of interested parties . . . . . 6-33

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 4:09 PM

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
________________________________________________________________________

BLS WORKING PAPERS
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Working Paper 408
September 2007
Office of Productivity and Technology

R&D and Productivity Growth: A Review of the Literature
by Leo Sveikauskas
http://www.bls.gov/ore/pdf/ec070070.pdf
[full-text, 56 pages]

ABSTRACT:

    This paper reviews the literature on R&D to provide guidelines for
recent efforts to include R&D in the national income accounts. The
main conclusions are:

    1. Measures of R&D as an asset held by a particular owner must be
complemented by estimates of the spillover effect of R&D in order to
obtain a reliable measure of the overall effect of R&D on productivity
growth.

    2. If research financed by the government and research financed by
business are both counted as investment, some double counting occurs
and growth accounting analysis overstates the role of research
relative to other factors.

    3. The overall rate of return to R&D is very large, perhaps 25 percent
as a private return and a total of 65 percent for social returns.
However, these returns apply only to privately financed R&D in
industry. Returns to many forms of publicly financed R&D are near
zero.

    4. Firm R&D should be allocated to the different industries in which a
firm produces, rather than all credited to the firm�s main industry.
An allocation procedure is proposed.

    5. Much further work needs to be carried out to understand how R&D
conducted in the richest countries is transmitted to developing
countries. Detailed microeconomic data on firms or establishments in
developing nations will be necessary to understand the channels of
technology transfer more fully.
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 3:52 PM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Charting the U.S. Labor Market in 2006 [28 September 2007]
http://www.bls.gov/cps/labor2006/home.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/cps/labor2006/chartbook.pdf
[full-text, 70 pages]

This report, Charting the U.S. Labor Market in 2006, includes graphs and
text describing the U.S. labor market in 2006. Highlights include
information about educational attainment, race and Hispanic ethnicity,
women, and families.

These data were compiled from several statistical programs of the Bureau
of Labor Statistics and are presented together to give an overview of the
employment and unemployment situation for the nation that presents both
recent data and historical trends over time.

The chartbook is divided into sections by topic: Major Indicators,
Education, Employment Relationships, Race and Hispanic Ethnicity, Women,
and Families. Each chart can be downloaded individually. Note that this
chartbook is presented on this website in Adobe PDF format.

The report is also available in a single PDF file: Charting the U.S. Labor
Market in 2006 (400 KB, 70 printed pages)

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 3:32 PM

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 Statistics - beta release [25 September 2007]
http://stats.oecd.org/wbos/default.aspx

Our objective is to provide a single online platform where you can
discover and use our statistical databases. For the first time, you will
be able to build tables and extract data from across databases as well as
access individual databases. Use Browse Themes or Search to find the
statistical datasets you need. Each database includes detailed metadata to
help you understand the numbers.

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 3:09 PM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Census


Press Release
Census Bureau Releases New Data on Residents of Adult Correctional Facilities, Nursing Homes and Other Group Quarters [27 September 2007]
Annual Data Also Paint Diverse Portrait of Nation's Race, Ethnic and Ancestry Groups
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/010709.html


Detailed tables
< http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=datasets_1&_lang=en&_ts= >
2006 data user guide
< http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/>
ACS media tool kit page
< http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2004/NewsMediaKit.html>
2000 Data (Race, Hispanic Origin)
< http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/grpqtr.html>
1990/2000 Data (Type, Sex, Age)
< http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/phc-t26.html>
1980 Data
         Institutional [PDF]
          - < http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2007/Institutional.pdf>
         Noninstitutional [PDF]
          - < http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2007/NonInstitutional.pdf >
        by Type [PDF]
          - < http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2007/Type.pdf>


 New data released today from the U.S. Census Bureau provide the first social and economic characteristic profiles of the people living in group quarters ­ such as adult correctional facilities, college dorms and nursing homes ­ in nearly three decades.

     "This release marks the first in-depth look at the characteristics of the nonhousehold population since the 1980 Census," said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. "These are important data to understand as decision makers grapple with policies that impact the people who live in these facilities."

