Thursday, January 31, 2008

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[IWS] MARKETPLACE -- WORKING Series (Profiling a Single Worker in the GLOBAL ECONOMY)

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
________________________________________________________________________

Marketplace from American Public Media

Each month, WORKING brings us into the life of a single worker in the global economy. Intimate profiles of real people with real families, real struggles, real dreams, and real jobs.


WORKING
-- a co-production of  Homeland Production and Marketplace

BALKAN CRIME-FIGHTER PROFILED TONIGHT ON MARKETPLACE
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/segments/working/

Gordana Jankuloska stands barely five feet tall and weighs just over 100
pounds. Her modest apartment is strewn with stuffed animals. When she's not
working, she likes to watch Animal Planet on TV. As a young commercial
lawyer, she could be making good money in London, where she got her degree.
So why is she working for $4.35 an hour running the security services in a
former East Bloc country known for its underworld-style corruption? "It's a
unique chance," she says, "to do something really big." In this month's
segment of WORKING, Sandy Tolan introduces us to the 32-year-old "whiz kid"
interior minister of Macedonia.

______________________________
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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[IWS] CRS: AMERICA COMPETES ACT: Programs, Funding, and Selected Issues [22 January 2008]

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 RL34328

America COMPETES Act: Programs, Funding, and Selected Issues
January 22, 2008
Deborah D. Stine, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, Resources, Science, and Industry Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34328_20080122.pdf
[full-text, 79 pages]

Summary
On August 2, 2007, Congress passed the America COMPETES Act (H.R.
2272), which the President signed into law (P.L. 110-69) on August 9, 2007. The act
responds to concerns that the United States may not be able to compete economically
with other nations in the future due to insufficient investment today in science and
technology research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
education and workforce development. A similar concern had led President Bush to
announce the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) in January 2006 during his
State of the Union address.

The America COMPETES Act authorizes an increase in the nation's investment
in science and engineering research and in STEM education from kindergarten to
graduate school and postdoctoral education. The act also establishes the Advanced
Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and Discovery Science and Engineering
Innovation Institutes. (Appendix A provides a summary of the act's programs.)
The act authorizes increases in funding for the National Science Foundation
(NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories, and the
Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science over FY2008-FY2010. If
maintained, the increases would double the budgets of those agencies over seven
years. The Administration's ACI also proposes increases in these budgets, but at a
rate that would double them over 10 years instead of 7.

Within DOE, ARPA-E is designed to support transformational energy
technology research projects with the goal of enhancing the economic and energy
security of the United States. The effort is based on that of the DOD Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Administration and others
support the conceptual goal of ARPA-E, but questions whether or not the DARPA
model can be used for the energy sector, and has concerns about it potentially
redirecting funds from current DOE research activities. ARPA-E proponents counter
that ARPA-E is needed to facilitate the energy marketplace by accelerating research
that will bridge the gap between basic research and industrial development.

At the heart of the America COMPETES Act is the goal of maintaining the
United States as the leader in the global economy. Three broad trends influence
today's globalization of the economy. The first is technology, which has sharply
reduced the cost of communication and transportation that previously divided
markets. The second is a dramatic increase in the world supply of labor producing
goods and services traded internationally. The third is government policies that have
reduced barriers to trade and investment.

As Congress deliberates the FY2009 budget, the programs authorized by the
America COMPETES Act will likely be considered during the appropriations
process. Unlike the previous fiscal year, Congress has now authorized the America
COMPETES Act programs. How the act is funded and the programs implemented
remains to be determined as the second session of the 110th Congress proceeds.


Contents
Overview of America COMPETES Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview of U.S. Competitiveness Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Issues for Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Perspectives on the Definition of Competitiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Trade Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Foreign Direct Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Workforce and Wages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Competitiveness in Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
General Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
American Competitiveness Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Science and Engineering Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Research Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
NASA Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
High-Risk, High-Reward Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Discovery Science and Engineering Innovation Institutes . . . . . . . . . . 26
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education . 27
Department of Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
National Science Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Department of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Appropriations Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Evaluation of the America COMPETES Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Evaluation Mechanisms Within the America COMPETES Act . . . . . . . . . 45
Evaluation Mechanisms Beyond Those in the America COMPETES Act . 46
Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Output Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Input Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Concluding Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Appendix A. Summary of Legislative History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Appendix B. Legislative Information System Summary of America
COMPETES Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Title I: Office of Science and Technology Policy; Government-Wide Science . . . . .. . . 55
Title II: National Aeronautics and Space Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Title III: National Institute of Standards and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Title IV: Ocean and Atmospheric Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Title V: Department of Energy - Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Energy Act, or the PACE-Energy Act . . . . 61
Title VI: Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Subtitle A: Teacher Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Subtitle B: Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Subtitle C: Foreign Language Partnership Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Subtitle D: Alignment of Education Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Subtitle E: Mathematics and Science Partnership Bonus Grants . . . . . 65
Title VII: National Science Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Title VIII: General Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

