Friday, December 19, 2008

[IWS] NO MESSAGES until 5 January 2009

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


NO MESSAGES will be sent until 5 January 2009.

______________________________
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] Watson Wyatt: COMMUNICATING DURING FINANCIAL CRISIS WITH EMPLOYEES [19 December 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
________________________________________________________________________

Watson Wyatt


Communicating With Employees During the Current Financial Crisis [19 December 2008]
www.watsonwyatt.com/communicatingfinancialcrisis
[full-text, 8 pages]


Press Release 19 December 2008
Most Companies Step Up Communication to Ease Workers' Recession-Related Stress
http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/press.asp?ID=20279

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 19, 2008 — U.S. employers are stepping up their communication to workers about financial performance and solvency to help alleviate growing levels of stress and anxiety caused by the recession, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm.

Overall, findings show that 77 percent of respondents have already sent out or are planning communication on the impact of the financial crisis. More than two-thirds (69 percent) of these employers cited easing employee anxiety as one of the top two goals of their crisis-related internal communication, while nearly one-third (32 percent) cited earning employees' trust. Watson Wyatt's survey, "Communicating to Employees During the Current Financial Crisis," was conducted in December 2008 and includes responses from 92 employers.

According to employers, job security and company performance and solvency are at the top of employees' concerns. While eight in 10 (80 percent) employers who are communicating about the financial crisis noted they have already sent messages to employees about company performance and solvency, only 38 percent have communicated about job security.

"Employers clearly understand the impact the financial crisis is having, not only on their business but on their employees as well," said Kathryn Yates, global director of communication consulting at Watson Wyatt. "With no end to the recession in sight, communicating regularly with employees will be critical for companies to keep their workers engaged and productive." 

[TABLE]

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] JAPANESE WORKING LIFE PROFILE 2008/2009 - LABOR STATISTICS [17 December 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)

Japanese Working Life Profile 2008/2009 - Labor Statistics
[17 December 2008]
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/jwl.htm
or
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/laborinfo/library/documents/jwlp08-09.pdf
[full-text, 97 pages]

JILPT publishes a booklet containing selected labor statistics to present a profile of Japanese workers from various perspectives. It covers basic statistical data to give a whole picture of Japanese labor situation, such as indices for economic environment, employment situation, working conditions, family life and social security policy. Also, it provides statistics on some hot topics dealing with current labor issues in Japan, including employment of elderly workers, increasing non-regular workers, foreign workers / labor migration, various working patterns, changing labor management relations, and so on.

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

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


[IWS] Dublin Foundation: TEMPORARY AGENCY WORK & COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN THE EU [19 December 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)
COMPARATIVE STUDY


Temporary agency work and collective bargaining in the EU [19 December 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0807019s/index.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/docs/eiro/tn0807019s/tn0807019s.pdf
[full-text, 48 pages]


This report reviews the present situation regarding the use of temporary agency work (TAW) in European Union Member States. It examines arrangements for social dialogue and collective bargaining at national level across the EU. It examines the role of collective bargaining in determining such matters as length of assignment, the use of TAW in strikes, and the proportion of agency workers allowed; it also examines the role of collective bargaining in determining equality of treatment in pay, training and other conditions of employment. In addition the report reviews other forms of regulation, and national variations, including the composition of companies in the field of TAW, its sectoral and occupational distribution, and the duration of temporary assignments.

The study was compiled on the basis of individual national reports submitted by the EIRO correspondents. The text of each of these national reports is available below. The reports have not been edited or approved by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The national reports were drawn up in response to a < http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/docs/eiro/tn0807019s/tawfinalquestionnaire_080401.doc > questionnaire and should be read in conjunction with it.