     The latest data from the American Community Survey also include profiles of more than 100 race and ethnic group iterations such as blacks, Chinese and Mexicans. In addition, profiles for 72 ancestry groups, from Afghani to Welsh, are also available.

     Selected national highlights for today's data release include the following:

The Group Quarters Population as a Whole

The group quarters data are collected for two categories of facilities: institutional, including residences such as correctional facilities, nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals; and noninstitutional, which include residences such as college dormitories, military barracks and adult group homes. Profiles are available for specific group quarters type for the nation, regions, Puerto Rico and the 35 states that have a group quarters population of at least 45,000. Table shells can be found on the ACS 2006 Data Products Page and data can be accessed via American FactFinder. The applicable subject tables are S2601A, B, C and C-PR (Puerto Rico).
   * Nationally, 8.1 million people were living in group quarters, or about 2.7 percent of the total population, according to the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program.
   * The group quarters population is more likely to be never married or widowed than the total population ­ 62 percent of those 15 and older living in group quarters have never been married and 15 percent were widowed, compared with 31 percent and 6 percent for the total population.
   * The group quarters population had lower levels of educational attainment than the total population ­ 61 percent of those 25 and older living in group quarters were high school graduates or higher and 9 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 84 percent and 27 percent for the total population.
   * Individuals living in group quarters have much lower per capita income than the total population ­ the per capita income of those living in group quarters was $8,095 in 2006 compared to $25,267 for the total population. Those living in noninstitutional group quarters had lower per capita income than those living in institutional group quarters, $7,423 compared with $8,737.
   * Of the group quarters population, 58 percent were male and 42 percent were female.

Residents of Adult Correctional Facilities

   * The population living in adult correctional facilities was 2.1 million in 2006, nearly double the 1990 population of 1.1 million. In 2000, the adult correctional population was nearly 2 million.
   * Males comprised more than 90 percent of the adult correctional population in 2006. Females represented 10 percent of this population in 2006, up from 8 percent in 1990.
   * More than 60 percent of the population of adult correctional facilities was between the ages of 25 and 44. The median age of the adult correctional population is 34.3.
   * About 46 percent of the adult correctional population was white alone. Also, approximately 41 percent of the adult correctional population was black alone and 19 percent were Hispanic.
   * Of those 25 and older, 61 percent in adult correctional facilities had graduated high school and 3 percent had at least a bachelor's degree. The comparable rates for the total population were 84 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

Residents of Nursing Facilities

   * Unlike the adult correctional population, the population of nursing facilities was disproportionately female. Females comprised approximately half of the total population, but were nearly 70 percent of the nursing facility population.
   * Nearly three-in-four residents of nursing facilities were 75 or older. The median age of nursing facility residents was 83.2.
   * The population living in nursing facilities was more likely to be white alone than the total population, 84 percent compared with 75 percent. The black alone population represented 13 percent of both the nursing home population and the total population. They were less likely to be of Hispanic or Latino origin than the total population, 4 percent compared with 15 percent.

Selected Race, Ethnic Group Highlights

   * Among the Asian alone population 25 and older, bachelor's degrees or higher were held by 68.6 percent of Asian Indians, 46.3 of Japanese and 51.7 percent of Chinese.
   * Among the Hispanic population 5 and older, 84.4 percent of Cubans, 79.1 percent of Mexicans, and 69 percent of Puerto Ricans spoke a language other than English at home.
   * Among the black population alone households, 29 percent were in married couple families compared with 49.7 percent for the nation. Of the black alone population 25 and older, 16.9 percent had bachelor's degrees or higher.
   * Among the American Indian alone population 30 years and older, 6.9 percent live with their grandchildren, compared with 3.5 percent of the total population.
   * Among Alaska Natives alone, 34.5 percent are married, compared with 50.4 percent of the total population.

     For more information on the group quarters population or the race or ethnic and ancestry populations, visit American FactFinder at www.census.gov.

