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Manufacturing sector shows growth late in 2020
Bambi Majumdar ManufacturingIHS Markit recently released an analysis showing that U.S. manufacturing and services activity is expanding. Following the U.S. presidential election, the first pictures of the state of the U.S. economy look promising. The welcome news of an imminent and successful COVID-19 vaccine has added to the optimistic outlook for the year ahead. The survey showed that the manufacturing sector is showing its quickest pickup since September 2014. It's a rosy and hopeful outlook, though IHS' data does not match every survey on the subject.
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10 of America’s great campsites
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureWe’ve been able to stay at so many great parks that have wonderful views, hikes, and other activities. Many of these have good campsites, but this article features 10 outstanding campsites where you can sit with some privacy and enjoy a terrific view and/or observe animals or birds without having to travel to other portions of the park. Given the coronavirus situation, these campsites can be an amazing place to stay. Of course, please check for current availability and status.
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US economy gains 245,000 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 6.7%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementU.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.
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Optimizing your business’ ability to pivot
Indiana Lee Business Management, Services & Risk Management2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, businesses and individuals alike. What makes it so unusual is that the impact has been universal. Every nation around the world has been impacted by COVID-19 and the economic uncertainty that followed. What has become clear is that companies need to be more agile and flexible than ever. You never know what challenges will come, and a business’s ability to pivot can mean the difference between success and failure. How do you optimize your company’s ability to stay competitive in challenging situations? Here are some tips you can use.
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Luxury homebuyers changing faces, places
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesMore than any other factor in recent years, the coronavirus has changed how we live and where we choose to live. Up until this year, demographers have puzzled over why there was so little movement among the population. Now, individuals and families are relocating in large numbers and to places that a year ago would not have been top of mind. Especially in the case of higher-income households, this is causing profound shifts in the makeup of communities and the distribution of wealth.
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How AI is transforming the agricultural sector
Joseph Zulick Science & TechnologyThere are many executives, experts, and analysts that fully believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will forever change that human beings interact with each other, and how businesses operate. Agriculture is extremely important to the global economy. For those that are unaware, it is estimated that the food and agriculture sector is worth about $5 trillion globally, and it’s hard to downplay those kinds of numbers. The agricultural sector is also utilizing and implementing AI in many different ways. Here are some examples of how AI is already transforming the agricultural sector.
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The 2020 hospitality and tourism trends that will likely stay for 2021…
Linchi Kwok Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementAt the end of 2019, I predicted a few 2020 trends in hospitality, retail, and tourism businesses. For example, I recommended that we should pay special attention to areas like food delivery, sustainable food, and facial recognition. Certainly, the global pandemic was not anything I could predict back in 2019, but COVID-19 might have just accelerated many of the foreseeable changes we expected for the future. Moreover, many of the changes we observed in 2020 will very likely stay in 2021 and beyond, including the following.
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High demand for homes is depleting inventories
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsProspective homebuyers are facing a dwindling pool of choices as the supply of properties for sale has hit an all-time low. Sales activity remains brisk, with most homes selling in less than a month. Yet despite advantages for sellers, including historically low interest rates and escalating values, fewer owners are putting their homes on the market, and builders have not been able to keep up with the demand for new homes. The combination of low inventories and higher prices likely will cause the pace of sales to slacken in the coming months.
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What is the future of airports under President Biden?
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveAs the nation prepares for President-elect Joe Biden, many aviation analysts are turning their attention to what the future holds for their industry under his tenure. Whereas in the past this may be a noteworthy point in a wide-ranging manifesto of pledges and promises, in this global crisis surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, people are watching eagerly to discover how Biden will respond to the extra problems surrounding the huge losses of income and jobs being faced by the aviation industry. And this is just one of many areas reaching a critical point as the economy struggles with the virus.
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Skilled trades report highlights significant job opportunities
Terri Williams Construction & Building MaterialsMillions of Americans have either lost or are concerned about losing their job during the pandemic, and businesses large and small have closed this year. However, skilled trades in home services is a small business sector that is actually experiencing a labor shortage. HomeAdvisor released a new skilled trades report that found skilled home trades businesses present an opportunity for entrepreneurship — and 71% of workers in this industry believe there is a job shortage. We spoke with Mischa Fisher, chief economist at HomeAdvisor, about the report.
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