News
Bloomberg | Fast-Food Workers Stage Worldwide Protests Over Minimum Wage
Fast-food workers seeking higher pay protested around the globe at chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s amid a broader debate about raising the minimum wage.
National Journal | The Most Influential Jobs Bill You've Never Heard Of
When the Workforce Investment Act was signed by President Clinton in 1998, the idea was to consolidate what had typically been separate state offices—the unemployment office, the job-listings office, the training-services office, sometimes even the welfare office—into One-Stop Career Centers, in order to help more Americans connect with employers' needs. But Congress has ignored the law since it went into effect in 2000, and lawmakers and advocates say it badly needs a face-lift. Its focus on short-term training and rapid reemployment for laid-off workers is outdated, according to the National Skills Coalition, a job-training advocacy group.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Fiscal Times | U.S. Job Market Has Changed Dramatically in 15 Years - See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/05/15/How-US-Job-Market-Has-Changed-Dramatically-15-Years#sthash.ECro22R5.dpuf
The U.S. labor market has undergone huge changes in recent years. Unemployment has swung from a low of 3.8 percent in April 2000 to 10 percent at the height of the Great Recession and back down to 6.3 percent as of last month. The percentage of Americans ages 16 and older with jobs has plunged, from above 64 percent in 2000 to below 59 percent. And the shifting economy has led to big swings in employment across key sectors. - See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/05/15/How-US-Job-Market-Has-Changed-Dramatically-15-Years#sthash.ECro22R5.dpuf
Blogs
WSJ | How Some Companies Are Bridging the Skills Gap
More attention is being paid to labor shortages. A new survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia looks into what companies are doing about it. Lifting wages is only one solution.