List of Figures
Figure 1. Foreign Direct Investment in the United States and U.S. Direct Investment Abroad, Annual Flows, 1990-2006 . . .. . . . . . . . 8
Figure 2. Trends in Routine and Nonroutine Task Input, 1960-1980 . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 3. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Workforce, 1950-2000 (in thousands) . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 4. Trends in Annual U.S. Base Salaries, in Constant 2005 Dollars, 1995-2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 5. World Economic Forum Analysis of U.S. Competitiveness . . . . . . . . 49

List of Tables
Table 1. U.S. Trade in Advanced Technology Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 2. Comparison of America COMPETES Act Programs, and the President's FY2008 Budget Request, the House of Representatives FY2008 Appropriations, the Senate FY2008 Appropriations, the Final
FY2008 Budget, and the America COMPETES Act FY2008 Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

______________________________
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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[IWS] Census: STATE ESTIMATES of VOTING AGE POPULATION [31 January 2008]

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
________________________________________________________________________

STATE ESTIMATES of VOTING AGE POPULATION [31 January 2008]
DETAILED TABLES
http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/files/SC-EST2007-18+POP-RES.csv
[spreadsheet]


Press Release
Census Bureau Releases State Estimates of Voting-Age Population [31 January 2008]
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/011463.html

     The U.S. Census Bureau recently released July 1, 2007, estimates of the voting-age population in each state. The Census Bureau is required by law to produce these estimates annually for the Federal Election Commission.

     The estimates show the total number of residents in each state, the total population age 18 and older and the percentage of the total population 18 and older. They do not reflect citizenship status or voting eligibility. According to the estimates, California had the largest adult population, at 27.2 million, while Vermont had the highest percentage adult population, at 78.9 percent. (In the District of Columbia, the corresponding percentage was 80.7 percent.) There were 227.7 million U.S. residents 18 and older, comprising 75.5 percent of the total population.

     This is one in a series of population estimates that will be released over the next several months. In addition to this set, estimates will be provided for the total population of counties, incorporated cities and metro areas, as well as the population of the nation, states, and counties by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin.

- x -
The Census Bureau develops state population estimates by measuring the population change since the most recent census. It uses births, deaths, administrative records and survey data to develop estimates of migration. For more detail regarding the methodology see < http://www.census.gov/popest/topics/methodology/>.

______________________________
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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[IWS] Census: 2008 ELECTION (2004 voting percentages & demographics by State) [30 January 2008]

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

2008 ELECTION [30 January 2008]
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2008/2008elections.html

A look at the population, selected characteristics and 2004 voting percentage of each state as it approaches its 2008 primary or caucus.

______________________________
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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[IWS] CENSUS ATLAS of the UNITED STATES -- WORK (Chapter 11) [31 January 2008]

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 Atlas of the United States [31 January 2008]
http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/censusatlas/

See in particular CHAPTER 11 -- WORK
http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/censusatlas/11_Work.pdf
[full-text, 22 pages]


Press Release
Census Bureau Produces First Comprehensive Atlas in More Than 80 Years [31 January 2008]
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/census_2000/011433.html

     If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the U.S. Census Bureau's new Census Atlas of the United States speaks volumes about how the nation's population and housing characteristics have changed over the years. The atlas, with more than 700 full-color maps, is the first general population and housing statistical atlas published by the Census Bureau since 1925.

     Featuring more than 300 pages and weighing about 7 pounds, the atlas presents data from 1790 through 2000. It is arranged by topic and grouped into three general themes — who we are, where we come from and what we do. Most maps feature county-level detail for the United States and Puerto Rico.

