Friday, August 29, 2008

[IWS] DOL: AMERICA'S DYNAMIC WORKFORCE: 2008 [29 August 2008]

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

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

AMERICA'S DYNAMIC WORKFORCE: 2008 [29 August 2008]
http://www.dol.gov/asp/media/reports/workforce2008/
or
http://www.dol.gov/asp/media/reports/Workforce2008/ADW2008.pdf
[full-text, 70 pages]

This report presents an overview of current conditions and notable trends affecting the American labor market and economic activity. Primary emphasis is on measures of labor market performance ­ employment, labor force participation, unemployment, and compensation. General measures of economic performance such as gross domestic product (GDP) and productivity growth are also described as they relate to labor market conditions and trends.

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

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


[IWS] OECD: INDIA'S GROWTH PATTERN AND OBSTACLES TO HIGHER GROWTH [11 August 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
________________________________________________________________________

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT WORKING PAPERS No. 623


INDIA'S GROWTH PATTERN AND OBSTACLES TO HIGHER GROWTH [11 August 2008]
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2008doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT0000365A/$FILE/JT03249513.PDF
[full-text, 28 pages]
by Sean M. Dougherty, Richard Herd, Thomas Chalaux and Abdul Azeez Erumban


Abstract:
India's growth performance has improved significantly over the past 20 years, but has been uneven
across industries and states. While some service industries, notably in the information and communications
technology sector, have become highly competitive in world markets ­ yielding considerable gains for
employees and investors ­ manufacturing industries have lagged and improved their performance only
recently. A divergence in performance has taken place, with firms in those states and sectors with the best
institutions gaining, and those in the more tightly regulated states and sectors falling further behind. As a
result, the competitive landscape is uneven across sectors and states and a high degree of concentration
continues to prevail in different industries. While this is partly the result of the legacy of licensing, change
has been politically difficult, making it harder for the manufacturing sector than for the service sector to
expand. The need for further institutional reforms is urgent, focusing on product and labour market
regulations at the central and state levels.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDIA'S GROWTH PATTERN AND OBSTACLES TO HIGHER GROWTH .......................................... 5
Productivity gains from shifting labour out of agriculture have been modest ............................................ 5
Manufacturing's contribution to growth could be much greater ................................................................. 8
Labour costs in manufacturing are comparatively low ............................................................................ 8
Manufacturing has not fully exploited its comparative advantage ........................................................ 10
Manufacturing firms have remained very small in size… ..................................................................... 11
Individual firms and industries benefited from reforms ........................................................................ 14
Productivity-enhancing resource reallocation nevertheless remains low .............................................. 15
High concentration in industries reduces productivity gains from liberalisation .................................. 17
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 20
BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................ 22

Tables
1. Labour productivity and employment shares by industry and institutional sector .................................. 7
2. Growth in the value of merchandise exports ......................................................................................... 10
3. International comparison of industry concentration in 2002 ................................................................. 18

Figures
1. Share of manufacturing by per-capita income ......................................................................................... 6
2. Relative employee compensation, productivity and unit labour costs .................................................... 8
3. Relative unit labour costs across countries .............................................................................................. 9
4. International comparison of the distribution of firm size in manufacturing .......................................... 12
5. Gains in productivity from larger plant size in India ............................................................................ 12
6. Distribution of TFP levels across industrial plants ................................................................................ 14
7. Measures of regional specialisation ...................................................................................................... 17
8. Rate of return on assets, public and private firms ................................................................................. 19
______________________________
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                  
****************************************

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

[IWS] New! 100 YRS of CALIFORNIA LABOR HISTORY DIGITIZED

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
________________________________________________________________________

 Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE)

California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO: Proceedings and Publications [DIGITAL COLLECTION]
http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/library/digital_collections/calfed/

[excerpt]
About the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
The California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO ("the Federation") was founded in 1901 as the California Federation of Labor.  It was the most important successor to several earlier labor organizations, such as the Federated Trades Council of San Francisco, and the Knights of Labor in Los Angeles.  The state federation played an early role in coordinating labor union activities throughout the state, even though labor power was focused primarily in the urban centers of San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and Los Angeles.

