BLS DAILY REPORT, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1996: BLS News Release: "National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1995", says that after increasing in 1993 and 1994, the number of fatal work injuries fell 6 percent in 1995 to a total of 6,210, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. The lower fatality count in 1995 largely reflects a decrease over 1994 in the number of workers killed in firearm-related homicides and commercial airline crashes. Job-related homicides involving shootings dropped 19 percent from 1994 totals. Smaller decreases were reported for most other types of fatal events. Salary increases are expected to average a "relatively modest" 4.1 percent in 1997, reflecting a trend that is unchanged for the most part from the year before, the human resources consulting firm William M. Mercer, Inc. reports (Daily Labor Report, page A-16). Mercer based its finding on initial data from a survey of 2,300 U.S. employers ranging in size from medium to large. It attributed the salary restraint to "continued low inflation, coupled with stringent cost management by employers." Although the economy continued to expand in June and July, the pace of growth in some regions has begun to moderate, according to the Federal Reserve's "beige book", says the Daily Labor Report (page D-1). A number of Fed districts reported tight labor markets -- especially for entry level workers -- but wage pressures remained subdued. "Contacts in virtually all districts outside the Northeast cite tight labor markets and scattered shortages of both skilled and entry-level workers, most report that wage pressures remain subdued, though San Francisco reports that 'wage pressures are evident in some areas'." the central bank said. __ Similar articles are carried in The Washington Post (page D11); The New York Times (page D4); The Wall Street Journal (page A2) and USA Today (page 1). The total number of layoffs announced by U.S. firms rose sharply in July to 41,843, according to the latest figures from Challenger, Gray & Christmas (Daily Labor Report, page A-13). The July layoff total was 4.2 percent higher than the June estimate and nearly 80 percent higher than a year earlier. It was the highest monthly total since January, when AT&T's announcement brought the total to 97,379. In July, layoffs planned at just two firms accounted for nearly one-third of the total. Digital Equipment announced layoffs totaling 7,000, while Allied Signal said it will cut 6,100 jobs.
