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US economy adds 145,000 new hires; unemployment stays at 3.5%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn 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.
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F-Gas turns the screw again
Andrew Gaved Facilities & GroundsThis column has reported many times over the years on the progress of the F-Gas regulations, as the legislation seeks to achieve its ultimate goal of reducing refrigerant emissions in Europe. But 2020 marks a significant year for both the legislation and the industry that must comply with it. It is expected to change refrigerant buying habits as the once-ubiquitous R404A disappears from wholesalers' shelves. The F-Gas legislation, now in its second iteration, came into force in 2015 and has put the industry under pressure with its unique combination of restrictions.
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Report: US manufacturing slowdown continues
Seth Sandronsky ManufacturingThe 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.
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New trade era will require pro-labor policies, green manufacturing
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingFor those scratching their heads over the fate of U.S. manufacturing, recent global economic developments don't halt the confusion, but do offer guidelines for any Green New Deal-type initiatives in the works. The Dec. 12 U.K. general election confirmed pro-Brexit Boris Johnson as Prime Minister just as the U.S. finalized talks with China in a deal to be signed at a later date. Key provisions in the U.S.-China agreement cover strengthened intellectual property protection, currency manipulation avoidance, and financial service access. Additionally, the U.S. will export $200 billion in energy and agricultural and manufactured products while lifting tariffs on Chinese goods.
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USMCA covers international labor rights, leaves out climate change
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingAfter a recent deal between the White House and Democrats in the House of Representatives, an updated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) — the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) — will likely be approved by Congress, albeit not imminently. How are trade relations and prevailing concerns for labor, the environment, and human rights addressed in the USMCA?
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US payrolls add 266,000 jobs; unemployment rate falls to 3.5%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn 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.
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Achieving the promise of reduce, reuse, recycle with chemical recycling
Kate Gaertner Waste Management & EnvironmentalThere’s no consensus yet on whether chemical recycling is the silver bullet for the growing plastic pollution problem. What is clear, however, is that a solution needs to be found — and fast. Plastic and the use of plastic are not going away anytime soon. For the foreseeable future, companies will remain bound to plastics in their production cycles. This article will look at how industry can reduce the environmental impact of plastic, reuse material already circulating in the economic value stream, and create a circular recycling mechanism is at the heart and promise of chemical recycling.
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What is the future of leadership?
Terri Williams Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIf everything rises and falls on leadership, are we in good hands, or should we be concerned? While technology is moving at the speed of light and leveling everything in its path, leaders often seem hesitant to change their rather archaic traditions and beliefs. This is causing some uneasiness among employees and other stakeholders. So, what is the future of leadership, and how can leaders be effective and successful in this brave new world?
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California rewards climate-friendly automakers amid NHTSA lawsuit
Michelle R. Matisons Transportation Technology & AutomotiveFord and General Motors (GM) workers have new UAW labor contracts with some reported positive takeaways. But they part ways on a lawsuit contesting national emissions enforcement authority. For decades, California has enjoyed a Clean Air Act waiver to set its own standards. Suffering under pollution from transportation, industry, and wildfires, California is seeking to reduce pollution to 66 million metric tons per year by 2030. The state has joined 23 others as lawsuit plaintiffs against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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EPA changes impede environmental justice research
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalEnvironmental justice emphasizes the impacts of environmental deterioration on social groups and the communities on the front lines of climate change. As the concept mainstreams, it clashes with a possible new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policy that undermines public health links to industrial pollutants, adverse weather events like hurricanes and wildfires, and other climate change factors. Meanwhile, the U.S. has begun official proceedings to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and a new medical report warns of sustained public health problems due to increased temperatures and other climate-related challenges.
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