The Bureau of Labor Statistics Reported that jobs in February increases 313,000 for the 89th month of job growth. Wages increased 2.6% show signs that employers are still hiring workers and feeling optimistic. Unemployment is still low. The overall news appears to be positive.
Wage growth is important base on demand. With an unemployment rate of 4.1% there is some demand on the labor market. Getting below that number is possible but it can be very difficult.
There is a need to think about the type of skills being offered in order to keep the economy growing. In the Industrial Age people thought about labor in purely "head count". However, in today's economy labor a battery of skills is more important.
Improving the possibility of wage growth and continued hiring may mean training people and updating them toward higher skills. While many of these workers have already been through some type of school and training it may be outdated for maximum growth.
Corporate training and flexible higher education offers opportunities for people to go back to school and move into sectors that need highly skilled workers of all different types. That will be a major commitment for both government and employers.
Friday, March 9, 2018
The Importance of Sleep to Recover from Working Out
Working out and physical fitness requires significant rest in order to achieve your true fitness goals. It is not possible to work out vigorously, putting your body through multiple tests, and then sleep only six or seven hours a week without feeling lethargic and eventually risk injury. Making fitness and sleep part of the same workout process is important for maximum body change.
What does sleep do? Sleep allows your body to recover from heavy workouts. If you are doing weights and engaging in heavy cardio then you will need to rest your body significantly. Fitness gurus know the value of this sleep and try to put in enough hours of rest. Without it grow will be limited and your body will begin to feel tired and may actually reverse gains.
How much sleep is necessary? Somewhere between 8 and 10 hours a sleep is necessary for someone who is engaged deeply into the fitness lifestyle. Everyone should sleep at least 8 hours, even if they are not working out regularly, but fitness buffs need that extra 2 hours for full recovery. If you wake up tired and groggy then you need more sleep.
There are micro traumas that occur in your muscles that when they heal lead to muscle growth in size, endurance and strength. To help them heal people can take supplements, rest and sleep. In this case, sleep is the main criteria for growth and development. Focusing on different body parts each day and getting a good night sleep makes all the difference in achieving your fitness goals.
What does sleep do? Sleep allows your body to recover from heavy workouts. If you are doing weights and engaging in heavy cardio then you will need to rest your body significantly. Fitness gurus know the value of this sleep and try to put in enough hours of rest. Without it grow will be limited and your body will begin to feel tired and may actually reverse gains.
How much sleep is necessary? Somewhere between 8 and 10 hours a sleep is necessary for someone who is engaged deeply into the fitness lifestyle. Everyone should sleep at least 8 hours, even if they are not working out regularly, but fitness buffs need that extra 2 hours for full recovery. If you wake up tired and groggy then you need more sleep.
There are micro traumas that occur in your muscles that when they heal lead to muscle growth in size, endurance and strength. To help them heal people can take supplements, rest and sleep. In this case, sleep is the main criteria for growth and development. Focusing on different body parts each day and getting a good night sleep makes all the difference in achieving your fitness goals.
The Value of Supply Chain
A new article was recently printed in the Harvard Business Review related to Supply Chain investments and creating innovation in this arena. You can read the article here https://hbr.org/2018/03/the-supply-chain-economy-and-the-future-of-good-jobs-in-america
I wrote about the last article and am somewhat watching this research for my own purposes.
I'm working on developing an economic approach to hubs and clusters. Supply chain creation among local businesses is an important consideration. Large companies often have smaller companies within the same area. They supply them with needed resources, tools, labor, and other things they need that are outside their core business.
The supply chain connects them together as well as other clusters that exist in the area. When two large clusters are in one area they often interrelate and share knowledge to generate innovation. This depends on what those clusters are but they do have similar needs and many times share vendors.
Innovation leads to growth and change and this comes through the supply chain as well as through the sharing of spill over knowledge, drawing skilled employees to the area, higher education, research, and the utilization of better infrastructure.
Supply chain creates significant value for companies. The way in which materials move through a system and are shifted, adjusted and changed will lead to value added products/services that can be sold on the more. The better they sell the higher the profit margins and the more jobs, tax revenue and economic growth.
I wrote about the last article and am somewhat watching this research for my own purposes.
I'm working on developing an economic approach to hubs and clusters. Supply chain creation among local businesses is an important consideration. Large companies often have smaller companies within the same area. They supply them with needed resources, tools, labor, and other things they need that are outside their core business.