Contents
Introduction
Temporary agency work ­ a snapshot
Legal provisions and developments
Social dialogue and collective bargaining
Regulatory outcomes
Conclusions
Bibliography

______________________________
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] BLS: MASS LAYOFFS IN NOVEMBER 2008 [19 December 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
________________________________________________________________________

MASS LAYOFFS IN NOVEMBER 2008 [19 December 2008]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/mmls.pdf
[full-text, 10 pages]

In November, employers took 2,328 mass layoff actions, seasonally
adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance
benefits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
Department of Labor reported today.  Each action involved at least 50
persons from a single employer; the number of workers involved totaled
224,079 on a seasonally adjusted basis.  The number of mass layoff
events in November increased by 188 from the prior month, while the
number of associated initial claims decreased by 8,389.  Over the
year, the number of mass layoff events increased by 999, and the
number of associated initial claims increased by 84,408.  In November,
874 mass layoff events reported in the manufacturing sector, season-
ally adjusted, resulting in 98,408 initial claims.  Over the month,
mass layoff events in manufacturing increased by 239, and initial
claims increased by 11,005, the fourth consecutive over-the-month
increase for both.  (See table 1.)

   From the start of the recession in December 2007 through November
2008, the total number of mass layoff events (seasonally adjusted) was
20,712, and the number of initial claims (seasonally adjusted) was
2,108,743.

   The national unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in November, season-
ally adjusted, up from 6.5 percent the prior month and from 4.7 percent
a year earlier.  In November, total nonfarm payroll employment decreased
by 533,000 over the month and by 1,870,000 from a year earlier.

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES....

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

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


Thursday, December 18, 2008

[IWS] Watson Wyatt: EFFECT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS on HR PROGRAMS [December 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
________________________________________________________________________

Watson Wyatt


EFFECT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS on  HR PROGRAMS [December 2008]
http://www.watsonwyatt.com/HRprogramsupdate
[full-text, 7 pages]


Press Release 18 December 2008
Recession Forcing More Companies to Make Changes to HR Programs, Watson Wyatt Survey Finds
Number of Employers That Have Made or Are Planning Layoffs, Hiring Freezes Rises Sharply Since October
http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/press.asp?ID=20269

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2008 ­ The number of companies implementing cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, hiring and salary freezes and smaller pay raises, has risen sharply in just two months, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm.

Watson Wyatt's latest survey found that more than one in five companies (23 percent) plan to make layoffs in the next 12 months, and almost two in five (39 percent) have already done so ­ a sharp increase from only 19 percent of companies who had done so in October. The number of companies with hiring freezes jumped from 30 percent in October to 47 percent this month, with an additional 18 percent planning a hiring freeze in the next 12 months. Furthermore, the number of companies that have already implemented salary freezes jumped from 4 percent in October to 13 percent currently. The survey was conducted during the week of December 8, 2008, and includes responses from 117 companies across a variety of industries.

"As the economic downturn has both broadened and deepened, companies in almost every industry can no longer stay the course," said Laura Sejen, global director of strategic rewards consulting at Watson Wyatt. "The need to contain costs has resulted in stronger measures that are ultimately affecting more workers."

[TABLE]

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


[IWS] Pew: AMERICAN MOBILITY: WHO MOVES? WHO STAYS PUT? WHERE'S HOME? [17 December 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
________________________________________________________________________

Pew Research Center

American Mobility
Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where's Home?
[17 December 2008]
http://pewsocialtrends.org/assets/pdf/Movers-and-Stayers.pdf
[full-text, 44 pages]

Table of Contents
Executive Summary……………………………………….………………..………………… 1
Overview …..…………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………… 5
Characteristics of Movers and Stayers ………….………………………………………….. 6
Why Do Movers Move and Stayers Stay?.....……………………………………...………… 13
Multiple Movers, Recent Movers, Likely Movers……….…………….…………………… 21
The Many Definitions of Home………………………….………………………………….. 24
Survey Topline ……………………………………………….……………..……………….. 34

See also
INTERACTIVE MAPS
http://pewsocialtrends.org/maps/migration/



Press Release
American Mobility: Movers, Stayers, Places and Reasons
by D'Vera Cohn and Rich Morin, Pew Research Center
December 17, 2008
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1058/american-mobility-moversstayers-places-and-reasons

As a nation, the United States is often portrayed as restless and rootless. Census data, though, indicate that Americans are settling down. Only 13% of Americans changed residences between 2006 and 2007, the smallest share since the government began tracking this trend in the late 1940s.

