Politics & Policies

Greece / Agreement reached between euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund to reduce debt

The Greek government and financial markets were cheered on Tuesday by an agreement between euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund to reduce Greece’s debt, paving the way for the release of urgently needed aid loans. The deal, clinched at the third attempt after weeks of wrangling, removes the biggest risk of a … Continue reading →

Canada / Defense / CFB Borden cuts 120 jobs

Sixty per cent of the cleaning staff at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden will lose their jobs Dec. 31, the Public Service Alliance of Canada says. Wednesday morning, PSAC will host a news conference to discuss the cut, which will impact 120 people who work for contractor Koprash Inc. “This news is devastating. Yet, these … Continue reading →

US / FED / Dallas Fed President, Richard Fisher, says Fed might set a target for unemployment

Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, a top Federal Reserve official, said on Tuesday that his main concern now was unemployment, not inflation. He said another option the Fed might consider to signal its aims to markets was a target for unemployment, although this would be difficult because monetary policy alone was not responsible for creating jobs. … Continue reading →

Fiscal Cliff / Unemployment Benefits will abruptly end for 2 million in dec., and nearly one million more in the first quarter of 2013

Because over five million workers will be unable to collect federal UI benefits next year if Congress fails to act, NELP is calling upon Congress to make this issue a priority during the lame-duck session of the 112th Congress. Not only should Congress reauthorize the EUC program in its current form for the next year, it … Continue reading →

Indonesia / Govt to challenge Jakarta’s minimum wage

Industry Minister MS Hidayat said on Friday that he supported a plan of top businesspeople to challenge Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s decision to set Jakarta’s 2013 provincial minimum wage at Rp 2.2 million (US$228). “I have been informed by Apindo [Indonesian Employers Association] that it will file a lawsuit with the PTUN [state administrative … Continue reading →

Ohio / Minimum wage to increase in January

The Ohio Department of Commerce announced that minimum wage will increase by 15 cents, from $7.70 to $7.85 an hour, beginning Jan. 1. That means that in less than two months, Ohio’s minimum wage will reach 60 cents above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. For employees who receive tips, the new minimum … Continue reading →

Minimum Wage – The Debate in Video

Canada / Primer Harper: Lack of skilled labour threatens the economy

Producing more skilled workers, scientists and engineers is the key to Canada’s future prosperity, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says. His analysis may have surprised a Canada-United States business group in Ottawa to talk about cross-border irritants, international trade negotiations, stalled pipelines and the rise of China as an economic power. “This is in fact in … Continue reading →

US / Raise the Minimum Wage

If Democrats/liberals really wanted to help the poor, a good place to start would be raising the minimum wage.  The exact amount is different depending on where one gets their information, but based on what I’ve read, if we took the minimum wage in 1968 and indexed it to inflation, these workers would make roughly … Continue reading →

UK Public Sector / 70% of hiring managers saying a lack of new talent is hindering efficiency

Over 1.5m public sector job vacancies will need to be filled by 2017, but ‘poor perception’ is presenting a key barrier to attracting new recruits, according to new research. Bridging the Gap: Developing a framework to attract new talent into the Public Sector – published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and … Continue reading →

N.J. / Democrats raise minimum wage to $8.50

So much for the bipartisan lovefest brought on by Hurricane Sandy. Democrat and Republican senators clashed Monday over a proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $8.50 from $7.25 and provide for annual cost of living increases. The Senate Budget committee advanced the bill by a 7-6 vote, and the Senate is expected to … Continue reading →

Bullying in Workplace / Robyn Durling Interview

The B-C Government brought in new legislation this year around bullying in the workplace.  The province is the fifth in Canada to tackle workplace bullying.  There’s nothing similar in the Yukon.  Robyn Durling is with Bully Free BC and follows developments south of the border and beyond. via CBC.ca | A New Day | Bullying … Continue reading →

Workplace bullying – Follow the debate

Last week, Fulton County banned bullying in the workplace, making it a firable offense. The director of a workplace institute praises Commissioner Bill Edwards, who proposed the rules for addressing the harm bullying inflicts on victims and the work environment. While a criminal justice professor applauds anti-bullying policies intent, he says they aren’t an instant … Continue reading →

NC / GOP Debt Plan / Unemployment benefits could be cut

A road map to rid North Carolina of its $2.4 billion debt to the federal government for jobless benefits and to place the state’s unemployment insurance system on sturdier financial footing is getting sketched out by legislators and business leaders. It could be rocky both for employers who pay for the benefits and displaced employees … Continue reading →

Sandy / Cheers for jobs program

CHEERS: For a $15.6 million emergency federal grant program that will pay for unemployed New Jerseyans to do temporary work helping to clean up the shore in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. It’s an idea so logical that some government skeptics might scarcely believe it came from elected officials. Out-of-work South Jerseyans who want to … Continue reading →