     "The Census Atlas of the United States is an invitation to spend several hours considering the characteristics of our country," said former Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. "These maps do not merely offer graphic representations of the facts and data. They reveal the relationships among our nation's people and the states, cities and counties where they have chosen to live. In short, the book tells the story of our nation — its past, present and future."

     Census Atlas of the United States is available on the Census Bureau Web site < http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/censusatlas/>. A print copy of the Census Atlas can be purchased from the Government Printing Office online bookstore at < http://bookstore.gpo.gov>.

______________________________
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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[IWS] New Zealand: ENVIRONMENT NEW ZEALAND 2007 (REPORT) [31 January 2008]

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
________________________________________________________________________

New Zealand
Ministry for the Environment

Environment New Zealand 2007 [31 January 2008]
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/enz07-dec07/index.html
[download individual chapters]
or
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/enz07-dec07/html/index.html
and
SUMMARY
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/enz07-summary-dec07/index.html

Press Release

Current state of the environment report released [31 January 2008]
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/news/enz07-31jan08.html

[excerpt]

A comprehensive state of the environment report released today provides the basis for future action on the environment, says Environment Secretary Hugh Logan.
< http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/enz07-dec07/index.html> Environment New Zealand 2007 presents a thorough snapshot of the health of our environment and will help inform and prioritise decisions that will lead to a sustainable New Zealand, Mr Logan said.

The 450-page report is the country's second state of the environment report, but quantifies a range of key indicators in a way that the first report issued a decade ago did not.

AND MORE...

[Thanks to Kevin Adams, Information Specialist, ESR 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                  
****************************************


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[IWS] OECD: UNIT LABOR COSTS SLOW for MAJOR OECD ECONOMIES (except ITALY) [31 January 2008]

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
________________________________________________________________________

Paris, 31 January 2008
News Release
Unit labour cost growth slows for most major OECD economies in the third quarter of 2007
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/25/47/39999631.pdf
[full-text, 4 pages]

[excerpt]
Unit labour costs (ULC) in industry fell for most major OECD economies in the third quarter of 2007. In France, Germany, Japan and the United States they declined more than in the second quarter. Italy is the only G7 economy where ULC grew appreciably in the third quarter of 2007 (0.8%), although there as well they slowed, from the 1.1% increase recorded in the previous quarter.

AND MUCH MORE....

See also
http://www.oecd.org/document/33/0,3343,en_2649_201185_39999713_1_1_1_1,00.html
and
for ACTUAL DATA
Dataset: Unit Labour Cost - Quarterly indicators
http://stats.oecd.org/WBOS/default.aspx?DatasetCode=ULC_QUA


______________________________
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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[IWS] BLS: 2008 Fed. Budget IMPACT on BLS for Availability & Quality Data [31 January 2008]

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
________________________________________________________________________

Impact of the 2008 Federal Budget on the Availability and Quality of Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics [31 January 2008]
http://www.bls.gov/bls/budgetimpact.htm

----------
On December 26, 2007, President Bush signed into law the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The bill provides $544.3 million in funding to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the 2008 fiscal year that began on October 1, 2007. This funding level is $30.2 million (or 5.3 percent) less than the President requested.

To meet its 2008 funding level, the BLS is taking the steps listed below. These actions will reduce somewhat the ability of the BLS to supply timely and accurate information on the economy and labor market, and halt implementation of critical data improvements that were planned for this year.

   * Consumer Price Index (CPI) program: Delay the Consumer Price Index (CPI) initiative to implement a more representative and current sample of geographic areas and a continuously updated housing sample. The CPI geographic areas sample and rental housing sample are almost 17 years old. The overall housing component makes up about 30 percent of the Nation's most widely known measure of inflation.

   * Current Employment Statistics (CES) program: Eliminate the publication of all metropolitan area hours and earnings data and the publication of all employment data for the 65 smallest metropolitan areas, affecting all metropolitan areas with total nonfarm employment of 50,000 or less (approximately 3,900 estimates each month.) See < http://www.bls.gov/sae/msareductions.htm> for a list of the metropolitan areas being discontinued. Further, the CES program will delay a project to reduce monthly data revisions by improving response rates.