The collection includes --

Proceedings
   * http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf.crossQuery.CrossQuery?metacollection=proceedings&rmode=irle&sort=yearirle

Legislative Voting Records
   * http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf.crossQuery.CrossQuery?metacollection=legislative&rmode=irle&sort=yearirle

CIO Documents
   * http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf.crossQuery.CrossQuery?metacollection=cio&rmode=irle&sort=yearirle

Newspapers
   * http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf.crossQuery.CrossQuery?metacollection=newspapers&rmode=irle&sort=yearirle
 
as well as a page to
SEARCH THE COLLECTION
http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/library/digital_collections/calfed/search.html


Press Release
UC Berkeley's Labor and Employment Library Digitizes 100 years of California Labor History

The Institute for Research on Labor and Employment has created a digital repository of the publications of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.  This collection includes proceedings and papers dating back to 1901, from the records of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. This collection is now available on the UC Berkeley Library Web site, and also in the California Digital Library's Calisphere and Online Archive of California (OAC).  URLs for each location follow below.

The project was made possible by a grant from the UC Labor and Employment Research Fund (LERF), which is based in the UCOP Office of Research.  The principal investigator for the ongoing digitization project work is Terry Huwe, IRLE Librarian.  The IRLE Library collaborated with UC Berkeley Library's Digital Publishing Group to create these new resources, and presented CDL with a pilot opportunity to support the PDF file format in Calisphere and the OAC.

"Even though the repository is just beginning to attract attention, several scholars have contacted the Library to tell us how excited they were," said Terry Huwe, IRLE's librarian.  "But the real surprise came when Federation staff themselves told me that they were able to use this scholarly tool to help prepare for their summer 2008 convention.  It just proves how much potential the Web has for revolutionizing all kinds of information use."

Huwe also indicated that the project is not yet complete, and that more files will be added and some revisions to the site are forthcoming. "Nonetheless, the repository is ready for use right now," he said.

These primary resources documenting California labor history are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), a file format that is newly supported within Calisphere and the OAC.

The University of California, Berkeley Library
http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/library/digital_collections/calfed/

The Online Archive of California:
http://content.cdlib.org/search?style=oac-img&sort=title&relation=ark:/13030/kt0489q6r6

For Further Information:

Terry Huwe, IRLE Library
< mailto:thuwe@library.berkeley.edu> thuwe@library.berkeley.edu
(510) 643-7061

#30#
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

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


Thursday, August 28, 2008

[IWS] EIRO: 2007 EU INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS DEVELOPMENTS [28 August 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)

Industrial relations developments in Europe 2007 [28 August 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0845.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/45/en/1/ef0845en.pdf
[full-text. 70 pages]

Author:
Carley, Mark; McKay, Sonia; Hall, Mark

Summary:
Industrial relations developments in Europe 2007 highlights the most significant industrial relations developments over the past year ­ both at national and EU level. It first outlines the main political and legislative initiatives taken in the Member States over the past year and goes on to examine the key issues covered by collective bargaining ­ pay, working time, occupational pensions and training. It focuses in particular on initiatives taken regarding temporary agency work, efforts to close the gender pay gap and action in the area of migration.

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

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


[IWS] EPI: THE STATE OF WORKING AMERICA 2008/2009 [28 August 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
________________________________________________________________________

Economic Policy Institute (EPI)

The State of Working America 2008/2009
http://www.stateofworkingamerica.org/

Released in time for Labor Day, the advanced edition of EPI's authoritative volume The State of Working America 2008/2009 is now available. Described as the "most comprehensive independent analysis of the U.S. labor market" by the Financial Times, the 11th edition shows that the business cycle that started in 2001 will be one for the record books. In fact, for the first time on record, middle-class families are at the end of a recovery without ever having regained the ground they lost during the previous recession. Gross domestic product and historically high productivity growth should have raised paychecks up and down the income ladder, but instead the benefits of that growth have bypassed most of the people who made it possible. Prepared biennially since 1988, The State of Working America scrutinizes family incomes, jobs, wages, unemployment, wealth, poverty, and health care coverage, describing the economy's effect on our nation's standard of living.