A new Pew Social & Demographic Trends survey finds that most Americans have moved to a new community at least once in their lives, although a notable number -- nearly four-in-ten -- have never left the place in which they were born. Asked why they live where they do, movers most often cite the pull of economic opportunity. Stayers most often cite the tug of family and connections.

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



[IWS] CRS: BORDER SECURITY: THE ROLE OF THE U.S BORDER PATROL [20 November 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 RL32562

Border Security: The Role of the U.S. Border Patrol
Updated November 20, 2008
Blas Nuñez-Neto, Analyst in Domestic Security, Domestic Social Policy Division
http://opencrs.cdt.org/getfile.php?rid=65785
[full-text, 41 pages]

Summary
The United States Border Patrol (USBP) has a long and storied history as our
nation's first line of defense against unauthorized migration. Today, the USBP's
primary mission is to detect and prevent the entry of terrorists, weapons of mass
destruction, and illegal aliens into the country, and to interdict drug smugglers and
other criminals along the border. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 dissolved the
Immigration and Naturalization Service and placed the USBP within the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS). Within DHS, the USBP forms a part of the Bureau of
Customs and Border Protection under the Directorate of Border and Transportation
Security.

During the last decade, the USBP has seen its budget and manpower more than
triple. This expansion was the direct result of Congressional concerns about illegal
immigration and the agency's adoption of "Prevention Through Deterrence" as its
chief operational strategy in 1994. The strategy called for placing USBP resources
and manpower directly at the areas of greatest illegal immigration in order to detect,
deter, and apprehend aliens attempting to cross the border between official points of
entry. Post 9/11, the USBP refocused its strategy on preventing the entry of terrorists
and weapons of mass destruction, as laid out in its recently released National
Strategy. In addition to a workforce of over 17,000 agents, the USBP deploys
vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, and many different technologies to defend the border.

In the course of discharging its duties, the USBP patrols 8,000 miles of
American international borders with Mexico and Canada and the coastal waters
around Florida and Puerto Rico. However, there are significant geographic, political,
and immigration-related differences between the northern border with Canada and
the southwest border with Mexico. Accordingly, the USBP deploys a different mix
of personnel and resources along the two borders. Due to the fact that over 97% of
unauthorized migrant apprehensions occur along the southwest border, the USBP
deploys over 90% of its agents there to deter illegal immigration. The Border Safety
initiative and the Arizona Border Control initiative are both focused on the southwest
border. The northern border is more than two times longer than the southwest border,
features far lower numbers of aliens attempting to enter illegally, but may be more
vulnerable to terrorist infiltration. As a consequence of this, the USBP has focused
its northern border efforts on deploying technology and cooperating closely with
Canadian authorities through the creation of International Border Enforcement
Teams.

Some issues for Congress to consider could include the slow rate of integration
between the USBP's biometric database of illegal aliens and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation's (FBI) biometric database of criminals and terrorists; the number of
unauthorized aliens who die attempting to enter the country each year; the increasing
attacks on Border Patrol agents, and the threat posed by terrorists along the sparsely
defended northern border as well as the more porous southwest border.
This report will be updated as circumstances warrant.