   * Occupational Employment Statistics program: Reduce the sample size of the May 2008 panel by 20 percent. This reduction is expected to reduce the number of published employment estimates by at least five percent, or about 25,000 estimates, and will decrease the accuracy of the remaining estimates. The number and quality of wage estimates also is expected to decline.

   * Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Expanded details for high-risk occupations and events, such as truck-drivers and falls, will not be available. Further, the BLS will defer planned research to understand and address a potential undercount in workplace injuries and illnesses, leaving questions about the completeness of these statistics unresolved.

   * Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE): Postpone an individual diary pilot that had the potential to improve CE estimates, which are used to revise weights and item samples in the CPI.

   * International comparisons: Defer adding comparative labor costs in Indonesia to the International Comparisons series. The BLS labor cost comparisons are a key competitiveness indicator for U.S. manufacturing. Customers have been asking the BLS to add more of the low-wage developing countries in Asia, such as Indonesia, to its comparisons.

   * Publications: Starting February 1, 2008, subscribers will no longer receive paper copies of BLS news releases or the Monthly Labor Review (MLR) in the mail. BLS news releases and the MLR will be available only through the Bureau's Web site. See < http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/subscrib.htm> for more information on the MLR.

   * All programs: The BLS has instituted a hiring freeze and curtailed all discretionary spending. The quality and quantity of some BLS data will be diminished, as fewer resources are available to collect and review data or to perform data analysis. This will result in lowered response rates, fewer published estimates, and a loss of detail in many data series. The reduced funding level also will result in a decline in customer service, as fewer Federal and State staff will be accessible to respond to data inquiries from the public, other Federal government agencies, and Congress.

The BLS also is implementing the following reductions, which were included in the 2008 President's budget request:

   * International Price Program: Discontinue the publication of four out of six service sector price indexes measuring international trade. Work on developing new service indexes also will be discontinued.

   * National Compensation Survey: Reduce the sample size by five percent, making the outputs of the Employment Cost Index, Employee Benefits Survey, and Locality Pay Surveys less reliable.
______________________________
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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[IWS] BLS: AGING WAGE SURVEY DATA Using the EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX [29 January 2008]

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 [29 January 2008]
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/home.htm


Aging Wage Survey Data Using the Employment Cost Index [29 January 2008]
by Wayne M. Shelly
http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/cm20080122ar01p1.htm


Abstract:
The Employment Cost Index provides a valuable tool that can be used to adjust wage survey data--a process known as "aging"--to account for the time lag between the last published survey data and the present. Making such adjustments is critical for many users, such as human resource professionals, who use the data to set wage levels at their firms, and job seekers, who use the data to evaluate job offers.

______________________________
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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[IWS] BLS: EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX-DECEMBER 2007 [31 January 2008]

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
________________________________________________________________________

EMPLOYMENT COST INDEX-DECEMBER 2007 [31 January 2008]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/eci.pdf
[full-text, 22 pages]
and
Supplemental Files Table of Contents
http://www.bls.gov/web/eci.supp.toc.htm

 Total compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.8 percent from September to
December 2007, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department
of Labor reported today.  This was the same increase as the June to September period.  Both
components of compensation rose about the same amount--wages and salaries rose 0.8 percent
and benefits rose 0.9 percent.  In the previous quarter, both wages and salaries and benefits
increased 0.8 percent.  The Employment Cost Index (ECI), a product of the National
Compensation Survey, measures quarterly changes in compensation costs for civilian workers
(nonfarm private industry and state and local government workers).

Quarterly changes, seasonally adjusted

     Compensation costs for both private industry and state and local government rose
0.8 percent from September to December 2007, the same as for the prior quarter.  Wages and
salaries for private industry workers increased 0.8 percent for the September to December 2007
period, the same as the previous quarter.  In state and local government, the increase was
also 0.8 percent, compared with 1.0 percent in the prior quarter.  Benefit costs for private
industry rose 0.9 percent, compared to 0.8 percent the previous quarter.  For state and local
government, benefit costs increased 0.9 percent, compared to 0.7 percent in the previous quarter.
(See tables A, 1, 2, and 3.)