Read several chapters from the forthcoming 2008/2009 edition
http://www.stateofworkingamerica.org/excerpt.html

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

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


[IWS] IBRET: 2nd BRAZILIAN CONF. on EMPLOYMENT & LABOR RELATIONS, Nov. 17-18, 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
________________________________________________________________________

INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE RELAÇÕES DE EMPREGO E TRABALHO  (IBRET)


2nd Brazilian Conference of Employment and Labor Relations

Date: November 17 and 18, 2008
Venue: School of Economics, Management and Accounting of University of São Paulo - Congregation Room
University City, São Paulo
http://www.ibret.org/2Congresso-english.html

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

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


[IWS] EU ORGANISED CRIME THREAT ASSESSMENT (OCTA 2008) [28 August 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
________________________________________________________________________

EUROPOL
Organised Crime Threat Assessment (OCTA)

OCTA 2008: EU ORGANISED CRIME THREAT ASSESSMENT
http://www.europol.europa.eu/publications/European_Organised_Crime_Threat_Assessment_(OCTA)/OCTA2008.pdf
[full-text, 56 pages]

See PRESS RELEASE
The Hague, 28 August 2008
Top criminals wish to be seen as successful entrepreneurs
http://www.europol.europa.eu/index.asp?page=news&news=pr080828.htm

The Hague - The Netherlands.

Organised crime groups are making increased use of legal business structures to facilitate criminal activities and to launder criminal proceeds but also to get established in legal business.

"The ultimate goal of many top-level criminals is to be considered as successful entrepreneurs. These people leave the violent and aggressive crime to more primitive and less structured groups," says Max-Peter Ratzel, Director of Europol, referring to the findings of the 2008 Organised Crime Threat Assessment (OCTA).

In general, the main organised crime groups are transnational, multi-ethnic and engaged in diverse criminal activities. This wider dimension gives them the possibility to run the production and distribution processes of entire criminal markets, optimising their profits and cutting out local and minor organised crime groups.

AND MORE....

See also http://www.europol.europa.eu/index.asp?page=news&news=pr080826.htm


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

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


[IWS] Thomas Kochan blogs on LABOR ISSUES at Democratic Convention and more

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
________________________________________________________________________

Thomas Kochan, George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management, Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, is blogging about
labor issues at the Democratic Convention. His blogs are posted on the Huffington Post.  Three are posted so far and a couple more in the next few days.  The link to the first one is:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-kochan/how-to-renew-the-american_b_120705.html

To see other entries go to --
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-kochan

Tom is also doing a more neutral and analytic version of the blogs for the LERA Commons blog site.  He has done two of those.  They are at:

http://kochan.lerablog.org/

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

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


Wednesday, August 27, 2008

[IWS] World Bank: SHORT-DOCUMENTARY FILM CONTEST on SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE [25 August 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

The short-documentary film contest, "Vulnerability Exposed: Social Dimensions of Climate Change," is now open. Sumbissions will be accepted until 11:59pm (US ET) on Friday, October 24, 2008. Submit your film NOW!

Contest Details
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/0,,contentMDK:21840190~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:244363,00.html

How to submit your film
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/0,,contentMDK:21840191~isCURL:Y~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:244363,00.html

See Press Release 25 August 2008]
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21881333~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

Vulnerability Exposed: Social Dimensions of Climate Change
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALDEVELOPMENT/0,,contentMDK:21836866~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:244363,00.html

[excerpt]
Vulnerability Exposed: Social Dimensions of Climate Change is a competition of 2-5 minute documentaries that highlight the social aspects of climate change as experienced and/or observed by the film-makers. This short-documentary contest is a follow-up to our landmark March 2008 International Workshop on the Social Dimensions of Climate Change. We hope to receive submissions which creatively showcase the implications of climate change for conflict, migration, urban space, rural institutions, drylands, social policy, indigenous peoples, gender, governance, forests and/or human rights.

