Friday, February 27, 2009

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[IWS] Dublin Foundation: DYNAMICS OF EUROPEAN SECTORAL SOCIAL DIALOGUE [24 February 2009]

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 Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)


Dynamics of European sectoral social dialogue [24 February 2009]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0898.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/98/en/1/EF0898EN.pdf

Author: Pochet, Philippe; Peeters, Anne; Léonard, Evelyne; Perin, Emmanuelle

Summary: European sectoral social dialogue has its roots in the creation of the European Union. Over the last decade, there have been numerous changes to its institutional foundations, structures and scope. This report gives an overview of the current state of play regarding European sectoral social dialogue. It focuses on three main aspects: recent developments and outcomes, the interactions between parties either directly or indirectly involved in this dialogue, and the implementation and impact of the social dialogue texts in EU Member States. < http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef08981.htm> An executive summary is available

CONTENTS
Foreword v
Executive summary 1
Introduction 5
Background and objectives 5
Methodology 6
Structure 7
1 ­ Analytical framework 9
2 ­ Recent institutional developments 15
Role of sectoral social dialogue committees 15
Type of outcome 17
Issues covered 22
Activities of the textiles sector 27
Conclusion 28
3 ­ Coordination of multi-level actors 31
Coordination between sectors and with cross-industry social dialogue 31
Coordination with national members 32
Diversity of sectoral domains 33
Role of sectoral industrial relations structures in Member States 39
Involvement of national players in the committees 45
Factors influencing level of involvement 49
Role of European secretariats 50
Conclusion 51
4 ­ Implementation and impact of texts 53
Implementation processes 53
Follow-up procedures 56
Implementation of the texts at national level 58
Level 1: Policy orientation 59
Level 2: Guidelines 60
Level 3: Framework of actions 61
Conclusion 63
5 ­ Conclusions 65
Development and outcomes 65
Dynamics among the players and sectors 66
Implementation and impact of texts 67
Bibliography 71
Annex 1 ­ List of organisations interviewed 79
Annex 2 ­ Keywords in sectoral social dialogue work programme 80
Annex 3 ­ Number of jobs per sector 89
Annex 4 ­ Process-oriented texts (1999­2007) 91
Annex 5 ­ List of abbreviations 95


______________________________
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] Dublin Foundation: WORKING CONDITIONS in the EU: WORK ORGANISATION [25 February 2009]

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 Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)


Working conditions in the European Union: Work organisation [25 February 2009]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0862.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/62/en/1/EF0862EN.pdf
[full-text, 74 pages]

Author: Valeyre, Antoine; Lorenz, Edward; Cartron, Damien; Csizmadia, Péter; Gollac, Michel; Illéssy, Miklós; Makó, Csaba

Summary: The quality of the working lives of European citizens is strongly dependent upon the forms of work organisation within which they operate. This report examines the four main types of work organisation that exist in Europe, outlines the characteristics that distinguish them, and looks at their prevalence in terms of sector, occupation, company size and from a cross country perspective. The analysis is based on findings from the fourth European Working Conditions Survey carried out across 31 countries, including the 27 EU Member States. < http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0868.htm >An executive summary is available

CONTENTS
Foreword v
EWCS ­ Survey methodology ix
Executive summary 1
Introduction 5
1 ­ Forms of work organisation in the European Union 7
Work organisation variables 9
Main dimensions of work organisation 11
Typology of forms of work organisation 12
Summary 14
2 ­ Structural characteristics of work organisation forms 17
Economic sector 17
Company size 18
Occupational category 18
Demographic characteristics 19
3 ­ Differences between EU Member States in forms of work organisation 21
National differences in forms of work organisation 21
National diversity across the EU15 and NMS 23
4 ­ Human resource management complementarities 27
Further training 28
Employment contracts 28
Payment systems and formal work assessment 29
Work-related discussion and consultation 30
5 ­ Work organisation forms and quality of work and employment 33
Physical risk factors 33
Work-related health or safety risks 35
Working time 36
Intensity of work 37
Work­life balance 38
Intrinsic motivation 38
Psychological working conditions related to HRM or social integration
at work 40
Satisfaction with working conditions 41
Summary 41
Contents
6 ­ Work organisation in micro-enterprises and the non-market sector 43
Micro-enterprises in the market sector 43
Non-market sector 45
7 ­ Conclusions 49
Bibliography 53
Annex 1 57
Annex 2 58
______________________________
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] 2009 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT [27 February 2009]