     As part of the Census Bureau's reengineered 2010 Census, the data collected by the ACS helps federal officials determine where to distribute more than $300 billion to state and local governments each year. Responses to the survey are strictly confidential and protected by law.

     The 2006 ACS estimates are based on an annual, nationwide sample of about 250,000 addresses per month. In addition, approximately 20,000 group quarters across the United States were sampled, comprising approximately 200,000 residents. Geographic areas for which data are available are based on total populations of 65,000 or more.

     As is the case with all surveys, statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. All comparisons have been tested and found to be statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level, unless otherwise noted. Please consult the data tables for specific margins of error. For more information go to << http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/index.htm>
- X -

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 2:35 PM

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
________________________________________________________________________

FULL-TEXT REPORT of
2007 Research and Development Satellite Account
Bureau of Economic Analysis/National Science Foundation
September 28, 2007
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/general/rd/2007/pdf/rdreport07.pdf
[full-text, 28 pages]

INCLUDES NUMEROUS CHARTS & TABLES.....


Press Release
Research and Development Satellite Account [28 September 2007]
2007 Satellite Account Underscores Importance of R&D
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/general/rd/2007/rdspend07.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/general/rd/2007/pdf/rdspend07.pdf
[full-text, 3 pages]


GDP would be an average of 2.9 percent higher between 1959 and 2004 -- or $284 billion higher in 2004 -- if research and development spending was treated as investment in the U.S. national income and product accounts, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced today.  These experimental estimates, produced in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, demonstrate how business spending on research and development would affect the national accounts and gross domestic product.  The 2007 Research and Development (R&D) Satellite Account updates and extends the 2006 BEA estimates of the effect of R&D on economic growth.

"Today's data highlight the role of R&D spending in improving the competitiveness of industries such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, and other manufacturing industries," said Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez.  "These new estimates from BEA demonstrate the importance of one key source of innovation ­ research and development -- in the U.S. economy.  Our data must keep pace with the changing and growing economy, and more improvements are planned.  For example, an initiative of the Department's Census Bureau to collect additional data on the services industries will help us better understand the importance of R&D in that dynamic sector as well."

National Science Foundation Director, Dr. Arden L. Bement, said of the estimates produced by the Department of Commerce and NSF: "NSF is proud of this partnership.  It will lead to a better understanding of the importance of R&D to economic growth, scientific progress and international competitiveness."

The satellite account recognizes that when R&D is treated as investment:
   * R&D accounts for 5 percent of real GDP growth between 1959 and 2004, and 7 percent between 1995 and 2004.  This ramp-up in R&D's contribution helps explain the pick-up in economic growth and productivity since 1995.
       * To put the contribution of R&D in perspective, the business sector's investment in commercial and other types of structures accounts for just over 2 percent of real GDP growth between 1995 and 2004.
   * Information, communication, and technology (ICT) and biotechnology-related industries account for two-thirds of the business sector's R&D contribution to GDP growth between 1995-2004.
   * Recognizing R&D as investment boosts the level of state GDP the most in New Mexico (8.2 percent) and in Maryland (6.2 percent) between 1998 and 2002.
   * In 2004, the value added of majority-owned foreign affiliates of U.S. multinational corporations (MNCs) rises by $26 billion, or 3.1 percent, with R&D capitalization.  The value added of majority-owned U.S. affiliates of foreign MNCs rises by $28 billion, or 5.5 percent.  For U.S. parent companies, value added rises by $148 billion, or 6.7 percent.

______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 11:43 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Order Code RL34185

Consumer Spending by Older Americans, 1985 to 2005
September 24, 2007
Patrick Purcell, Specialist in Income Security, Domestic Social Policy Division
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34185_20070924.pdf
[full-text, 72 pages]

Summary
The population of the United States is growing older. Because of the aging of
the population and the decline in income that occurs when people retire, both the
amount and the composition of spending by American households could change
substantially as the 76 million members of the baby boom generation reach
retirement age. This CRS report presents data on spending by Americans aged 55
and older collected by the U.S. Department of Labor through its Consumer
Expenditure Survey (CES). From 1985 to 2005, the average annual expenditures of
older Americans rose along with their incomes, and the distribution of spending
among expenditure categories changed. These changes were the result of changing
tastes and preferences among consumers and differences in the rates of price increase
among various classes of goods and services.

