Seth Sandronsky

Seth Sandronsky lives and works in Sacramento. He is a journalist and member of the Pacific Media Workers Guild. You can reach him by email at sethsandronsky@gmail.com.

Articles by Seth Sandronsky

• Pandemic vaccines, patents and Uncle Sam

  Thursday, December 17, 2020

  As the coronavirus pandemic tears through rural and urban America, healthcare workers and others at risk of catching the disease are receiving life-saving vaccines now. Meanwhile, in a new development, opposing views of vaccine policy are front and center in the U.S.' paper of record. First, we turn to the pharmaceutical industry, a powerhouse interest. Thomas Cueni is the director-general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.

• Survey: Firms fight to operate during COVID-19

  Thursday, December 10, 2020

  The breadth and depth of the pandemic’s effects on private businesses has surfaced in new government data collected from July 20 through Sept. 30, 2020. In these numbers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conveys how businesses big and small operated. Spoiler alert: the BLS data on employment, wages, job openings and terminations, employer-provided benefits, and safety and health paints a tough picture of firms fighting to stay afloat. Nationally, 52% of surveyed businesses, or 4.4 million, told their workers to avoid work (paid or not) for some time.

• US economy gains 245,000 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 6.7%

  Friday, December 04, 2020

  U.S. employers added 245,000 nonfarm jobs in November after 638,000 new hires in October and 661,000 in September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. November’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.7% from October’s 6.9% and September’s 7.9%. The November federal jobs report reflects an easing of COVID-19 restrictions to slow coronavirus transmission, which have been unsuccessful as local and state governments resume restraints on gatherings of businesses and public places. November’s national nonfarm jobless rate has decreased 8.0 percentage points from an April high. However, November’s rate is 3.2 percentage points higher than February’s figure.

• Study: Hospital charges are spiking

  Friday, November 20, 2020

  Hospital charges were spiking before COVID-19 hit the U.S. A new study from National Nurses United/California Nurses Association (NNU/CNA) looks at Medicare cost reports for 4,203 hospitals in fiscal year 2018. These hospitals "are charging on average over $417 for every $100 in their total costs." The study was released on Nov. 17. "This is one of the most egregious examples of what you have with a system based on profit, not patient need," Chuck Idelson, spokesperson for the NNU/CNA, told MultiBriefs by phone. A case in point is patients who need healthcare but avoid it due to hospital costs. That is especially risky during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is exploding across the U.S.

• US payrolls add 638,000 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 6.9%

  Friday, November 06, 2020

  U.S. employers added 638,000 nonfarm jobs in October, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. October’s rate of unemployment fell to 6.9% from September’s 7.9% and August’s 8.4%. The gradual employment improvement is a result of eased COVID-19 restrictions on social movement and resuming of commerce, though the pandemic remains uncontained and prospects for a vaccine available to the public are unclear. "The number of unemployed persons fell by 1.5 million to 11.1 million," according to the BLS. "Both measures have declined for 6 consecutive months but are nearly twice their February levels."

• Tax this: California’s Proposition 15

  Monday, October 26, 2020

  There is a fiscal-political story heating up in the world's fifth biggest economy this election season. Proposition 15 on the California state ballot Nov. 3 would tax commercial and industrial properties, except commercial agriculture, at their market value. Property taxes on residential properties would continue to be calculated on the purchase price, also known as the split roll valuation. "Upon full implementation," according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, "the measure’s shift of most commercial and industrial properties to market value assessment would increase annual property taxes paid for these properties by $8 billion to $12.5 billion in most years."

• No federal deal yet: What are the consequences of no stimulus?

  Friday, October 09, 2020

  Discussions for a new relief/stimulus bill fell apart this week, apparently. It began with tumult, as President Trump, infected with COVID-19 and taking a cocktail of drugs, tweeted on Oct. 6 that federal aid for the economic harm from the pandemic will resume after the Nov. 3 election. He then reversed that position, muddying the waters. Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin discussed a stand-alone bailout of air carriers facing financial distress and making thousands of job cuts.

• US payrolls add 661,000 jobs; unemployment rate falls to 7.9%

  Friday, October 02, 2020

  American employers created 661,000 nonfarm jobs in September after hiring 1.4 million workers in August, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. September’s jobless rate dropped to 7.9% from 8.4% in August. The jobs numbers reflect in part the easing of social restrictions and reopening of businesses to stem the spread of COVID-19. However, government employment, mainly in public education at the state and local levels, dropped in September from August.

• Research paper: Small businesses lose big in COVID-19 closures

  Thursday, September 24, 2020

  Social-distancing restrictions have been nothing nice for mom-and-pop shops during the pandemic. In the Journal of Economic Management and Strategy, professor Robert Fairlie takes a deep dive into the harm that COVID-19 unleashed on U.S. small-business owners. "These findings of early-stage losses to small businesses have important policy implications and may portend longer-term ramifications for job losses and economic inequality," he wrote.

• Report: Was there enough oversight for federal virus aid?

  Friday, September 11, 2020

  A new report on recipients of federal pandemic aid from the CARES Act asks if there was adequate congressional oversight before tax dollars went out the door as the economy closed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in March. "The revelation that tens of thousands of CARES Act recipients have records of misconduct — including some cases of a criminal nature — raises the question of whether the eligibility criteria for the grant and loan programs were strict enough," according to Philip Mattera, research director at Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group.

• US payrolls add 1.4 million jobs; unemployment rate drops to 8.4%

  Friday, September 04, 2020

  Employers added 1.4 million nonfarm new hires in August, down from the creation of 1.8 million jobs in July, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. August’s rate of unemployment fell to 8.4% from July’s 10.2%. Driving such improvements were economic reopening and Census 2020 hiring. The number of unemployed workers on temporary layoff dropped to 6.2 million in August compared with July’s 9.2 million, according to the BLS.

• New Economic Policy Institute report looks at the effects of COVID-19 on Latinx workers

  Thursday, August 27, 2020

  COVID-19 has revealed the economic and health crises facing Latinx workers. The stark details are in a new report from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. According to the report authors, the distress of Latinx workers exceeds that of their white counterparts. In the 35-44 age group, for example, Latinx workers are nearly nine times as likely to die from COVID-19 as whites are.

• New York Fed brief: COVID-19 pummels Black-owned businesses

  Thursday, August 20, 2020

  The coronavirus pandemic closed 22% of small businesses across the U.S. between February and April, according to a brief from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (NY Fed). Forty-one percent of black-owned businesses, almost double the overall number, closed. Business location matters. Black-owned firms are geographically concentrated in COVID-19 hotspots, according to the NY Fed, where white-owned firms are less likely to be.

• US payrolls add 1.8 million jobs; jobless rate drops to 10.2%

  Friday, August 07, 2020

  Employers added 1.8 million nonfarm new hires in July, down from 4.8 million jobs created in June, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. July’s rate of unemployment dropped to 10.2% from June’s 11.1%. July’s numbers indicate the reopening of commerce closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Most major worker groups saw their unemployment rates fall.

• Advocacy groups call on Trump, Pence to let public health experts manage federal COVID-19 response

  Thursday, July 23, 2020

  According to a July 14 letter from over 20 nonprofit public interest groups, the president and vice president should "immediately step aside from any further role in leading or communicating about the federal response to the pandemic." As Senate Republicans rolled out a new coronavirus relief package, a reporter contacted the White House to comment on the July 14 letter but did not get a reply. Similarly, the president and vice president ignored Public Citizen, which spearheaded the writing of the July 14 letter, as the U.S. death toll surged past 140,000.

• Senate set to consider new stimulus measures, but will they be enough?

  Thursday, July 16, 2020

  As the pandemic rages, state closures are resuming after early reopenings. Economic policy to address such impacts looms large, as states face crushing budget shortfalls. We turn to Washington, D.C. On July 20, the GOP-majority Senate is set to take up its version of the Heroes Act that the House passed in May. It aimed to help struggling firms and working families but omitted Medicare for All and a Universal Basic Income.

• US employers add 4.8 million jobs in June; jobless rate drops to 11.1%

  Thursday, July 02, 2020

  Employers added 4.8 million nonfarm jobs in June after hiring 2.5 million workers in May, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. June’s unemployment rate fell to 11.1% versus May’s 13.3%. Improvement in the labor market for the second straight month was due to a partial resuming of economic activity after nationwide business closures, notably in the hospitality and leisure sectors in March and April, to slow the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. That shutdown led to the loss of 22.2 million jobs.