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 State


2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report [27 February 2009]
http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2009/index.htm

The 2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is an annual report by the Department of State to Congress prepared in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act. It describes the efforts of key countries to attack all aspects of the international drug trade in Calendar Year 2008. Volume I covers drug and chemical control activities. Volume II covers money laundering and financial crimes.

Volume I: DRUG and CHEMICAL CONTROL
http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2009/vol1/index.htm
or
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/120054.pdf
[full-text, 638 pages]


Volume II: MONEY LAUNDERING and FINANCIAL CRIMES
http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2009/vol2/index.htm
or
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/120055.pdf
[full-text, 558 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                  
****************************************


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[IWS] BLS: REGIONAL AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT, 2008 ANNUAL AVERAGES [27 February 2009]

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
________________________________________________________________________

REGIONAL AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT, 2008 ANNUAL AVERAGES [27 February 2009]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/srgune.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/srgune.pdf
[full-text, 14 pages]

Annual average unemployment rates rose in 2008 in all 4 regions and
in 46 states and the District of Columbia, declined in 1 state, and
were unchanged in 3 states, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
Department of Labor reported today.  Employment-population ratios
decreased in all 4 regions and in 45 states and the District of
Columbia, increased in 3 states, and were unchanged in 2 states.  The
U.S. jobless rate climbed by 1.2 percentage points over the year to
5.8 percent, while the national employment-population ratio fell by
0.8 point to 62.2 percent.  Most of the deterioration in the labor
market occurred late in the year.

Regional Unemployment

   All four regions posted statistically significant unemployment rate
increases from 2007:  the West (+1.5 percentage points), South (+1.2
points), and Midwest and Northeast (+1.0 point each).  In 2008, the West
and Midwest registered jobless rates, 6.2 and 6.1 percent, respectively,
that were significantly higher than the U.S. rate (5.8 percent), while
the Northeast and South both had rates that were significantly below it,
5.4 and 5.5 percent, respectively.  (See table 1.)

   All nine geographic divisions reported statistically significant
over-the-year unemployment rate increases in 2008:  the Pacific (+1.6
percentage points), South Atlantic (+1.5 points), Mountain (+1.3
points), East South Central (+1.2 points), East North Central (+1.1
points), Middle Atlantic (+1.0 point), New England (+0.9 point), West
North Central (+0.6 point), and West South Central (+0.5 point).  The
Pacific registered the highest unemployment rate in 2008, 6.8 percent,
followed by the East North Central at 6.6 percent.  The divisions
with the lowest jobless rates in 2008 were the West South Central at
4.8 percent, and West North Central at 4.9 percent.  Five divisions
reported jobless rates that were significantly below the national rate
of 5.8 percent in 2008:  the Middle Atlantic, Mountain, New England,
West North Central, and West South Central.  Two divisions--the East
North Central and Pacific--recorded rates that were significantly
higher than the U.S. rate.

State Unemployment

   In 2008, 39 states and the District of Columbia posted statistically
significant unemployment rate increases, while the remaining 11 states
recorded unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from
the previous year, even though some had changes that were at least as
large numerically as the significant changes.  Rhode Island had the larg-
est jump in its jobless rate (+2.6 percentage points).  Florida and
Nevada reported the next largest rate increases (+2.1 and +2.0 percent-
age points, respectively).  Twenty-one additional states and the
District of Columbia recorded increases in their unemployment rates
of at least 1.0 percentage point.  The remaining 15 states with signi-
ficant rate changes experienced increases ranging from +0.4 to +0.9
percentage point.  (See table A.)

