Unemployment statistics in US Essay Example for Free

Unemployment statistics in US Essay Unemployment refers to a situation whereby a person who is able and willing to work is currently without a job. The total number of employed people plus the number of unemployed persons who are seeking work is referred to as labor force (US Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2010). The participation rate is the labor force divided by the total number of working age population that is not institutionalized (US Department of Labour, 2010). The unemployment level is the difference between the labor force and the total number of people who are currently employed. The unemployment rate is the level of unemployed divided by the total number of working population. There are different types of unemployment types in the overall macro-economy. They include frictional unemployment, structural unemployment, natural rate of unemployment and demand deficient unemployment. Frictional unemployment reflects the time taken by individuals to find and get settled in their new jobs. Structural unemployment is the difference between the skills and other attributes possessed by the labor force and what the employers actually demand. This type of unemployment considers employees who are undergoing re-training in order to start a new job as being unemployed. It is usually increased by technological changes. Natural rate of unemployment is the sum total of frictional and structural unemployment. It is considered to be the lowest rate of unemployment that is expected to be achieved by a stable economy. Demand deficient unemployment is the level of unemployment which is beyond the natural rate unemployment. Causes of unemployment According to Keynesian economics, unemployment results from deficit in effective demand for both goods and services in an economy (US Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2010). Other schools of thought attribute unemployment to structural problems and inefficiencies which are common in the labor markets. Classical economics attribute unemployment to rigidities in labor markets resulting from external environment such as unionization of workers, taxes, minimum wages and other factors that may limit hiring of new employees (US Department of Labour, 2010). Other economists view unemployment as a voluntary choice of the unemployed and the time it takes them to find a new job also referred to as frictional unemployment. Efficiency wages and sticky wages are seen by behavioral economists to be a cause of unemployment. Unemployment level in US Unemployment in 27 US states was reported to have increased in February 2010 while seven states reported a drop in unemployment. There was an increase in unemployment in the state of Mississippi by 0. 4 percent (highest increase). The unemployment in Detroit fell from 15. 3 to 14. 8. The unemployment nationally by February 2010 was reported by Labor Department to be 9. 7 percent. However, job layoffs were fewer than previously anticipated (Trading Economics, 2010). Since the onset of recession in December 2007, 8. 4 million jobs had been lost by March 2010. The US official unemployment was reported to be 9. 5% in June 2010. This accounted for about 14. 6 million unemployed Americans. The black teens were leading with unemployment of 39. 9% Asians had the lowest unemployment rate of 7. 7%. The total number of officially unemployed and the hidden unemployment (29. 1 million) account for 18. 2% of the labor force. The graph below illustrates the levels of unemployment in US between 1999 and 2009.

The Cultural Roots of Technology Essay -- Environment Environmental Po

â€Å"A technology evolves within a culture and its particular demands and preoccupations, intertwined with that society’s particular environment (Teresi, 356)†. As the human race and daily life becomes more advanced, there are times when it becomes necessary to consider the variables that influence our society. These variables-religion, tradition, environment, etc. - make up the culture of a society. New technologies are created when the people living in a particular society feel that one of these variables needs to be expanded upon or changed (Discovery Channel, Feb. 11). A particularly relevant example is the United States Space program. The space program grew out of the Cold War in the 1960’s. The technological needs of this effort, specifically small computers, heat resistant ceramics, radio communication, and power cells lead to the products and devices that we enjoy today. Societies, with their specific cultural needs, influenced the development of their own technology. For example, the Chinese in ninth century A.D. were fascinated with perfumes, noxious bombs, explosions, gases, and smoke. They burned incense and fumigated their houses for health as well as spiritual reasons. In the Chinese culture, smoke and loud explosions were connected to the spiritual and supernatural world. Chinese priests invented gunpowder by combining charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur. Their military-centered society saw the advantages gunpowder gave them in battle situations as well. The Chinese were the first to invent land mines, fire lances, and grenades. When Europeans learned about gunpowder, they began experimenting (Teresi, 355-56). Before long, cannons and guns were invented and warfare would never be the same aga... ... purposes, would the history of war have changed? It is probable that gunpowder would have eventually been invented, but who would have discovered it and when? What was their culture like; would the smoke and fumes make them feel connected to supernatural beings or would gunpowder strictly be used for war? Just like the space program created cultural needs and wants over fifty years ago, culture continues to be the driving force for technological developments. Sources Chant, Colin, "Chapter 2: Greece" in Pre-industrial Cities and Technology, Routledge Press, 1999, pp. 48-80. Ehrlich, Paul R., "Ch.11: Gods, Dive-Bombers, and Bureaucracy" in Human Natures: Genes Cultures, and the Human Prospect, Island Press, 2000, pp. 253-279. Teresi, Dick, Lost Discoveries: The ancient roots of modern science, Simon and Schuster, 2002, ISBN 0-684-83718-8, pp. 325-367.