• New advocacy group launches to help America’s small businesses

  Wednesday, June 24, 2020

  Policymakers, beware. Small Business for America’s Future (SBAF) is a new advocacy group, evolved from Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform. Why? Look no further than the performance of Congress and the White House as the COVID-19 pandemic hammered mom-and-pop shops with a crash in consumer demand across the U.S. SBAF surveyed 1,200 small business owners whose responses show the damage as Capitol Hill dithered. For instance, 53% of small business owners have increased debt during the pandemic.

• For now, a lack of transparency for the Paycheck Protection Program

  Thursday, June 18, 2020

  How is Uncle Sam’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) helping small firms with forgivable loans during the COVID-19 pandemic that has closed businesses across the U.S. and put tens of millions of Americans out of work? The answer is unclear. On that note, we turn to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. He wants to prevent the taxpaying public from knowing PPP borrowers’ names. They are "confidential" and "proprietary," Mnuchin said in sworn testimony to the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship recently.

• US payrolls add 2.5 million jobs amid reopenings; unemployment drops to 13.3%

  Friday, June 05, 2020

  Employers added 2.5 million nonfarm jobs in May after April's 20.5 million layoffs, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. May's rate of unemployment dropped to 13.3% versus 14.7% in April. Some economists had spoken of May's unemployment rate reaching 20%, rivaling the depths of the Great Depression. Instead, the labor market improved due to a partial resuming of economic activity after its curtailment in March and April to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some areas of the economy did not rebound in May.

• Report: Ranking the states ready for the future digital economy

  Friday, May 29, 2020

  COVID-19 is changing how we make a living. Employment and gross domestic product are in free-fall. Amid the carnage, a new report has used metrics, from jobs to internet connectivity and the tech industry, to gauge the preparedness of 50 states and the District of Columbia for the future digital economy. The author of the report is Frances Chantree of STORAGECafé, a national storage space search website that is also a part of Yardi, a developer of investment and property management software.

• US payrolls plunge by 20.5 million jobs; unemployment climbs to 14.7%

  Friday, May 08, 2020

  Attempts to contain COVID-19 led the U.S. economy to shed 20.5 million nonfarm jobs in April versus March's employment loss of 701,000. April's unemployment rate spiked to 14.7% from 4.4% in March. In April, job losses hit all sectors, notably hospitality and leisure payrolls. "Today's report is more than ten-fold worse than the previous all-time high of 1.95 million job losses in September 1945,” Andrew Stettner, senior fellow at The Century Foundation, said in a statement.

• Is a new New Deal possible?

  Wednesday, April 29, 2020

  With COVID-19 closing businesses across the U.S., the buying power of jobless workers is plunging. A parallel is the Great Depression of the 1930s. Then, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, spearheaded the New Deal. A series of programs, it expanded the federal government's role in the economy to boost weak demand and revive commerce. Is a new New Deal a possibility, and if so, what would it look like?

• President Trump signs Paycheck Protection Program 2.0

  Friday, April 24, 2020

  On April 24, President Trump signed a second Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $484 billion to aid an economy that is shrinking sharply from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past 35 days, as leisure, hospitality and retail businesses have closed across the U.S., over 24 million workers have filed claims for unemployment insurance. According to the president’s Twitter account, PPP 2.0 includes $310 billion to replenish the small business PPP, $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for COVID-19 tests.

• US employers shed 700,000 jobs, as unemployment rises to 4.4%

  Friday, April 03, 2020

  ​In March, total U.S. nonfarm payroll jobs fell by 701,000 versus February's 273,000 new hires, according to a report by the ​U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. March's unemployment rate rose to 4.4% from February's 3.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic included local and state orders to practice "shelter in place" and social distancing," as well as closing bars and restaurants. The leisure and hospitality sector accounted for 459,000 layoffs or 65% of March's total job losses.

• COVID-19 fallout hits California’s wine grape growers and wineries

  Monday, March 30, 2020

  Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19 ordered the state's residents to shelter at home and for bars and restaurants to close. There are other related impacts. Take agriculture, a top industry in the Golden State, with grapes the second biggest market commodity at $6.25 billion versus dairy products and milk at $6.37 billion in 2018, according to government data. "The COVID-19 pandemic presents incredible and unpredictable challenges," Michael Miiller, director of government relations for the California Winegrape Growers Association, told MultiBriefs via email.

• What small businesses need to know before filing tax returns

  Thursday, March 12, 2020

  What does the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, perhaps President Trump’s signature legislative achievement, mean for businesses? We turn to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC), located in Washington, D.C. "TCJA allowed businesses to deduct the full cost of qualified new investments in the year those investments are made (referred to as 100 percent bonus depreciation or 'full expensing') for five years," according to the TPC. But this is not a permanent change to the tax code.

• US employers add 273,000 jobs; unemployment drops to 3.5%

  Friday, March 06, 2020

  In February, total U.S. nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 273,000 after January's growth of 225,000, while the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5% from 3.6% the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The jobless rate has been 3.5% or 3.6% since September. In February, nearly all major groups of workers had scant change in the rate of employment versus January's figures. Meanwhile, wage growth remained rather tepid.

• Why Medicare for All could be a boon for startups, entrepreneurs

  Monday, February 24, 2020

  Is expanding Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and up and some younger folks with disabilities, bad or good for entrepreneurs and business startups? Under a Medicare for All (M4A) system, Uncle Sam would replace the private insurance industry. "The impact of Medicare for All will be significant and lead to an acceleration in new business startups," Wendell Potter, a healthcare insurance industry executive, told MultiBriefs via email. "The current system in the United States, in which a majority of working-age adults get coverage through an employer, is a major impediment to business startups."

• How will coronavirus affect the Chinese economy and international business?

  Monday, February 17, 2020

  China is a major U.S. trading partner and the world's fastest growing economy. How will the outbreak of the coronavirus that began in Wuhan affect that nation's economy and international business generally? Much is uncertain. That's a problem, because businesses prefer certainty as an underlying condition of future market demand and supply. We turn to Doug Barry, a spokesperson with the U.S.-China Business Council. "The shutdown of supply chains is having a ripple effect around the world, with shortages in some raw materials, parts and finished goods popping up," Barry said by email.

• US employers add 225,000 jobs; unemployment ticks up to 3.6%

  Friday, February 07, 2020

  In January, U.S. nonfarm payrolls grew by a total of 225,000 after December's gain of 145,000, while the rate of unemployment rose to 3.6% from 3.5% the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2019, the average monthly gain of jobs was 175,000. The total number of unemployed persons rose to 5.9 million in January from 5.8 million in December. January's data showed that unemployment among major worker groups experienced little or no change versus December's numbers.

• US, China sign partial trade pact, but economic danger remains

  Monday, January 27, 2020

  The nearly two-year trade war between the U.S. and China has cooled down since President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a "phase one" pact to reduce hostilities. On one hand, the pact calls for China to buy an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods over the next 24 months. That total includes $40 billion of American agriculture. For the short-term, there is long-awaited relief for soybean farmers in the Midwest. Is it time to pop the champagne corks? Not exactly.

• US economy adds 145,000 new hires; unemployment stays at 3.5%

  Friday, January 10, 2020

  In December, U.S. nonfarm payrolls grew by 145,000 after November's gain of 266,000, while the rate of unemployment remained at 3.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The total number of unemployed persons stayed at 5.8 million versus 6.3 million and a jobless rate of 3.9% a year ago. Meanwhile, hourly pay increases are tepid. "Year-over-year nominal wage growth was 2.9% — the lowest it's been in 18 months," according to Elise Gould, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., in a statement.

• Report: US manufacturing slowdown continues

  Wednesday, January 08, 2020

  The U.S. manufacturing sector shrank in December, said the nation's supply executives in the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. "The December PMI registered 47.2 percent, a decrease of 0.9 percentage point from the November reading of 48.1 percent," said Timothy R. Fiore, chair of the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. "This is the PMI's lowest reading since June 2009, when it registered 46.3 percent." December was the fifth straight month of PMI contraction.