The supply chain connects them together as well as other clusters that exist in the area. When two large clusters are in one area they often interrelate and share knowledge to generate innovation. This depends on what those clusters are but they do have similar needs and many times share vendors.
Innovation leads to growth and change and this comes through the supply chain as well as through the sharing of spill over knowledge, drawing skilled employees to the area, higher education, research, and the utilization of better infrastructure.
Supply chain creates significant value for companies. The way in which materials move through a system and are shifted, adjusted and changed will lead to value added products/services that can be sold on the more. The better they sell the higher the profit margins and the more jobs, tax revenue and economic growth.
How the Government Influences the Decline in Private Universities
American's are losing their private universities despite global demand. At least, according to an article Inside Higher Edu the U.S. private education sector is 27.5% which is now much lower than other nations. As private education in the U.S. declines does government own some of the blame for this?
The total private enrollment around the world is $56.7 million which translates to 32.9% of the world's enrollment. Private education has a huge impact and is an important part of the higher education system. It provides a level of diversity and innovation for the entire system.
Private education is facing challenges where some schools are closing and others are being regulated to death. Smaller schools are having a hard time competing. Think of the private liberal arts colleges with less than 2,000 students. They are going bust despite growing demand.
There is a problem with regulation and the cost of student loans. In both cases, much of this is the government making. Unnecessary regulation damages small and private universities which don't have the economies of scale, the tax funding, and government support that larger state universities have. Likewise, at 6% interest rate on student loans the problem will continue to grow and while we need people to become "educated" to compete in a more complex world we are punishing them with costs and interest.
The total private enrollment around the world is $56.7 million which translates to 32.9% of the world's enrollment. Private education has a huge impact and is an important part of the higher education system. It provides a level of diversity and innovation for the entire system.
Private education is facing challenges where some schools are closing and others are being regulated to death. Smaller schools are having a hard time competing. Think of the private liberal arts colleges with less than 2,000 students. They are going bust despite growing demand.
There is a problem with regulation and the cost of student loans. In both cases, much of this is the government making. Unnecessary regulation damages small and private universities which don't have the economies of scale, the tax funding, and government support that larger state universities have. Likewise, at 6% interest rate on student loans the problem will continue to grow and while we need people to become "educated" to compete in a more complex world we are punishing them with costs and interest.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
What Does Flexibility on Tariffs Mean?
Tariffs are a type of tax that ensures foreign products cost more and American products are competitively priced. This is more likely if our industries are not competitive. Flexibility on Tariffs does two things 1.) maintain free trade for those who did not violate concepts of fair practices and 2.) protect the industry to develop.
Flexibility is important when America has a long-term past precedence of promoting free trade. Yet there is a solid argument that some countries have taken advantage of that free trade good will. Therefore, a higher level of tariffs on abusive countries that engaged in "dumping" could be justified as a punitive measure to ensure countries have a stake in playing it fair.
You must also consider that tariffs are only good when they allow already working industries to quickly pick up their competitive position through new investment, innovation and reform. Without a quick change in their position they will need these tariffs for a long time and that could force them to be further non-competitive through lack of reforms.
Flexibility is important here because with legislation there is often a time frame and a "one shoe fits all" approach. The situation on the ground changes often, percentages need to change to ensure industries are not being overprotected from change, and adjustments are made for existing concerns of allies. I'm more of an advocate for free and fair trade where bad actors are punished but the overall process of open markets continue forward to a more united world with higher economic growth that improves people's lives.
Flexibility is important when America has a long-term past precedence of promoting free trade. Yet there is a solid argument that some countries have taken advantage of that free trade good will. Therefore, a higher level of tariffs on abusive countries that engaged in "dumping" could be justified as a punitive measure to ensure countries have a stake in playing it fair.
You must also consider that tariffs are only good when they allow already working industries to quickly pick up their competitive position through new investment, innovation and reform. Without a quick change in their position they will need these tariffs for a long time and that could force them to be further non-competitive through lack of reforms.
Flexibility is important here because with legislation there is often a time frame and a "one shoe fits all" approach. The situation on the ground changes often, percentages need to change to ensure industries are not being overprotected from change, and adjustments are made for existing concerns of allies. I'm more of an advocate for free and fair trade where bad actors are punished but the overall process of open markets continue forward to a more united world with higher economic growth that improves people's lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)