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


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[IWS] ETUI: DATABASE on EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCILS AGREEMENTS

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

European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)

DATABASE on EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCILS AGREEMENTS
http://www.ewcdb.eu/


Welcome to ewcdb.eu

[In the left margin you will find many options for searching as well as supportive documentation]

Looking for up-to-date information on European Works Councils?

The EWC database is a specific service by the European Trade Union Institute.

The database contains the details and texts of agreements that have established < http://www.ewcdb.eu/ewc.php> European Works Councils, as well as agreements negotiated by EWCs on specific topics (substantive agreements).

In delivering this service the ETUI co-operates with the < http://www.ewcdb.eu/eifs.php> European Industry Federations and with the < http://www.sda-asbl.org/> Social Development Agency (SDA) which offers further analysis of these documents.

The database also contains (brief) information on < http://www.ewcdb.eu/companies.php> multinational companies falling within the scope of the EWC Directive including records and reference to < http://www.ewcdb.eu/search_results_companies.php?listMode=4> European Companies and their SE Works Council agreements.

The database has been widely used as a reference source by assorted EU and national institutions as well as research and academic centres.

It also represents a useful tool for all practitioners dealing with EWCs and employee participation in their daily work (e.g. European Industry Federations, trade unions, shop stewards, employee representatives, EWC members).

Apart from the database service on the ewcdb.eu you can find information on some legal aspects of functioning of EWCs ('< http://www.ewcdb.eu/legal_provisions.php> Legal provisions' section).

In addition to that, in the legal area of ewcdb.eu ('Jurisprudence') you can find a recent list of legal cases (< http://www.ewcdb.eu/list_other_documents.php?webchapter_ID=6&type=European%20Court%20of%20Justice&sort=jurisprudence > ECJ and < http://www.ewcdb.eu/list_other_documents.php?webchapter_ID=7&type=National%20Case%20Law&sort=jurisprudence > national courts) in which EWCs were involved, or where a decision had an impact on their functioning.

Further information on EWCs in a broader context of employee participation in the EU can be found on another specific website created by the ETUI: www.worker-participation.eu.


______________________________
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] MDRC: WELFARE-TO-WORK PROGRAM BENEFITS & COSTS: A SYNTHESIS OF RESEARCH [February 2009]

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
________________________________________________________________________

MDRC

Welfare-to-Work Program Benefits and Costs: A Synthesis of Research [February 2009]
David Greenberg, Victoria Deitch, and Gayle Hamilton
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/511/full.pdf
[full-text, 145 pages]

Executive Summary
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/511/execsum.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]

Overview
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/511/overview.html

[excerpt]
Over the past two decades, federal and state policymakers have dramatically reshaped the nation's system of cash welfare assistance for low-income families. During this period, there has been considerable variation from state to state in approaches to welfare reform, which are often collectively referred to as "welfare-to-work programs." To help states assess various program approaches in an informed way, this report draws on an extraordinary body of evidence: results from 28 benefit-cost studies of welfare-to-work programs based on random assignment evaluation designs. The synthesis addresses such questions as: Which welfare reform program approaches result in positive payoffs on the investments made in them? Which approaches make participants better off financially? Which approaches improve the government's budgetary position? The report thus presents findings that can aid policymakers and program developers in assessing the often complex trade-offs associated with balancing the desire to ensure the poor of adequate incomes and yet encourage self-sufficiency.

Contents
Overview iii
List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes vii
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Executive Summary ES-1
Chapter
1 Introduction 1
2 Conducting Benefit-Cost Analyses of Welfare-to-Work Programs 5
MDRC's Benefit-Cost Accounting Framework 5
The Design of MDRC's Welfare-to-Work Evaluations 10
Cost and Benefit Estimation Techniques 10
3 Mandatory Work Experience Programs 17
Benefit-Cost Estimates 18
4 Mandatory Job-Search-First Programs 23
Benefit-Cost Estimates 25
5 Mandatory Education-First Programs 29
Benefit-Cost Estimates 30
6 Mandatory Mixed-Initial-Activity Programs 35
Benefit-Cost Estimates 37
7 Earnings Supplement Programs 47
Benefit-Cost Estimates 49
8 Time-Limit-Mix Programs 55
Mandates 55
Financial Incentives 56
Time Limits 57
Control Group Comparison 57
Benefit-Cost Estimates 58
9 Conclusions and Policy Implications 63
Appendix
A Descriptions of the Welfare-to-Work Programs, by Type 73
B Supplementary Tables: Selected Characteristics of Sample
Members and Detailed Benefit-Cost Analyses 83
References and Bibliography 107


______________________________
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] SPLC: HATE GROUPS NUMBERS UP by 54% Since 2000 [26 February 2009]

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
________________________________________________________________________

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

Press Release 26 February 2009
Hate Group Numbers Up By 54% Since 2000
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=366



The number of hate groups operating in the United States continued to rise in 2008 and has grown by 54 percent since 2000 ­ an increase fueled last year by immigration fears, a failing economy and the successful campaign of Barack Obama, according to the "< http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/intrep.jsp?iid=48> Year in Hate" issue of the SPLC's Intelligence Report released today.

The SPLC identified 926 hate groups active in 2008, up more than 4 percent from the 888 groups in 2007 and far above the 602 groups documented in 2000. A list and interactive, state-by-state map of these groups can be viewed < http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp> here.

As in recent years, hate groups were animated by fears of Latino immigration. This rise in hate groups has coincided with a 40 percent growth in hate crimes against Latinos between 2003 and 2007, according to FBI statistics.

Two new factors were introduced to the volatile hate movement in 2008: the faltering economy and the Obama campaign.

"Barack Obama's election has inflamed racist extremists who see it as another sign that their country is under siege by non-whites," said Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report, a quarterly investigative journal that monitors the radical right. "The idea of a black man in the White House, combined with the deepening economic crisis and continuing high levels of Latino immigration, has given white supremacists a real platform on which to recruit."

Several white supremacists have been arrested while allegedly plotting to kill Obama, and following the election he received more threats than any previous president-elect. Scores of racially charged incidents ­ beatings, effigy burnings, racist graffiti, threats and intimidation ­ were reported across the country after the election.

Extremists are also exploiting the economic crisis, spreading propaganda that < http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=1011> blames minorities and immigrants for the subprime mortgage meltdown. Tough economic times historically provide fertile ground for extremist movements.

As this issue of the Intelligence Report points out, minority-bashing propaganda can spread rapidly through the media, even when it has no basis in fact. The issue examines the widespread media reporting of a false claim that undocumented immigrants held 5 million bad mortgages and were, therefore, responsible for the subprime mortgage crisis.

The hate groups listed in this issue include neo-Nazis, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, racist skinheads, Klansmen and black separatists. Other groups target gays or immigrants, and some specialize in producing racist music or propaganda denying the Holocaust.


______________________________
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] BEA: GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: 4th Qtr. 2008 (PRELIMINARY) [27 February 2009]

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
________________________________________________________________________

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: FOURTH QUARTER 2008 (PRELIMINARY) [27 February 2009]
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2009/gdp408p.htm
or
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2009/pdf/gdp408p.pdf
[full-text, 13 pages]
or
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2009/xls/gdp408p.xls
[spreadsheet]
and
Highlights
http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2009/pdf/gdp408p_fax.pdf

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property
located in the United States -- decreased at an annual rate of 6.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008,
(that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter), according to preliminary estimates released by the
Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In the third quarter, real GDP decreased 0.5 percent.

        The GDP estimates released today are based on more complete source data than were available for
the advance estimates issued last month.  In the advance estimates, the decrease in real GDP was 3.8
percent (see "Revisions" on page 3).

        The decrease in real GDP in the fourth quarter primarily reflected negative contributions from
exports, personal consumption expenditures, equipment and software, and residential fixed investment
that were partly offset by a positive contribution from federal government spending.  Imports, which are
a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decreased.

        Most of the major components contributed to the much larger decrease in real GDP in the fourth
quarter than in the third.  The largest contributors were a downturn in exports and a much larger
decrease in equipment and software.  The most notable offset was a much larger decrease in imports.

        Final sales of computers subtracted 0.01 percentage point from the fourth-quarter change in real
GDP, the same contribution as in the third quarter.  Motor vehicle output subtracted 2.04 percentage
points from the fourth-quarter change in real GDP after adding 0.16 percentage point to the third-quarter
change.

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


Thursday, February 26, 2009

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[IWS] DEPARTMENT OF LABOR BUDGET 2010 [26 February 2009]

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

Office of Management and Budget


A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise [BUDGET of the UNITED STATES]
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/A_New_Era_of_Responsibility2.pdf
or
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/index.html
or
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy10/pdf/fy10-newera.pdf
[full-text, 146 pages]


DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/Department_of_Labor.pdf

Funding Highlights:
• Builds on Unemployment Insurance modernization in the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act to make the program a more effective social safety net and economic stabilizer.
• Provides strong support for Federal workforce training programs, and increases their focus on
green technologies training.
• Strengthens enforcement of labor standards, including workplace safety and benefit security,
reversing years of erosion in funding for labor law enforcement agencies.
• Establishes automatic workplace pensions.


FACT SHEET
The U.S. Department of Labor 2010 Budget
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/asset.aspx?AssetId=776
[full-text, 2 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                  
****************************************


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[IWS] GAO: WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT: NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT WORKS & WHAT DOESN'T [26 February 2009]

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
________________________________________________________________________

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Workforce Investment Act:  Labor Has Made Progress in Addressing Areas of Concern, but More Focus Needed on Understanding What Works and What Doesn't, by George A. Scott, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, House Committee on Education and Labor.  GAO-09-396T, February 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-396T
[full-text, 20 pages]

Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09396thigh.pdf


WHAT GAO FOUND
Labor has made some progress addressing earlier concerns regarding
performance measurement and the accuracy of performance data, but issues
with funding remain. The move to common measures helps provide a more
complete picture of WIA services and may encourage services to challenging
clients. With regard to such clients, Labor has chosen not to systematically
adjust expected performance levels to account for different populations and
local economic conditions, as recommended. Labor has made strides in
improving the accuracy of performance data by requiring states to conduct
data validation efforts. And, it has made progress in states' ability to share
data for tracking WIA performance, securing the participation of all but one
state in the Wage Record Interchange System. Labor is also moving ahead
with plans to implement an enhanced data reporting system that would, for
the first time, allow Labor and states to track an individual's progress through
the one-stop system. While progress has been made with regard to
performance data, ensuring that funding is consistent with the demand for
services and reflects funds states have available remains an issue. Statutory
formulas have caused wide fluctuations in the funding states receive,
particularly under the Dislocated Worker program. In addition, Labor has
chosen not to consider states' obligations when estimating their available
funds, as recommended.

To date, Labor has been slow to comply with the requirement to conduct
impact evaluations of its programs and activities carried out under WIA. In
2004 and 2007, we recommended that Labor comply with the requirements of
the law and conduct an impact evaluation of WIA services to better
understand what services are most effective for improving outcomes. In its
fiscal year 2008 budget, Labor identified a WIA assessment as an effort the
agency would begin, and it has since initiated two studies. One, a
nonexperimental study, is now complete, and officials expect to publish the
results in March 2009. The other uses a random assignment experimental
design, and will not be completed until June 2015. To address what Labor
perceived as shortcomings in the one-stop service delivery system, Labor
developed three separate discretionary grant initiatives to focus on the
employment and training needs of high-growth, high-demand industries and
awarded almost $900 million for these initiatives. However, Labor will be
challenged to assess their impact given methodological issues related to
outcome data. Moreover, Labor does not plan to include them in the
assessment of the impact
______________________________
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] EEOC seeks comment GENETIC INFORMATION NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT Rulemaking Implementation [25 February 2009]

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


Related Materials

   * Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Implement Title II of Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008
    (To be published in the Federal Register this week - will be linked when published)

   * Questions and Answers - Background Information for EEOC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking On Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
         http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/qanda_geneticinfo.html



PRESS RELEASE
2-25-09
EEOC SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING GENETIC INFORMATION NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT
Commission Embarks on Historic New Area of Jurisdiction
http://www.eeoc.gov/press/2-25-09.html

WASHINGTON ­ Embarking on an historic new area of jurisdiction, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today presented a Notice of Proposed Rule Making implementing employment provisions of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), and urged public comment.

"The addition of genetic information discrimination to the EEOC's mandate is historic, and represents the first legislative expansion of the EEOC's jurisdiction since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990," said Acting EEOC Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru. "We welcome the opportunity to implement important provisions of this landmark legislation, and to expand the promise of equal opportunity in the workplace for everyone."

Acting EEOC Vice Chair Christine M. Griffin said, "GINA is an important piece of legislation. As a deliberative body, we want to ensure that the intent of Congress is properly carried out through our regulations. Public comment on this NPRM is a critical part of that process. We look forward to a vigorous and thoughtful review."

GINA, signed into law in May 2008, prohibits discrimination by health insurers and employers based on people's genetic information. The EEOC is charged with issuing regulations by May 21 implementing Title II of GINA, which prohibits the use of genetic information in employment, prohibits the intentional acquisition of genetic information about applicants and employees, and imposes strict confidentiality requirements.

The EEOC opened a 60-day public comment period on the proposed rule-making at a < http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/meetings/2-25-09/index.html> Commission meeting today. Also at the meeting, a panel of experts hailed GINA for allowing people to advance their health care without risking their jobs.

"We know that in the past, patients have passed up genetic testing that could benefit their health, and have gone to great lengths to keep genetic information secret ­ even from their own doctors," said Susannah Baruch, Law and Policy Director of the Pew Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University. "With the passage of GINA and its implementation, we welcome a new era. There are many factors an individual may consider in deciding whether to take a genetic test, but the fear of discrimination must not be one of them."

Other panelists at today's meeting included:
   * Karen S. Elliott, attorney with Gregory Kaplan, PLC and member, Society for Human Resource Management
   * Jeremy Gruber, President and Executive Director, Council for Responsible Genetics
   * Andrew J. Imparato, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Association of People with Disabilities
   * Rae T. Vann, General Counsel, Equal Employment Advisory Council
   * Christopher J. Kuczynski, Assistant Legal Counsel, ADA Policy Division, EEOC

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at  www.eeoc.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] Census: WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH: MARCH 2009

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
________________________________________________________________________

Facts for Feature from the Census Bureau

Women's History Month: March 2009 [5 January 2009]
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/013129.html
or
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/pdf/cb09ff-03.pdf
[full-text, 7 pages]

National Women's History Month's roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women's Day was first observed in 1909, but it wasn't until 1981 that Congress established National Women's History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women's History Month, and the president has issued a proclamation.

154.7 million
The number of females in the United States as of Oct. 1, 2008. The number of males was 150.6 million.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/2007-nat-res.html

At 85 and older, there were more than twice as many women as men.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC-EST2007-sa.html


Motherhood

82.8 million
Estimated number of mothers of all ages in the United States.
Source: Unpublished data from Survey of Income and Program Participation

1.9
Average number of children that women 40 to 44 had given birth to as of 2006, down from 3.1 children in 1976, the year the Census Bureau began collecting such data. The percentage of women in this age group who were mothers was 80 percent in 2006, down from 90 percent in 1976.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2006 http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012510.html


Earnings

$34,278
The median annual earnings of women 16 or older who worked year-round, full time, in 2007, up from $33,648 in 2006 (after adjusting for inflation). Women earned 77.5 cents for every $1 earned by men.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html

$49,364
Median earnings of women in 2007 in the District of Columbia, a total not statistically different from the men. In all of the 50 states, women had lower earnings than the men. The District of Columbia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey were the only states or equivalents where median earnings for women were greater than $40,000.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html

$61,957
Median earnings of women working in computer and mathematical jobs, the highest among the 26 major occupational groups. In the installation, maintenance and repair occupations and community and social services group, women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings were higher than 90 percent.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html


Education

33%
Percent of women 25 to 29 who had attained a bachelor's degree or higher in 2007, which exceeded that of men in this age range (26 percent).
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html

28.2 million
Number of women 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or more education in 2007, more than double the number 20 years earlier.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html

28%
Percent of women 25 and older who had obtained a bachelor's degree or more as of 2007. This rate was up 11 percentage points from 20 years earlier. Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html

928,000
The projected number of bachelor's degrees that will be awarded to women in the 2008-09 school year. Women are also projected to earn 391,000 master's degrees during this period. Women would, therefore, earn 58 percent of the bachelor's and 60 percent of the master's degrees awarded during this school year. In addition, women would earn nearly 50 percent of first-professional degrees, such as law and medical.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics to 2017
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008078

AND MORE....


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

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


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[IWS] EXPLANATION OF U.S. VOTE AGAINST UN Resolution to STOP GLORIFICATION OF NAZISM [26 February 2009]

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 State


United States Vote Against Resolution (Taken Question) [to stop glorification of Nazism + ]
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/02/119837.htm

Bureau of Public Affairs
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC

QUESTION TAKEN FROM THE FEBRUARY 25, 2009 DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

[ORIGINAL QUESTION: Robert, recently, a commission was established on preventing genocide as being co-chaired by William Cohen, Madeleine Albright, with Stuart Eizenstat and Tom Pickering. And since there is a great interest in that and it's extremely important, why did the United States vote against a resolution which was adopted recently at the General Assembly of the UN on the inadmissibility of the glorification of Nazism and on the – this is to prohibit the description of Nazi collaborators during World War II as national liberation movements? I mean, that's Orwellian.
February 26, 2009]


Question: Why did the United States vote against a resolution which was adopted recently at the General Assembly of the U.N. on the inadmissibility of the glorification of Nazism and to prohibit the description of Nazi collaborators during World War II as national liberation movements?

Answer: In November 2008 Benin, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Zimbabwe put forward the draft resolution
Inadmissibility of certain practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to the General Assembly, which passed with 122 yes votes. The United States and the Marshall Islands voted against, with 54 abstentions.

The United States shares the repugnance at any attempt to glorify or otherwise promote Nazi ideology. However, this resolution fails to distinguish between actions and statements that, while offensive, should be protected by freedom of expression, and actions that incite violence, which should be prohibited.

The United States remains convinced that governments should not punish speech, even that which is deemed offensive or hateful. In a free society hateful ideas fail on account of their own intrinsic lack of merit. Curtailing expression is not a viable or effective means of eliminating racism and related intolerance.


PRN: 161


______________________________
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: $25 Weekly increase in UNEMPLOYMENT PAY and more [26 February 2009]

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 Release 26 February 2009
U.S. Department of Labor announces boost in weekly unemployment benefit amounts
Stimulus legislation also extends Emergency Unemployment Compensation
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ETA20090196.htm

WASHINGTON ­ Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a weekly increase in unemployment compensation, as provided for in the stimulus legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, enacted on Feb. 17.

The new temporary Federal Additional Compensation program will provide a $25 weekly increase in unemployment compensation for eligible workers. These extra benefits are 100 percent federally-funded.

The stimulus legislation also extended the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which was scheduled to expire on Aug. 27, 2009. "The program has been extended to Dec. 31, 2009, for new applications, with a 'phase-out' period ending May 31, 2010," said Secretary Solis. "Both the Emergency Unemployment Compensation and the Federal Additional Compensation programs provide temporary financial support to unemployed workers to help them pay for basic necessities such as food, clothing, medicine and gasoline while they look for new jobs."

To qualify for these benefits, unemployed workers must first be determined eligible for unemployment benefits by the appropriate state workforce agency. Workers must have earned sufficient wages from prior recent employment and have been separated from employment for non-disqualifying reasons (as determined under state law). Eligible workers must also be able to work and be available for work while receiving these unemployment benefits.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have executed agreements with the U.S. Department of Labor to administer these programs. States will begin to make the extra payments as early as the week of March 1, 2009, for weeks of unemployment effective Feb. 22, 2009.
For information on unemployment compensation, visit http://www.dol.gov.

Note: A fact sheet follows below.

----------
Fact Sheet

EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AND FEDERAL ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION UNDER AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08) ­ Program Extension
   * The EUC08 program, created on June 30, 2008, provides up to 20 weeks of federally-funded benefits to eligible unemployed workers who have collected all their regular state unemployment benefits. An additional 13 weeks of EUC are available in states with high levels of unemployment.
   * The EUC08 program was scheduled to expire on Aug. 27, 2009. The stimulus legislation, Public Law Number 111-5, which was enacted on Feb. 17, 2009, extends the expiration date of the EUC08 program to May 31, 2010.
   * The period during which an individual may establish eligibility for EUC08 is extended from March 31, 2009, to the week of unemployment ending on or before Dec. 31, 2009, and the "phase-out" or expiration date of the program is extended from Aug. 27, 2009 to May 31, 2010.
   * The stimulus legislation does not provide additional weeks of benefits for individuals who have or will exhaust their EUC08 benefits.

Federal Additional Compensation (FAC)
   * The stimulus legislation also created a new FAC program that provides a $25 supplement that is payable to individuals receiving state unemployment compensation (UC) or Federal UC. The $25 supplement does not apply to state-financed Additional Compensation programs.
   * All 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands executed agreements with the secretary of labor to administer this new program on behalf of the federal government on or before Feb. 21, 2009; therefore, the program is effective Feb. 22, 2009, in all states/jurisdictions.
   * States are modifying their automated benefit payment systems to implement FAC. Many states will begin to make payments during the week of March 1, 2009, for weeks of unemployment effective Feb. 22, 2009. However, due to the complexity of changing automated systems, some states have advised that they may implement later, making payments retroactively.
   * States will calculate the individual's weekly benefit amount and make any adjustments in accordance with state law to account for any earnings, and any other deductions (for example, severance and retirement/pension payments).
   * The $25 supplement is taxable. Therefore, states will include the total benefits received including the $25 increase(s) in issuing a 1099G to claimants.
   * The $25 supplement/payments will be paid from federal general revenues. States will receive administrative costs associated with implementing the $25 add-on.


______________________________
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] SBA: SELF-EMPLOYED WOMEN & TIME USE [26 February 2009]

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
________________________________________________________________________

Small Business Administration (SBA)
Office of Advocacy

Self-Employed Women and Time Use [26 February 2009]
http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs341tot.pdf
[full-text, 52 pages]

Summary
http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs341.pdf

Abstract:
The flexibility afforded by self-employment is often regarded as a way to
better balance work and home activities. Relatively little is known, however,
about the differences in time allocations between self-employed women and
women employed in organizations. Recent research suggests that the reasons
women enter self-employment may differ from those of their male
counterparts. Specifically, women appear more often to base their decisions
on lifestyle and family factors, while men make choices based on earnings
potential. This paper finds that observed time-use patterns of self-employed
women are consistent with women placing more emphasis on family factors.


______________________________
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                        
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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