• US payrolls add 266,000 jobs; unemployment rate falls to 3.5%

  Friday, December 06, 2019

  In November, total U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 266,000 new hires, as the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate has been under 4% for 21 straight months. Unemployment among major worker groups changed scantly last month, as did the number of people out of paid work at 5.8 million. Additionally, GM workers returned from being on strike. Wage growth, however, is not as robust as job increases, according to economist Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute.

• Does a jump in personal loans signal economic trouble ahead?

  Monday, November 25, 2019

  As night follows day, economic expansions end in recessions. Consumer debt is a part of each chapter. On that note, the consumer credit agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — are reporting a rise in personal loans over recent months. Is this a sign of trouble for the U.S. economy? Thomas Oppel is the executive vice president for the American Sustainable Business Association. "Short term, an increase in personal loans obviously helps continue to fuel consumer spending," he told MultiBriefs in an email. Debt-fueled consumer demand has a downside, though.

• US payrolls add 128,000 jobs; unemployment rate rises to 3.6%

  Friday, November 01, 2019

  In October, total U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 128,000 new hires, as the unemployment rate rose to 3.6% from 3.5% in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment growth has averaged 167,000 per month in 2019. Federal government employment dropped by 17,000 in October, as temporary workers ended their assignments for the 2020 Census. Further, the now-resolved General Motors strike reduced automotive employment in October.

• Survey: Healthcare costs rise at greater pace than workers’ wages

  Thursday, October 31, 2019

  There is a reason that healthcare is so contentious in the Democratic Party’s presidential debates this year. "The single biggest issue in healthcare for most Americans is that their health costs are growing much faster than their wages are," Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) President and CEO Drew Altman said in the group’s Employer Health Benefits Survey. While the rate of unemployment is at a 50-year low, the amount of money that "employers and workers pay toward premiums continues to rise more quickly than workers’ wages and inflation over time," the survey found.

• Basketball backlash: China, Hong Kong, business and the NBA

  Friday, October 18, 2019

  Who could have imagined the shake-up ahead when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong street protests against the Chinese government’s power in the former British colony on Oct. 4? We know now. Chinese firms ended NBA sponsorships and cancelled the airing of televised preseason games, including ones played inside the country between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. Chinese basketball fans in the hundreds of millions mean growth for the NBA. Its investors and players count on the financial benefits of that trend. Still, many questions linger.

• Game change: California’s Fair Pay to Play Act

  Thursday, October 10, 2019

  The economics of college athletics will be changing in the Golden State. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 206, the Fair Pay to Play Act, into law. The legislation will let student-athletes earn money from endorsements and hire sports agents, effective Jan. 1, 2023. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a nonprofit membership group, had barred that compensation option. The NCAA's exploitative business model propelled the Fair Pay to Play Act, according to Gov. Newsom.

• US payrolls add 136,000 new jobs; unemployment rate drops to 3.5%

  Friday, October 04, 2019

  In September, U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 136,000 new hires versus 130,000 in August, as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.5%, a 50-year low, compared with 3.7% in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 5.8 million unemployed workers in September, down 275,000 from August. Despite the record low rate of unemployment in September, average hourly earnings for all workers on private nonfarm payrolls dropped a penny after climbing 11 cents in August, according to the BLS.

• What does the Fed’s interest rate cut mean for businesses, workers?

  Thursday, September 26, 2019

  Economic growth is slowing down. The growth in the nation’s gross domestic product declined to 2.1% for the second quarter of 2019 compared with 3.1% for the first quarter. In part due to this slowdown, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee cut the federal funds rate by a quarter point from 2% to 1.75% on Sept. 18 to bolster economic growth, the labor market and price stability, in keeping with the mission of the central bank. What does the Fed’s move mean for business and workers?

• New paper looks at link between private equity, unforeseen medical billing

  Wednesday, September 18, 2019

  The rising price of healthcare, up 18.6% over the past 12 months, is hammering businesses and the customers that they serve across the U.S. A recent paper from the Institute for New Economic Thinking, "Private Equity and Surprise Medical Billing," by Eileen Appelbaum, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, and Rosemary Batt, the Alice Hanson Cook Professor of Women and Work at Cornell University, sheds light on part of this inflationary trend.

• US economy adds 130,000 new hires as unemployment rate holds at 3.7%

  Friday, September 06, 2019

  In August, U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 130,000 total new hires versus 164,000 in July as the unemployment rate held at 3.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 6 million unemployed workers in August compared with 6.1 million in July. In August, there were scant or no changes to the jobless rates for men, women, blacks, Hispanics, whites, adults and teens from July. The employment-to-population ratio rate edged up to 60.9% versus 60.7% in July, the BLS reported.

• Report: CEO pay increases 1,000% over past 40 years

  Friday, August 23, 2019

  What can small businesses make of booming CEO pay? First, we look at the numbers. Lawrence Mishel and Julia Wolfe of the Washington, D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute dove deep into the data on compensation trends in the U.S. over the past 40 years. What they found is that those at the commanding heights of the economy are enjoying larger slices of the pie, unlike everybody else.

• Risky business: The trade war and American farmers

  Tuesday, August 13, 2019

  Chinese authorities recently announced an end to U.S. agricultural imports following President Trump’s threat to hike tariffs by 10% on $300 billion on Chinese imports, effective Sept. 1. That is bad news for U.S. farmers. What follows is a look at what some industry groups and politicians are doing and saying in response to the situation. "This trade war with China needs to come to an end. It is doing a lot of damage now and we are concerned about the long term," said Gary Wertish, the elected president of the Minnesota Farmers Union.

• How will the Bipartisan Budget Act affect businesses, government?

  Monday, August 05, 2019

  Now that President Trump has inked the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, what does it mean for businesses and the federal government? For one thing, the BBA 2019 suspends the national debt limit until after the 2020 election and hikes spending by $324 billion over two years. "That makes it easier for Congress to do something to help small businesses if it wants to," Frank Knapp Jr., head of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, told MultiBriefs in an email. "We'll see."

• US economy adds 164,000 new hires; unemployment rate stays at 3.7%

  Friday, August 02, 2019

  In July, U.S. payrolls added 164,000 workers versus job gains of 224,000 in June, as the unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 6.1 million unemployed workers in July, close to the same number as June. The number of long-term unemployed persons decreased 248,000 in July from June. The employment-to-population ratio rate stayed nearly the same in July versus June, the BLS reported.

• House passes $15 minimum wage bill, but its prospects are dim in Senate

  Friday, July 19, 2019

  On July 18, the majority-Democratic House of Representatives passed the Raise the Wage Act to gradually increase the federal minimum wage, now at $7.25 and unchanged since 2009, to $15 in 2025. Some Republican House members did cross party lines to vote to increase the federal minimum wage. "This critical policy would lift wages for more than 33 million workers, 90% of them age 20 or older and 58% of them women," according to Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist and the director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute.

• Farms try to stay afloat amid troubled financial, commercial waters

  Tuesday, July 16, 2019

  Farm cash flow is down, along with loans from big banks, as the China-U.S. trade war widens, Reuters is reporting. Beijing’s soybean tariffs are hurting American farmers, and spring flooding propelled in part by climate change is making bad matters worse. As farm cash flow slows, "JPMorgan and other Wall Street banks are heading for the exits," according to an analysis of the farm-loan holdings reported to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

• US economy adds 224,000 jobs; unemployment rate ticks up to 3.7%

  Monday, July 08, 2019

  What a difference a month can make. In June, U.S. payrolls grew by 224,000 jobs, a sharp rebound from 75,000 new hires in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. June’s rate of unemployment ticked up to 3.7% from May’s 3.6%. The jobless rates for major worker groups, the number of long-term unemployed persons, and the labor-force participation rate remained nearly the same in June from May, the BLS reported. The June employment-to-population ratio was 60.6% for the fourth straight month.

• Proposed California plastics law could be a game-changer for fighting pollution

  Thursday, June 27, 2019

  California is the most populous state in the U.S. and the world’s fifth biggest economy. If enacted, the proposed California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act could be a game-changer in reducing plastic production and promoting a clean recycling economy. "The legislation will establish a comprehensive framework to address the pollution and waste crisis, and sets a statewide goal that manufacturers reduce the waste generated by single-use packaging and products by 75% after 2030," according to a statement from state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica.

• The Fed weighs in on economy, opts to stay the course for now

  Monday, June 24, 2019

  President Trump is not happy with the Federal Reserve Bank under Chairman Jerome Powell. Suffice it to say, the Fed’s interest-rate policy is a source of friction. The Federal Open Market Committee issued a statement June 19 opting to leave "the federal funds rate at 2-1/4 to 2-1/2%" for now. That rate could change depending on factors such as inflation, or a rise in prices and wages. "They are trying to make it clear that they will lower rates," Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., told MultiBriefs by email.

• How will travel businesses be affected by new Cuba restrictions?

  Thursday, June 13, 2019

  The Trump administration has restricted travel to and trade with Cuba, reversing Obama-era policies that opened doors closed during the Cold War. What are the business impacts of the president’s decision? "Given the recent growth in legal U.S. travel to Cuba," Erika Richter, communications director for the American Society of Travel Advisors, told MultiBriefs in an email, "ASTA is concerned about the potential for disruption from these policy changes, especially as they relate to the operations of our cruise line, airline and hotel partners on the island." The travel restrictions took effect on June 5. According to the administration, the Cuban government's foreign policy is to blame.

• US economy adds 75,000 jobs; unemployment rate stays at 3.6%

  Friday, June 07, 2019

  The May jobs report shows that nonfarm payroll employment rose 75,000 following 263,000 new hires in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. May’s rate of unemployment stayed at 3.6%. Is May’s drop in job creation a sign of a slowing economy? "One month doesn’t make a trend," according to Heidi Shierholz, director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, hourly wages barely rose in May.

• Business group believes Medicare for All healthcare is best

  Wednesday, May 29, 2019

  Small- and midsize-business owners do not like the current healthcare system. Just ask Dylan Dusseault, executive director of the Business Initiative for Health Policy (BIHP), in Washington, D.C. "Business owners want out of providing healthcare," he said via email to MultiBriefs. "The employer-sponsored system isn't working for them or their workers, but they're all being held hostage by rising premiums and out-of-pocket costs. BIHP was created to advocate for what business owners actually need: A Medicare for All healthcare system."

• American consumers, businesses set to suffer as trade war escalates

  Tuesday, May 21, 2019

  It took three days for the Chinese government to retaliate against President Trump imposing new import tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of goods earlier this month. U.S. imports in China will face retaliatory tariffs, according to China’s Finance Ministry, rising from 10% to 20 or 25% on thousands of goods, from alcoholic beverages to apparel. What does this latest move in the two nations’ escalating trade war mean for American businesses and consumers?

• US tariffs on Chinese imports grow

  Monday, May 13, 2019

  The cost of trade between China and the U.S. is rising. Tariffs, or taxes, on $200 billion of Chinese imports to the U.S. rose from 10% to 25% one minute after midnight on May 10. "The tariff increase inflicts significant harm on U.S. industry, farmers and consumers," Douglas K. Barry, director of communications and publications for the U.S.-China Business Council told MultiBriefs in an email. "American agricultural exports to China are particularly impacted. According to our recent survey, some states' exports were down 50%. The entire American agricultural sector is feeling the stress."

• U.S. economy adds 263,000 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 3.6%

  Friday, May 03, 2019

  The April jobs report shows that nonfarm payroll employment rose 263,000 versus 196,000 new hires in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. April’s 3.6% rate of unemployment was the lowest since December 1969. In April, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was 1.2 million versus 1.3 million in March, the BLS reported. "The unemployment rate fell for the ‘wrong’ reasons — more people leaving the labor force as opposed to getting a job," said Elise Gould, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

• Unsafe firms imperil US workers, occupational safety group report says

  Thursday, April 25, 2019

  Employers can and should do a better job of ensuring U.S. worker safety, according to a new report from the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH). Titled "The Dirty Dozen," it details how 12 firms put workers and communities at risk with unsafe labor practices. The report marks Workers’ Memorial Week, which honors Americans who have died and suffered injuries and illnesses on the job. "Too many workers become ill, injured and die each year under the watch of their employers who, in some cases, are repeat offenders and among the world’s most profitable companies," said Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, co-executive director of NCOSH.

• Small-business owners lukewarm — or worse — on new tax law

  Friday, April 12, 2019

  At best, some owners of small firms are lukewarm about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) that Congress passed and President Trump signed. We turn to an April 10 public opinion poll from Businesses for Responsible Tax Reform. Among 501 small-business owners who were polled March 26-27 across the U.S. who have filed their taxes or are yet to finish their filing, nearly half, or 48%, reported that the new tax law did not make their profits or firms grow. About a quarter, or 24%, said the law caused them harm.

• Economy rebounds to add 196,000 jobs; unemployment steady at 3.8%

  Friday, April 05, 2019

  The March jobs report shows that nonfarm payroll employment rose 196,000 from 20,000 new jobs in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. March’s rate of unemployment of 3.8% matched February’s rate of 3.8%. "To be really clear — today's jobs report inspires a bit of a sigh of relief relative to the disastrous February jobs number — but the economy is definitely going to grow a lot more slowly in 2019 than 2018," said Josh Bivens, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. March marked the 102nd consecutive month of expansion since the end of the Great Recession.

• What’s next for association health plans after federal judge’s ruling?

  Thursday, April 04, 2019

  U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates recently ruled that the Department of Labor's issuance of a final rule last June 19 that lets groups of small businesses offer association health plans (AHPs) is "clearly an end-run" around the 2010 Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections. Kev Coleman, president and founder of AssociationHealthPlans.com, disputes Judge Bates' ruling. "The new study on chamber of commerce association health plans painfully illustrates the insurance gains that will be lost to small businesses if the recent court ruling is not overturned," Coleman said in a prepared statement.

• Credit this: Big banks step up loan approvals to small business owners

  Wednesday, March 20, 2019

  Big banks, those with assets of $10 billion or more, are feeling the love for small businesses. Loan approval rates with large banks rose in February versus January, according to the Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index. "Overall, the cost of capital is relatively low," said Biz2Credit CEO Rohit Arora, in a statement. "Small businesses are looking to secure funding, and for many companies, recent financial performances have made them creditworthy borrowers." Biz2Credit's monthly research comes from over 1,000 small business credit applications on the firm's online lending platform.

• US economy adds only 20,000 jobs in February; unemployment falls to 3.8 percent

  Friday, March 08, 2019

  ​The federal government’s February jobs report shows that payroll employment rose 20,000 last month, a sharp departure from the 311,000 new jobs added in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. February’s unemployment rate of 3.8 percent compared favorably with 4.0 percent in January. "One month does not make a trend," says Elise Gould, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. On that note, job growth averaged 186,000 over the past three months. "One reason for the February weakness was harsh weather, depressing job growth in construction, hotels, and restaurants," according to Gould.

• Analysis: Standard work arrangements surprisingly dominate labor force since 2005

  Monday, March 04, 2019

  Beware of talk that we are living through the rise of nonstandard employment. We turn to a new analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the Center for Economic and Policy Research and the Economic Policy Institute based in Washington, D.C. “In 2017, the total share of the labor force working in nonstandard arrangements was 10.1 percent, down from 10.9 percent in 2005,” according to Eileen Appelbaum, Arne Kalleberg and Hye Jin Rho. Accordingly, the fraction of workers in standard work arrangements was 89.9 percent in 2017, roughly the same as 1995.

• Business groups react to national-emergency declaration for border wall

  Thursday, February 21, 2019

  Sixteen states, roughly one of three in the U.S., are suing to block President Trump's decision to bypass Congress and declare a national emergency to access billions of federal dollars to fund a southern border wall with Mexico. Where do business groups stand on this matter? Garrick Taylor is senior vice president of government relations and communications for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "The decision is a bad one," according to him. "It sets a terrible precedent and it once again punts to the courts a matter that should be legislated and negotiated with the executive branch."

• Survey: Federal workers downbeat as second shutdown looms

  Tuesday, February 12, 2019

  Uncertainty reigns among federal workers over their financial health and buying power in the face of a potential second partial government shutdown on Feb. 15, according to a survey from Clever Real Estate. The 35-day closure in December and January over a failed U.S.-Mexico border wall deal has left a lasting scar, survey results show. The eight-day survey, featuring a random sampling of 500 federal employees, indicates much angst as Congress and President Trump careen toward an unclear outcome of negotiations for a border wall, according to Thomas O'Shaughnessy, a research analyst at Clever Real Estate.