AND MORE....

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

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


[IWS] 2007 FINDINGS on WORST FORMS of CHILD LABOR [27 August 2008]

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

U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB)

U.S. Department of Labor's 2007 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor [27 August 2008]
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/pdf/2007ocftreport.pdf
[full-text, 772 pages]


Press Release
U.S. Labor Department issues seventh annual report on worst forms of child labor in trade beneficiary countries [27 August 2008]
Report required under Trade and Development Act of 2000
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/ilab/ILAB20081226.htm

WASHINGTON ­ The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) today released its seventh annual report on efforts being made to combat the worst forms of child labor by governments in 141 countries and territories that receive U.S. trade benefits.

"This report reveals that many governments are demonstrating the will to change children's lives, but it also makes clear that there is much more still to do to protect children around the world from exploitive child labor," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "Sustained partnerships by governments, the private sector and international organizations are needed to provide these children with access to the education and resources to enable them to overcome the poverty and exploitation that has defined their childhood."

As defined by the International Labor Organization Convention 182, the worst forms of child labor include any form of slavery, such as forced or indentured child labor; the trafficking of children and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; child prostitution and pornography; the use of children for illicit activities such as drug trafficking; and work that is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.

"Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty that traps children and their families," said Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs Charlotte (Charlie) Ponticelli. "By highlighting child labor around the world, we hope that this report will spur new actions and renewed momentum to rescue children from a life of poverty and exploitation, and offer them a brighter future."

ILAB's Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking prepared the department's 2007 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor as required under the Trade and Development Act of 2000. The report draws information from a wide variety of sources, including U.S. embassies and consulates, foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations and international agencies. In addition, bureau staff conducted field visits to some countries covered in the report.

The report is available at http://www.dol.gov/ilab/programs/ocft/pdf/2007ocftreport.pdf. Limited printed copies will be available from the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-5317, 200 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210; phone: 202-693-4843; fax: 202-693-4830; e-mail: < mailto:GlobalKids@dol.gov> GlobalKids@dol.gov.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

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


[IWS] ILR Press: MANAGING THE HUMAN FACTOR: The Early Years of Human Resource Management in American Industry [August 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
________________________________________________________________________

ILR Press (an imprint of Cornell University Press)

MANAGING THE HUMAN FACTOR: The Early Years of Human Resource Management in American Industry [August 2008]
by Bruce E. Kaufman
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4860

$49.95s cloth
2008, 384 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4, 4 tables, 4 charts/graphs
ISBN: 978-0-8014-4227-8

Human resource departments are key components in the people management system of nearly every medium-to-large organization in the industrial world. They provide a wide range of essential services relating to employees, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, and labor relations. A century ago, however, before the concept of human resource management had been invented, the supervision and care of employees at even the largest companies were conducted without written policies or formal planning, and often in harsh, arbitrary, and counterproductive ways. How did companies such as United States Steel manage a workforce of 160,000 employees at dozens of plants without a specialized personnel or industrial relations department? What led some of these organizations to introduce human resources practices at the end of the nineteenth century? How were the earliest personnel departments structured and what were their responsibilities? And how did the theory and implementation of human resources management evolve, both within industry and as an academic field of research and teaching?