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


Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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[IWS] INDIA: EMPLOYMENT & UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION: 2005-2006 and more [January 2008]

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
________________________________________________________________________

INDIA
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
Reports & Publications
http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_nsso_rept_pubn.htm

Scroll to the bottom of this page [URL above] to find the following:

Household Consumer Expenditure, Employment and Unemployment, Unorganised Manufacturing Enterprises NSS 62nd Round (July 2005 - June 2006)
     
522 Employment and Unemployment Situation in India

     
524 Operational Characteristics of Unorganised Manufacturing Enterprises in India

     
525 Unorganised Manufacturing Sector in India-Employment, Assets and Borrowings


The above can be downloaded after FREE REGISTRATION. Simply click on the document and a registration form will appear.

See Press Release
EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN INDIA: 2005-06
[29 January 2008]
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=34970

______________________________
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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[IWS] INDIA: YEAR END REVIEW '07 (Ministry of Labour and Employment) [20 December 2007]

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
________________________________________________________________________

Press Information Bureau
Government of India

Thursday, December 20, 2007
Ministry of Labour & Employment

NEW INITIATIVES TOWARDS PROTECTING INTERESTS OF UNORGANIZED LABOUR
UPGRADATION AND OPENING OF NEW ITIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
http://pib.nic.in/release/rel_print_page1.asp?relid=34153

----------
  13:22 IST

YEAR END REVIEW ­07

The introduction of the Unorganized Sector Workers Social Security Bill, 2007, the launching of the 'Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana' (RSBY), major programme for upgradation of ITIs  and ITCs, the Revised Integrated Housing Scheme (RIHS) 2007-08 for beedi workers etc., expansion of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme to cover 250 districts with an additional $40 million Indo-US joint project on Child Labour in 21 districts, the initiation of concept of the national floor level minimum wage and its revision from Rs.66/- per day to Rs.80/- per day, constitution of two Wage Boards one for Working Journalists and another for Non-Journalist Newspaper Employees, action to provide the skills for youth with lesser educational qualification through the Skill Development Initiative Scheme in areas/clusters which have significant population of Muslims marked the activities and achievements of the Ministry of Labour and Employment during the year 2007.


UNORGANIZED SECTOR WORKERS

To provide social security to workers in the unorganized sector, the Unorganized Sector Workers Social Security Bill, 2007 was introduced in Parliament in September this year.  The Bill seeks to provide for health insurance, life and accident insurance, maternity benefits and old age pension and any other benefits that may be decided by the Central Government.

AND MUCH 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                  
****************************************


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[IWS] DOL: MINIMUM WAGE IMPACT--AMERICAN SAMOA, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS [January 2008]

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
________________________________________________________________________

Prepared by
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy
U.S. Department of Labor
January 2008

Impact of Increased Minimum Wages on the Economies of American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands [January 2008]
http://www.dol.gov/asp/media/reports/ascnmi/ascnmi.pdf
[full-text, 51 pages]

[excerpt]
This report is limited to addressing the two questions contained in the Congressional mandate:
(1) what has been the impact on living standards and employment to the present date of the fifty-cent-per-hour increase in the minimum wages of each territory that became effective July 2007;
and
(2) what are the projected impacts of the future increases scheduled under the Act?


Table of Contents
Executive Summary ii
Section 1. Introduction 1
Section 2. American Samoa 5
Section 3. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 23
Bibliography 40

______________________________
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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[IWS] CHARTBOOK of INTERNATIONAL LABOR COMPARISONS, THE AMERICAS, ASIA/PACIFIC, EUROPE--JANUARY 2008

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
________________________________________________________________________

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Foreign Labor Statistics

Chartbook of International Labor Comparisons, The AMERICAS, ASIA/PACIFIC, EUROPE -- January 2008
http://www.dol.gov/asp/media/reports/chartbook/2008-01/chartbook.pdf
[full-text, 73 pages]

{excerpt]
This chartbook focuses on the labor market situation in selected
countries in the 1996-2006 period. Charts in sections 1 through 4 and
section 6 include countries in North America (the United States, Canada,
and Mexico) and selected Asian-Pacific and European economies.
Weighted aggregates for 15 European Union countries (EU-15) are
shown on most charts. These represent European Union member
countries prior to the expansion of the European Union to 25 countries
on May 1, 2004 and to 27 countries on January 1, 2007. The EU-15
countries are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It should be noted that the selected
economies are not representative of all of Europe and the Asian-Pacific
region; rather, they tend to be the more industrialized economies in
these regions. In section 5, several indicators are presented for five
large emerging economies: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and the
Russian Federation. Due to the lack of suitable data, some of the
countries do not appear on all charts. The appendix describes the
definitions, sources, and methods used to compile the data in the
chartbook. For some series, the appendix provides cautions about the
exact comparability of the measures.

