Welcome to Davlin Services of Kansas City, your solution for all of your industrial staffing needs! Here are a few items in the news from the world of human resources and staffing...
Industrial Production in U.S. Climbs More Than Forecast
Bloomberg (05/16/12) Lorraine Woellert
The output of the nation’s factories, mines, and utilities surged 1.1% in April, the biggest gain since December 2010, the U.S. Federal Reserve reported today. Economists forecasted a 0.6% gain, according to the Bloomberg News survey median. March production was revised up to a 0.6% decrease from the initial estimate of unchanged, while February production was revised to a 0.4% gain from a flat reading. Factory activity alone rose 0.6% in April after a 0.5% drop in the previous month. Capacity utilization—a gauge of slack in the economy—rose to 79.2% in April from 78.4% in March. This is the highest capacity reading of this business cycle.
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Good U.S. Jobs News Can Be Found in Big Business
Bloomberg (05/15/12) Peter Orszag
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, companies with 5,000 or more employees have been hiring U.S. workers at a fairly quick pace, expanding their work forces by an average of 0.4 percentage point a month from January 2011 to February 2012. The data indicate that the weakness in the nation’s labor market reflects slow hiring growth among most smaller companies, which during the same period expanded their work forces by just 0.1 percentage point a month. Meanwhile, companies with nine or fewer workers saw their net employment decline.
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Employers Are Wise to Avoid English-Only Policies in Most Circumstances
JDSupra (05/11/2012)
Employers may believe that policies requiring employees to speak only English at work foster communication among employees and put a stop to rude or inconsiderate behavior toward employees who speak only English, but experts say such policies could expose them to liability. In California, for instance, employers can institute English-only policies only if justified by a business necessity, and employers must spell out when language restrictions must be observed as well as the consequences for violations. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also requires that such policies be justified by a business necessity.
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Employers in Manufacturing, Hospitality, and Retail Drive Increase in Summer Hiring
MarketWatch (05/16/12)
The pace of job creation may pick up over the summer months, fueled by an expected increase in seasonal hiring. Three in 10 (29%) U.S. employers plan to hire workers for the summer, up from 21% in 2011 and an average of 22% over the past four years, according to ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder’s annual Summer Job Forecast. Stronger-than-expected growth in the manufacturing sector, as well as increased consumer confidence heading into vacation season, are likely behind the busier summer hiring season. Approximately 45% of employers in the manufacturing industry plan to add summer workers, followed by hospitality (44%), retail (34%), and finance (31%).
“Confidence is up among the employers we most closely associate with summer hiring. This is good news for job seekers, as seasonal work can often lead to full-time opportunities. A majority of employers told us they consider a summer position an extended job interview,” says Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America. “The forecast is also a strong indicator that the job market will continue to strengthen as we come closer to the second half of 2012.”
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