IWS Documented News INTERNATIONAL

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)

ETUI Policy Brief - European Social Policy

Issue 2/2011

Nano governance: how should the EU implement nanomaterial traceability?   

Author:

Aída María Ponce Del Castillo, researcher ETUI

http://www.etui.org/research/Media/Files/EEEPB/European-Social-Policy/2-2011-EN

Abstract:

This Policy Brief addresses the need for a governance response from the European bodies to

establish a registry of nanomaterial-containing articles. Better comprehensive data is urgently

needed to improve knowledge of what is on the market, who is exposed and what should be

regulated. Member States welcome such inventories and have developed their own initiatives

while at the same time exhorting the European Commission to step in on the process. Achieving

harmonisation of the national initiatives is crucial, for proper regulation is needed to ensure proper protection of human and

environmental health, as well as an adequate level of risk management.

Issue 3/2011

What role can the unions play in Europe's industrial policy? REACH shows the way

Author: Tony Musu, senior researcher ETUI

In English at
http://www.etui.org/research/Media/Files/EEEPB/European-Social-Policy/3-2011-EN

or in French at

http://www.etui.org/research/Media/Files/EEEPB/European-Social-Policy/3-2011-FR

Abstract:

The REACH1 Regulation which lays down the rules for marketing and using chemicals in Europe

is undoubtedly one of the most far-reaching legislative reforms of the last twenty years. It

enhances European competitiveness while giving improved protection to human health and

the environment. The unions had a big hand in framing the legislation and remain influential

in making it work. Along with the European social dialogue, close involvement by workers’ representatives in developing and

enforcing European laws designed to change our production models is another key means for developing social progress. It also

paves the way for what could be the future of industrial relations in Europe, with the unions taking a prominent role in the

regulation of key sectors of our economy.

1 REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals.

Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/

LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006R1907:EN:NOT

Editors: Philippe Pochet and Kurt Vandaele
Published by ETUI, 2011  

Other RECENT POLICY BRIEFS at

http://www.etui.org/research/Publications/Regular-publications/ETUI-Policy-Briefs#Social

________________________________________________________________________

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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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
________________________________________________________________________

Transparency International

Promoting Revenue Transparency: 2011 Report on Oil and Gas Companies

http://www.transparency.org/publications/publications/other/prt_2011

or

http://www.transparency.org/content/download/59374/951162/TI_PRT_2011_report_FINAL_EN.pdf

[full-text, 65 pages]

The Promoting Revenue Transparency: 2011 Report on Oil and Gas Companies, published by Transparency International in partnership with Revenue Watch, rates 44 companies on their levels of transparency. Representing 60 per cent of global oil and gas production, the companies are evaluated in three areas: reporting on anti-corruption programmes, organisational disclosure and country-level disclosure of financial and technical data.

CONTENTS

MAJOR RESULTS 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

1. Why transparency in the oil and gas sector matters 5

2. Methodology 6

3. Major findings 7

4. Key policy recommendations 8

RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS 12

1. General results 12

2. Reporting on anti-corruption programmes (section 1) 14

3. Organisational disclosure (section 2) 22

4. Country-level disclosure (section 3) 30

5. National oil company specific (section 4) 43

6. Cross-section analysis 48

8. 2011 vs. 2008 results 51

CONCLUSION 52

ANNEXES 53

Annex 1 - History of the project 53

Annex 2 – Methodology and questionnaire guide 55

Annex 3 – Building a ‘perfect score company’ 65

Annex 4 – Country-level disclosure on domestic operations 70

Annex 5 - Data tables with sources 73

Annex 6 – Data sharing with companies - an example of a data set 110

Annex 7 – Oil and gas industry background relevant to the PRT report 113

LIST OF TABLES AND DIAGRAMS 118

BIBLIOGRAPHY 119

END NOTES

________________________________________________________________________

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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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
________________________________________________________________________

WOMEN IN NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS  (as of 31 March 2011)

http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/world.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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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
________________________________________________________________________

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)

Latin American and Caribbean Macro Watch Data Tool

http://www.iadb.org/Research/LatinMacroWatch/CountryTable.cfm?lang=en

The database collects information from public sources (mostly web based) in IDB's 26 borrowing member countries and adds to it a set of useful indicators that allows for better monitoring of macroeconomic conditions.

