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
________________________________________________________________________

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Long-term projections of Asian GDP and trade—November 2011

http://beta.adb.org/sites/default/files/projections-gdp-trade.pdf

[full-text, 34 pages]

Contents

Acknowledgments iv

Executive Summary v

Abbreviations vi

I.          Introduction . 1

II.        Summaries and Key Findings 3

A.        Summaries 3

1.         Human Capital Accumulation in Emerging Asia, 1970–2030 3

2.         Past and Future of the Labor Force in Emerging Asian Economies 4

3.         Economic Growth in Asia: Determinants and Prospects . 4

4.         Projection of Long-Term Total Factor Productivity Growth for 12 Asian Economies . 4

5.         The Determinants and Long-Term Projections of Saving Rates in Developing Asia 5

6.         Physical Capital Accumulation in Asia-12: Past Trends and Future Projections 6

7.         Asian Trade Flows: Trends, Patterns, and Prospects . 6

B.        Key Findings: Gross Domestic Product and Trade Projections, 2011–2030 7

1.         Gross Domestic Product 7.

2.         International Trade Flows . 10

III.       Selected Issues . 12

A.        Demographic Dividends and the Role of the Labor Force in Asia's Growth 12

B.        Reforms for Efficiency-Driven Growth . 15

C.        Developing Asia's Saving and Investment

Gap 17.

D.        Income Convergence in Developing Asia . 20

1.         β Convergence 20

2.         σ Convergence 21

References 23

________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________

Census

American Community Survey Briefs (ACSBR)

ACSBR 10/06

The Foreign-Born with Science and Engineering Degrees: 2010 [17 November 2011]
http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-06.pdf
[full-text, 10 pages]

This brief, based on 2010 American Community Survey estimates, examines patterns of science and engineering educational attainment among the foreign-born population, with attainment of specific science and engineering degree types by place of birth and sex, as well as metropolitan statistical area. It also compares attainment of such degrees by the foreign-born and native-born populations. 

Highlights:

• In 2010, 48.5 million (28 percent) of the 170.7 million native-born population 25 and older and 9.1 million (27 percent) of the 33.6 million foreign-born population 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Foreign-born residents represented 33 percent of all bachelor’s degree holders in engineering fields, 27 percent in computers, mathematics and statistics; 24 percent in physical sciences; and 17 percent in biological, agricultural and environmental sciences.
• Of the 4.2 million foreign-born science and engineering bachelor’s degree holders in the U.S., 57 percent were born in Asia, 18 percent in Europe, 16 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 5 percent in Africa, 3 percent in Northern America and less than 1 percent in Oceania.
• The majority (64 percent) of foreign-born residents with degrees in computers, mathematics and statistics were born in Asia, including 24 percent who were born in India and 14 percent who were born in China.
• Overall, only 7 percent of foreign-born residents with science and engineering degrees had majored in psychology.
• Of the 9.1 million foreign-born residents 25 and older with bachelor’s degrees, 51 percent were female. However, only 37 percent of the 4.2 million foreign-born residents with science and engineering degrees were female.
• Looking at areas with a foreign-born population greater than 100,000, the highest proportion of foreign-born residents with science and engineering degrees was in the
• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. metro area (29 percent), followed by the Baltimore-Towson, Md. metro area (24 percent).

________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Condtions (Dublin Foundation)

Extension of collective bargaining agreements in the EU - Background paper [16 November 2011]

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef1154.htm

or

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2011/54/en/1/EF1154EN.pdf

[full-text, 14 pages]

Author: Kerckhofs, Peter

Summary:

This report gives an overview of the extension mechanisms of collective bargaining agreements, deriving its data from the Eurofound industrial relations country profiles (2009). In principle, collective agreements are only legally enforceable against contracting parties. National and sectoral collective bargaining agreements can, however, be extended so that they also apply to employees and employers who were not represented by the social partners signing the agreement. Such cases of extension mechanisms, in which rights are owed towards all parties, exist in almost all EU Member States (Sciarra, 2005).

