[PEN-L:205] BLS Daily Report

[Richardson_D]

This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.

------ =_NextPart_000_01BDE7BF.BDEF5810

BLS DAILY REPORT, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1998

RELEASED TODAY: The median number of years that wage and salary workers
had been with their current employer (referred to as employee tenure)
was 3.6 years in February 1998, edging down from 3.8 years in February
1996. Among men, median employee tenure decreased for most age groups,
as it did in 1996. Among women, overall tenure changed little from 1996
to 1998. ...  

The number of employed youth increased by 2.5 million from April to July
1998, slightly less than in the summer of 1997, BLS reports. In the
summer of 1998, the number of unemployed youth aged 16 to 24 grew by
702,000 between the spring and summer. BLS does not adjust this data for
seasonal variations, because the focus of its analysis is the seasonal
changes in youth employment. ... (Daily Labor Report, page D-1).

One in five California grape growers and one in two farm labor
contractors failed to pay workers the federal minimum wage, the
Department of Labor found in an investigation of 66 growers and 23
contractors. But DOL Wage and Hour Division investigators found much
higher compliance levels for child labor and federal health and safety
laws in the representative sample of 8,000 growers in 23 counties. ...
(Daily Labor Report, page A-8). 

Federal Reserve policymakers voiced growing concern Tuesday about
slowing economic growth in a sign they're at least willing to entertain
the notion of an interest rate cut when they meet next week. The balance
of risk has shifted from one of concern about inflation to one of
concern about inadequate growth, New York Federal Reserve Bank President
William J. McDonough said. The anecdotal evidence regarding investment
plans, regarding reductions in the labor force (layoffs), and the
beginnings of a reduction in consumer confidence all add up. Experts
say, however, that the decision on whether to cut interest rates next
week rests with Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Greenspan is
slated to present his latest views on the U.S. and world economies to
the Senate Budget Committee today. ... (New York Times, page C7;
Washington Post, page A1).

Overloaded staffers are starting to take more time off work. ... For
years, workers have been pressing for more flexibility.  Employers have
responded with new policies, but slowly.  Now, it appears, employees are
simply taking the time off when they need it, whether or not their
employers formally sanction it.  Unscheduled absences rose 25 percent in
the past year to seven-year highs, says CCH Inc., a Riverwoods, Ill.,
human-resource information concern, in a 401-company survey set for
release today.  The increase is concentrated among the small- and
medium-size companies that employ about 70 percent of all payroll
workers. ... For the first time since the annual CCH survey began in
1991, "family issues" were cited as the No. 1 cause of unexpected
absences, accounting for 26 percent, compared with 22 percent for
personal illness.  Personal need, "entitlement mentality," and stress
together accounted for 52 percent. ... (Sue Shellenbarger in "Work &
Family," Wall Street Journal, page B1).


------ =_NextPart_000_01BDE7BF.BDEF5810
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------ =_NextPart_000_01BDE7BF.BDEF5810--