Friday, May 30, 2008
[IWS] [REPORT] AFRICA@RISK: A GLOBAL RISK NETWORK BRIEFING [30 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
World Economic Forum (WEF)
AFRICA@RISK: A GLOBAL RISK NETWORK BRIEFING
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Africa2008/Africa_RiskReport_08.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction: The Global Risk Outlook for Africa
Executive Summary: Food and Freshwater Security
Executive Summary: Geopolitical Instability
Executive Summary: Economic Shocks
Executive Summary: Climate Change, the Environment and Challenges to Africa's Development
Acknowledgements
Resources
See PRESS RELEASE 30 May 2008
Africa@Risk 2008: Report Highlights Four Key Risks Facing the Region
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/PR_AfricaRisk08
Johannesburg, South Africa 30 May 2008 Africa is at an inflection point. The prospect of the region sustaining 5% growth is achievable, but a number of risks loom large, threatening future development and security, according to a report released today by the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Network.
Published to coincide with the World Economic Forum on Africa (Cape Town, South Africa, 4-6 June 2008), the Africa@Risk Report 2008 features the latest insights into trends, potential consequences and mitigation relevant to four key risks facing Africa:
1. Food and Freshwater Security How best can Africa cope with increasing food and freshwater insecurity? What are the risks and opportunities for the region?
2. Geopolitical Instability Can Africa sustain and consolidate progress on transparent and democratically accountable governance? Can it increase its institutional capacity to prevent, manage and resolve both intrastate and interstate conflict?
3. Economic Shocks Can African resource-rich countries reduce their commodity dependency by diversifying their economies? How can wealth be better distributed? How can African countries increase their trade benefits?
4. Climate Change, the Environment and Challenges to Africa's Development How will global warming affect Africa? How best can the region, countries, businesses and communities adapt to mitigate its effects?
In preparing this report, more than 20 experts from business, academia, non-governmental organizations and civil society were asked to consider the drivers of the recent period of unprecedented growth in Africa and the opportunities that exist, as well as the threats to Africa's continuing progress.
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
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
World Economic Forum (WEF)
AFRICA@RISK: A GLOBAL RISK NETWORK BRIEFING
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Africa2008/Africa_RiskReport_08.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction: The Global Risk Outlook for Africa
Executive Summary: Food and Freshwater Security
Executive Summary: Geopolitical Instability
Executive Summary: Economic Shocks
Executive Summary: Climate Change, the Environment and Challenges to Africa's Development
Acknowledgements
Resources
See PRESS RELEASE 30 May 2008
Africa@Risk 2008: Report Highlights Four Key Risks Facing the Region
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/PR_AfricaRisk08
Johannesburg, South Africa 30 May 2008 Africa is at an inflection point. The prospect of the region sustaining 5% growth is achievable, but a number of risks loom large, threatening future development and security, according to a report released today by the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Network.
Published to coincide with the World Economic Forum on Africa (Cape Town, South Africa, 4-6 June 2008), the Africa@Risk Report 2008 features the latest insights into trends, potential consequences and mitigation relevant to four key risks facing Africa:
1. Food and Freshwater Security How best can Africa cope with increasing food and freshwater insecurity? What are the risks and opportunities for the region?
2. Geopolitical Instability Can Africa sustain and consolidate progress on transparent and democratically accountable governance? Can it increase its institutional capacity to prevent, manage and resolve both intrastate and interstate conflict?
3. Economic Shocks Can African resource-rich countries reduce their commodity dependency by diversifying their economies? How can wealth be better distributed? How can African countries increase their trade benefits?
4. Climate Change, the Environment and Challenges to Africa's Development How will global warming affect Africa? How best can the region, countries, businesses and communities adapt to mitigate its effects?
In preparing this report, more than 20 experts from business, academia, non-governmental organizations and civil society were asked to consider the drivers of the recent period of unprecedented growth in Africa and the opportunities that exist, as well as the threats to Africa's continuing progress.
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
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:06 AM
Thursday, May 29, 2008
[IWS] IOE: INTERNATIONAL LABOUR & SOCIAL POLICY REVIEW 2008 [29 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
International Organisation of Employers (IOE)
International Labour and Social Policy Review 2008 [29 May 2008]
http://www.ioe-emp.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents_pdf/papers/ilspr/International_Labour_and_Social_Policy_Review_2008.pdf
[full-text, 76 pages]
See PRESS RELEASE 29 May 2008
http://www.ioe-emp.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents_pdf/press_releases/english/pr_080529_ilspr08.pdf
CONTENTS
The Development of European Social Policy: Considerations for Other Integration Processes . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Roberto Suarez Head of International & European Social Affairs
Confederation of Spanish Employers' Organizations (CEOE)
The Employers' Role in Promoting Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Jamaica . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd Chief Executive Officer
Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF)
A Comparative Analysis of Western and Islamic Models of Industrial Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Fasihul Karim Siddiqi Vice-President
Employers' Federation of Pakistan (EFP)
Managing HIV/AIDS An Opportunity for the Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . 33
Patrick E. O. Obath Special Projects Manager Kenya Shell Limited
and Chairman of Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE)
Regulating the Labour Market can be Bad for Your Health! . . . . . . 41
Paul Mackay Manager Employment Relations Policy and
Sam Collins Researcher, Business New Zealand
Collective Bargaining The Employers' Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
IOE Secretariat
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
International Organisation of Employers (IOE)
International Labour and Social Policy Review 2008 [29 May 2008]
http://www.ioe-emp.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents_pdf/papers/ilspr/International_Labour_and_Social_Policy_Review_2008.pdf
[full-text, 76 pages]
See PRESS RELEASE 29 May 2008
http://www.ioe-emp.org/fileadmin/user_upload/documents_pdf/press_releases/english/pr_080529_ilspr08.pdf
CONTENTS
The Development of European Social Policy: Considerations for Other Integration Processes . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Roberto Suarez Head of International & European Social Affairs
Confederation of Spanish Employers' Organizations (CEOE)
The Employers' Role in Promoting Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Jamaica . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd Chief Executive Officer
Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF)
A Comparative Analysis of Western and Islamic Models of Industrial Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Fasihul Karim Siddiqi Vice-President
Employers' Federation of Pakistan (EFP)
Managing HIV/AIDS An Opportunity for the Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . 33
Patrick E. O. Obath Special Projects Manager Kenya Shell Limited
and Chairman of Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE)
Regulating the Labour Market can be Bad for Your Health! . . . . . . 41
Paul Mackay Manager Employment Relations Policy and
Sam Collins Researcher, Business New Zealand
Collective Bargaining The Employers' Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
IOE Secretariat
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:20 AM
Thursday, May 22, 2008
[IWS] ILO: SITUATION of WORKERS of the OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES [22 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
International Labour Office (ILO)
International Labour Conference, 97th Session, 2008
Report of the Director-General
Appendix
The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories [22 May 2008]
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_092729.pdf
[full-text, 49 pages]
Press Release at
http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_093578/index.htm
Contents
Page
Preface........................................... v
1 Introduction..................................... 1
2. Renewed peace negotiations in a depressed employment and social situation............ 3
A depressed labour market................................................... 3
Poverty and food dependency..................................... 3
The isolation of Gaza.............................. 3
Continuing insecurity for Palestinian and Israeli citizens................... 4
The tight grip ofclosures.................................... 4
Continued growth in settlements.................................. 4
Improvement in the fiscal situation......................... 5
A Palestinian reform and development plan...................... 5
The Annapolis momentum.......................................... 5
Public opinion supports peace negotiations but is pessimistic regarding theoutcome.................... 6
The League of ArabStates......................... 6
3. Tight closures and control restrict movement and access................ 8
Internal closure intensifies in the West Bank......................... 9
The West Bank Separation Barrier......................................... 10
A systematically arbitrary permits regime exacerbates physical closures.................... 13
Total isolation of Gaza leads to socio-economic breakdown........................................ 14
Violence, security concerns and their impact on economic activity.............................. 16
More Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian territories............................. 17
Implications for socio-economic recovery....................... 19
Discrimination and the identity crisis in the occupied Syrian Golan.............................. 20
4. The employment crisis of Arab workers in the occupied territories............................... 22
Falling average incomes.................... 22
More people employed but more poverty..................................... 22
More employment in low-productivity occupations..................... 24
Employment in Israel and the settlements............................. 25
Loss of competitiveness........................... 25
Steep rise in consumer prices and lower purchasing power of wages......................... 26
The employment challenges of a rapidly growing young labour force.......................... 27
Precarious working conditions and labour rights......................... 27
Legal protection of Palestinian workers: Settlements and industrial zones.................. 28
5. Freedom of association and social dialogue................... 30
6. Conclusions........................................... 32
References............................. 35
Annex: List of interlocutors......................... 39
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
International Labour Office (ILO)
International Labour Conference, 97th Session, 2008
Report of the Director-General
Appendix
The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories [22 May 2008]
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_092729.pdf
[full-text, 49 pages]
Press Release at
http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_093578/index.htm
Contents
Page
Preface........................................... v
1 Introduction..................................... 1
2. Renewed peace negotiations in a depressed employment and social situation............ 3
A depressed labour market................................................... 3
Poverty and food dependency..................................... 3
The isolation of Gaza.............................. 3
Continuing insecurity for Palestinian and Israeli citizens................... 4
The tight grip ofclosures.................................... 4
Continued growth in settlements.................................. 4
Improvement in the fiscal situation......................... 5
A Palestinian reform and development plan...................... 5
The Annapolis momentum.......................................... 5
Public opinion supports peace negotiations but is pessimistic regarding theoutcome.................... 6
The League of ArabStates......................... 6
3. Tight closures and control restrict movement and access................ 8
Internal closure intensifies in the West Bank......................... 9
The West Bank Separation Barrier......................................... 10
A systematically arbitrary permits regime exacerbates physical closures.................... 13
Total isolation of Gaza leads to socio-economic breakdown........................................ 14
Violence, security concerns and their impact on economic activity.............................. 16
More Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian territories............................. 17
Implications for socio-economic recovery....................... 19
Discrimination and the identity crisis in the occupied Syrian Golan.............................. 20
4. The employment crisis of Arab workers in the occupied territories............................... 22
Falling average incomes.................... 22
More people employed but more poverty..................................... 22
More employment in low-productivity occupations..................... 24
Employment in Israel and the settlements............................. 25
Loss of competitiveness........................... 25
Steep rise in consumer prices and lower purchasing power of wages......................... 26
The employment challenges of a rapidly growing young labour force.......................... 27
Precarious working conditions and labour rights......................... 27
Legal protection of Palestinian workers: Settlements and industrial zones.................. 28
5. Freedom of association and social dialogue................... 30
6. Conclusions........................................... 32
References............................. 35
Annex: List of interlocutors......................... 39
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 7:26 AM
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
[IWS] World Bank: THE GROWTH REPORT: STRATEGIES for SUSTAINED GROWTH & INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT [21 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
Commission on Growth and Development
The Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development [21 May 2008]
http://www.growthcommission.org/storage/cgdev/documents/Report/GrowthReportfull.pdf
[full-text, 180 pages]
Includes STATISTICAL ANNEX
Press Release
New Report Sheds Light on Success Strategies of Fast-Growing Countries
http://www.growthcommission.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=189
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
Commission on Growth and Development
The Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development [21 May 2008]
http://www.growthcommission.org/storage/cgdev/documents/Report/GrowthReportfull.pdf
[full-text, 180 pages]
Includes STATISTICAL ANNEX
Press Release
New Report Sheds Light on Success Strategies of Fast-Growing Countries
http://www.growthcommission.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=189
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 2:03 PM
[IWS] CRS: FOREIGN HOLDINGS of FEDERAL DEBT [12 March 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 RS22331
Updated March 12, 2008
Foreign Holdings of Federal Debt
Justin Murray, Information Research Specialist, Knowledge Services Group
Marc Labonte, Specialist in Macroeconomics, Government and Finance Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22331_20080312.pdf
[full-text, 6 pages]
Summary
This report presents current data on estimated ownership of United States Treasury
securities and major holders of federal debt by country. Federal debt represents the
accumulated balance of borrowing by the federal government. To finance federal
borrowing, United States Treasury securities are sold to investors. Treasury securities
may be purchased directly from the Treasury or on the secondary market by individual
private investors, financial institutions in the United States or overseas, and foreign,
state, or local governments. Foreign investment in federal debt has grown in recent
years, prompting questions on the location of the foreign holders and how much debt
they hold.
INCLUDES --
Table 2. The Top 10 Foreign Holders of Federal Debt, by Country
(Data current as of March 5, 2008)
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
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 RS22331
Updated March 12, 2008
Foreign Holdings of Federal Debt
Justin Murray, Information Research Specialist, Knowledge Services Group
Marc Labonte, Specialist in Macroeconomics, Government and Finance Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22331_20080312.pdf
[full-text, 6 pages]
Summary
This report presents current data on estimated ownership of United States Treasury
securities and major holders of federal debt by country. Federal debt represents the
accumulated balance of borrowing by the federal government. To finance federal
borrowing, United States Treasury securities are sold to investors. Treasury securities
may be purchased directly from the Treasury or on the secondary market by individual
private investors, financial institutions in the United States or overseas, and foreign,
state, or local governments. Foreign investment in federal debt has grown in recent
years, prompting questions on the location of the foreign holders and how much debt
they hold.
INCLUDES --
Table 2. The Top 10 Foreign Holders of Federal Debt, by Country
(Data current as of March 5, 2008)
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 1:54 PM
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
[IWS] JILPT: DATABOOK of INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STATISTICS 2008 [online 16 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)
DATABOOK of INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STATISTICS 2008 [online 16 May 2008]
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/index.htm
JILPT Databook of International Labour Statistics 2008 is the 12th edition of a comprehensive statistical annual from a variety of sources in different countries. The databook 2008 contains 145 tables corresponding to nine major substantive chapters on 1) economy and business; 2) population and labour force; 3) employment structure; 4) unemployment, unemployment insurance and employment adjustment; 5) wages and labour costs; 6) hours of work and working-time arrangements; 7) labour union, industrial relations and occupational accidents; 8) education and human resources development; 9) worklife and welfare. All tables are available for download in Excel and PDF format.
1 Economy and Business
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/01.htm>
-Nominal GDP
-Nominal and real GDP growth rates
-National income per capita
-Compensation of employees
-GDP by economic activity
-GDP by expenditure approach
-GDP by production approach
-National savings rates
-Industrial production indices
-Overseas production ratio, manufacturing
-Current account and trade balance
-Inward FDI flows, by host region and economy
-Outward FDI flows, by host region and economy
-Exchange rates
-Wholesale price indices
-Consumer price indices
-Purchasing power parities (PPPs)
-Comparative price levels
-Purchasing power parities (PPPs) and comparative price levels
-Labour productivity levels
-Labour share
-Average annual labour productivity growth rates, manufacturing
-Unit labour cost, manufacturing
2 Population and Labour Force
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/02.htm>
-Total population
-(Ref. Population prospects of Japan)
-Population growth rates
-Youth population, 0-14 years old
-Working age population, 15-64 years old
-Elderly population, 65 years old or over
-Population by sex and age group
-Crude birth rates and crude death rates
-Life expectancy at birth by sex
-(Ref. Japan's average life expectancy)
-Total fertility rates
-Labour force
-Population, labour force and labour force participation rates by sex and age group
-(Ref. Male labour force participation rates, 65 years old or over)
-Employment/population ratios, 15-64 years old
-Population, total employment and employment/population ratios by sex and age group
-Stock of foreign population
-Inflow of foreign workers
-Stock of foreign labour force
3 Employment Structure
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/03.htm>
-Total employment by economic activity
-Sectoral composition of employment
-Paid employment by economic activity
-Total employment by occupation and sex
-Occupational composition of employment
-Employment by professional status
-Composition of employment by professional status
-Part-time employment as a proportion of total employment
-Women's share in part-time employment
-Temporary employment as a proportion of total employment
-Temporary employment as a proportion of total employment by sex and age group
-Temporary agency workers as a propotion of total workforce
-Length of service of employees by sex and age group
-Youth's views on job changes, 18-24 years old
-The age one ought to retire from work
-Job creation rates, job destruction rates, job redistribution rates and job net increase rates
-Public employment services
-Fee-charging employment services
-Temporary employment agency services
-Measures to promote the employment of older people
-Age-based legal mechanisms including statutory retirement age
4. Unemployment, Unemployment Insurance and Employment Adjustment
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/04.htm>
-Standardised unemployment rates
-Unemployment rates (officially published national sources)
-Unemployment by age group
-Unemployment rates by age group
-Incidence of long-term unemployment among total unemployment
-Incidence of unemployment by duration
-Definitions of unemployment
-Unemployment insurance schemes
-(Ref. Supplemental unemployment assistance schemes)
-Number of persons receiving unemployment benefit
-Employment adjustment speed
-Statutory regulations or case-law principles concerning dismissal
5. Wages and Labour Costs
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/05.htm>
-Hourly wages, manufacturing (preliminary calculation)
-Wages, manufacturing
-Wages by economic activity
-Annual growth rates for hourly earnings, percentage change from previous year, manufacturing
-Earnings gap between full-time and part-time workers, female
-Labour costs, manufacturing (preliminary calculation: exchange rate conversion)
-Annual growth rates for unit labour costs, percentage change from previous year
-Annual growth rates for unit labour costs, percentage change from previous year
-Structure of labour costs as a percentage of total costs, manufacturing
-Hourly labour costs for production workers, manufacturing
-Gender wage and job tenure gap
-Gender wage gap in median earnings of full-time employees
-Wage gap by age group, manufacturing
-Wage gap by length of service, manufacturing
-Wage gap by establishment size, all industries
-Income Gini coefficient
-Income share by quintiles
-Relative poverty rates among the entire population
-Minimum wage-fixing mechanisms
-Changes in the minimum wage
6. Hours of Work and Working-time Arrangements
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/06.htm>
-Estimates of annual hours actually worked for production workers, manufacturing
-Hours of work per week, manufacturing
-Proportion of workers working long hours by gender
-Number of annual holidays
-Legal holidays
-Working-time arrangements
7. Labour Union, Industrial Relations and Occupational Accidents
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/07.htm>
-Trade union membership and density rates (national official statistics)
-Union density rates according to the ILO Union Database
-Number of labour disputes, workers involved and days not worked
-Number of workers injured due to occupational accidents and days lost
-Incidence rates of occupational accidents
-Labour dispute resolution mechanisms
8. Education and Human Resources Development
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/08.htm>
-Enrollment rates in higher education
-School system
-Participation rates in non-formal job-related education and training
-Career development and job-search assistance for youth
-Measures to tackle the youth employment challenges
-(Ref. Sub-minimum wages for youth)
9. Worklife and Welfare
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/09.htm>
-Composition of households and NPISH, resources side/uses side
-Final consumption expenditure of domestic households per capita by purpose
-Percentage distribution of final consumption expenditure of domestic households by purpose
-Household income and expenditure by age of household reference person
-Financial assets of households and NPISHs
-Percentage of respondents unable to afford food, medical and health care or clothes
-Public social expenditure by policy area, at current prices/in percentage of GDP
-Social security benefits as a percentage of national income
-Tax and social security burden as a percentage of national income
-Public expenditure on labour market programmes as a percentage of GDP
-Public pension schemes
-Corporate pension schemes
-Employer-employee social insurance contribution rates
-Public assistance systems
-Childcare leave schemes
-Financial support for childcare, including child benefits
-Childcare services (availability of childcare facilities for pre-school children)
-Employment measures for the disabled
-Main structure of daily average time use of the employed by activity group and sex
-Indicators of national power and social infrastructure
-Structure of workday time use, male
-Structure of holiday time use, male
-Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM)
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
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
________________________________________________________________________
Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)
DATABOOK of INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STATISTICS 2008 [online 16 May 2008]
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/index.htm
JILPT Databook of International Labour Statistics 2008 is the 12th edition of a comprehensive statistical annual from a variety of sources in different countries. The databook 2008 contains 145 tables corresponding to nine major substantive chapters on 1) economy and business; 2) population and labour force; 3) employment structure; 4) unemployment, unemployment insurance and employment adjustment; 5) wages and labour costs; 6) hours of work and working-time arrangements; 7) labour union, industrial relations and occupational accidents; 8) education and human resources development; 9) worklife and welfare. All tables are available for download in Excel and PDF format.
1 Economy and Business
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/01.htm>
-Nominal GDP
-Nominal and real GDP growth rates
-National income per capita
-Compensation of employees
-GDP by economic activity
-GDP by expenditure approach
-GDP by production approach
-National savings rates
-Industrial production indices
-Overseas production ratio, manufacturing
-Current account and trade balance
-Inward FDI flows, by host region and economy
-Outward FDI flows, by host region and economy
-Exchange rates
-Wholesale price indices
-Consumer price indices
-Purchasing power parities (PPPs)
-Comparative price levels
-Purchasing power parities (PPPs) and comparative price levels
-Labour productivity levels
-Labour share
-Average annual labour productivity growth rates, manufacturing
-Unit labour cost, manufacturing
2 Population and Labour Force
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/02.htm>
-Total population
-(Ref. Population prospects of Japan)
-Population growth rates
-Youth population, 0-14 years old
-Working age population, 15-64 years old
-Elderly population, 65 years old or over
-Population by sex and age group
-Crude birth rates and crude death rates
-Life expectancy at birth by sex
-(Ref. Japan's average life expectancy)
-Total fertility rates
-Labour force
-Population, labour force and labour force participation rates by sex and age group
-(Ref. Male labour force participation rates, 65 years old or over)
-Employment/population ratios, 15-64 years old
-Population, total employment and employment/population ratios by sex and age group
-Stock of foreign population
-Inflow of foreign workers
-Stock of foreign labour force
3 Employment Structure
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/03.htm>
-Total employment by economic activity
-Sectoral composition of employment
-Paid employment by economic activity
-Total employment by occupation and sex
-Occupational composition of employment
-Employment by professional status
-Composition of employment by professional status
-Part-time employment as a proportion of total employment
-Women's share in part-time employment
-Temporary employment as a proportion of total employment
-Temporary employment as a proportion of total employment by sex and age group
-Temporary agency workers as a propotion of total workforce
-Length of service of employees by sex and age group
-Youth's views on job changes, 18-24 years old
-The age one ought to retire from work
-Job creation rates, job destruction rates, job redistribution rates and job net increase rates
-Public employment services
-Fee-charging employment services
-Temporary employment agency services
-Measures to promote the employment of older people
-Age-based legal mechanisms including statutory retirement age
4. Unemployment, Unemployment Insurance and Employment Adjustment
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/04.htm>
-Standardised unemployment rates
-Unemployment rates (officially published national sources)
-Unemployment by age group
-Unemployment rates by age group
-Incidence of long-term unemployment among total unemployment
-Incidence of unemployment by duration
-Definitions of unemployment
-Unemployment insurance schemes
-(Ref. Supplemental unemployment assistance schemes)
-Number of persons receiving unemployment benefit
-Employment adjustment speed
-Statutory regulations or case-law principles concerning dismissal
5. Wages and Labour Costs
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/05.htm>
-Hourly wages, manufacturing (preliminary calculation)
-Wages, manufacturing
-Wages by economic activity
-Annual growth rates for hourly earnings, percentage change from previous year, manufacturing
-Earnings gap between full-time and part-time workers, female
-Labour costs, manufacturing (preliminary calculation: exchange rate conversion)
-Annual growth rates for unit labour costs, percentage change from previous year
-Annual growth rates for unit labour costs, percentage change from previous year
-Structure of labour costs as a percentage of total costs, manufacturing
-Hourly labour costs for production workers, manufacturing
-Gender wage and job tenure gap
-Gender wage gap in median earnings of full-time employees
-Wage gap by age group, manufacturing
-Wage gap by length of service, manufacturing
-Wage gap by establishment size, all industries
-Income Gini coefficient
-Income share by quintiles
-Relative poverty rates among the entire population
-Minimum wage-fixing mechanisms
-Changes in the minimum wage
6. Hours of Work and Working-time Arrangements
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/06.htm>
-Estimates of annual hours actually worked for production workers, manufacturing
-Hours of work per week, manufacturing
-Proportion of workers working long hours by gender
-Number of annual holidays
-Legal holidays
-Working-time arrangements
7. Labour Union, Industrial Relations and Occupational Accidents
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/07.htm>
-Trade union membership and density rates (national official statistics)
-Union density rates according to the ILO Union Database
-Number of labour disputes, workers involved and days not worked
-Number of workers injured due to occupational accidents and days lost
-Incidence rates of occupational accidents
-Labour dispute resolution mechanisms
8. Education and Human Resources Development
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/08.htm>
-Enrollment rates in higher education
-School system
-Participation rates in non-formal job-related education and training
-Career development and job-search assistance for youth
-Measures to tackle the youth employment challenges
-(Ref. Sub-minimum wages for youth)
9. Worklife and Welfare
< http://www.jil.go.jp/english/estatis/databook/2008/09.htm>
-Composition of households and NPISH, resources side/uses side
-Final consumption expenditure of domestic households per capita by purpose
-Percentage distribution of final consumption expenditure of domestic households by purpose
-Household income and expenditure by age of household reference person
-Financial assets of households and NPISHs
-Percentage of respondents unable to afford food, medical and health care or clothes
-Public social expenditure by policy area, at current prices/in percentage of GDP
-Social security benefits as a percentage of national income
-Tax and social security burden as a percentage of national income
-Public expenditure on labour market programmes as a percentage of GDP
-Public pension schemes
-Corporate pension schemes
-Employer-employee social insurance contribution rates
-Public assistance systems
-Childcare leave schemes
-Financial support for childcare, including child benefits
-Childcare services (availability of childcare facilities for pre-school children)
-Employment measures for the disabled
-Main structure of daily average time use of the employed by activity group and sex
-Indicators of national power and social infrastructure
-Structure of workday time use, male
-Structure of holiday time use, male
-Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM)
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 1:37 PM
[IWS] EIRO: EMPLOYEES FORUM & GENERAL MOTORS OUTSOURCING PLAN [19 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)
European Employees Forum react to General Motors outsourcing plans [19 May 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2008/04/articles/eu0804039i.htm
Abstract:
General Motors (GM) is attempting to push through outsourcing plans that could lead to extensive redundancies within the company throughout western European countries. GM's European Employee Forum has responded to such a move by demanding that management respect existing agreements and conclude a European framework agreement on restructuring a demand first made by employee representatives in April 2007.
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
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)
European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)
European Employees Forum react to General Motors outsourcing plans [19 May 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2008/04/articles/eu0804039i.htm
Abstract:
General Motors (GM) is attempting to push through outsourcing plans that could lead to extensive redundancies within the company throughout western European countries. GM's European Employee Forum has responded to such a move by demanding that management respect existing agreements and conclude a European framework agreement on restructuring a demand first made by employee representatives in April 2007.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 11:34 AM
[IWS] New! INNOVATION IN GLOBAL INDUSTRIES: U.S. FIRMS COMPETING IN A NEW WORLD (Collected Studies) [May 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
________________________________________________________________________
National Academies Press (NAP)
Innovation in Global Industries: U.S. Firms Competing in a New World (Collected Studies) [May 2008]
Authors: Jeffrey T. Macher and David C. Mowery, Editors, Committee on the Competitiveness and Workforce Needs of U.S. Industry, National Research Council
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12112&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=New+from+NAP+5.20.08&utm_content=web&utm_term =
To read online FREE, go to --
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12112&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=New+from+NAP+5.20.08&utm_content=web&utm_term#toc
Description
The debate over offshoring of production, transfer of technological capabilities, and potential loss of U.S. competitiveness is a long-running one. Prevailing thinking is that the world is flat that is, innovative capacity is spreading uniformly; as new centers of manufacturing emerge, research and development and new product development follow.
Innovation in Global Industries challenges this thinking. The book, a collection of individually authored studies, examines in detail structural changes in the innovation process in 10 service as well as manufacturing industries: personal computers; semiconductors; flat-panel displays; software; lighting; biotechnology; pharmaceuticals; financial services; logistics; and venture capital. There is no doubt that overall there has been an acceleration in global sourcing of innovation and an emergence of new locations of research capacity and advanced technical skills, but the patterns are highly variable. Many industries and some firms in nearly all industries retain leading-edge capacity in the United States. However, the book concludes that is no reason for complacency about the future outlook. Innovation deserves more emphasis in firm performance measures and more sustained support in public policy.
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
National Academies Press (NAP)
Innovation in Global Industries: U.S. Firms Competing in a New World (Collected Studies) [May 2008]
Authors: Jeffrey T. Macher and David C. Mowery, Editors, Committee on the Competitiveness and Workforce Needs of U.S. Industry, National Research Council
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12112&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=New+from+NAP+5.20.08&utm_content=web&utm_term =
To read online FREE, go to --
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12112&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=New+from+NAP+5.20.08&utm_content=web&utm_term#toc
Description
The debate over offshoring of production, transfer of technological capabilities, and potential loss of U.S. competitiveness is a long-running one. Prevailing thinking is that the world is flat that is, innovative capacity is spreading uniformly; as new centers of manufacturing emerge, research and development and new product development follow.
Innovation in Global Industries challenges this thinking. The book, a collection of individually authored studies, examines in detail structural changes in the innovation process in 10 service as well as manufacturing industries: personal computers; semiconductors; flat-panel displays; software; lighting; biotechnology; pharmaceuticals; financial services; logistics; and venture capital. There is no doubt that overall there has been an acceleration in global sourcing of innovation and an emergence of new locations of research capacity and advanced technical skills, but the patterns are highly variable. Many industries and some firms in nearly all industries retain leading-edge capacity in the United States. However, the book concludes that is no reason for complacency about the future outlook. Innovation deserves more emphasis in firm performance measures and more sustained support in public policy.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 11:26 AM
[IWS] CRS: MERCOSUR: EVOLUTION & IMPLICATIONS for U.S. TRADE POLICY [26 March 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 RL33620
Mercosur: Evolution and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
Updated March 26, 2008
J. F. Hornbeck, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33620_20080326.pdf
[full-text, 24 pages]
Summary
Mercosur is the Common Market of the South established by Brazil, Argentina,
Uruguay, and Paraguay in 1991 to promote economic integration and political
cooperation among the four countries. Since then, Mercosur has struggled to achieve
deep economic integration, but has maintained a cooperative economic and political
framework, which has also become an influential voice in determining the fate of the
hemisphere's regional integration initiatives. In particular, the U.S. vision for
hemispheric integration, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), has stalled
largely because of opposition from within Mercosur, which in turn has focused on
its own, albeit limited, expansion.
The Mercosur pact calls for an incremental path to a full integration, but after
15 years, only a limited customs union has been achieved. From the outset, Mercosur
struggled to reconcile a basic inconsistency in a pact of partial economic union: how
to achieve economic integration, while also ensuring that the benefits would be
balanced among members and that each country would retain some control over its
trade, production, and consumption structure. This delicate balance faced
overcoming serious structural and policy asymmetries that became clear when Brazil
and Argentina experienced financial crises and deep recessions. These economic
setbacks disrupted trade flows among members, causing friction, the adoption of
protectionist measures, and a retreat from the commitment to deeper economic
integration.
For now, Mercosur has turned to expanding rather than deepening the
agreement. Many South American countries have been added as "associate
members" and Mercosur has reached out for other South-South arrangements in
Africa and Asia all limited agreements and unlikely paths to continental economic
integration. Internal conflicts have highlighted Mercosur's institutional weaknesses
and slowed the integration process. On July 4, 2006, Venezuela signed an accession
agreement to become its first new full member, making Mercosur the undisputed
economic counterweight to United States in the region, but raising questions about
how Venezuela's membership may shift regional political and trade dynamics.
It appears that Mercosur has opted to emphasize its expansion both in the region
and with other developing countries over agreements with its largest developed
country trade partners, looking to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the
preferred alternative for achieving many of its trade policy goals. Nonetheless, U.S.-
Mercosur commercial and economic ties are expanding and the United States is
pursuing deeper bilateral trade relations with Uruguay that could provide new ideas
for a broader integration commitment. The alternative may be for Mercosur and the
United States to expand their mutually exclusive bilateral agreements, increasing the
potential for overlapping trading systems, which few, if any, view as either
economically or administratively optimal.
Contents
U.S.-Mercosur Trade Prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Formation and Institutional Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Intra-Mercosur Trade and Internal Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Intra-Mercosur Trade Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Asymmetries: Country Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Argentina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Paraguay and Uruguay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The "Pulp Mill" Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Mercosur External Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Mercosur Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Venezuelan Accession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Mercosur and the Doha Round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Mercosur-Israel Free Trade Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
China-Mercosur Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Implications for U.S. Trade Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Appendix A. U.S. Merchandise Trade with Mercosur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Appendix B. Intra- and Extra-Mercosur Merchandise Trade by Country . . . . . . 20
List of Figures
Figure 1. U.S.-"Mercosur-4" Balance of Merchandise Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Figure 2. Intra-Mercosur Exports as Percent of Total Mercosur Exports, 1990-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 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.
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
****************************************
_______________________________
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 RL33620
Mercosur: Evolution and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
Updated March 26, 2008
J. F. Hornbeck, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33620_20080326.pdf
[full-text, 24 pages]
Summary
Mercosur is the Common Market of the South established by Brazil, Argentina,
Uruguay, and Paraguay in 1991 to promote economic integration and political
cooperation among the four countries. Since then, Mercosur has struggled to achieve
deep economic integration, but has maintained a cooperative economic and political
framework, which has also become an influential voice in determining the fate of the
hemisphere's regional integration initiatives. In particular, the U.S. vision for
hemispheric integration, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), has stalled
largely because of opposition from within Mercosur, which in turn has focused on
its own, albeit limited, expansion.
The Mercosur pact calls for an incremental path to a full integration, but after
15 years, only a limited customs union has been achieved. From the outset, Mercosur
struggled to reconcile a basic inconsistency in a pact of partial economic union: how
to achieve economic integration, while also ensuring that the benefits would be
balanced among members and that each country would retain some control over its
trade, production, and consumption structure. This delicate balance faced
overcoming serious structural and policy asymmetries that became clear when Brazil
and Argentina experienced financial crises and deep recessions. These economic
setbacks disrupted trade flows among members, causing friction, the adoption of
protectionist measures, and a retreat from the commitment to deeper economic
integration.
For now, Mercosur has turned to expanding rather than deepening the
agreement. Many South American countries have been added as "associate
members" and Mercosur has reached out for other South-South arrangements in
Africa and Asia all limited agreements and unlikely paths to continental economic
integration. Internal conflicts have highlighted Mercosur's institutional weaknesses
and slowed the integration process. On July 4, 2006, Venezuela signed an accession
agreement to become its first new full member, making Mercosur the undisputed
economic counterweight to United States in the region, but raising questions about
how Venezuela's membership may shift regional political and trade dynamics.
It appears that Mercosur has opted to emphasize its expansion both in the region
and with other developing countries over agreements with its largest developed
country trade partners, looking to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the
preferred alternative for achieving many of its trade policy goals. Nonetheless, U.S.-
Mercosur commercial and economic ties are expanding and the United States is
pursuing deeper bilateral trade relations with Uruguay that could provide new ideas
for a broader integration commitment. The alternative may be for Mercosur and the
United States to expand their mutually exclusive bilateral agreements, increasing the
potential for overlapping trading systems, which few, if any, view as either
economically or administratively optimal.
Contents
U.S.-Mercosur Trade Prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Formation and Institutional Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Intra-Mercosur Trade and Internal Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Intra-Mercosur Trade Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Asymmetries: Country Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Argentina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Paraguay and Uruguay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The "Pulp Mill" Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Mercosur External Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Mercosur Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Venezuelan Accession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Mercosur and the Doha Round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Mercosur-Israel Free Trade Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
China-Mercosur Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Implications for U.S. Trade Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Appendix A. U.S. Merchandise Trade with Mercosur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Appendix B. Intra- and Extra-Mercosur Merchandise Trade by Country . . . . . . 20
List of Figures
Figure 1. U.S.-"Mercosur-4" Balance of Merchandise Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Figure 2. Intra-Mercosur Exports as Percent of Total Mercosur Exports, 1990-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 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.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:25 AM
Friday, May 16, 2008
[IWS] OECD: FUTURE of the INTERNET ECONOMY - BACKGROUND INFORMATION
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
OECD Ministerial Meeting: The Future of the Internet Economy on 17-18 June 2008 in Seoul, S. Korea
FUTURE of the INTERNET ECONOMY -- BACKGROUND INFORMATION
http://www.oecd.org/document/57/0,3343,en_21571361_38415463_38628601_1_1_1_1,00.html
Reports include
Broad-ranging papers
The OECD Observer "Guarding the Net" (January 2008)
The OECD Observer "The Internet economy: Towards a better future" (November 2007)
"Social and Economic factors Shaping the Future of the Internet" -- workshop proceedings (July 2007)
NSF/OECD Workshop "Social and Economic Factors Shaping the Future of the Internet", Washington D.C. (January 2007)
Proceedings of 8 March 2006 workshop "the Future of the Internet" (August 2006)
OECD input to the United Nations Working Group on Internet Governance (2005)
Creativity
*Participative web: user-created content (April 2007)
*UNCTAD Expert Meeting: Using ICTs to Achieve Growth and Development (December 2006)
*Workshop on Online Audiovisual Services, Film and Video: Issues for Achieving Growth and Policy Objectives (September 2006)
*OECD Workshop on Access to Public Sector Information and Content (December 2006)
*ICT industry growth to increase by 6% in 2006, says OECD (October 2006)
*Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID): Drivers, Challenges and Public Policy Considerations (February 2006)
Confidence
*OECD Workshop on Digital Identity Management (IDM) - Trondheim, Norway (May 2007)
*APEC TEL and OECD joint workshop on malware (April 2007)
*The Development of Policies for the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructures (CII) (March 2007)
*Mobile Commerce consumer issues and policy challenges for a promising market (January 2007)
*Cross-border Enforcement of Privacy Laws (October 2006)
Convergence
*IPTV: Market Developments and Regulatory Treatment (January 2008)
* OECD launches new broadband portal
*Communications Outlook 2007 (July 2007)
*Overview of the evolution towards fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) (March 2007)
*Mobile Multiple Play: New Service Pricing and Policy Implications (January 2007)
* Policy considerations for audio-visual content distribution in a multiplatform environment (January 2007)
*OECD Foresight Forum "Next Generation Networks: Evolution and Policy Considerations": Summary Report (February 2007)
*Internet Traffic Exchange: Market Developments and Measurement of Growth (April 2006)
*Rethinking universal service for a next generation network environment (April 2006)
*Policy considerations of VoIP (March 2006)
Preparatory Meetings
The OECD has held several workshops, the aim of which is to feed substantively into its meeting at Ministerial level on the Future of the Internet Economy on 17-18 June 2008. These include:
*ICCP Foresight Forum on the "Participative Web", 3 October 2007, Ottawa, Canada
*NSF/OECD Workshop on "Social and Economic Factors Shaping the Future of the Internet", 31 January 2007, Washington D.C., United States
*ICCP Foresight Forum on "Next Generation Networks (NGN)", 3 October 2006, Budapest, Hungary
*NSF/OECD Workshop on "the Future of the Internet", 8 March 2006, Paris, France
*"The Future Digital Economy: Digital content: Creation, Access and distribution", 30-31 January 2006, Rome, Italy
*ICCP Foresight Forum on "Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)", October 2005, Paris, France
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
OECD Ministerial Meeting: The Future of the Internet Economy on 17-18 June 2008 in Seoul, S. Korea
FUTURE of the INTERNET ECONOMY -- BACKGROUND INFORMATION
http://www.oecd.org/document/57/0,3343,en_21571361_38415463_38628601_1_1_1_1,00.html
Reports include
Broad-ranging papers
The OECD Observer "Guarding the Net" (January 2008)
The OECD Observer "The Internet economy: Towards a better future" (November 2007)
"Social and Economic factors Shaping the Future of the Internet" -- workshop proceedings (July 2007)
NSF/OECD Workshop "Social and Economic Factors Shaping the Future of the Internet", Washington D.C. (January 2007)
Proceedings of 8 March 2006 workshop "the Future of the Internet" (August 2006)
OECD input to the United Nations Working Group on Internet Governance (2005)
Creativity
*Participative web: user-created content (April 2007)
*UNCTAD Expert Meeting: Using ICTs to Achieve Growth and Development (December 2006)
*Workshop on Online Audiovisual Services, Film and Video: Issues for Achieving Growth and Policy Objectives (September 2006)
*OECD Workshop on Access to Public Sector Information and Content (December 2006)
*ICT industry growth to increase by 6% in 2006, says OECD (October 2006)
*Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID): Drivers, Challenges and Public Policy Considerations (February 2006)
Confidence
*OECD Workshop on Digital Identity Management (IDM) - Trondheim, Norway (May 2007)
*APEC TEL and OECD joint workshop on malware (April 2007)
*The Development of Policies for the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructures (CII) (March 2007)
*Mobile Commerce consumer issues and policy challenges for a promising market (January 2007)
*Cross-border Enforcement of Privacy Laws (October 2006)
Convergence
*IPTV: Market Developments and Regulatory Treatment (January 2008)
* OECD launches new broadband portal
*Communications Outlook 2007 (July 2007)
*Overview of the evolution towards fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) (March 2007)
*Mobile Multiple Play: New Service Pricing and Policy Implications (January 2007)
* Policy considerations for audio-visual content distribution in a multiplatform environment (January 2007)
*OECD Foresight Forum "Next Generation Networks: Evolution and Policy Considerations": Summary Report (February 2007)
*Internet Traffic Exchange: Market Developments and Measurement of Growth (April 2006)
*Rethinking universal service for a next generation network environment (April 2006)
*Policy considerations of VoIP (March 2006)
Preparatory Meetings
The OECD has held several workshops, the aim of which is to feed substantively into its meeting at Ministerial level on the Future of the Internet Economy on 17-18 June 2008. These include:
*ICCP Foresight Forum on the "Participative Web", 3 October 2007, Ottawa, Canada
*NSF/OECD Workshop on "Social and Economic Factors Shaping the Future of the Internet", 31 January 2007, Washington D.C., United States
*ICCP Foresight Forum on "Next Generation Networks (NGN)", 3 October 2006, Budapest, Hungary
*NSF/OECD Workshop on "the Future of the Internet", 8 March 2006, Paris, France
*"The Future Digital Economy: Digital content: Creation, Access and distribution", 30-31 January 2006, Rome, Italy
*ICCP Foresight Forum on "Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)", October 2005, Paris, France
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:34 AM
[IWS] Dublin Foundation: GLOBAL COMPETITION & EUROPEAN COMPANIES' LOCATION DECISIONS - BACKGROUND PAPER [15 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
Global competition and European companies' location decisions - Background paper [15 May 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0843.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/43/en/1/ef0843en.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
Author: Foundation
Summary: This background paper outlines some of the main issues concerning global competitiveness and the location of firms in Europe. It provides some of the fundamental ideas of economic geography, presents some relevant data and defines some key concepts. The conference itself [3-5 June 2008, Pozna , Poland] which brings together representatives from companies, the social partners and policymakers, aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of what is required from all parties to ensure a competitive and socially cohesive Europe.
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
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)
Global competition and European companies' location decisions - Background paper [15 May 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0843.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/43/en/1/ef0843en.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
Author: Foundation
Summary: This background paper outlines some of the main issues concerning global competitiveness and the location of firms in Europe. It provides some of the fundamental ideas of economic geography, presents some relevant data and defines some key concepts. The conference itself [3-5 June 2008, Pozna , Poland] which brings together representatives from companies, the social partners and policymakers, aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of what is required from all parties to ensure a competitive and socially cohesive Europe.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 6:12 AM
Thursday, May 15, 2008
[IWS] UK: RIGHT TO REQUEST FLEXIBLE WORKING: A REVIEW OF HOW TO EXTEND THE RIGHT TO REQUEST FLEXIBLE WORKING TO PARENTS OF OLDER CHILDREN [15 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
United Kingdom
Department for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform (BERR)
Right to request flexible working: a review of how to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children [15 May 2008]
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46092.pdf
[full-text, 24 pages]
Press Release
Flexible working to help 4.5 million more parents [15 May 2008]
http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-wlabel-dti.nsf/wfArticle?ReadForm&unid=BF1D328CF077AD6F8025744A002A74A7
Date: 15 May 2008
Time: 08:38
Flexible working to help 4.5 million more parents
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release issued by The Government News Network on 15 May 2008
An extra 4.5 million parents in Britain will gain the right to request flexible working, following the publication of the government's independent review today.
Business Secretary John Hutton accepted the recommendations made by Imelda Walsh, the HR director of Sainsbury's, to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children up to age 16. The government will now consult on implementing the proposals.
John Hutton said:
"This is an excellent report that will give a big boost to busy parents who need more help balancing work and family life. It can also help employers who often find they get the best out of mums and dads when they allow them to work flexibly.
"It is important that employers retain control over deciding whether it suits their business allow people to work flexibly, but extending the right to request to parents of older children will allow families to take priority when decisions are made."
Imelda Walsh said:
"Support for more flexible and creative ways of working has made significant progress over the past 10 years, though both legislation and voluntary change. Continuing progress depends on both employers and employees believing that there is a fair balance.
"I am convinced that the challenges which parents with older children face are considerable, and that the arguments for raising the age to 16 are compelling. This change would offer an important opportunity for parents to have extra flexibility at key times in their children's lives."
Women and Equalities Minister Harriet Harman said:
"Families are the framework of our lives. Parents want both to earn a living and do the best they can in bringing up their children, but need more flexibility at work
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
****************************************
_______________________________
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
________________________________________________________________________
United Kingdom
Department for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform (BERR)
Right to request flexible working: a review of how to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children [15 May 2008]
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46092.pdf
[full-text, 24 pages]
Press Release
Flexible working to help 4.5 million more parents [15 May 2008]
http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-wlabel-dti.nsf/wfArticle?ReadForm&unid=BF1D328CF077AD6F8025744A002A74A7
Date: 15 May 2008
Time: 08:38
Flexible working to help 4.5 million more parents
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release issued by The Government News Network on 15 May 2008
An extra 4.5 million parents in Britain will gain the right to request flexible working, following the publication of the government's independent review today.
Business Secretary John Hutton accepted the recommendations made by Imelda Walsh, the HR director of Sainsbury's, to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children up to age 16. The government will now consult on implementing the proposals.
John Hutton said:
"This is an excellent report that will give a big boost to busy parents who need more help balancing work and family life. It can also help employers who often find they get the best out of mums and dads when they allow them to work flexibly.
"It is important that employers retain control over deciding whether it suits their business allow people to work flexibly, but extending the right to request to parents of older children will allow families to take priority when decisions are made."
Imelda Walsh said:
"Support for more flexible and creative ways of working has made significant progress over the past 10 years, though both legislation and voluntary change. Continuing progress depends on both employers and employees believing that there is a fair balance.
"I am convinced that the challenges which parents with older children face are considerable, and that the arguments for raising the age to 16 are compelling. This change would offer an important opportunity for parents to have extra flexibility at key times in their children's lives."
Women and Equalities Minister Harriet Harman said:
"Families are the framework of our lives. Parents want both to earn a living and do the best they can in bringing up their children, but need more flexibility at work
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
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 10:50 AM
[IWS] World Bank: PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH in EASTERN EUROPE & the FORMER SOVIET UNION: UNLEASHING PROSPERITY [14 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
UNLEASHING PROSPERITY: Productivity Growth in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union [14 May 2008]
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ECAEXT/Resources/publications/UnleashingProsperity.pdf
[full-text, 295 pages]
Press Release
Productivity Surge Boosts Growth and Living Standards in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union [14 May 2008]
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21766868~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html
Study urges countries to further cut red tape and barriers to entrepreneurs
* The countries of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union experienced a productivity surge over the past decade that drove up living standards and reduced poverty.
* Productivity growth is probably the single most important indicator of a country's economic progress.
* Productivity growth requires a differentiated policy agenda across countries.
Big gains in the productivity of workers in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union during the past decade have helped boost growth and living standards, but more must be done to eliminate red tape and barriers to enable firms to become more productive in a rapidly globalizing world, says a new World Bank report.
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
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
UNLEASHING PROSPERITY: Productivity Growth in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union [14 May 2008]
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ECAEXT/Resources/publications/UnleashingProsperity.pdf
[full-text, 295 pages]
Press Release
Productivity Surge Boosts Growth and Living Standards in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union [14 May 2008]
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21766868~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html
Study urges countries to further cut red tape and barriers to entrepreneurs
* The countries of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union experienced a productivity surge over the past decade that drove up living standards and reduced poverty.
* Productivity growth is probably the single most important indicator of a country's economic progress.
* Productivity growth requires a differentiated policy agenda across countries.
Big gains in the productivity of workers in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union during the past decade have helped boost growth and living standards, but more must be done to eliminate red tape and barriers to enable firms to become more productive in a rapidly globalizing world, says a new World Bank report.
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
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 7:43 AM
[IWS] Mercer: NEW ZEALAND WORKER SALARY RATE INCREASES HIGHER THAN THEIR BOSSES [14 May 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
________________________________________________________________________
Mercer
Workers the real winners in the war for talent - Mercer salary survey reveals [14 May 2008]
http://www.mercer.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1307030
New Zealand
Auckland, 14 May 2008
New Zealand workers have finally caught up with the rising salaries of their bosses after years of significantly lower pay increases, Mercer's latest remuneration review has found.
Mercer's Market Issues Survey found that salary movements are the strongest that New Zealanders have seen for a number of years, although this varied across job levels. Overall fixed pay movements for same incumbents (the same person in the same role) below management level, saw 'staff' salaries rise 5.8 per cent in the 12 months to March 2008, and they fared better than 'executives' whose pay increased by 5.2 per cent over the same period.
This is in contrast to the situation 12 months ago when 'staff' received increases of 4.8 per cent, compared with their bosses who enjoyed a higher salary increase of 5.8 per cent in 2007.
Martin Turner, Head of Mercer's Human Capital business in New Zealand said this is a sign that employers are finally realising the value of their total workforce and also that retention strategies are working.
"Employers are now paying a premium right across their talent pool but they are seeing a return on this investment. Voluntary turnover has dropped significantly in the last six months, falling from 23 per cent to 18 per cent.
"We believe this can also be attributed to a slowing economy which is creating a sense of nervousness among employees. It indicates that employers are getting the message on how to keep their workforce loyal, and employees are staying put in places where they're receiving robust pay increases," he said.
The survey found over 50 per cent of employers believe that the global economy is going to have a negative impact on their business, but this has not yet alleviated pressure on wages with employers not only paying more to retain staff, but also increasing starting packages to attract new staff.
For example, 'professionals' entering the workforce have enjoyed a significant increase of 4.0 per cent in 2008, compared to a 0.4 per cent increase 12 months ago. Similarly, employers are paying more to hire new managers, with starting packages increasing this year by 2.5 per cent, as opposed to 0.7 per cent in 2007.
"Despite the recent news of a significant drop in the number of people in jobs, New Zealand's unemployment rate is still one of the lowest in the world and significant skills shortages are still evident. It will take a lot for an economic slowdown to affect New Zealand's job market, and employers are being stretched to their limits with salaries increasing above inflation in an effort to both attract and retain talent," Mr Turner said.
Mr Turner adds, that those feeling the pinch need to get smarter about where they invest.
"If businesses want to buffer themselves from these salary increases, they need to find ways of slowing the tide, for example, segmenting their workforce, identifying key value drivers and linking performance and reward accordingly. Performance and reward was listed among the top five remuneration issues of major concern to employers in the Market Issues Survey," Mr Turner said.
"However, what we're also seeing is a mismatch between the operating results organisations want to achieve and the performance of employees to meet these expectations.
"The decline in levels of confidence in organisations' people capability over the past six months suggests the imperative is becoming stronger for organisations to invest in the learning and development of their people," he concluded.
Other key survey findings:
Salary movements by region:
* A shortage of talent in regional centres saw a 5.3 per cent increase in median same incumbent pay movements this year, up from 4.8 per cent in 2007.
*
* Salary increases for Auckland-based employees dropped from 5.5 per cent in 2007, to 5.2 per cent this year, with pay increases in Wellington falling from 6.7 per cent 12 months ago, to 5.1 per cent in 2008.
Salary movements by job family:
* The number of job families becoming more competitive is growing, causing employers to pay a premium for employees in marketing, engineering, finance and accounting and HR roles in 2008.
*
* The median same incumbent movements for these job families were:
* Marketing- 7.7% (up from 5% in 2007)
* Engineering- 7.4% (up from 5% in 2007)
* Finance and accounting- 7% (up from 5.5% in 2007)
* HR- 6.2% (up from 4.9% in 2007)
* IT- 6.9% (falling from 7.3% in 2007)
______________________________
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
****************************************
_______________________________
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
________________________________________________________________________
Mercer
Workers the real winners in the war for talent - Mercer salary survey reveals [14 May 2008]
http://www.mercer.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1307030
New Zealand
Auckland, 14 May 2008
New Zealand workers have finally caught up with the rising salaries of their bosses after years of significantly lower pay increases, Mercer's latest remuneration review has found.
Mercer's Market Issues Survey found that salary movements are the strongest that New Zealanders have seen for a number of years, although this varied across job levels. Overall fixed pay movements for same incumbents (the same person in the same role) below management level, saw 'staff' salaries rise 5.8 per cent in the 12 months to March 2008, and they fared better than 'executives' whose pay increased by 5.2 per cent over the same period.
This is in contrast to the situation 12 months ago when 'staff' received increases of 4.8 per cent, compared with their bosses who enjoyed a higher salary increase of 5.8 per cent in 2007.
Martin Turner, Head of Mercer's Human Capital business in New Zealand said this is a sign that employers are finally realising the value of their total workforce and also that retention strategies are working.
"Employers are now paying a premium right across their talent pool but they are seeing a return on this investment. Voluntary turnover has dropped significantly in the last six months, falling from 23 per cent to 18 per cent.
"We believe this can also be attributed to a slowing economy which is creating a sense of nervousness among employees. It indicates that employers are getting the message on how to keep their workforce loyal, and employees are staying put in places where they're receiving robust pay increases," he said.
The survey found over 50 per cent of employers believe that the global economy is going to have a negative impact on their business, but this has not yet alleviated pressure on wages with employers not only paying more to retain staff, but also increasing starting packages to attract new staff.
For example, 'professionals' entering the workforce have enjoyed a significant increase of 4.0 per cent in 2008, compared to a 0.4 per cent increase 12 months ago. Similarly, employers are paying more to hire new managers, with starting packages increasing this year by 2.5 per cent, as opposed to 0.7 per cent in 2007.
"Despite the recent news of a significant drop in the number of people in jobs, New Zealand's unemployment rate is still one of the lowest in the world and significant skills shortages are still evident. It will take a lot for an economic slowdown to affect New Zealand's job market, and employers are being stretched to their limits with salaries increasing above inflation in an effort to both attract and retain talent," Mr Turner said.
Mr Turner adds, that those feeling the pinch need to get smarter about where they invest.
"If businesses want to buffer themselves from these salary increases, they need to find ways of slowing the tide, for example, segmenting their workforce, identifying key value drivers and linking performance and reward accordingly. Performance and reward was listed among the top five remuneration issues of major concern to employers in the Market Issues Survey," Mr Turner said.
"However, what we're also seeing is a mismatch between the operating results organisations want to achieve and the performance of employees to meet these expectations.
"The decline in levels of confidence in organisations' people capability over the past six months suggests the imperative is becoming stronger for organisations to invest in the learning and development of their people," he concluded.
Other key survey findings:
Salary movements by region:
* A shortage of talent in regional centres saw a 5.3 per cent increase in median same incumbent pay movements this year, up from 4.8 per cent in 2007.
*
* Salary increases for Auckland-based employees dropped from 5.5 per cent in 2007, to 5.2 per cent this year, with pay increases in Wellington falling from 6.7 per cent 12 months ago, to 5.1 per cent in 2008.
Salary movements by job family:
* The number of job families becoming more competitive is growing, causing employers to pay a premium for employees in marketing, engineering, finance and accounting and HR roles in 2008.
*
* The median same incumbent movements for these job families were:
* Marketing- 7.7% (up from 5% in 2007)
* Engineering- 7.4% (up from 5% in 2007)
* Finance and accounting- 7% (up from 5.5% in 2007)
* HR- 6.2% (up from 4.9% in 2007)
* IT- 6.9% (falling from 7.3% in 2007)
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 5:46 AM
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
[IWS] CRS: U.S. - FRENCH COMMERCIAL TIES [7 April 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 RL32459
U.S.-French Commercial Ties
Updated April 7, 2008
Raymond J. Ahearn, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32459.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]
Summary
U.S. commercial ties with France are extensive, mutually profitable, and
growing. With over $1.2 billion in commercial transactions taking place between the
two countries every day of the year, each country has an increasingly large stake in
the health and openness of the other's economy.
France is the 9th largest merchandise trading partner for the United States and
the United States is France's largest trading partner outside the European Union. In
2006, 62% or $38 billion of bilateral trade occurred in major industries such as
aerospace, pharmaceuticals, medical and scientific equipment, electrical machinery,
and plastics where both countries export and import similar products.
The United States and France also have a large and growing trade in services
such as tourism, education, finance, insurance and other professional services. In
2006, France was the sixth largest market for U.S. exports of services.
Although trade in goods and services receive most of the attention in terms of
the commercial relationship, foreign direct investment and the activities of foreign
affiliates can be viewed as the backbone of the commercial relationship. The scale
of sales of U.S.-owned companies operating in France and French-owned companies
operating in the United States outweighs trade transactions by a factor of almost five.
In 2006, France was the eleventh largest host country for U.S. foreign direct
investment abroad and the United States with investments valued at $65.9 billion
was the number one foreign investor in France. During that same year, French
companies had direct investments in the United States totaling $159 billion
(historical cost basis), making France the fifth largest investor in the United States.
French-owned companies employed some 473,000 workers in the United States in
2005 compared to 619,000 employees of U.S. companies invested in France.
Most U.S. trade and investment transactions with France, dominated by
multinational companies, are non-controversial. Nevertheless, three prominent issues
agriculture, government intervention in corporate activity, and the war in Iraq
have contributed periodically to increased bilateral tensions. The most pointed
perhaps arose in early 2003 with reports of U.S. consumer boycotts of French goods
and calls from some Members of Congress for trade retaliation against France (and
Germany) due to foreign policy differences over the Iraq War.
The foreign policy dispute, however, appears not to have had much impact on
sales of products such as French wines, perfumes and toiletries, travel goods and
handbags, and cheeses that are most prone to being boycotted. While some public
opinion polls at the time suggested support for economic boycotts as a way of
expressing opposition to France's position on Iraq, an economic backlash appears not
to have materialized. Effective boycotts would jeopardize thousands of jobs on both
sides of the Atlantic. This report will be updated as needed. See also its companion
report, CRS Report RL32464, France: Factors Shaping French Policy, and Issues
in U.S.-French Relations, by Paul Gallis.
Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Trade Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Investment Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Tensions and Disagreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Government Intervention in Corporate Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Iraq War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Appendix: Trade and Foreign Investment Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
List of Tables
Table 1. U.S. Trade with France in Goods, 1998-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table 2. U.S. Trade with France in Services, 1998-2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 3. U.S. Trade Balance with France on Goods and Services, 1998-2006 . . . 3
Table 4. U.S. - France Commercial Interactions, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 5. U.S. Imports of Selective Luxury Goods from France, 2003-2007 . . . . . 8
Table A. Top Ten U.S. Trading Partners, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table B. France's Top Trading Partners, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table C. Major U.S. Exports to France, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table D. Major U.S. Imports from France, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table E. U.S. Total Exports to France by Top 10 States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table F. Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: Top Five Countries, 2002-2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table G. Employment of French Majority-Owned U.S. Affiliates, by Top 15 States, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table H. French Foreign Direct Investment in the United States, 1990-2004 . . . 12
Table I. U.S. Foreign Direct Investment in France, 1990-2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
[Thanks to Shirl Kennedy at Docuticker.com 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
****************************************
_______________________________
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 RL32459
U.S.-French Commercial Ties
Updated April 7, 2008
Raymond J. Ahearn, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32459.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]
Summary
U.S. commercial ties with France are extensive, mutually profitable, and
growing. With over $1.2 billion in commercial transactions taking place between the
two countries every day of the year, each country has an increasingly large stake in
the health and openness of the other's economy.
France is the 9th largest merchandise trading partner for the United States and
the United States is France's largest trading partner outside the European Union. In
2006, 62% or $38 billion of bilateral trade occurred in major industries such as
aerospace, pharmaceuticals, medical and scientific equipment, electrical machinery,
and plastics where both countries export and import similar products.
The United States and France also have a large and growing trade in services
such as tourism, education, finance, insurance and other professional services. In
2006, France was the sixth largest market for U.S. exports of services.
Although trade in goods and services receive most of the attention in terms of
the commercial relationship, foreign direct investment and the activities of foreign
affiliates can be viewed as the backbone of the commercial relationship. The scale
of sales of U.S.-owned companies operating in France and French-owned companies
operating in the United States outweighs trade transactions by a factor of almost five.
In 2006, France was the eleventh largest host country for U.S. foreign direct
investment abroad and the United States with investments valued at $65.9 billion
was the number one foreign investor in France. During that same year, French
companies had direct investments in the United States totaling $159 billion
(historical cost basis), making France the fifth largest investor in the United States.
French-owned companies employed some 473,000 workers in the United States in
2005 compared to 619,000 employees of U.S. companies invested in France.
Most U.S. trade and investment transactions with France, dominated by
multinational companies, are non-controversial. Nevertheless, three prominent issues
agriculture, government intervention in corporate activity, and the war in Iraq
have contributed periodically to increased bilateral tensions. The most pointed
perhaps arose in early 2003 with reports of U.S. consumer boycotts of French goods
and calls from some Members of Congress for trade retaliation against France (and
Germany) due to foreign policy differences over the Iraq War.
The foreign policy dispute, however, appears not to have had much impact on
sales of products such as French wines, perfumes and toiletries, travel goods and
handbags, and cheeses that are most prone to being boycotted. While some public
opinion polls at the time suggested support for economic boycotts as a way of
expressing opposition to France's position on Iraq, an economic backlash appears not
to have materialized. Effective boycotts would jeopardize thousands of jobs on both
sides of the Atlantic. This report will be updated as needed. See also its companion
report, CRS Report RL32464, France: Factors Shaping French Policy, and Issues
in U.S.-French Relations, by Paul Gallis.
Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Trade Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Investment Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Tensions and Disagreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Government Intervention in Corporate Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Iraq War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Appendix: Trade and Foreign Investment Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
List of Tables
Table 1. U.S. Trade with France in Goods, 1998-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table 2. U.S. Trade with France in Services, 1998-2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 3. U.S. Trade Balance with France on Goods and Services, 1998-2006 . . . 3
Table 4. U.S. - France Commercial Interactions, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 5. U.S. Imports of Selective Luxury Goods from France, 2003-2007 . . . . . 8
Table A. Top Ten U.S. Trading Partners, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table B. France's Top Trading Partners, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table C. Major U.S. Exports to France, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table D. Major U.S. Imports from France, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table E. U.S. Total Exports to France by Top 10 States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table F. Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: Top Five Countries, 2002-2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table G. Employment of French Majority-Owned U.S. Affiliates, by Top 15 States, 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table H. French Foreign Direct Investment in the United States, 1990-2004 . . . 12
Table I. U.S. Foreign Direct Investment in France, 1990-2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
[Thanks to Shirl Kennedy at Docuticker.com for the tip].
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