Between 1985 and 2005, the average annual expenditures of families headed by
persons between the ages of 55 and 64, adjusted for inflation, rose by 7.5%.
Spending on housing rose by 29.6%, and expenditures on health care rose by 39%.
The average annual expenditures of families headed by persons between the ages of
65 and 74 rose by 15.7%. Their average housing expenditures rose by 22.5%, while
their spending on health care rose by 40%. The average annual expenditures of
families headed by persons aged 75 and over rose by 13.3%. Average housing
expenditures among this age group rose by 20.4%, while their spending on health
care rose by 40%. As a result, by 2005 housing and health care comprised a larger
share of total expenditures among Americans 55 and older than they did in 1985.

Much of the increase in health care spending was due to the rapid rise in the
price of medical goods and services. Between 1985 and 2005, the Consumer Price
Index (CPI) for medical care rose by 185%, while the CPI for all goods and services
rose by 82%. Health care expenditures rose not only because of inflation but also
because of the introduction of new medicines, medical equipment, and procedures
that either replaced older treatments or that represented entirely new forms of medical
care. The increase in health care expenditures was concentrated in two categories:
health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs, both
of which rose substantially between 1985 and 2005. Out-of-pocket spending for
medical services and supplies, on the other hand, fell during the period. The increase
in housing expenditures cannot be attributed to inflation, at least as it is measured by
the Consumer Price Index. Between 1985 and 2005, both the CPI for housing and
the CPI for all goods and services rose by 82%. The CPI may understate the growth
in the cost of housing because it includes rising rents but not rising home prices.

If Americans merely choose to buy more health care and more housing, then
there is no obvious role for public policy to influence that choice. However, to the
extent that other forms of spending are "squeezed out" by increases in the cost of
housing and health care that are caused by market inefficiencies or the unintended
consequences of federal tax laws, then intervention to correct the market failures and
a review of the incentives caused by these tax policies may be warranted.

This report will be updated as new data become available.

Contents
Background: America's Aging Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Changes in Spending, by Expenditure Category, 1985 to 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Families Headed by Persons Aged 55 to 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Families Headed by Persons Aged 65 to 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Families Headed by Persons Aged 75 and Older . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Changes in Spending, by Share of Total Expenditures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Families Headed by Persons Aged 55 to 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Families Headed by Persons Aged 65 to 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Families Headed by Persons Aged 75 and Older . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Cohort Analysis of Expenditures from 1985 to 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Expenditures in 2005 by Age, Marital Status, Employment, and Income . . . . . . 16
Expenditures by Age: Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Expenditures by Age: Unmarried Men and Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Expenditures by Employment Status: Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Expenditures by Employment Status: Unmarried Men and Women . . . . . . 26
Expenditures by Income: Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Expenditures by Income: Unmarried Men and Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Conclusion and Policy Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Appendix: Data Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

List of Figures
Figure 1. Average Annual Total Expenditures, by Age of Family Head . . . . . . . 6
Figure 2. Average Annual Housing Expenditures by Age of Family Head . . . . . 6
Figure 3. Average Annual Health Care Expenditures, by Age of Family Head . . 7
Figure 4. Average Annual Food Expenditures, by Age of Family Head . . . . . . . 7
Figure 5. Average Annual Clothing Expenditures, by Age of Family Head . . . . 8
Figure 6. Average Annual Transportation Expenditures, by Age of
Family Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Figure 7. Expenditures in 1985, Family Head Aged 55 to 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Figure 8. Expenditures in 2005, Family Head Aged 55 to 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Figure 9. Expenditures in 1985, Family Head Aged 65 to 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 10. Expenditures in 2005, Family Head Aged 65 to 74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 11. Expenditures in 1985, Family Head Aged 75 or Older . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 12. Expenditures in 2005, Family Head Aged 75 or Older . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Figure 13. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 14. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 15. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 16. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 17. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 18. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Figure 19. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples, by Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 20. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples, by Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 21. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men, by Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Figure 22. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men, by Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Figure 23. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women, by Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 24. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women, by Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 25. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples Aged 55-64, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Figure 26. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples Aged 55-64, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Figure 27. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples Aged 65+, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Figure 28. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Married Couples Aged 65+, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 29. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men Aged 55-64, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Figure 30. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men Aged 55-64, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Figure 31. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men Aged 65+, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Figure 32. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Men Aged 65+, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Figure 33. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women Aged 55-64, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure 34. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women Aged 55-64, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Figure 35. Quarterly Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women Aged 65+, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Figure 36. Share of Expenditures in 2005, by Percentile Rank:
Unmarried Women Aged 65+, by Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

List of Tables
Table 1. Projections of the Resident U.S. Population, by Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Table 2. Average Expenditures, by Age of Family Head at 10-Year Intervals . . 15
Table A1. Average Annual Expenditures, Family Head Aged 55 to 64 . . . . . . . 51
Table A2. Average Annual Expenditures, Family Head Aged 65 to 74 . . . . . . . 52
Table A3. Average Annual Expenditures, Family Head Aged 75 or Older . . . . 53
Table A4. Average Quarterly Spending in 2005 by Marital Status and Age . . . 54
Table A5. Share of Total Spending by Category in 2005 by Marital Status
and Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Table A6-a. Average Quarterly Expenditures in 2005 by
Employment and Age: Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Table A6-b. Average Quarterly Expenditures in 2005 by
Employment and Age: Unmarried Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Table A6-c. Average Quarterly Expenditures in 2005 by
Employment and Age: Unmarried Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Table A7-a. Average Share of Expenditures in 2005 by
Employment and Age: Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Table A7-b. Average Share of Expenditures in 2005 by
Employment and Age: Unmarried Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Table A7-c. Average Share of Expenditures in 2005 by
Employment and Age: Unmarried Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Table A8-a. Average Quarterly Expenditures in 2005 by
Annual Income and Age: Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Table A8-b. Average Quarterly Expenditures in 2005 by
Annual Income and Age: Unmarried Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Table A8-c. Average Quarterly Expenditures in 2005 by
Annual Income and Age: Unmarried Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Table A9-a. Share of Total Expenditures by Category in 2005
by Income and Age: Married Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Table A9-b. Share of Total Expenditures by Category in 2005
by Income and Age: Unmarried Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Table A9-c. Share of Total Expenditures by Category in 2005
by Income and Age: Unmarried Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67


______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 10:33 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

CDC
National Center for Injury Prevention


WISQARS -- update [28 September 2007]
(Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) is an interactive database system that provides customized reports of injury-related data.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/

Newly Updated are
WISQARS Nonfatal Injury Reports
http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/nfirates2001.html

Scroll down the page. The year 2006 is the first to appear in the pull down menu for YEARS of REPORT.

One can now access the new NEISS All Injury Program data for 2006 on WISQARS  using the nonfatal injury modules.
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 10:30 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

PERSONAL INCOME AND OUTLAYS: AUGUST 2007 [28 September 2007]
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2007/pi0807.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2007/pdf/pi0807.pdf
[full-text, 12 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2007/xls/pi0807.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2007/pdf/pi0807_fax.pdf

Personal income increased $40.2 billion, or 0.3 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI)
increased $37.2 billion, or 0.4 percent, in August, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $54.8 billion, or 0.6 percent.  In July, personal
income increased $61.5 billion, or 0.5 percent, DPI increased $60.3 billion, or 0.6 percent, and PCE
increased $37.3 billion, or 0.4 percent, based on revised estimates.

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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:46 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

ILO Bankok
ILO Recent Publications, No.2007/3.


International labour standards on migrant workers' rights: guide for policymakers and practitioners in Asia and the Pacific
by ILO Subregional Office for East Asia
Bangkok: ILO, 2007
viii, 89 p.
English version
ISBN 978-92-2-120246-2 (print version)
ISBN 978-92-2-120247-9 (web version)
ISBN 978-92-2-120248-6 (CD version)
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub07-10.pdf

Also available in Cambodian, Laotian, and Thai.

This publication aspires to be a handy reference guide, explaining the rights from the
vantage point of the migrant worker to policymakers and practitioners.


ILO policy brief on youth employment in Cambodia
by ILO Subregional Office for East Asia
Bangkok: ILO, 2007
12 p.
English version
ISBN 978-92-2-120112-0 (Print version)
ISBN 978-92-2-120113-7 (Web version)
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub07-08.pdf
Cambodian version
ISBN 978-92-2-820112-3 (Print version)
ISBN 978-92-2-820113-0 (Web version)
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub07-09.pdf

Provides brief overview of youth employment in Cambodia, key challenges, National
Strategic Development Plan (2006-2010), ILO approaches and policy options.


Lao People's Democratic Republic, report to the Government on the actuarial valuation of the Social Security Fund
Jean-Claude Hennicot
Bangkok: ILO, 2007
xx, 86 p.
ISBN 978-92-2-118828-5 (Print version)
ISBN 978-92-2-118829-2 (Web version)
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub07-11.pdf

This report presents a comprehensive review of the current financial status of the
scheme and an assessment of its long-term financial sustainability based on the
actuarial projection of future income, expenditure and reserves. It is hoped that the
findings and recommendations provided on scheme financing and design issues will
contribute to a better understanding and enhanced capacities of all stakeholders,
particularly the Social Security Organization, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions, and
the Lao Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in managing and administering the
scheme efficiently, with a view to ensure the fund's long-term sustainability and a
swift extension of its coverage to all provinces.


Report of independent final evaluation, ILO/Japan Regional Programme on Expansion of Employment Opportunities for Women (EEOW) – Viet Nam chapter
by Nguyen Van Hung, Hoang Thuy Lan and Anne Richmond
Bangkok: ILO, 2007
72 p.
English version
ISBN 9789221200895 (Print version)
ISBN 9789221200901 (Web version)
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub07-05.pdf
Vietnamese version
ISBN 9789228200898 (Print version)
ISBN 9789228200904 (Web version)
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub07-06.pdf

This report presents the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the final
evaluation of the EEOW project in Viet Nam.


ILO AP Issues, August 2007
http://www.ilo.org/asia/download/apissues/issue07_02.pdf

The new August 2007 edition of Issues newsletter features the youth employment in
the Pacific, work and peace in Timor-Leste, former Afghan fighters reintegrate, and
Asians work excessive hours.


(Thanks to Chanitda Wiwatchanon, Regional Librarian, ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:32 AM

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 Parliament

European "blue card" to solve problem of aging population? [26 September 2007]
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/018-10568-267-09-39-902-20070921STO10548-2007-24-09-2007/default_en.htm

Immigrants may hold the answer

Europe is facing a demographic crisis. Forecasts show that by 2050 two
workers will have to support one retired person, compared with four
workers now. Could immigration be the answer? One suggestion is a
"European blue card system" - like the US green card - for skilled third
country workers. Two MEPs, dealing with immigration, tell us what they
think.


Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini says the EU must learn to
compete with the US, which attracts most of the mobile skilled labour in
the world. He therefore proposes the "blue card", a specialised residence
permit for skilled third-country workers, which would ensure equal
treatment at work. It would allow them to live and work in a given EU
member state for an initial, renewable, period of two years, after which
they could work in another EU country. "We have to look at immigration as
an enrichment and as an inescapable phenomenon of today's world not as a
threat".

Most skilled migrants go to US

The aim is to tackle Europe's looming demographic crisis by attracting
some 20 million extra workers from abroad. "The challenge is to attract
the workers needed to fill specific gaps," said Frattini. He said that 85%
of unskilled labour goes to EU and 5% to the US, whereas 55% of skilled
labour goes to the US and only 5% to the EU.