The database spans the period 1990-2010, and contains information at annual, quarterly, monthly and sometimes daily frequencies, based on data availability. The complete dataset includes 1,146,581 registers, contained in 9,312 series that can be readily accessed over the internet.

Data is organized at the global, sub-regional, and country level, the latter typically divided into six categories: i) economic activity and employment, ii) prices and wages, iii) fiscal accounts and public debt, iv) external accounts, v) money and banking, and vi) financial markets. Each month, the series corresponding to a different sub-region is updated (Central America, the Caribbean, South America and Mexico) so that on average series are updated quarterly.

________________________________________________________________________

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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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
________________________________________________________________________

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)

Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008-2010 [28 April 2011]

http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2372

or

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cshti0810.pdf

[full-text, 12 pages]

Describes the characteristics of human trafficking investigations, suspects, and victims in cases opened by federally funded task forces between January 2008 and June 2010. This report provides information about investigations, persons involved in suspected and confirmed incidents of human trafficking, and case outcomes. Data are from the Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS), which was created in response to a congressional mandate in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 for biennial reporting on the scope and characteristics of human trafficking. HTRS is currently the only system that captures information on human trafficking investigations conducted by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. The report also describes HTRS data collection procedures and data quality issues.

Highlights include the following:

-Federally funded task forces opened 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010.

-About 8 in 10 of the suspected incidents of human trafficking were classified as sex trafficking, and about 1 in 10 incidents were classified as labor trafficking.

-The confirmed human trafficking incidents open for at least a year led to 144 known arrests.

________________________________________________________________________

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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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
________________________________________________________________________

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)

Snapshots: HEALTH CARE COSTS

Health Care Spending in the United States and Selected OECD Countries [28 April 2011]

April 2011

http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/OECD042111.cfm

Abstract:

Health spending is rising faster than incomes in most developed countries, which raises questions about how countries will pay for their future health care needs. The issue is particularly acute in the United States, which not only spends much more per capita on health care, but also has had one of the highest spending growth rates. Both public and private health expenditures are growing at rates which outpace comparable countries. Despite this higher level of spending, the United States does not achieve better outcomes on many important health measures. This paper uses information from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)[1] to compare the level and growth rate of health care spending in the United States to those of other OECD countries.

________________________________________________________________________

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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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

Gross Domestic Product, 1st quarter 2011 (advance estimate) [28 April 2011]

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2011/gdp1q11_adv.htm

or

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2011/pdf/gdp1q11_adv.pdf

[full-text, 14 pages]

or

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2011/xls/gdp1q11_adv.xls

[spreadsheet]

and

Highlights

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2011/pdf/gdp1q11_adv_fax.pdf

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property

located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2011 (that

is, from the fourth quarter to the first quarter) according to the "advance" estimate released by the

Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased 3.1 percent.

      The Bureau emphasized that the first-quarter advance estimate released today is based on source

data that are incomplete or subject to further revision by the source agency (see the box on page 3).  The

"second" estimate for the first quarter, based on more complete data, will be released on May 26, 2011.

      The increase in real GDP in the first quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from

personal consumption expenditures (PCE), private inventory investment, exports, and nonresidential

fixed investment that were partly offset by negative contributions from federal government spending and

state and local government spending.  Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP,

increased.

      The deceleration in real GDP in the first quarter primarily reflected a sharp upturn in imports, a

deceleration in PCE, a larger decrease in federal government spending, and decelerations in

nonresidential fixed investment and in exports that were partly offset by a sharp upturn in private

inventory investment.