________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Condtions (Dublin Foundation)

Time-off provisions for employee representatives in Europe - Background paper [16 November 2011]

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef1178.htm

or

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2011/78/en/1/EF1178EN.pdf

[full-text,7 pages]

Author: Kerckhofs, Peter

Summary:

Most countries give employee representatives the opportunity to fulfil their tasks. Time off is generally provided, although the number of hours varies from one country to another. This report combines an overview on the time-off provided in the legal frameworks of the different EU Member States with an analysis of what this means in practice for the employee representatives. Eurofound collected data on time off for employee representatives in its European Company Survey (ECS) in 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) 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
________________________________________________________________________

U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION (USCC)

2011 REPORT TO CONGRESS [16 November 2011]

of the U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION

http://www.uscc.gov/annual_report/2011/annual_report_full_11.pdf

[full-text, 414 pages]

Press Release 16 November 2011

http://www.uscc.gov/pressreleases/2011/11_16_11pr.pdf

CONTENTS

Page

TRANSMITTAL LETTER TO THE CONGRESS ............................................................... iii

COMMISSIONERS APPROVING THE REPORT .............................................................. v

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 1

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................... 14

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 17

2011 REPORT TO CONGRESS OF THE

U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION

Chapter 1: The U.S.-China Trade and Economic Relationship  ............... 21

Section 1: The U.S.-China Trade and Economic Relationship’s Current Status and Significant Changes During 2011 ..................................................... 21

Section 2: Chinese State-Owned Enterprises and U.S.-China Bilateral Investment ............................................................................................................ 40

Section 3: Indigenous Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights ................ 70

Section 4: China’s Five-Year Plan and Technology Development and Transfers to China ..................................................................................................... 88

Section 5: China’s Internal Dilemmas ................................................................ 107

Recommendations .................................................................................................. 129

Endnotes ................................................................................................................. 132

Chapter 2: China’s Activities Directly Affecting U.S. Security Interests  ........................................................................................................................ 155

Section 1: Military and Security Year in Review .............................................. 155

Section 2: China’s ‘‘Area Control Military Strategy’’ ......................................... 182

Section 3: The Implications of China’s Civil and Military Space Activities .... 198

Recommendations .................................................................................................. 221

Endnotes ................................................................................................................. 223

Chapter 3: China’s Foreign Policy  ................................................................. 241

Section 1: An Overview of China’s Relations with North Korea and Iran ...... 241

Section 2: Actors in China’s Foreign Policy ....................................................... 261

Section 3: Taiwan ................................................................................................. 275

Section 4: Hong Kong .......................................................................................... 290

Recommendations .................................................................................................. 299

Endnotes ................................................................................................................. 301

Chapter 4: China’s Public Diplomacy Initiatives Regarding Foreign

and National Security Policy  ......................................................................... 321

Recommendations .................................................................................................. 342

Endnotes ................................................................................................................. 343

Comprehensive List of the Commission’s Recommendations  .................. 355

Additional Views of Commissioners  ................................................................ 361

________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Compacts of Free Association: Improvements Needed to Assess and Address Growing Migration

GAO-12-64 November 14, 2011

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-64

or

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1264.pdf

[full-text, 148 pages]

Summary

U.S. compacts with the freely associated states (FAS)--the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands, and Palau--permit FAS citizens to migrate to the United States and its territories (U.S. areas) without regard to visa and labor certification requirements. Thousands of FAS citizens have migrated to U.S. areas (compact migrants)--particularly to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and Hawaii, which are defined as affected jurisdictions. In fiscal year 2004, Congress appropriated $30 million annually for 20 years to help defray affected jurisdictions' costs for migrant services (compact impact). Though not required, affected jurisdictions can report these costs to the Department of the Interior (Interior), which allocates the $30 million as impact grants in proportion to compact migrant enumerations required every 5 years. This report (1) describes compact migration, (2) reviews enumeration approaches, (3) evaluates impact reporting, and (4) reviews Interior grants related to compact impact. GAO reviewed U.S. agency data, recent enumerations, impact reports, and grants and it also interviewed officials, employers, and migrants in the affected jurisdictions.

Combined data from the U.S. Census Bureau's (Census) 2005-2009 American Community Survey (ACS) and the required enumeration in 2008 estimate that a total of roughly 56,000 compact migrants from the FSM, the Marshall Islands, and Palau--nearly a quarter of all FAS citizens--were living in U.S. areas. Compact migrants resided throughout U.S. areas, with approximately 58 percent of all compact migrants living in the affected jurisdictions. According to the 2008 required enumeration, compact migrant populations continued to grow in Guam and Hawaii and were roughly 12 percent of the population of Guam and 1 percent of the population of Hawaii. Working under agreements with Interior, Census used a different approach for the most recent enumeration than for prior enumerations, employing two methods in 2008: (1) a one-time survey in Guam and the CNMI and (2) a tabulation of existing multiyear ACS data for Hawaii. The affected jurisdictions opposed the change in approach. The 2008 approach allowed for determining the precision of the estimates but did not yield comparable results across jurisdictions or detailed information on compact migrants. Interior and Census officials have a preliminary plan for the required 2013 enumeration but Interior has not determined its cost or assessed its strengths and limitations. The methods used by affected jurisdictions to collect and report on compact impact have weaknesses that reduce their accuracy. For fiscal years 2004 through 2010, Hawaii, Guam and the CNMI reported more than $1 billion in costs associated with providing education, health, and social services to compact migrants. However, some jurisdictions did not accurately define compact migrants, account for federal funding that supplemented local expenditures, or include revenue received from compact migrants. Although Interior is required to report to Congress any compact impacts that the affected jurisdictions report to Interior, it has not provided the affected jurisdictions with adequate guidance on estimating compact impact. Compact migrants participate in local economies through employment, taxation and consumption, but data on these effects are limited. From fiscal years 2004 to 2010, Interior awarded approximately $210 million in compact impact grants to the affected jurisdictions, which used the funds primarily for budget support, projects, and purchases in the areas of education, health, and public safety. In Guam and Hawaii, government officials, service providers, and compact migrants discussed approaches to more directly address challenges related to migration by bridging language barriers, providing job training, and increasing access to services. The amended compacts also made available $808 million in sector grants for the FSM and the Marshall Islands from fiscal years 2004 to 2010. Sector grants are jointly allocated by the joint U.S.-FSM and U.S.-Marshall Islands management committees and have been used primarily in the FAS for health and education. Few sector grants directly address issues that concern compact migrants or the affected jurisdictions. The committees had not formally placed compact impact on their annual meeting agendas until 2011 and have not yet allocated any 2012 sector grant funds to directly address compact impact. GAO recommends that Interior assess the 2013 enumeration approach, disseminate adequate guidance on estimating compact impact, and encourage uses of grants that better address compact migrants' impact and needs. Interior generally agreed with the report but did not support the recommendation on grant uses.

________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________

OECD

OECD composite leading indicators continue pointing to slowdown in economic activity [14 November 2011]

http://www.oecd.org/document/36/0,3746,en_21571361_44315115_49024420_1_1_1_1,00.html

or

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/14/27/49028266.pdf

Composite leading indicators (CLIs) for  September 2011, designed to anticipate turning points in economic

activity relative to trend, continue pointing to  a slowdown in  economic activity  in most OECD countries and

major non-member economies.

Compared to last month's assessment, the CLIs point more strongly to slowdowns  in all major economies. In

Japan, Russia and the United States the CLIs point to slowdowns in growth towards long term trends. In

Canada,  France,  Germany,  Italy, the  United Kingdom, Brazil,  China,  India and the  Euro area,  the

CLIs point to economic activity falling below long term trend.

AND MORE…including CHARTS & 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
________________________________________________________________________

Brookings

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT UNDER PRESSURE [November 2011]

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2011/11_development_under_pressure/11_development_under_pressure.pdf

[full-text, 48 pages]

[excerpt]

Foreword

From August 3 to 5, 2011, around fifty preeminent development practitioners and thought leaders from the

public, private, and nonprofit sectors convened for the eighth annual Brookings Blum Roundtable in Aspen,

Colorado. Participants from around the globe exchanged ideas and concrete strategies for how to improve

international development cooperation and confront the challenges facing development assistance today.

By exploring how best to reframe and modernize global cooperation on development, the roundtable

serves to promote innovation and best practices, advance policy debates, and identify the most promising

pathways for reform.

Rather than summarize the conference proceedings, this report—like those from previous years—seeks

to weave together the exchanges and perspectives that emerged during the three-day discussion. It also

builds on last year’s in-depth examination of the fundamental reforms and changes necessary to improve

support for development.

________________________________________________________________________

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)

Working Paper No. 284

Why Does Population Aging Matter So Much for Asia? Population Aging, Economic Growth, and Economic Security in Asia [November 2011]

by Sang-Hyop Lee, Andrew Mason, and Donghyun Park

http://beta.adb.org/publications/why-does-population-aging-matter-so-much-asia?ref=data/publications

or

http://beta.adb.org/sites/default/files/economics-wp284.pdf

[full-text, 33 pages]

Description

This paper describes the region's old-age support systems, and highlight the socioeconomic implications of the demographic transition. Aging populations present two fundamental challenges to Asian policymakers: (1) developing socioeconomic systems that can provide economic security to growing numbers of elderly while (2) sustaining strong economic growth over the next few decades. Successfully addressing these two challenges will be vital for ensuring Asia's continued economic success in the medium and long term.

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Key Features of Aging in Asia

The Economic Lifecycle and the Support Ratio

Conclusions

Appendix

References

________________________________________________________________________

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
________________________________________________________________________

AON Hewitt

Global Employee Satisfaction Continues to Lag in 2011, Says Aon Hewitt

Lack of connection between individual and organizational success seen as a main issue in decreasing engagement

http://aon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2474

See previous study:

Trends in Global Employee Engagement

http://www.aon.com/attachments/thought-leadership/Trends_Global_Employee_Engagement_Final.pdf

[full-text, 16 pages]

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Workforces worldwide are reaching their tipping point as employee satisfaction, or engagement, continues to be sluggish and remains at the lowest level since 2008, according to analysis recently released by Aon Hewitt, the global human resource consulting and outsourcing business of Aon Corporation (NYSE:AON).

At the end of the third quarter, Aon Hewitt analyzed its Employee Engagement Database of more than 5,700 employers, representing five million employees worldwide. The findings reveal an engagement level of 56 percent thus far in 2011, which is the same as 2010, but lower than 2009 (60 percent) and 2008 (57 percent). Traditionally, engagement levels between 65 percent and 100 percent represent a high-performing culture; 45 percent to 65 percent indicate the workforce is indifferent to organizational success or failure; and anything lower than 45 percent represents a serious or destructive range.

According to Aon Hewitt, the largest drop in engagement this year is employees' perception of how companies manage performance. Workers worldwide believe their employers have not provided the appropriate focus or level of management that would lead to increased productivity, nor have they connected individual performance to organizational goals.

"A significant number of employees are not motivated enough to provide extra effort beyond the job requirements and many anticipate leaving their employers in the near future," said Pete Sanborn, Talent and Organization Consulting global practice leader for Aon Hewitt. "This is critical, as our research continues to show a strong correlation between employee engagement and financial performance, even in turbulent financial times. For example, in 2010, organizations with engagement levels of 65 percent or greater outperformed the total stock market index and posted total shareholder returns 22 percent higher than average. On the other hand, companies with engagement of 45 percent or less had a total shareholder return that was 28 percent lower than the average return in 2010."

Engagement Drivers

Aon Hewitt further analyzed this 2011 data and measured satisfaction scores for key drives of engagement, with its benchmark database. This revealed that Managing Performance (the way we manage performance here keeps me focused on achieving this organization's goals) dropped nearly 8 percentage points globally thus far in 2011, with a global satisfaction score of 44 percent. Regionally, Managing Performance in Latin America is at 55 percent, followed by the U.S. (50 percent), Canada (49 percent), Asia Pacific (49 percent) and Europe (36 percent).

Engagement scores connected to Managing Performance also are low. For example, Career Opportunities (my career opportunities here look good) has a 42 percent global satisfaction level, Recognition (appropriate recognition beyond pay and benefits for an employee's contribution) is at 40 percent globally, Tools & Resources (contribution of tools and resources toward employee productivity) is at 51 percent worldwide, while Senior Leadership (evidence of effective leadership from senior leaders) has a score of 48 percent globally.

"Our analysis suggests that even at the height of the recession, employees felt a greater connection to their work and role in achieving organizational success than they do now," said Sanborn. "This is a harsh reality, but also an opportunity for those employers willing to invest in specific areas that will have the largest impact on employee engagement. While there is an expense in doing so, the return on investment can be well worth the effort."

Following are universally applicable best practices for improving and maintaining engagement:

·         Create a strategy for improving employee engagement based on data with specific goals

·         Communicate a clear "employment deal" that links the success of the company to employees

·         Display authentic leadership; be consistently open, honest and transparent

·         Invest in improving the capabilities of middle managers

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