Contents
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Organization and Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Evolution of the National Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
National Border Patrol Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Budget and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Surveillance Assets (Secure Border Initiative) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Automated Biometrics Identification System (IDENT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Apprehensions Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Multiple Apprehensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Successful Illegal Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Multiple Correlations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Southwest Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Prevention Through Deterrence In Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Southern Border Manpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SW Border Apprehensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Border Safety Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Interior Repatriation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Northern Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
U.S.-Canadian Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Northern Border Manpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBET) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Northern Border Apprehensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Border Patrol Issues for Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
9/11 Report and the Northern Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Migrant Deaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Attacks on Border Patrol Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Interior Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Integration of IDENT/IAFIS Law Enforcement Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Deployment of SBInet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Coordination with Other Federal Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Civilian Patrol Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Civilian Humanitarian Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Staffing and Training Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Agent Attrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

List of Figures
Figure 1. Border Patrol Appropriations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Figure 2. Southwest Border Agent Manpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 3. SW Border Apprehensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 4. SW Border Apprehensions, by Sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 5. Percentage of Southern Border Apprehensions, by State . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Figure 6. Border Patrol Agents at the Northern Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 7. Northern Border Apprehensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 8. Migrant Deaths, Center for Immigration Research Data . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Figure 9. Migrant Deaths, Border Patrol Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 10. Migrant Mortality Rate, per 10,000 Apprehensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 11. Attacks on Border Patrol Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 12. Overall Border Patrol Agent and Pilot Manpower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Figure 13. Border Patrol Agent Attrition Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
______________________________
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] CRS: PROPOSED COLOMBIA FTA: LABOR ISSUES [24 November 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 RL34759

Proposed Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Labor Issues
November 24, 2008
Mary Jane Bolle, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://opencrs.cdt.org/getfile.php?rid=65751
[full-text, 12 pages]

Summary
This report examines three labor issues and arguments related to the
pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (CFTA): violence against trade
unionists; impunity (accountability for or punishment of the perpetrators); and
worker rights protections for Colombians. For general issues relating to the CFTA,
see CRS Report RL34470, U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Economic and
Political Implications, by M. Angeles Villarreal. For background on Colombia and
its political situation and context for the agreement, see CRS Report RL32250,
Colombia: Issues for Congress, by Colleen W. Cook and Clare Ribando Seelke.

Opponents of the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (CFTA) argue
against it on three points: (1) the high rate of violence against trade unionists in
Colombia; (2) the lack of adequate punishment for the perpetrators of that violence;
and (3) weak Colombian enforcement of International Labor Organization (ILO) core
labor standards and labor laws.

Proponents of the agreement argue primarily for the proposed Colombia FTA
on the basis of economic and national security benefits. Accordingly, they argue, the
CFTA would: support increased exports, expand economic growth, create jobs, and
open up investment opportunities for the United States. They also argue that it would
reinforce the rule of law and spread values of capitalism in Colombia, and anchor
hemispheric stability.

Proponents specifically respond to labor complaints of the opponents, that (1)
violence against trade unionists has declined dramatically since President Álvaro
Uribe took office in 2002; (2) substantial progress is being made on the impunity
issue as the government has undertaken great efforts to find perpetrators and bring
them to justice; and (3) the Colombian government is taking steps to improve
conditions for workers.

If Congress were to approve the Colombia FTA, it would be the second FTA
(after Peru) to have some labor enforcement "teeth." Labor provisions including the
four basic ILO core labor standards would be enforceable through the same dispute
settlement procedures as for all other provisions (i.e., primarily those for commercial
interests.) Opponents argue that under CFTA, only the concepts of core labor
standards, and not the details of the ILO conventions behind them, would be
enforceable.

Proponents point to recent Colombian progress in protecting workers on many
fronts. They argue that approval of the FTA and the economic growth in Colombia
that would result is the best way to protect Colombia's trade unionists. They also
argue that not passing the agreement would not resolve Colombia's labor issues.
Opponents argue that delaying approval of the proposed CFTA further would
give Colombia more time to keep improving protections for its workers. This report
will be updated as events warrant.

Contents
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Political Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Trade/Economic Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Labor Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Violence Against Trade Unionists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Long-Term Trends in Murders of Trade Unionists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Long-Term Trends in Three Measures of Violence Against
Trade Unionists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Impunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Labor Laws, Protections, and Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Possible Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

List of Figures
Figure 1. Historic Data on Murders of Trade Unionists, 1997-2008 (Projected) . . . .. . . 5
Figure 2. Assassinations, Death Threats and Arbitrary Detentions of Trade Unionists, 1999-2007 . . . . . . . . 6


______________________________
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] Watson Wyatt: MANAGING EMPLOYEE REWARD 2009--10 PRINCIPLES [17 December 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
________________________________________________________________________

Watson Wyatt


Ten principles for managing employee reward in 2009 [17 December 2008]
http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/press.asp?ID=20262

UK ­ December 17, 2008 - With general uncertainty about what the economic future holds, the need for organisations to keep a tight focus on employee reward strategy will be more important in 2009 than ever before, according to Watson Wyatt.

"In times of rapid change and uncertainty, HR professionals need to be flexible but they must also remain focused on the underlying principles behind their approach to managing reward and talent," said Carole Hathaway, head of strategic reward consulting at Watson Wyatt. "Stressed organisations could be in danger of making employee reward decisions that they come to regret if they abandon too readily the principles that underpin their people strategies."

Watson Wyatt sets out 10 key underlying principles for organisations when managing reward in a recession:

   * Focus on key talent

Focus limited resources on keeping and rewarding your key talent. These are the people you need most now to get you through the difficult times and later when the economy recovers.


   * Be careful what and who you cut

Don't make harmful short-term cuts. Conduct strategic workforce planning to understand your current and future talent requirements, and ensure your business has the necessary resources and skills for the upturn.


   * Ensure performance management is understood

Ensure your performance management process is effectively understood by your employees and delivered well by line management. It should not be seen as simply a process for identifying and culling underperformers, but instead as a way to raise performance throughout the organisation.


   * Don't abandon bonuses

Don't abandon performance pay and bonuses but instead target them on your top performers and refocus them on realistic but stretching targets that will promote the right behaviours in this new environment.


   * Review sales targets

Review sales targets and territory strategies to focus your sales force on the largest opportunities. For many businesses, now is not the time to reduce investment in sales ­ a recent Watson Wyatt survey found that 85 per cent of companies are looking to maintain or increase their total sales investment in 2009.


   * Look for cost savings

A review of business processes, HR policies and tax and administration could reveal untapped efficiencies. Examples include shorter working weeks, changes to travel policies, and salary sacrifice for pensions contributions, where savings can come through within a few months of implementation.


   * Promote the total reward message

Keep communicating the value of your total rewards. A tendency to focus on base salary means that employees generally underestimate the full value of their total reward package. Ensure employees know just how valuable their total reward package is to them.


   * Review executive reward

Review executive compensation to ensure the package is aligned to shareholder requirements, but still retains key executives.


   * Don't damage your employer brand

 Don't harm your employer brand by not delivering on your employee value proposition the moment things get tough. Live it through tough times and you will maintain an engaged and productive workforce.


   * Keep talking

   Be as open as you can with employees about your current HR and reward strategies. Silence breeds fear and reduces employees' engagement with the organisation. Employees know you don't have all the answers or can offer guarantees about the future.

"The rapid deterioration in the economic outlook creates a huge test for the robustness of HR strategies that were largely formulated in the good times, and often implemented with limited regard to integration with existing processes," said Carole Hathaway. "However, those organisations that have gone furthest towards integrating their reward and talent strategies are likely to be best placed to come through the recession with a productive and engaged workforce."

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] ETUI: THE ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL CRISIS IN EUROPE: addressing the causes and the repercussions [18 December 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 Trade Union Institute
ETUI-REHS

European Economic and Employment Policy Brief
Andrew Watt
No. 3 – 2008
The economic and financial crisis in Europe: addressing the causes and the repercussions [18 December 2008]
http://www.etui.org/research/Media/Files/EEEPB/2008/3-2008

[excerpt]
This article looks at the extent of the challenge facing European policymakers as a result of the crisis. It provides an analysis of the current economic situation, looks at the forces that have driven the European economy off what had until recently been a quite decent and seemingly sustainable growth trajectory, and considers how deep and protracted the downturn is likely to be. From this it concludes that, unlike the United States, where a prolonged and serious downturn is inevitable, the European economy could be steered relatively swiftly out of the mess, provided decisive policy action is taken. The article then proposes a set of five essential steps that need to be taken in the short term at European and national level to arrest the downturn, and points out areas requiring substantial 'structural reforms' in the medium term. Given the serious questionmarks as to whether European policymakers will do the right thing, one can be no more than conditionally optimistic about the medium-term prospects. A 1929-scenario is far from inevitable, but it remains a possibility.
______________________________
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: RETHINKING AGE & AGING [December 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)

Population Bulletin, Vol. 63, No. 4 December 2008

Rethinking Age and Aging
by Warren Sanderson and Sergei Scherbov
http://www.prb.org/Publications/PopulationBulletins/2008/aging.aspx
or
http://www.prb.org/pdf08/63.4aging.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
and
[Table] Conventional and Prospective Measures of Population Aging, 1955, 2005, 2025, and 2045
http://www.prb.org/excel08/age-aging_table.xls
[spreadsheet]

-  '40 is the new 30' – more than just a catchy phrase.
-  With increases in life expectancy, public policy must account for the number of years individuals will live after a given age.
-  New measures of population aging introduced.

Introduction............................................................................................................................................... 3
The Concept of Age....................................................................................................................................3
Figure 1. Life Expectancies at Birth, Females, 1850–2005.............................................................4
Life Expectancy Then and Now...................................................................................................................4
Figure 2. Life Expectancies at Age 65, Females, 1950–2005......................................................... 5
Prospective Age......................................................................................................................................... 5
Figure 3. Remaining Life Expectancy Among French Women, 1952 and 2005............................ 5
Box 1. Adjusting Median Age for Life Expectancy.................................................................... 6
Box 2. Life Expectancy and When To Retire.............................................................................. 6
Table 1. Computation of Prospective Age of a 54-Year-Old Australian Male..............................7
Defining Old Age........................................................................................................................................7
Population Aging Measures....................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 4. Proportion of the World's Population 65+ vs. the Proportion at Ages With Remaining Life Expectancies of 15 Years or Less......... 9
Table 2. Conventional and Prospective Measures of Population Aging for Major World Regions, 2005 and 2045...................10
Figure 5. Conventional and Prospective Old-Age Dependency Ratios by Major Region, 1955–2045........................... 11
Table 3. Conventional and Prospective Old-Age Dependency Ratios, Selected Countries, 1955, 1980, 2005, 2025, and 2045........... 12
Box 3. The 10 Oldest Countries in the World, 2005 and 2045...................................... 13
Figure 6. Conventional and Prospective Median Ages, North and South Korea, 1955–2045............................. 14
New Thinking Applied to Policy................................................................................................................ 14
Suggested Resources...............................................................................................................................15
References.................................................................................................................................................16
Glossary....................
______________________________
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] EUROBAROMETER 70/ AUTUMN 2008 FIRST RESULTS [18 December 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 Commission> Public Opinion

EUROBAROMETER 70
PUBLIC OPINION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
Standard Eurobarometer 70/ Autumn 2008 -
FIRST RESULTS
Fieldwork: October - November 2008
Publication: December 2008
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb70/eb70_en.htm
or
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb70/eb70_first_en.pdf
[full-text, 87 pages]
and
DATA
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb70/eb70_annex.pdf
[full-text, 69 pages]

[excerpt]
This report is divided into two main parts. In the first part we present a set of trend
indicators related to Europeans� expectations for the coming year and their main
concerns. After that, the projection of this general opinion mood is analysed in
terms of indicators that measure perceptions and opinions about the European
Union and its institutions. Finally, we analyse how Europeans perceive the role of
the European Union with regard to globalisation, a theme which is not only attuned
to the period of Autumn 2008 but also profoundly entangled with today�s European
reality.

In the second part we explore four additional themes: the conflict in Georgia; the
fall of the Iron Curtain and the subsequent enlargement of the European Union; the
European Union budget, and the objectives for the building of Europe.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 2
PART I: TREND INDICATORS ............................................................................. 5
1. EVALUATION OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION................................... 6
2. CONCERNS OF EUROPEAN CITIZENS .............................................. 21
3. DIRECTION IN WHICH THINGS ARE GOING ................................... 28
4. SUPPORT FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ................ 31
5. THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION........... 35
6. PERCEPTION OF EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS................................... 38
7. IMAGE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.................................................. 47
8. WHAT POLICIES TO BE DECIDED WHERE? ..................................... 50
9. GLOBALISATION ............................................................................ 52
PART II: POLICY ISSUES ................................................................................. 56
10. GEORGIA........................................................................................ 57
11. THE IRON CURTAIN & ENLARGEMENT ............................................ 62
12. THE EUROPEAN UNION BUDGET..................................................... 67
13. THE BUILDING OF EUROPE............................................................. 70
CONCLUSION................................................................................................... 73
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS.......................................................................... 77
______________________________
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, December 17, 2008

[IWS] EuroStat: LIVING CONDITIONS IN EUROPE, 2008 Edition [17 December 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
________________________________________________________________________

EuroStat


Living conditions in Europe, 2008 Edition (2003 - 2006 data) [17 December 2008]
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_product_code=KS-DZ-08-001
or
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-DZ-08-001/EN/KS-DZ-08-001-EN.PDF
[full-text, 176 pages]

This pocketbook provides a comprehensive picture of the current living conditions in the Member States and the Candidate Countries of the European Union, as well as in the EFTA States. For the first time in this publication some data is presented concerning the potential candidate countries of the European Union. Different areas of the social field are described by a selection of indicators which are presented in tables and graphs and accompanied by a short commentary. Data are drawn from sources available in Eurostat, such as the European Union Labour Force Survey or SILC project (European community Statistics on Income and Living Conditions).

Table of contents
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Country codes and country groupings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Explanatory notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
INDICATORS BY DOMAIN
1 Population and households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.1 The population in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.2 Population structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
1.3 Getting older . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1.4 A changing population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.5 Composition of households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
1.6 Total fertility rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
1.7 Population by citizenship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
1.8 Immigration and emigration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
1.9 Asylum applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Methodological Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2 Education and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
2.1 Education outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.2 Participation in education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
2.3 Foreign language learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
2.4 Tertiary education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
2.5 Lifelong learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2.6 Continuing Vocational Training in enterprises . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.7 Investment in vocational training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
2.8 Expenditure on education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3 Labour market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
3.1 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
3.2 Equal opportunities in employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
3.3 Gender Pay Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
3.4 Working time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
3.5 Unemployment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
3.6 Youth unemployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
3.7 Unemployment and education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
3.8 Industrial disputes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
3.9 Job vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
3.10 Expenditure on Labour Market Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
3.11 Average earnings of full-time workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
3.12 Earnings of men and women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
3.13 Minimum wage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
3.14 Time use structure of women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
3.15 Time use structure of men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
4 Income, poverty and social exclusion; Consumption 100
4.1 Risk of poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
4.2 Income and risk of poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
4.3 Activity status and social exclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
4.4 Consumption expenditure 111
Background information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
5 Social protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
5.1 Social protection expenditure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
5.2 Social protection benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
5.3 Social protection receipts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
6 Health and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
6.1 Life and health expectancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
6.2 Perceived health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
6.3 Selected health problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
6.4 Accidents at work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
6.5 Major causes of death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
6.6 Transport accident deaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
7 Crime and criminal justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
7.1 Trends in recorded crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
7.2 Prison population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
8 Information society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
8.1 Internet access of households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
8.2 Purposes of internet usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
8.3 Non-existence of computer/internet usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
9 Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
9.1 Tourism propensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
9.2 Holiday trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

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Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
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