• How do business groups view the Green New Deal?

  Friday, February 08, 2019

  The Green New Deal (GND), a resolution in both houses of Congress, arrived on Feb. 7, thanks to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The GND "would create millions of good, high-wage jobs in the United States, provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for Americans, and counteract systemic injustices — all while addressing the existential challenge of climate change," Sen. Markey said in a prepared statement. What about the ways business groups view the costs and benefits of the bill?

• U.S. economy adds 304,000 jobs in January as unemployment climbs to 4 percent

  Friday, February 01, 2019

  The widely watched U.S. employment report for January is positive in spite of the partial federal government shutdown that spanned most of the month. Nonfarm employers added 304,000 jobs in January versus 312,000 new hires in December, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The January rate of unemployment rose to 4.0 percent from December’s 3.9 percent "potentially because furloughed government workers and contractors were counted as jobless in the household survey," according to Elise Gould, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

• Partial federal government shutdown ends but political impasse remains

  Monday, January 28, 2019

  ​Last Friday, President Trump signed a bill in effect through Feb. 15 that ends the 35-day partial federal government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. What is likely to or could happen over the next three weeks as border security talks between the president, GOP and Democrats proceed? What are the prospects for a resumed shutdown if both sides fail to reach a compromise? We turn to Frank Knapp, head of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce. "The (4.8 million) contract federal workers will not get any back pay," he said in an email to MultiBriefs.

• How the partial government shutdown affects federal contractors and the economy

  Friday, January 18, 2019

  As the partial government shutdown drags on, federal contractors are living without paychecks. Further, they face the prospect of receiving no back pay when the stalemate ends, Sunny Blaylock opined in USA Today. David J. Berteau is president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, a trade group that represents federal contractors. On Jan. 8, he wrote an open letter to President Trump, noting "hundreds of thousands of employees support the government through contracts" and deserve pay for their labor.

• How the partial federal government shutdown affects small businesses

  Wednesday, January 09, 2019

  On the 2016 campaign trail, President Trump vowed that Mexico would pay for a wall on its border with the U.S. from California east to Texas. That was then, and this is now: day 19 of a partial federal government shutdown. As Trump took to television yesterday to make a case for building a southern border wall that congressional Democrats oppose, we turn to some of the real-world effects on small businesses and the customers they serve.

• U.S. payrolls add 312,000 jobs as unemployment rises to 3.9 percent

  Friday, January 04, 2019

  ​Nonfarm employers added 312,000 new hires in December, and the number of jobless workers increased 276,000 to 6.3 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The December rate of unemployment rising to 3.9 percent from 3.7 percent in November "happened for the ‘right’ reasons as more workers entered the labor force — the labor force participation rate ticked up 0.2 percentage points," according to Elise Gould, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

• U.S. payrolls grow by 155,000 jobs as unemployment holds at 3.7 percent

  Friday, December 07, 2018

  Nonfarm payroll jobs rose 155,000 in November, down from 250,000 in October, while the rate of unemployment remained at 3.7 percent for the third straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In November, the number of jobless workers was 6.0 million workers versus 6.1 million in October. November’s jobs report could be a harbinger of slower growth due to the U.S. and China imposing retaliatory import tariffs. That conflict is on pause now, though existing tariff impacts on businesses and consumers continue.

• US, China come to trade truce — for now

  Thursday, December 06, 2018

  There are signs that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping want to mend if not end a growing trade fight. Businesses in both nations would appear to welcome the 90-day binational trade truce between the nations that began on Dec. 1. "China will agree to purchase a not yet agreed upon, but very substantial, amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other product from the United States to reduce the trade imbalance between our two countries," according to a White House statement. This is not a signed agreement, though. In other words, this is no done deal.

• Uncertainty reigns in latest Brexit developments

  Friday, November 16, 2018

  Heavy is the task for British Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party. She is trying to helm Brexit, a June 23, 2016, referendum that voters approved for the U.K. to exit the 28-member European Union, an economic and political partnership. "The draft was the best that could be negotiated," May said of the brokered exit agreement draft struck with the EU. Dissidents disagreed with her assessment of the draft, which is hundreds of pages long, including many in her own party.

• U.S. economy adds 250,000 jobs as unemployment remains at 3.7 percent

  Friday, November 02, 2018

  Nonfarm payroll jobs rose 250,000 in October versus 134,000 in September while the rate of unemployment remained at 3.7 percent, a 49-year-low, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In October, the number of jobless workers was 6.1 million compared with 6.0 million in September. October’s upbeat jobs report could bolster President Trump and the Republican Party in the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Apparently, the 3.7 percent unemployment rate is spurring a rise in workers’ hourly wage-income.

• Drive this way: Ride-hailing increases traffic fatalities, working paper finds

  Monday, October 29, 2018

  A new working paper from academics at Rice University and the University of Chicago finds that ride-hailing services correlate to a rise in traffic fatalities among passengers and pedestrians. "The increase in accidents appears to persist (and even increase) over time," write Livia Hanyi Yi and Yael V. Hochberg of Rice University and John M. Barrios at the University of Chicago in "The Cost of Convenience: Ridesharing and Traffic Fatalities."

• Report: US job losses to China grow, as does trade deficit

  Wednesday, October 24, 2018

  The U.S. trade deficit with China has reduced sharply employment stateside since 2001, according to "The China Toll Deepens," a new report from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. The finding from the EPI’s Robert E. Scott and Zane Mokhiber "examines the job impacts of trade by subtracting the job opportunities lost to imports from those gained through exports." Their thesis is simple. The bilateral trade deficit in goods between the planet’s two biggest economies is the main cause of the U.S. employment losses that are concentrated in the American manufacturing sector.

• Intellectual property protections grow under USMCA

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018

  A revised 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, pleases the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). "The successful conclusion of the USMCA is a significant step toward leveling the playing field with our trading partners by delivering strong IP (intellectual property) protections for American manufacturers and innovators," said PhRMA President and CEO Stephen J. Ubl. Public Citizen, based in Washington, D.C., takes a less cheery view of the renegotiated IP for biologics under the USMCA.

• September nonfarm payrolls grow by 134,000; jobless rate drops to 3.7 percent

  Friday, October 05, 2018

  Nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 134,000 in September vs. 201,100 in August, as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent from August’s 3.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In September, the number of unemployed workers declined to 6 million compared with 6.2 million in August. September’s BLS data does show growth in wage income, though with room for improvement, according to economist Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute.

• Replacing NAFTA: A better 3-country pact ahead?

  Monday, October 01, 2018

  Canada and the U.S. have renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect Jan. 1, 1994. President Trump, who called NAFTA "the worst trade deal ever," praised its successor, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). "Promise made, promise kept," the president said on Twitter, of his campaign pledge to renegotiate NAFTA to improve trade fairness for American businesses, consumers and workers. That stance resonated with voters, especially in Rust Belt states where blue-collar employment has plummeted.

• Walmart warns about new trade policy with China

  Tuesday, September 25, 2018

  When Walmart warns President Trump about his trade policy, does he listen? This is no academic question, as the president exercised his legal authority to hike U.S. tariffs of 10 percent on $200 billion of Chinese imports, climbing to 25 percent in January 2019. On Sept. 6, Sarah F. Thorn, senior director for global government affairs with Walmart — the U.S.' biggest private-sector employer — wrote to the United States Trade Representative in a letter, "The immediate impact will be to raise prices on consumers and tax American business and manufacturers."

• Fair trade? China-US tariff tensions rise

  Thursday, September 20, 2018

  Take the world's two biggest economies. Then, increase trade tariffs, or taxes, as a policy to solve disputes. President Trump said on Sept. 17 that tariffs on $267 billion of China’s imports to the U.S., its top buyer, will begin on Sept. 24 (10 percent) and rise in 2019 (25 percent) if Chinese concessions to Washington are not met. In response, officials in China have announced retaliatory tariffs of $60 billion on U.S. imports. Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, downplayed the economic impacts of the U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods to American businesses and consumers.