Italian Socialist Lilli Gruber and Spanish Socialist Javier Moreno Sanchez
are reporting to the House on legal and illegal immigration respectively,
so we asked their opinion on a European blue card system.

"A step in the right direction"

"This is a first step in the right direction - even if it's timid." said
Ms Gruber. "Apart from the 'préférence communautaire' applied in large
sectors of our economic policies, there's no question that a real demand
exists for specific skills, varying from one country to another, which
can't be met inside the EU. In those cases, it's fair to open our doors."

However, she also said care must be taken "not to drain away the reservoir
of skills that countries need, without offering anything in exchange. To
fight illegal immigration - apart from its criminal phenomena - we need to
open and define legal ways to enter the EU, but also increase our forces
to stimulate the growing democracy and economy of those countries."

Mr Moreno Sanchez supports "measures that favour legal channels of
immigration to the EU, fundamental to curb clandestine immigration and to
fight against networks of human trafficking." He also stresses the
importance of "the external dimension of a European migration policy."

"This is only an initial step, focused on qualified workers and it will be
necessary to continue to work on the establishment of a common status for
the rest of immigrant workers, whom we need as much from the demographic
point of view as from the economic one", he added.
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:10 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF MANUFACTURING PRODUCTIVITY AND UNIT LABOR COST TRENDS 2006 [27 September 2007]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/prod4.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/prod4.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]

 Manufacturing labor productivity increased in 2006 in 15 of the 16
economies compared by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor
Statistics.  (See chart 1.)  The Republic of Korea and Taiwan had the
largest productivity increases (+10.8 and +6.9 percent, respectively).
The U.S. productivity increase of 2.4 percent placed it eleventh among
the 16 economies compared, and was less than the average annual growth
rate since 2000.  Canada was the only country with no productivity
growth.

     Over the 2000-2006 period, in the 16 economies studied, only Korea,
Sweden, and Taiwan had greater productivity growth than the United
States.

     The data presented for the United States differ from those appearing
in BLS Productivity and Costs news releases.  (See technical notes.)
Average annual growth rates for selected measures are shown in tables A
and B.

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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 10:43 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

World Bank

DOING BUSINESS 2008: Comparing Regulation in 178 Economies [26 September 2007]
http://www.doingbusiness.org/
[see pull-down menu(s) upper right corner]

To get FULL DATA go to
http://www.doingbusiness.org/CustomQuery/

Doing Business 2008 ranks 178 economies on the ease of doing business. The top 25, in order, are Singapore, New Zealand, the United States, Hong Kong (China), Denmark, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Iceland, Norway, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Thailand, Switzerland, Estonia, Georgia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Austria.

The rankings are based on 10 indicators of business regulation that track the time and cost to meet government requirements in business start-up, operation, trade, taxation, and closure. The rankings do not reflect such areas as macroeconomic policy, quality of infrastructure, currency volatility, investor perceptions, or crime rates. Since 2003 Doing Business has inspired or informed more than 113 reforms around the world.


Overview
http://www.doingbusiness.org/documents/DB-2008-overview.pdf
[full-text, 9 pages]

Press Release 26 September 2007
Doing Business 2008: Large Emerging Markets Reforming Fast; Egypt the Top Reformer, Eastern Europe Overtakes East Asia on Ease of Doing Business
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21485981~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 26, 2007 ­ Thanks to reforms of business regulation, more businesses are starting up, finds < http://www.doingbusiness.org/>Doing Business 2008­the fifth in an annual report series issued by the World Bank and IFC. Countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union reformed the most in 2006/07­along with a large group of emerging markets, including China and India.

This year Egypt tops the list of reformers that are making it easier to do business. Egypt greatly improved its position in the global rankings on the ease of doing business, with reforms in five of the 10 areas studied by the report. And for the second year running, Singapore tops the aggregate rankings on the ease of doing business.

Besides Egypt, the other top 10 reformers are, in order, Croatia, Ghana, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, China, and Bulgaria. Another 11 countries­Armenia, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, the Czech Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mauritius, Mozambique, Portugal, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan­had three or more reforms. Reformers made it simpler to start a business, strengthened property rights, enhanced investor protections, increased access to credit, eased tax burdens, and expedited trade while reducing costs. In all, 200 reforms­in 98 economies­were introduced between April 2006 and June 2007.

AND MUCH MORE....

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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                  
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# posted by SBasefsky : 9:18 AM

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
________________________________________________________________________

EEOC PRESENTS 'FREEDOM TO COMPETE AWARD' FOR BEST PRACTICES IN EMPLOYMENT [26 September 2007]
Five Employers Honored for Programs Promoting Access and Inclusion
http://www.eeoc.gov/press/9-26-07.html

WASHINGTON ­ Naomi C. Earp, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today presented the agency's third annual "Freedom to Compete Award" to five employers from the private and public sectors for best practices that promote access and inclusion.

The award recipients include a leading internationally recognized hospital center, a non-profit health care provider, a major bureau of a Cabinet-level agency, a city government, and a disability advocacy organization.

"In today's competitive global economy, employers must cast a wide net to attract the most diverse range of talent available," Chair Earp said at a morning ceremony at agency headquarters. "The Freedom to Compete Award showcases the most innovative employer programs to promote fair and open competition in the 21st century workplace without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age or disability. We applaud the 2007 winners, whose practices serve as models for employers across the nation."

The awards are part of the EEOC's Freedom to Compete Initiative, a national outreach, education and coalition-building campaign launched in 2002 to provide free and unfettered access to employment opportunities for all individuals. The central theme of the initiative is that every individual deserves the opportunity to compete and advance as far as his/her talent and ability allow without regard to discriminatory barriers. The 2007 award winners are:

Johns Hopkins Health System: For developing a series of programs to increase job opportunities for area youth with disabilities; more efficiently handling disputes among its employees, including EEO disputes; improving upward mobility for both new hires and permanent staff, including those from under-represented groups; and enhancing the skills of its service workers. Through these programs, 41 students with disabilities have been placed in internships, 259 employees have completed training programs, approximately 60 employees have earned high school diplomas, and approximately 90 percent of discrimination charges were resolved without an investigation.

Emory Crawford Long Hospital: For its "Project Search Program," which was created to assist hospitals experiencing shortages of nurses and medical technicians by employing young people with developmental disabilities (DD) to assist with routine tasks that do not require medical expertise. As a result of the program, 32 students with DD have transitioned to paid jobs in a variety of hospital departments.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS): For its "Lions World Program" to facilitate the hiring and retention of individuals with visual impairments. The IRS extends commitments to hire qualified individuals with visual impairments upon successful completion of pre-employment training that utilizes adaptive equipment and assistive technologies. To date, 673 persons with significant visual impairments have been hired by the IRS through the program. The IRS has also directly hired 126 visually impaired computer programmers.

The City of Norfolk: For its "Pathways to Public Service Program," which was designed to remove barriers to public employment for people of color, women, and individuals with disabilities. The program targets individuals of various ages and experiences and provides mentoring and real-world work experience in the public sector. Pathways to Public Service has resulted in numerous hires for the city.

Abilities, Inc.: For its "Experience Counts Program" to assist mature workers with disabilities or age-related limitations to regain meaningful employment. The program aims to educate employers about the value of hiring or retaining older workers and to assist mature job seekers in realigning their careers. As a result, 187 mature workers have obtained meaningful employment. Of those, over 70 percent were unemployed for more than six months prior to receiving services. Abilities, Inc. plans to expand the program to include veterans with disabilities who are returning to civilian life after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As part of the Freedom to Compete Initiative, the EEOC has been forging strategic alliances and partnerships with a cross-section of stakeholders to influence positive change in the workplace. Additional information about the initiative can be found on the EEOC's web site at < http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/compete/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                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:53 AM