Consultation with Hostile Corporations -Case Essay

Lily’s Consultation with Hostile Corporations Summary Lily Advisors, a consulting firm based in Maryland, Washington DC, working with multi-disciplined teams for discrete projects, had a consulting agreement with Green Acres School System in Northern Virginia to resolve some issues arising from the construction of two new high schools. Unseasonable rains, contractor delays, weather issues, disagreements between architects and the school board were some factors contributing to the delays. With his extensive roles and experience, the school board hired Merv, President of Lily’s Advisors, to advise them about how to proceed under their tense circumstances Merv investigated the situation and submitted a confidential document, on the First High School this was in February 1999. The performances to date of Meyerhoff, the main contractor and Stewart and Sons, the architectural firm, were critically evaluated. The major findings were that Stewart and Sons failed to control the scheduling properly and that it was making an unusually large profit for its administrative function. Merv was familiar with Stewart & Sons and was able to write about their methods of execution. The school board asked Stewart and Sons to renegotiate because of the findings of the report, but gave them the impression that it was based on the construction delays. The content of the report remained undisclosed. After two months of very difficult negotiation, all groups signed an amended contract on June 30, 1999. All major issues were settled and they were able to proceed to the construction of the second high school. The new amended contract had further delays as the groups found that the excessive compromising that was done was becoming irksome. The school board had thought Stewart and Sons was very uncompromising and aggressive. Disagreements continued between the school board and the construction and architectural firms during the next eight months. At this point, Stewart and Sons decided to hire Lily as a consultant. Stewart had worked with Lily before. They met and Merv disclosed that he had submitted an evaluation of the contract to the school board in a document, after making a proposal on September 24, 2000. The negative aspects of the report were never revealed. Sam Shapiro, the architect’s lawyer, contacted Merv about the document submitted and the potential conflict of interest which could arise but Merv denied any conflict of interest. Shapiro and the representatives from Stewart gave Merv a contract to sign for his services on November 8, 2000. The situation further deteriorated during the next 4 months and the school board sued Stewart and Sons. The lawyers representing Stewart and Sons saw the confidential document, as was required by the law. This outraged Stewart and Sons as they viewed the document as impugning the company’s integrity and honesty. Stewart and Sons viewed it as a case of conflict of interest and not one with just the potential. Merv believed otherwise. He explained that he recognized a potential conflict of interest and devised measures to prevent it. Merv was convinced of his flawless strategy and believed he had insulated the teams sufficiently to avoid this and, in any case, the construction of the second school was a new project. Stewart and Sons informed him that they would not pay the $102,500 that was due on the contract. After contemplating the amount of money to be spent on the case, he decided to proceed to prove otherwise.

Labor Unions Must Fight Globalization or Become Extinct Essay

â€Å"Two world wars [along with Roosevelt’s] â€Å"New Deal† had indeed, made government big.† (Moody, 2007, p. 114) Government became â€Å"big† because of its controlling interest in business and labor. The reason for this interest is that government was dealing with a failed economy and had two world wars to contend with. These wars required a continual supply of food and supplies to be produced. In order to guarantee supplies to be free of interruption, it required government gaining control over every major industry and labor in order to keep harmony. Along with this harmony, it became instrumental in creating the steady supply of profits for businesses. It also helped in producing wage equality and social services for workers. With†¦show more content†¦They also realized because of the changes in politics, government was not going to intervene. Labor was losing power. As the 1980’s entered little did labor know politics was about to take on yet another whole new personality. This personality was brought in with the incoming of the new President Ronald Reagan; he had his own idea of operating the country on neoliberal politics. This form of politics has continued and is still operating today. Not only is it creating havoc with the U.S. labor force, but has moved across International borders virtually destroying everything it touches. â€Å"Organized labor [finally realized they were] technically and theoretically unprepared for Reagan’s assault. [Up to now labor has been] unable to conceptualize . . . or even generate the social force necessary to resist [this] new conception of labor relations.† (Fletcher Gapasin, 2008, p.46) In order for labor to defend itself against neoliberal globalization, certain questions must be answered. What is Neoliberal Globalization? Why is Neoliberalism causing the labor movement to decline? What steps must the labor movement take to reverse this decline? Next I w ill try to answer these questions. Neoliberal Globalization What is Neoliberal Globalization? In order to answer this; let’s look at some the definitions for Neoliberalism and Globalization. We will start by looking at a couple of definitions forShow MoreRelatedLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesManaging in the Twenty-First Century 20—Managers: The Next Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463 Managing in Today’s Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 The New Generation of Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 Deciding to Become a Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467 Skills Needed by Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 Acquiring Management Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 On-the-Job Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .