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Skills Gap in US – It could compromise competitiveness manufacturers say
American manufacturers are increasingly finding that prospective workers do not have the skill set required to perform necessary job functions, such as basic math and computer abilities. The so-called “skills gap,” if unresolved, could compromise manufacturers’ ability to stay competitive, according to some industry leaders. The cause of the gap is multifaceted. Manufacturing activity has increased in the U.S. … Continue reading
Canada – Better Labour Market Information are needed says the Auditor-General
The Auditor-General is weighing into the heated debate over job vacancy data, calling on Statistics Canada to provide more detailed information as to exactly where shortages are occurring and for precisely what jobs and skills. Auditor-General Michael Ferguson’s Spring 2014 report, released Tuesday, includes a largely positive report on the performance of Statistics Canada, but … Continue reading
Sweden – Networking better than labour-market training says Arbetsförmedlingen
Labour-market training, meant to prep job seekers for work, no longer has the desired effect, Sweden’s jobs agency said on Monday. Networking was still the best way to find a job last year. The job-specific training, known as arbetsmarknadsutbildning, has been one of the more costly initiatives to get job seekers into work, the agency … Continue reading
11 EU Nations Set To Tax Financial Transactions – “It’s a tax on job” says UK treasury chief George Osborne
A group of 11 European Union countries agreed to introduce a financial transaction tax from 2016 onward, Austrian Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger said Tuesday. The nations — including economic heavyweights Germany, France, Italy and Spain — will initially tax only the trading of shares and some derivatives, Spindelegger told a meeting of the EU’s 28 … Continue reading
Chinese jobs website Zhaopin seeking investment in US
Chinese jobs website operator Zhaopin Ltd filed with U.S. regulators to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering of American depositary shares. SEEK International Investments Pty Ltd, controlled by SEEK Ltd, which provides online employment advertising, training courses and invests in online employment marketplaces, holds 79 percent of Zhaopin shares. Beijing-based Zhaopin … Continue reading
India – Every year 12 million young Indians will arrive in the job market: where are the jobs ?
I am constantly surprised at how often in conversations with thoughtful people this statistic is brought up: that, from now on for the next decade, every year 12 million young Indians will arrive in the job market. And this additional statistic is brought up too: that in the past few years, the organised sector in … Continue reading
Canada – 272,300 long-term unemployed last year: a problem for several reasons
The number of people out of work for half a year or longer was 272,300 last year, nearly twice as many as six years earlier. Those out of work for a year or longer numbered 96,400 last year – more than double 2007 levels, according to Statistics Canada data. Longer bouts of unemployment are a … Continue reading
The top 1% – Capturing up to 37% in Canada and 47% in the United States, according to new OECD analysis (video)
The share of the richest 1% in total pre-tax income have increased in most OECD countries over the past three decades. This rise is the result of the top 1% capturing a disproportionate share of overall income growth over that timeframe: up to 37% in Canada and 47% in the United States, according to new … Continue reading
April’s Jobs Report in US – Cautionary signs: 73,000 fewer people had jobs
Hiring in February and March was better than first thought. The unemployment rate plunged to 6.3 percent from 6.7 percent. At first glance, Friday’s U.S. jobs report suggested that the agonizingly slow 5-year-old economic recovery had burst into a full sprint. Yet several cautionary signs emerged from the report, starting with that spectacular plunge in … Continue reading
The unemployment data during the 2012 Presidential election – “No evidence” concludes the investigation
Census Bureau employees did not rig national unemployment data to make President Obama look good in advance of the 2012 presidential election, an inspector general’s report concluded. The report follows allegations by a Census employee, Julius Buckmon, that he and others in the Philadelphia office were instructed to falsify data on two important reports. On … Continue reading
Millennials and Retirement – Saving more and at a much earlier age
Millennials are not only saving for retirement at an earlier age than their parent’s generation, but they are also saving more aggressively. This generation (born after 1978) started saving at a median age of 22, more than a decade earlier than their Baby Boomer parents and five years before Gen Xers, a survey from the … Continue reading
Basic Facts About the American Economy and Canada
1) The largest destination for U.S. goods exports is Canada. The second largest is Mexico. China is third. Census 2) We import the most stuff from China. Maybe you did know that. But Canada is second. Census 3) Canada is our largest overall trading partner. We’re just really lucky to have them (and of course … Continue reading
US in April – Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 288,000 and UR down at 6.3 percent
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 288,000, and the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 6.3 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment gains were widespread, led by job growth in professional and business services, retail trade, food services and drinking places, and construction. Household Survey Data In … Continue reading
US – Widespread labor shortages ahead says the conference board
American workers have endured six years of depleted wealth, stagnant wages, and general insecurity. But their fortunes are about to change, according to a surprising new study from The Conference Board. From a Buyer’s Market to a Seller’s Market predicts unemployment in the United States — currently 6.7 percent and falling rapidly — will reach … Continue reading
US – The state of the labor market in figures
In advance of the monthly employment report from BLS, the Center for American Progress today released an analysis of the current state of the U.S. labor market. The analysis takes an in-depth look at data beyond the unemployment rate, and finds that the rest of the statistics we have on the labor market paint a … Continue reading
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