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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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
________________________________________________________________________

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Global Food Price Inflation and Developing Asia [26 April 2011]

http://www.adb.org/documents/reports/global-food-price-inflation

or

http://www.adb.org/documents/reports/global-food-price-inflation/food-price-inflation.pdf

[full-text, 39 pages]

Press Release 26 April 2011

Soaring Food Prices Again Threaten to Push Millions of Asians into Poverty - ADB

http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2011/13534-asian-food-prices/

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Resurgent global food prices, which posted record increases in the first two months of 2011, are again threatening to push millions of people in developing Asia into extreme poverty, says a new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) titled 'Global Food Price Inflation and Developing Asia'.

Food prices had been expected to continue a gradual ascent in the wake of the sharp spike in 2008. The report says that fast and persistent increases in the cost of many Asian food staples since the middle of last year, coupled with crude oil reaching a 31-month high in March, are a serious setback for the region which has rebounded rapidly and strongly from the global economic crisis.

Domestic food inflation in many regional economies in Asia has averaged 10% in early 2011. The ADB study finds that a 10% rise in domestic food prices in developing Asia, home to 3.3 billion people, could push an additional 64 million people into extreme poverty based on the $1.25 a day poverty line.

AND MORE....

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Causes of High Food Prices

Transmission of Global Food Prices to Domestic Prices

Food Price Near-Term Outlook

Effects of High and Rising Commodity Prices

Policies for Enhancing Food Security

Conclusion

References

Appendix 1: Impact of Food Price Increases on Poverty for 25 Developing Asian Countries, $1.25-a-day Poverty Line

Appendix 2: National Policies to Address Rising Food Prices (as of 16 February 2011)

________________________________________________________________________

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) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

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)

Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Public Assistance: Policy Overview and Trends

Ruth Ellen Wasem, Specialist in Immigration Policy

December 14, 2010

http://opencrs.com/document/RL33809/2010-12-14/download/1005/

[full-text, 28 pages]

Summary

The extent to which residents of the United States who are not U.S. citizens should be eligible for

federally funded public aid has been a contentious issue for more than a decade. This issue meets

at the intersection of two major policy areas: immigration policy and welfare policy. The

eligibility of noncitizens for public assistance programs is based on a complex set of rules that are

determined largely by the type of noncitizen in question and the nature of services being offered.

Over the past 15 years, Congress has enacted significant changes in U.S. immigration policy and

welfare policy. Congress has exercised oversight of revisions made by the 1996 welfare reform

law (the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, P.L. 104-193)—

including the rules governing noncitizen eligibility for public assistance that it established—and

legislation covering programs with major restrictions on noncitizens’ eligibility (e.g., food

stamps/SNAP, Medicaid).

This report deals with the four major federal means-tested benefit programs: the Supplemental

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), the Supplemental Security Income

(SSI) program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant programs, and

Medicaid. Laws in place for the past 15 years restrict the eligibility of legal permanent residents

(LPRs), refugees, asylees, and other noncitizens for most means-tested public aid. Noncitizens’

eligibility for major federal means-tested benefits largely depends on their immigration status;

whether they arrived (or were on a program’s rolls) before August 22, 1996, the enactment date of

P.L. 104-193; and how long they have lived and worked in the United States.

LPRs with a substantial work history or military connection are eligible for the full range of

programs, as are asylees, refugees, and other humanitarian cases (for at least five to seven years

after entry). Other LPRs must meet additional eligibility requirements. For SNAP, they generally

must have been legally resident for five years or be children. For SSI benefits, they must have

been recipients as of August 22, 1996, or resident as of that date and disabled. Under TANF and

SSI, they generally are ineligible for five years after entry and then eligible at state option. States

have the option of providing Medicaid to pregnant LPRs and children within the five-year bar.

Unauthorized aliens (often referred to as illegal aliens) are not eligible for most federal benefits,

regardless of whether they are means tested, with notable exceptions for emergency services.

TANF, SSI, food stamp, and Medicaid recipiency among noncitizens decreased over the 1995-

2005 period, but appears to have inched upwards in 2009. While the 10-year decrease was

affected by the statutory changes, the poverty rate of noncitizens has also diminished over the

1995-2005 decade. The poverty rate for noncitizens residing in the United States fell from 27.8%

in 1995 to 20.4% in 2005. It has risen to 25.1% in 2009. Noncitizens are disproportionately

poorer than native-born residents of the United States.