• New Census data shows uninsured rate remains unchanged

  Monday, September 17, 2018

  What has happened to the rate of insured Americans after a year of the GOP-controlled Congress trying to end the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare? The number of uninsured Americans has remained statistically unchanged, 28.5 million at any time in 2017 versus 28.1 million in 2016, or 8.8 percent of the populace both years, according to Census Bureau data released on Sept. 12. The uninsured rate was 13.3 percent in 2014, when most major provisions of the ACA began, the Census reported.

• Deceased football players’ families file lawsuits against the NCAA

  Wednesday, September 12, 2018

  On Aug. 27, as the football season was about to get underway, families of four former college players filed wrongful death lawsuits against the NCAA. Take Sarah Staggs. Her late husband, Jeffery Staggs, played linebacker for San Diego State University in 1965 and 1966, and his brain autopsy revealed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease from traumatic head injuries like concussions. Families of deceased football players at the University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; and Grand Valley State also sued the NCAA over the athletes’ alleged wrongful deaths.

• Employment grows by 201,000 in August; jobless rate stays at 3.9 percent

  Friday, September 07, 2018

  Nonfarm payroll jobs increased 201,100 in August vs. 157,000 in July, as the unemployment rate remained at 3.9 percent for the second straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. With a labor force of over 150 million, job gains occurred in professional and business services, healthcare, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, and mining. In August, the number of jobless workers, 6.2 million, was little changed. For major groups of workers, unemployment rates showed scant movement between August and July.

• Is a ‘new’ NAFTA in the cards?

  Friday, August 31, 2018

  The U.S. and Mexico have reached an initial agreement to change the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). What we also know is that many eyes are Canada, the third nation in NAFTA, now. "It would surprise me if Canada remained outside the agreement," Martin Hart-Landsberg, an author and economics professor at Lewis and Clark College, told MultiBriefs. While details of the new NAFTA remain largely unknown, it appears that there are some improvements.

• Common Core creator’s breach-of-contract case continues

  Wednesday, August 22, 2018

  Who knew that parties involved in the business of school assessment could end up in federal court? Consider a U.S. magistrate who ruled against an education entrepreneur and plaintiff in a breach-of-contract case with a global education and information firm over the amount of bonus payments tied to an employment agreement. Dr. Judy Codding is the plaintiff, and there is a history here. She took part in the writing of the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and math that California, the U.S.' most populous state with over 6 million K-12 public school pupils, has adopted along with 41 other states.

• US adds 157,000 jobs in July as unemployment falls to 3.9 percent

  Friday, August 03, 2018

  Nonfarm payroll jobs rose 157,000 in July compared with 213,000 in June, as the unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent from 4.0 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment rose in healthcare, manufacturing, professional and business services, and social assistance. Meanwhile, workers' pay is flat. Standard economic theory holds that a falling jobless rate motivates employers to raise workers' pay, as the pool of job-seekers declines. Empirical data, though, shows otherwise.

• Uncertainty reigns: Iran, the US and oil sanctions

  Thursday, July 26, 2018

  ​After President Trump pulled the U.S. out of a nuclear pact with Iran in May, the White House is now threatening Iran with oil sanctions that would take effect in early November. What is at stake in and out of the U.S.? And how would this affect the European Union, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, which remain in the Iran pact? A brief look back can be instructive, according to Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council in Washington, D.C.

• How intellectual property rights fit in the Chinese trade war puzzle

  Tuesday, July 17, 2018

  Do you think that U.S. firms doing business in China back the White House’s tariffs on trade to settle disputes? Consider this. "A survey by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai found that most U.S. businesses operating in China oppose the use of tariffs in retaliation for the challenges they face, from an uneven playing field to poor protection of intellectual property rights," Reuters reports. AmCham represents 3,300 members from 900 companies in China.

• New report calls for reboot on immigration policy

  Monday, July 09, 2018

  A new report on immigration policy, a politically fraught issue of the day, calls for publicly funded universal legal representation for low-income immigrants held in detention in New Jersey. In this way, the Garden State would join the state of New York and other U.S. municipalities, such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago and Denver, paving a path forward that helps immigrants and strengthens economic and fiscal stability, according to Erika J. Nava, a policy analyst with New Jersey Policy Perspective.

• Employers add 213,000 jobs in June; unemployment rises to 4 percent

  Friday, July 06, 2018

  Nonfarm payroll jobs rose 213,000 in June vs. 223,000 in May, as the unemployment rate climbed to 4 percent from 3.8 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment growth rose in professional and business services, manufacturing, and healthcare, but jobs in retail trade declined. "Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs increased by 211,000 in June to 3.1 million," the BLS reported, and the number of re-entrants to the labor force rose by 204,000 to 2.1 million.

• Harley-Davidson move shows the consequences of EU tariffs

  Wednesday, June 27, 2018

  To counter the rise of European Union (EU) tariffs from 6 percent to 31 percent on U.S.-made products, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the famed company is shifting some production overseas. "These tariffs, which became effective June 22, 2018, were imposed in response to the tariffs the U.S. imposed on steel and aluminum exported from the EU to the U.S.," Harley-Davidson announced in a filing. In early May, the Trump administration announced the tariffs of foreign-made aluminum and steel to enhance U.S. economic and national security.

• Labor Dept. rules expand AHPs, in further blow to Obamacare

  Thursday, June 21, 2018

  The Trump administration’s Department of Labor on June 19 issued a final rule that lets groups of small businesses offer Association Health Plans (AHPs), which are health insurance plans that sidestep some provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. "Every American should be able to get comprehensive health care coverage they can afford, and we support the goal of increasing competition and choice in ways that improve affordability," said Kristine Grow, senior vice president of communications for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a national trade association, in a statement.

• Is the US a nation of nontraditional workers? Not yet

  Thursday, June 07, 2018

  Do not believe the hype of a boom in gig jobs. Such nontraditional work arrangements reveal a pattern that has remained largely unchanged over the past 12 years, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey. The survey, called Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements, found that 5.9 million Americans or "3.8 percent of workers...held contingent jobs" in May 2017 vs. 1.8 percent to 4.1 percent of the workforce in February 2005. The BLS also surveyed other workers in alternative work arrangements.

• Employers add 223,000 jobs in May; unemployment falls to 3.8 percent

  Friday, June 01, 2018

  The labor market is cooking. Nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 223,000 in May versus 164,000 in April, as the unemployment rate dipped to 3.8 percent from April’s 3.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment growth rose in construction, health care and retail. Unemployment for some major worker groups also dipped in May vs. April.

• How the ‘gig economy’ is changing employment

  Thursday, May 24, 2018

  Workplaces are changing. Take the "gig economy," for example. How will it be affected by a recent California Supreme Court ruling on self-employed independent contractors and company employees? "The ruling may bring some much-needed clarity to the new world of work," said author and entrepreneur Marion McGovern. Key issues of employer control and direction of independent contractors and employees that the Golden State’s high court ruled on can and should lead "to more transparency in the law," which she views as a positive step forward.

• Report: Underinvestment in higher education harms California’s economy

  Wednesday, May 16, 2018

  Underfunding of higher education harms the Golden State’s economy, according to a new report from the California Budget & Policy Center (CPBC). Though a direct state budget-economy link involving higher education across the U.S. is unclear, California’s case is instructive. First, we look at the numbers. "Per student spending at the CSU and UC are well below pre-recession levels and are significantly below the funding request from each institution," according to Amy Rose of the CBPC.

• Employers add 164,000 jobs in April; jobless rate down to 3.9 percent

  Friday, May 04, 2018

  Employers added 164,000 new nonfarm jobs in April vs. 103,000 hires in March, as the unemployment rate dipped to 3.9 percent after holding at 4.1 percent for six straight months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment growth led the way in healthcare, manufacturing, mining and professional and business services. The number of long-term unemployed was unchanged at 1.3 million in April, matching March’s total.

• The high price of public subsidies

  Wednesday, May 02, 2018

  Does public assistance to businesses level the marketplace? Just ask Greg LeRoy, head of Good Jobs First (GJF), an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Public "subsidies favor big businesses and shortchange small, local and entrepreneurial firms — including a third of the Forbes 400," according to him. That policy dynamic has other effects. Governing magazine, tracking GJF data that examined cities’ tax-cut disclosures under a new accounting rule that studies federal measures of income distribution in municipalities, found that "local governments most heavily reliant on tax incentives tend to be those with greater levels of economic inequality."

