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Seeking silence: Ultimately, it’s an inside job
Lisa Cole Mental HealthcareNoise — it's everywhere! Noisemakers abound: fans, compressors, leaf blowers. Even libraries, once a respite enshrouded in a tomblike hush, have now become community headquarters. Am I the only one left seeking silence in what seems like a deafening world? From the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: "Sound is what we hear. Noise is unwanted sound. The difference between sound and noise depends upon the listener and the circumstances."
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House passes $15 minimum wage bill, but its prospects are dim in Senate
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementOn 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.
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Response to Boeing Max 8 groundings includes new aviation leadership
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingThe Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane model was the most common plane flying the friendly skies — until recently. After several high-profile crashes killing hundreds of people, this model has been withdrawn from use so it can undergo an upgrade with new safety features for its alert system, which is rumored to have contributed to the crashes. Costing American Airlines $185 million in the second quarter, this aviation development has sent more than ripples through financial markets and manufacturing hubs.
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Visiting America’s industrial past
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureIf you’re growing tired of conventional vacations — the beach, mountains, amusement parks, etc. — here’s an option to consider: exploring abandoned factories and industrial sites. Yes, it sounds a bit wonky, but an increasing number of folks are doing it. The Society for Industrial Archaeology (SIA) seeks to help preserve the nation’s industrial heritage by sanctioning and salvaging important manufacturing sites. The National Park Service has done its part as well by recognizing and preserving some of these industrial works as National Historic Sites or Landmarks.
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US economy adds 224,000 jobs; unemployment rate ticks up to 3.7%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhat 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.
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Manufacturing slowdown sparks new political strategies
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingThe White House's official optimistic manufacturing narrative has been seriously disjointed from real-world production and employment issues in the very important and inherently political manufacturing sector. President Trump hung his hat on increased manufacturing jobs to get elected, but a persistent trade deficit haunts his administration — increasing by $100 billion under his watch. Now that this harsh reality can’t be ignored, we see some politicians initiating new strategies to address the slowdown.
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A net loss: Why focusing on Net Promoter Scores can hurt your business
Linda Popky MarketingNet Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric introduced in 2003. It scores customer loyalty based on a single question: "On a scale of 1-10, how likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague?" Customers who respond with a 9 or 10 are considered Promoters. Anyone scoring below 6 is considered a Detractor; those who answer 7 or 8 are considered Passive. The NPS score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of customers who are Detractors from those who are Promoters. It's an interesting methodology. The problem is it isn't necessarily right much of the time.
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The Fed weighs in on economy, opts to stay the course for now
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentPresident 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.
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Department of Energy: Renewables create massive savings for facilities
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsFor business organizations, renewable energy can be a costly capital investment, but more companies are experiencing the successes of their efforts to reduce the energy used within their buildings and plants. One program created to help facilities leaders explore the opportunity of renewables is the Better Buildings Initiative from the U.S. Department of Energy. According to the agency, the program is meant to work "across industries to provide guidance and to document effective approaches for installing renewable technologies including solar, wind and geothermal." Per the government’s reporting on the issue, many organizations are making headway with solar.
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What’s wrong with American RVs today?
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureLet’s be honest. There are a lot of articles talking about how wonderful RV life is. There aren’t as many discussing the problems of newer American RVs. I don’t know if it is only American models but that is where I see the complaints online. While it is true you can buy an RV and have no issues, you are taking your chances every time you buy a brand-new RV. 3 out of every 10 RVs require serious repair by their second year. But this doesn’t define "serious." Many "minor" issues can prevent you from camping for the weekend or can be a major hassle if you are living full-time in an RV.
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