In Managing the Human Factor, Bruce E. Kaufman chronicles the origins and early development of human resource management (HRM) in the United States from the 1870s, when the Labor Problem emerged as the nation's primary domestic policy concern, to 1933 and the start of the New Deal. Through new archival research, an extensive review and synthesis of the historical and contemporary literatures, and case studies illustrating best (and worst) practices during this period, Kaufman identifies the fourteen ideas, events, and movements that led to the creation of specialized HRM departments in the late 1910s, as well as their further growth and development into strategic business units in the welfare capitalism period of the 1920s. The research presented in this book not only uncovers many new aspects of the early development of personnel and industrial relations but also challenges central parts of the contemporary interpretation of the concept and evolution of HRM. Rich with insights on both the present and past of human resource management,
Managing the Human Factor will be widely regarded as the definitive account of the early history of employee management in American companies and a must-read for all those interested in the indispensable function of managing people in organizations.


Reviews

"Managing the Human Factor is an excellent analytical history of the early twentieth-century emergence and development of human resource management as a distinct management function and profession that also identifies and provides a convincing story about three founders of this specialty field."-David Lewin, Neil H. Jacoby Professor of Management, Human Resources & Organizational Behavior, UCLA Anderson School of Management

"This book is a must-read for anyone in the field of strategic human resource management and industrial relations. It documents the precursors of today's strategic HR, showing that the field has much earlier roots than previously thought. Many of today's corporate HR 'innovations' have deep historical precedents. Bruce Kaufman's volume is both easily accessible and exhaustive-its strong overview chapters are punctuated by rich case studies of major U.S. corporations since the late nineteenth century, and it provides excellent material for undergraduate and graduate courses in our field."-Rose Batt, Cornell University


About the Author

Bruce E. Kaufman is Professor of Economics and Senior Associate of the W. T. Beebe Institute of Personnel and Employment Relations at Georgia State University. He is the author most recently of The Global Evolution of Industrial Relations and coeditor of What Do Unions Do?: A Twenty Year Perspective. He is the editor of Theoretical Perspectives on Work and the Employment Relationship, also from Cornell.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

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


[IWS] PRB: 2008 WORLD POPULATION DATA SHEET [19 August 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
________________________________________________________________________

Population Reference Bureau (PRB)

WORLD POPULATION
2008 World Population Data Sheet
[19 August 2008]
http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2008/2008wpds.aspx

Download DATA SHEET at
http://www.prb.org/pdf08/08WPDS_Eng.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]

The demographic divide­the inequality in the population and health profiles of rich and poor countries­is widening. PRB's 2008 World Population Data Sheet offers detailed information about this divide and country, regional, and global population patterns. The Data Sheet contains the latest population estimates, projections, and other key indicators for more than 200 countries, including births, deaths, natural increase, infant mortality, life expectancy, urban population, HIV/AIDS prevalence, contraceptive use, GNI PPP per capita, and population per square kilometer. New for the 2008 Data Sheet are data on percent of population in urban areas of 750,000 or more; lifetime risk of maternal death; percent of population undernourished; number of vehicles per 1,000 population; and percent of population with access to an improved drinking water source. This publication was co-authored by Carl Haub, senior demographer at PRB; and Mary Mederios Kent, senior demographic editor.

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


Tuesday, August 26, 2008

[IWS] INDIA: Ministry of LABOUR ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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

INDIA
Ministry of Labour and Employment
New Website Address
http://labour.gov.in/


The Ministry of Labour Annual Report 2007-2008
http://labour.gov.in/annrep/annrep2007.htm

[Please note: The date on the web site is mislabeled as 2006-2007. In fact, the link to 2007-2008 is correct].


Earlier Annual Reports can be found at-
http://labour.nic.in/annrep/annrep.htm


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


Monday, August 25, 2008

[IWS] New! LERA Commons Blogsite (Labor & Employment Relations Association)

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
________________________________________________________________________

Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA)


The LERA has launched our newest online forum, the "LERA Commons" Blogsite, "to bring together experts spanning theory, practice and policy ­ with the aim of engaging dialogue and debate on all aspects of labor and employment relations."

    "Sixty years ago (when LERA was known as the Industrial Relations Research Association), leaders in the field would each sit at tables during the reception at the annual meeting of the association. People would be able to sit down and raise question, engage in discussions and get to know these prominent individuals. Today, the LERA Commons makes this possible at any time during the year and from any location."
        --Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Dean of  the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois and LERA President-Elect.

    Log onto http://lerablog.org anytime to read postings, pose questions, and add your own commentary, and we will keep you informed of upcoming live blog events to put on your calendar. We would like to see each Industry Council, Interest Section, and Chapter represented at LERA Commons, so if you are interested in hosting a blogsite for your LERA Community, please contact Emily Smith, eesmith@illinois.edu for more information.

Cordially,
Emily Smith

Membership & Marketing Coordinator
Labor and Employment Relations Association
504 East Armory Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone 217.244.5419
Fax 217.265.5130
E-mail eesmith@uiuc.edu
Web http://www.lera.uiuc.edu

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

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


[IWS] AFRICAN UNION GENDER POLICY [Final Draft] [25 August 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
________________________________________________________________________

Conference of Ministers of Gender and Women's Affairs jointly organized by the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 25 to 29 August 2008.

Africa Union Gender Policy [Final Draft] [25 August 2008]
http://www.uneca.org/eca_programmes/acgd/events/cfmgender/Conference%20of%20Ministers_doc/Final%20Gender%20Policy.pdf
[full-text, 40 pages] [Note: This document may load slowly].

See additional information at
http://www.uneca.org/eca_programmes/acgd/events/cfmgender/Resources.html

[excerpt]
On behalf of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African
Union, it is my great honour and pleasure to record the Assembly's satisfaction on
the development of the first ever African Union Gender Policy. This document
encapsulates decisions and Declarations of this Assembly and other global
commitments on gender and women's empowerment and demonstrated the
continued leadership of the African Union in advancing gender equality in the
continent.

This Gender Policy provides a mandate for the operationalization of Assembly
commitments and is accompanied by a comprehensive ten year Action Plan, which
will guide the implementation of these commitments by AU organs. And also
compliment ongoing implementation of these commitments at the Member States
level and in Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

H.E. President Jakaya Kikwete
Chairperson
Assembly of African Union
President of United Republic of Tanzania


Contents
Forward
Acknowledgement
PART I - Historical Background …1
PART II - AU Gender Policy Commitments …7
PART III - Policy Delivery Strategies And Institutional Framework …17
PART IV - Plan Of Action (to be circulated later) …22
Annexes …23

See PRESS RELEASE 25 August 2008
Addressing Gender Equality: A Persistent Challenge for Africa
AU/ECA Conference of Ministers of Gender and Women's Affairs kicks off today in Addis Ababa
ECA Press Release No. 14/2008
http://www.uneca.org/eca_resources/Press_Releases/2008_pressreleases/pressrelease1408.htm

Addis Ababa, 25 August 2008 (ECA) - The Conference of Ministers of Gender and Women's Affairs jointly organized by the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) kicks off today Monday 25, August 2008 with a two-day meeting of the Committee of Experts. The Ministerial segment of the Conference will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 28 to 29 August 2008.

Over 25 Ministers and 3 Deputy Ministers will attend the Conference, which is a collaboration between the Women, Gender and Development Directorate (WGDD) of the AU Commission, and the African Centre for Gender and Social Development (ACGS) of UNECA.

Participants also include over seventy five experts from gender ministries and resource persons, representatives of Regional Economic Communities and UN agencies, as well as African and international media.

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

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

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

[IWS] CRS: CHINA'S ECONOMIC CONDITIONS [7 August 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 RL33534

China's Economic Conditions
Updated August 7, 2008
Wayne M. Morrison, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33534_20080807.pdf
[full-text, 30 pages]

Summary
Since the initiation of economic reforms in 1979, China has become one of the
world's fastest-growing economies. From 1979 to 2007 China's real gross domestic
product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of 9.8%. Real GDP grew 11.4% in
2007 (the fastest annual growth since 1994). While China is expected to continue to
enjoy rapid economic growth in the years ahead and could become the world's largest
economy within a decade or so, it faces a number of challenges, including
widespread government corruption, an inefficient banking system, over-dependence
on exports and fixed investment for growth, pollution, widening income disparities,
and growing inflationary pressures, to name a few. The Chinese government has
indicated that it intends, over the coming years, to create a "harmonious society" that
would promote more balanced economic growth and address a number of economic
and social issues.

Trade and foreign investment continues to play a major role in China's booming
economy. From 2004 to 2007, the value of total Chinese merchandise trade nearly
doubled. In 2007, China's exports (at $1,218 billion) exceeded U.S. exports (1,162
billion) for the first time. China's imports were $956 billion and its trade surplus was
$262 billion (a historic high). Well over half of China's trade is conducted by
foreign firms operating in China. The combination of large trade surpluses, foreign
direct investment flows, and large-scale purchases of foreign currency have helped
make China the world's largest holder of foreign exchange reserves at $1.5 trillion
at the end 2007.

China's economy continues to be a concern to many U.S. policymakers. On the
one hand, U.S. consumers, exporters, and investors have greatly benefitted from
China's rapid economic and trade growth. On the other hand, the surge in Chinese
exports to the United States has put competitive pressures on various U.S. industries.
Many U.S. policymakers have argued that China often does not play by the rules
when it comes to trade and they have called for greater efforts to pressure China to
fully implement its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments and to change
various economic policies deemed harmful to U.S. economic interests, such as its
currency policy, its use of subsidies to support state-owned firms, trade and
investment barriers to U.S. goods and services, and failure to ensure the safety of its
exports to the United States. Concerns have also been raised over China's rising
demand for energy and raw materials, its impact on world prices for such
commodities, increased pollution levels, and efforts China has made to invest in
energy and raw materials around the world, including countries (such as Iran and
Sudan) where the United States has political and human rights concerns.

This report provides an overview of China's economic development, challenges
China faces to maintain growth, and the implications of China's rise as a major
economic power for the United States. This report will be updated as events warrant.


Contents
Most Recent Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
An Overview of China's Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
China's Economy Prior to Reforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Introduction of Economic Reforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
China's Economic Growth Since Reforms: 1979-Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Causes of China's Economic Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Measuring the Size of China's Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Foreign Direct Investment in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
China's Trade Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
China's Major Trading Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Major Chinese Trade Commodities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
China's Growing Appetite for Imported Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
China's Growing Overseas Direct Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Major Long-Term Challenges Facing the Chinese Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Outlook for China's Economy and Implications for the United States . . . . . . . . 19
Appendix 1. China's Growing Economic Ties with Africa, North Korea,
and Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
China-Africa Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
China's Imports From Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
China's Mineral Fuel Imports From Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
China's Exports to Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
China's Trade with North Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
China's Trade With Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

List of Tables
Table 1. China's Average Annual Real GDP Growth: 1960-2008 . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 2. Comparisons of U.S., Japanese, and Chinese GDP and Per Capita GDP
in Nominal U.S. Dollars and PPP, 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 3. Major Foreign Investors in China: 1979-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 4. Foreign Direct Investment by Sectors in 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Table 5. China's Merchandise World Trade, 1979-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Table 6. China's Major Trading Partners: 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 7. Top 10 Chinese Exports: 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table 8. Top 10 Chinese Imports: 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table 9. Top 10 Destinations for China's Overseas Direct Investment: 2005 . . 16
Table 10. Top Five African Sources of Chinese Imports: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . 22
Table 11. Top Five Chinese Imports from Africa: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Table 12. Top Five African Suppliers of Mineral Fuel to China: 2007 . . . . . . . 23
Table 13. China's Top Five African Export Markets: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Table 14. Top Five Chinese Exports to Africa: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Table 15. Major Chinese Exports to North Korea: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Table 16. Major Chinese Imports from North Korea: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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