• Is a higher minimum wage worth job losses?

  Thursday, April 19, 2018

  ​While the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour has remained unchanged since 2009, 21 states have changed their minimum wage laws since January 2014, ​according to the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, 41 localities have adopted minimum wages above their state minimum wage.

• Trade tensions: China, US dispute over tariffs grows

  Monday, April 09, 2018

  With $50 billion in tariffs already on the way, ​President Donald Trump on April 5 directed the U.S Trade Representative to explore placing an additional $100 billion of tariffs on Chinese goods entering the U.S. The threat of higher prices on Chinese exports to the U.S. (and the expected retaliation from China) shook financial markets on Thursday and Friday.

• Payrolls grow by 103,000 jobs in March

  Friday, April 06, 2018

  ​Employers added 103,000 new nonfarm jobs in March vs. 313,000 in February and 200,000 January, as the unemployment rate held at 4.1 percent for the sixth straight month, ​the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Job growth occurred in healthcare, manufacturing and mining.

• Trump trade-off: China imposes tariffs on US goods

  Tuesday, April 03, 2018

  The world's two largest economies are not feeling the love on trade. China imposed $3 billion of tariffs on a range of U.S. goods on Monday. The bottom line on the impact is straightforward: tariffs hike prices for businesses and consumers in both nations.

• Hike: Fed raises interest rates for businesses and consumers

  Friday, March 23, 2018

  ​As the economy grows and a low jobless rate of 4.1 percent continued for a fifth straight month, the Federal Reserve Bank under Chairman Jerome Powell took action March 21. ​In a statement, the U.S. central bank announced that it will "raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 percent. The stance of monetary policy remains accommodative, thereby supporting strong labor market conditions and a sustained return to 2 percent inflation (increased prices and decreased buying power of money)."

• Report: Family budget calculator measures US cost of living

  Tuesday, March 20, 2018

  ​All U.S. residents have skin in this game. Just ask Elise Gould, Zane Mokhiber and Kathleen Bryant at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a think tank based in Washington, D.C. The EPI just updated its ​Family Budget Calculator to reveal what families require to meet their living costs in all 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas across the nation.

• US economy grows 313,000 jobs in February

  Friday, March 09, 2018

  The U.S. hiring boom continues. The national economy added 313,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in February versus 200,000 new hires in January, while the jobless rate remained at 4.1 percent for the fifth straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Job growth occurred in construction, finance, manufacturing, mining, professional and business services and retail trade.

• Tax time: Avoiding business audits

  Monday, March 05, 2018

  Ready or not, this year's tax filing deadline is approaching quickly — April 17. And the big question for many businesses across the U.S. is how to avoid audits. If there is one thing to stress, it's this: File your business's tax forms on time or tell the Internal Revenue Service before April 17 that there will be a delay. Why? Filing late without notifying the IRS before the deadline is a red flag.

• Supreme Court hears pivotal union arguments

  Tuesday, February 27, 2018

  The fate of classroom teachers and other public-sector union workers remain uncertain after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in the Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 case. Mark Janus, a child-support specialist employed by the State of Illinois, claims the current union law violates his First Amendment rights, and the ruling could have wide-ranging effects on the status of unions in the United States.

• Tackle this: Flag football only until high school?

  Friday, February 16, 2018

  Two lawmakers in California recently announced their plan to introduce a state bill to ban youth tackle football before their freshmen year in high school as a way to reduce players' risk of head injuries. The Safe Youth Football Act, for consideration this spring, would ban 7,500 pre-freshmen players in the Golden State from taking part tackle football, according to Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego).

• Bipartisan budget deal boosts military spending

  Friday, February 09, 2018

  ​President Donald Trump signed a two-year federal budget early Friday morning that reopened the government after it briefly shut down overnight. The deal passed by Congress lifts caps on spending by an estimated $300 billion, with the majority of that increase going toward military funding.

• US employers create 200,000 jobs in January

  Friday, February 02, 2018

  The U.S. economy added 200,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, as the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1 percent, a 17-year low, in January for the fourth consecutive month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The number of unemployed workers, 6.7 million, remained unchanged in January. However, there was movement in the jobless rates for major worker sectors in January.

• Debt report: Is growth of household borrowing a peril or promise?

  Wednesday, January 31, 2018

  Borrowing is booming. U.S. household debt rose again during the third quarter of 2017 — the 13th consecutive quarter of growth, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data in its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit.

• After cloning monkeys, are humans next?

  Friday, January 26, 2018

  Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai recently published a paper detailing their cloning of monkeys by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The breakthrough research, led by Qiang Sun raises many questions both in and out of the laboratory.

• As union membership holds steady, what’s ahead?

  Monday, January 22, 2018

  ​Labor union membership for salary and wage employees remained at a rate of 10.7 percent in 2017, matching 2016, ​according to the annual survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 14.8 million union members across the U.S. in 2017, up 262,000 from 2016.

• Will GOP tax cuts mean wage growth for workers?

  Tuesday, January 16, 2018

  ​After months of discussion and debate, the Republican tax overhaul crossed the finish line at the end of 2017 when President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law. Now the question is, will these tax cuts for businesses and individuals equate to wage growth in 2018? Not surprisingly, economists have different opinions on the answer.

• US economy adds 148,000 jobs in December

  Friday, January 05, 2018

  ​U.S. employment grew 148,000 nonfarm jobs in December, while the jobless rate remained at 4.1 percent for the third straight month, the lowest rate since 2000, ​the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Job gains in construction, healthcare and manufacturing led the way.

• How does the GOP tax overhaul impact small businesses?

  Monday, December 18, 2017

  ​A House vote on the Republican Party's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could come as early as Dec. 20. If the bill passes there and then in the Senate, both Republican-controlled, President Donald Trump could sign it into law before Christmas.

• Report: States of best and worst health

  Thursday, December 14, 2017

  ​​America's Health Rankings, a new report from the nonprofit United Health Foundation, reveals the best and worst states for health in 2017. To define "healthy," the group uses the World Health Organization's definition: "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The report's four categories of determinants evaluates 35 core measures across behaviors, community and environment, and policy and clinical care.

• US payrolls grow by 228,000 jobs in November

  Friday, December 08, 2017

  ​The U.S. economy added 228,000 nonfarm jobs as the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1 percent in November, ​the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The rate of joblessness was 4.2 percent in September and 4.4 percent in August.

• Brain drain: Costas’ comments echo concussion doctor’s memoir

  Tuesday, November 14, 2017

  ​Playing football "destroys players' brains," ​according to veteran sportscaster Bob Costas, speaking at a sports symposium Nov. 7. "You cannot change the nature of the game," said Costas, who personalized his comments. "I certainly would not let, if I had an athletically gifted 12- or 13-year-old son, I would not let him play football."

• GOP crafting tax bill as bipartisan ACA stabilization proceeds

  Wednesday, November 08, 2017

  After the Republican Party's failed efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act, the GOP has turned its attention to rewriting the IRS tax code. But that doesn't mean they've given up on healthcare completely.

• Job growth bounces back in October

  Friday, November 03, 2017

  Employers added 261,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in October versus a revised gain of 18,000 in September, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The October unemployment rate was 4.1 percent versus 4.2 percent in September. The number of people out of work fell by 281,000 to 6.5 million.

• Prime question: Is Amazon’s HQ2 worth the cost of delivery?

  Friday, October 27, 2017

  Politicians across the U.S. are scrambling to entice Amazon to build its second headquarters — and the 50,000 jobs that come with it — in their region. In fact, the world's largest online retailer announced this week that ​it has received 238 proposals for Amazon HQ2.

• Trump ends payment subsidies to insurers

  Monday, October 16, 2017

  President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to end the federal cost-sharing reduction payments that help lower income consumers buy marketplace insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act. The administration's decision will likely force insurers to hike the cost of their policies to make up for the loss of federal money.

• Trump signs executive order to bypass ACA requirements

  Thursday, October 12, 2017

  With Congress' repeated failures to overturn the Affordable Care Act, President Donald Trump on Thursday morning signed an executive order that opens the door to dismantling Obamacare.

• Harvey, Irma slow job growth in September

  Friday, October 06, 2017

  ​The jobless rate fell to 4.2 percent in September, but total nonfarm payroll employment fell by 33,000, ​​according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics​. Employment dropped sharply in bars and food services, probably due to the impacts of Hurricane Irma in Florida and Harvey in Texas.

• Report: We can address climate change while helping the economy

  Wednesday, October 04, 2017

  What we can do to act now to address climate change events, and why such action makes sense economically, is not guesswork. In "The Economic Case for Climate Action in the United States," published online by the Universal Ecological Fund, we find answers.

• Lack of support sinks Senate’s latest healthcare bill

  Wednesday, September 27, 2017

  ​Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) dealt a fatal blow Monday evening to the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. She joined fellow Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in opposing the measure, leaving the Republicans' 52-48 majority over the Democrats short of the required 50 votes for passage under procedures from the fiscal year 2017 budget resolution.

• With time running out, GOP senators revise healthcare bill

  Monday, September 25, 2017

  ​It's do or die this week for the healthcare bill from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to overturn the 2010 Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. A summary of the revised Graham-Cassidy bill reveals increased funding of block grants to some states to attract support from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), ​according to The Washington Post. State block grants would replace federal funding under the GOP's latest bid to repeal the ACA.

• Senate GOP’s last-gasp bill to undo Obamacare faces strong opposition

  Wednesday, September 20, 2017

  Time is running out in the Republican Party's quest to undo the Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare." A bill from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that needs 50 votes by Sept. 30 (end of the budget reconciliation process) is facing dissent across the U.S.

• Senate Democrats’ support for single-payer healthcare grows

  Thursday, September 14, 2017

  On Sept. 13, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced his Medicare for All Act of 2017, which has the support of 16 Senate Democrats so far. His bill would extend Medicare — the health insurance program for Americans age 65 and up — to the entire U.S. population, phased in over a four-year period.

• Protecting the health and safety of young athletes

  Monday, September 11, 2017

  ​Just under 31 million U.S. youth, ages 6-14, take part in sports. Each year, injuries linked to sports and recreation send more than ​2.6 million children (0-19 years) to emergency departments, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Trump ends DACA — Will Congress save it?

  Wednesday, September 06, 2017

  Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Donald Trump ended the Obama-era executive order known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on Sept. 5. The immigration protection program will be phased out over time, giving Congress six months to save it.

• US job growth continues in August

  Tuesday, September 05, 2017

  ​The U.S. economy added 156,000 jobs in August, ​according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment growth has averaged 185,000 per month during the past three months.

• Is concussion research causing a decline in football participation?

  Thursday, August 31, 2017

  ​Fear of players' injuries focuses the minds of high school football coaches, players and parents. Why? Look no further than recent research linking the popular sport to concussive brain injury.

• In NAFTA talks, uncertainty reigns for suppliers and manufacturers

  Wednesday, August 30, 2017

  The first round of talks to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) ended Aug. 20 in Washington, D.C. ​Round two of negotiations is set for Sept. 1-5 in Mexico City. What is at stake for U.S. supply chains and manufacturers?

• Federal DACA program faces uncertainty under Trump

  Wednesday, August 16, 2017

  The federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program turned five Aug. 15. The policy lets immigrant youth under 30 who arrived stateside to apply for legal living and working status — provided they have no criminal record — and, crucially, to avoid deportation.

• Consumer borrowing slows, wage growth tepid as Dow hits record high

  Wednesday, August 09, 2017

  What to make of the U.S. economy under President Donald Trump? Three gauges shed some light. U.S. consumer credit grew by $12.4 billion in June versus a rise of $18.3 billion in May — a 32 percent change — the Federal Reserve Bank reported Aug. 7. June's total outstanding credit was $3.86 trillion, with an annual growth rate of 3.9 percent, versus May's yearly rate of growth of 5.9 percent.

• Consumer borrowing slows, wage growth tepid as Dow hits record high

  Wednesday, August 09, 2017

  What to make of the U.S. economy under President Donald Trump? Three gauges shed some light. U.S. consumer credit grew by $12.4 billion in June versus a rise of $18.3 billion in May — a 32 percent change — the Federal Reserve Bank reported Aug. 7. June's total outstanding credit was $3.86 trillion, with an annual growth rate of 3.9 percent, versus May's yearly rate of growth of 5.9 percent.

• Job growth holds steady in July

  Friday, August 04, 2017

  Employers added 209,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in July versus June's total of 220,000 jobs, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. And July's unemployment rate was 4.3 percent versus 4.4 percent in June and 4.3 percent in May, the BLS reported.

• McCain’s surprise vote kills ACA ‘skinny repeal’

  Friday, July 28, 2017

  The Republican Party's bid to overturn the Affordable Care Act ended with a whimper early Friday morning when Sen. John McCain cast the key no vote.

• Senate clears hurdle to open debate on healthcare

  Tuesday, July 25, 2017

  ​Senators voted, 51-50, Tuesday afternoon on a motion to proceed with debate on a healthcare bill when Vice President Mike Pence broke a tie with the decisive vote. Along with all 48 Democrats, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted against the motion to proceed with debate. The duo's dissent from Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) illustrates the tip of a GOP iceberg that is rife with splits between conservative and moderate lawmakers.

• Will Senate’s healthcare failure open the door to bipartisanship?

  Monday, July 24, 2017

  A week ago, the Republican Party's efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act ​came to a crashing halt when two key Senators refused to back the repeal-and-replace plan. But in Washington, D.C., the GOP's efforts to end Obamacare — due in part to its insurance mandates, prices and taxes — continue.

• Business innovation: Visa urges small merchants to go cashless

  Wednesday, July 19, 2017

  ​Visa is calling on small restaurants, cafes and food truck owners in the U.S. to put dollar bills down and embrace digital payment technology. To sweeten that switch away from paper currency, the global credit card and payment giant is offering 50 domestic-based food service businesses up to $10,000 each to commit to going entirely cashless.

• Senate healthcare bill crashes as procedural votes vanish

  Tuesday, July 18, 2017

  ​Crash goes Senate Republicans' seven-year mission to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). Just ask Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). "Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful," ​McConnell said in a prepared statement.

• US economy continues its hot streak in June

  Friday, July 07, 2017

  ​The U.S. economy added 220,000 nonfarm jobs in June, ​according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment increased in healthcare (37,000), finance (17,000), social assistance (23,000) and mining (7,000). There are more than 146 million payroll jobs in the U.S. economy.

• BCRA support falters: GOP governors, insurers and public oppose bill

  Wednesday, July 05, 2017

  ​Backing for the Better Care and Reconciliation Act (BCRA), Senate Republicans' version to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, is faltering. In one sign of party disunity, President Donald Trump recently tweeted a "repeal then replace" Obamacare message that Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) quickly dismissed.

• How would BCRA impact jobs in healthcare?

  Thursday, June 29, 2017

  A week ago, the Senate unveiled their version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that the House passed — ​the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BRCA). Since then, several Republican Senators have said they would not vote for the bill in its current form, which forced Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to delay a vote on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal until after the July 4 recess.

• How will Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s travel ban impact tourism?

  Tuesday, June 27, 2017

  The U.S. Supreme Court ​decided unanimously on June 26 to green-light parts of President Donald J. Trump's ban on travelers from six majority-Muslim nations. The executive order prevents people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from arriving stateside for 90 days — unless they have a "bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States," ​according to the unsigned 9-0 opinion.

• New poll shines light on how small businesses classify new hires

  Friday, June 23, 2017

  Large employers such as Uber have made headlines by using drivers laboring as freelancers in the "gig economy." Uber and other companies pay contractors and freelancers less in wages and benefits versus traditional employees. But does this math of the U.S. labor market automatically rule hiring decisions of small business owners? No, according to a recent poll by Manta, an online resource for small enterprises, which surveyed 2,216 owners of such firms to find out.

• Raising the minimum wage: Where do small business owners stand?

  Wednesday, June 14, 2017

  Think all small business owners oppose raising the federal minimum wage of $7.25 in place since 2009? Well, think again. According to a recent poll of more than 700 respondents conducted by BuyBizSell, 47 percent of small business owners favor raising the minimum wage, while 58 percent of prospective small business buyers support a hike.

• Report: ACA results in ‘substantial coverage gains’ in California

  Friday, June 09, 2017

  Self-employed workers and small business employees in California have seen expanded health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a recent report from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education (CLRE). The brief draws on data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).