This report does not track legislation and is updated as policy changes warrant.

Contents

Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1

Overview of Alien Eligibility Law...............................................................................................1

Pre-1996 Program Policies ....................................................................................................1

The 1996 Welfare Reform Law .............................................................................................2

Post-1996 Revisions..............................................................................................................2

Current Eligibility Policy ......................................................................................................4

Related Immigrant Policies Affecting Eligibility: Sponsorship and Deeming ...............................5

“Public Charge” ....................................................................................................................5

Historical Development...................................................................................................5

1996 Immigration Law Reforms......................................................................................5

“Deeming” of Income and Resources ....................................................................................6

Pre-1996 Policy ..............................................................................................................6

Post-1996 Requirements .................................................................................................7

Trends in Noncitizen Poverty and Benefit Use.............................................................................8

Noncitizen Poverty Levels ....................................................................................................8

General Trends................................................................................................................8

Comparative Analysis ...................................................................................................10

Noncitizen Benefit Use ....................................................................................................... 11

Formative Research ...................................................................................................... 11

Recent Findings ............................................................................................................12

Program Participation Data .................................................................................................14

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) .............................................................................15

Food Stamps/SNAP ......................................................................................................15

Cash Assistance ............................................................................................................16

Federal and State Benefit Eligibility Standards for Unauthorized Aliens ....................................16

Federal Benefits ..................................................................................................................16

State Benefits ......................................................................................................................18

Figures

Figure 1. Noncitizen Residents in Poverty, 1994-2009.................................................................9

Figure 2. Comparative Poverty Levels by Citizenship, 1995 and 2009.......................................10

Figure 3. Percentage of Noncitizens Receiving Selected Assistance of Benefits: 1995,

1998, 2005, and 2009.............................................................................................................12

Figure 4. Percentage Distribution of Recipients by Citizenship Status: 1995 and 2009 ..............13

Figure 5. Noncitizens as a Percentage of all Food Stamp/SNAP, SSI, and TANF/AFDC

Cash Assistance, 1989-2009...................................................................................................15

Tables

Table 1. Poverty by Citizenship Status, 1995 and 2009 ................................................................9

Appendixes

Appendix A. Noncitizen Eligibility for Selected Major Federal Programs..................................19

Appendix B. Estimated Benefit Usage, by Citizenship, for Selected Years .................................22

Appendix C. “Qualified Aliens” ................................................................................................23

Contacts

Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................24

________________________________________________________________________

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                       
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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)

Immigration of Foreign Workers: Labor Market Tests and Protections

Ruth Ellen Wasem, Specialist in Immigration Policy

December 20, 2010
http://opencrs.com/document/RL33977/2010-12-20/download/1005/

[full-text, 34 pages]

Summary

Economic indicators confirm that the U.S. economy sunk into a recession in December 2007.

Although some economic indicators suggest that growth has resumed, unemployment remains

high and is projected to remain so for some time. Historically, international migration ebbs during

economic crises; for example, immigration to the United States was at its lowest levels during the

Great Depression. While preliminary statistical trends hint at a slowing of migration pressures, it

remains unclear how the economic recession of the past two years has affected immigration.

Addressing these contentious policy reforms against the backdrop of economic crisis sharpens the

social and business cleavages and narrows the range of options.

Some employers maintain that they continue to need the “best and the brightest” workers,

regardless of their country of birth, to remain competitive in a worldwide market and to keep their

firms in the United States. While support for increasing employment-based immigration may be

dampened by the high levels of unemployment, proponents argue that the ability to hire foreign

workers is an essential ingredient for economic growth.

Those opposing increases in foreign workers assert that such expansions—particularly during a

period of high unemployment—would have a deleterious effect on salaries, compensation, and

working conditions of U.S. workers. Others question whether the United States should continue

to issue foreign worker visas (particularly temporary visas) during a period of high

unemployment and suggest that a moratorium on such visas might be prudent.

The number of foreign workers entering the United States legally has notably increased over the

past decade. The number of employment-based legal permanent residents (LPRs) grew from

under 100,000 in FY1994 to over 250,000 in FY2005, and dipped to 126,874 in 2009. The

number of visas issued to employment-based temporary nonimmigrants rose from just under

600,000 in FY1994 to approximately 1.3 million in FY2007. In FY2009, the number of visas

issued to employment-based temporary nonimmigrants dropped slightly to 1.1 million.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) bars the admission of any alien who seeks to enter

the U.S. to perform skilled or unskilled labor, unless it is determined that (1) there are not

sufficient U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available; and (2) the employment of

the alien will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed

workers in the United States. The foreign labor certification program in the U.S. Department of

Labor (DOL) is responsible for ensuring that foreign workers do not displace or adversely affect

working conditions of U.S. workers.

The 111th Congress has addressed one element of the labor market test for foreign workers issue

in §1611 of P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which requires

companies receiving Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funding to comply with the more

rigorous labor market rules of H-1B dependent companies if they hire foreign workers on H-1B

visas. Also, §524 of division D of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-117)

authorized the Department of Labor to use its share of the H-1B, H-2B, and L Fraud Prevention

and Detection fees to conduct wage and hour enforcement of industries more likely to employ

any type of nonimmigrants (not just H-1B, H-2B or L visaholders). Finally, P.L. 111-230 (H.R.

6080) authorized additional fees on firms who have more than 50% of their employees on H-1B

or L visas.

This report does not track legislation and will be updated if policies are revised.

Contents

Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1

Key Elements.......................................................................................................................1

Brief History of Labor Certification ......................................................................................2

Permanent Employment-Based Admissions.................................................................................3

LPR Labor Certification Process ...........................................................................................5

Program Electronic Review Management (PERM)................................................................6

Temporary Employment-Based Admissions ................................................................................8

Overview.............................................................................................................................8

Temporary Workers.........................................................................................................8

Multinational Executive and Specialist Employees and International Investors ................8

Cultural Exchange...........................................................................................................9

Outstanding and Extraordinary........................................................................................9

Religious Workers...........................................................................................................9

Trends in Temporary Employment-Based Visas...................................................................10

Labor Market Tests for Workers on H Visas.........................................................................12

H-1B Visas and Labor Attestations ................................................................................12

H-2A Visas and Labor Certification...............................................................................14

Required Benefits for H-2A Workers...................................................................................15

H-2B Visas and Labor Certifications .............................................................................15

Investigating and Enforcing LCAs ............................................................................................17

Resources for Foreign Labor Certification.................................................................................19

Funding the LCA Approval Process.....................................................................................19

Funding the LCA Enforcement Activities ............................................................................21

Additional Fees on Firms with Majority H-1B and L Workers ...................................................23

Selected Issues for the 112th Congress .......................................................................................24

Unemployment Statistics and Other Economic Triggers ......................................................24

Global Competition for Talent .............................................................................................25

Certification Versus Attestation ...........................................................................................26

Protections for U.S. Workers ...............................................................................................26

Fraudulent Claims...............................................................................................................27

Enforcement Tool................................................................................................................28

Small Business Concerns ....................................................................................................28

Subcontractors and Multinational Companies ......................................................................28

Conclusion...............................................................................................................................29

Figures

Figure 1. Permanent Employment-based Admissions for First, Second, and Third

Preferences, 1994-2009............................................................................................................4

Figure 2. Temporary Employment-based Visas Issued, 1994-2009.............................................10

Figure 3. Temporary Admissions for Selected Employment-based Visas.................................... 11

Figure 4. Funding to ETA for Foreign Labor Certification .........................................................20

Tables

Table 1. Summary of Foreign Temporary Worker Labor Market Tests and Protections ...............17

Table 2. Amounts from the Fraud Prevention and Detection Fees Allocated to DOL,

FY2005-FY2009....................................................................................................................22

Contacts

Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................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                  
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