CONTENTS
iv | Contents
Section 1. Gross Domestic Product Per Capita 1
1.1 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, 2006 2
1.2 Average annual growth rates for real GDP per capita, 1996-
2006 3
Section 2. Labor Market Indicators 5
2.1 Size of the labor force, 2006 6
2.2 Average annual growth rates for the labor force, 1996-2006 7
2.3 Labor force participation rates by sex, 2006 8
2.4 Labor force participation rates for youth, 2006 9
2.5 Labor force participation rates for older workers, 2006 10
2.6 Employment as a percent of the working-age population, 2006 11
2.7 Average annual growth rates for employment, 1996-2006 12
2.8 Average annual growth rates for full-time and part-time employment, 1996-2006 13
2.9 Annual hours worked per employed person, 1996 and 2006 14
2.10 Unemployment rates, 2006 15
2.11 Unemployment rates for youth, 2006 16
2.12 Ratio of youth to adult unemployment rates, 2006 17
2.13 Persons unemployed one year or longer, 2006 18
2.14 Ratio of unemployment rate of persons without high school degrees to that of persons with college or university degrees, 2005 19
2.15 Educational attainment of the adult population, 2005 20
Section 3. Competitiveness Indicators for Manufacturing 21
3.1 Hourly compensation costs, 2005 22
3.2 Average annual growth rates for hourly compensation costs, 1995-2005 23
3.3 Employer social insurance expenditures and other labor taxes as a percent of hourly compensation costs, 2005 24
3.4 Average annual growth rates for manufacturing productivity, 1996-2006 25
3.5 Average annual growth rates for manufacturing output and hours worked, 1996-2006 26
3.6 Average annual growth rates for manufacturing unit labor costs in U.S. dollars, 1996-2006 27
3.7 Manufacturing output as a percent of world manufacturing output, 2006 28
Section 4. Other Economic Indicators 29
4.1 Public expenditures on labor market programs as a percent of GDP, 2005-06 30
4.2 Measures of regulation on labor and product markets, 2003 31
4.3 Share of labor costs taken by tax and social security contributions, 2006 32
4.4 Dependency ratios, 2005 and projections to 2025 33
4.5 Trade in goods as a percent of GDP, 2005 34
Section 5. Indicators for Large Emerging Economies 35
5.1 World population distribution, 2005 36
5.2 Age composition of the population, 2005 37
5.3 Dependency ratios, 2005 and projections to 2025 38
5.4 GDP per capita, 2005 39
5.5 GDP per employed person, 1996 and 2005 40
5.6 Labor force participation rates by age, 2006 41
5.7 Employment as a percent of the working-age population by sex, 2006 42
5.8 Trade in goods as a percent of GDP, 2005 43
5.9 Manufacturing output as a percent of world manufacturing output, 2006 44
Section 6. Disability indicators 45
6.1 Persons with disabilities as a percent of the working-age population 46
6.2 Employment as a percent of the working-age population 47
6.3 Persons receiving disability benefits as a percent of the working-age population, 1990 and 1999 48
6.4 Labor market status of persons receiving disability benefits 49
Appendix. Definitions, Sources, and Methods A1
______________________________
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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[IWS] CRS: WHAT IS A RECESSION, WHO DECIDES WHEN IT STARTS, AND WHEN DO THEY DECIDE IT? [23 January 2008]

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 RS22793


What is a Recession, Who Decides When It Starts, and When Do They Decide?
January 23, 2008
Brian W. Cashell, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy, Government and Finance Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22793_20080123.pdf
[full-text, 4 pages]

Summary
A recession is one of several discrete phases in the overall business cycle. The term
may often be used loosely to describe an economy that is slowing down or characterized
by weakness in at least one major sector like the housing market. When used by
economists, "recession" means a significant decline in overall economic activity that
lasts more than a few months. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
business cycle dating committee is the generally recognized arbiter of the dates of the
beginnings and ends of recessions. As with all statistics, it takes some time to compile
the data, which means they are only available after the events they describe. Moreover,
because it takes time to discern changes in trends given the usual month-to-month
volatility in economic indicators, and because the data are subject to revision, it takes
some time before the dating committee can agree that a recession began at a certain date.
It can be a year or more after the fact that the dating committee announces the date of
the beginning of a recession.

______________________________
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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[IWS] CRS: Proposed U.S.-SOUTH KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (KORUS FTA): PROVISIONS & IMPLICATIONS [22 January 2008]

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 RL34330

The Proposed U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA): Provisions and Implications
January 22, 2008
William H. Cooper (Coordinator),
Mark E. Manyin, and Vivian C. Jones, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Stephen Cooney and Remy Jurenas, Resources, Science, and Industry Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34330_20080122.pdf
[full-text, 56 pages]


Summary
On June 30, 2007, United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab and South
Korean Foreign Trade Minister Kim Hyung-chong signed the proposed U.S.-South
Korean Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) for their respective countries. If
approved, the KORUS FTA would be the largest FTA that South Korea has signed
to date and would be the second largest (next to North American Free Trade
Agreement NAFTA) in which the United States participates. South Korea is the
seventh-largest trading partner of the United States and the United States is South
Korea's third largest trading partner. Various studies conclude that the agreement
would increase bilateral trade and investment flows.

The final text of the proposed KORUS FTA covers a wide range of trade and
investment issues and, therefore, could have wide economic implications for both the
United States and South Korea. The KORUS FTA includes issues on which the two
countries achieved early agreement, such as the elimination on tariffs on trade in
most manufactured goods and the partial liberalization in services trade. The
agreement also includes provisions on a number of very sensitive issues, such as
autos, agriculture, and trade remedies, on which agreement was reached only during
the final hours of negotiations.

If the agreement is to enter into force, Congress will have to approve
implementation legislation. The negotiations were conducted under the trade
promotion authority (TPA), also called fast-track trade authority, that the Congress
granted the President under the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-
210). The authority allows the President to enter into trade agreements that receive
expedited congressional consideration (no amendments and limited debate). The
White House has not indicated when it will send the draft implementing legislation
to Congress. (The TPA sets no deadline for the President to do this.)

While a broad swath of the U.S. business community supports the agreement,
the KORUS FTA faces opposition from some groups, including some auto and steel
manufacturers and labor unions. In addition, the agricultural community and some
Members of Congress have withheld support for the agreement until South Korea
lifts its restrictions on imports of U.S. beef. Some U.S. supporters view passage of
the KORUS FTA as important to secure new opportunities in the South Korea
market. Opponents claim that the KORUS FTA does not go far enough in opening
up the South Korean market and is a lost opportunity to resolve long running
concerns about South Korean barriers. Other observers have suggested the outcome
of the KORUS FTA could have implications for the U.S.-South Korean alliance as
a whole.

Differences between the White House and the Democratic leadership in the
Congress over the implications of the KORUS FTA have made the timing and even
the likelihood of the President's submission and the Congress's subsequent
consideration of implementing legislation uncertain.

This report will be updated as events warrant.

Contents
The KORUS FTA in a Nutshell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Automobiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Other Key Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Estimates of the Overall Economic Effects of a KORUS FTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
An Overview of the U.S.-South Korean Economic Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
U.S. and South Korean Objectives in An FTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sector-Specific Issues and the KORUS FTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Agriculture and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Autos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Textiles and Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Other Manufactured Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Financial and Other Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
General Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Trade Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Kaesong Industrial Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Foreign Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Intellectual Property Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Labor Rights and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Government Procurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Environment Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Institutional Provisions and Dispute Settlement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Other Technical Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Next Steps, Implications, and the Emerging Debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Appendix A: South Korea's restrictions on Imports of U.S. Beef . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Appendix B: South Korean Motor Vehicle Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Appendix C: South Korea's Entry into the Visa Waiver Program . . . . . . . . . . . 52

List of Tables
Table 1. Annual U.S.-South Korea Merchandise Trade, Selected Years . . . . . . . 7
Table 2. Asymmetrical Economic Interdependence (2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
______________________________
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.

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Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
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New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
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