Business Insider Magazine - Los Angeles South Bay » Human Resources Insider

Truer U.S. unemployment rate is 17.5%

Editor and Publisher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:19:30 +0000

(The Ticker – The Washington Post) Each month, as regular readers know, I like to unpack the new unemployment number and get behind the data. The news this month continues to be grim. Indeed, it is climbing rapidly toward record-grim territory.

The official U.S. unemployment rate in October rose to 10.2 percent from 9.8 percent in September, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

But the truer measure of unemployment — a total count of everyone who should be working full time but is not — hit 17.5 percent in October, the highest level in modern times.

The official unemployment number ... Continue Reading

Workplace Poster Needs Updating

Editor and Publisher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:04:28 +0000

Required Updates Due to EEOC Notice Change

(The California Chamber of Commerce) A new mandatory change to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) notice in the Employment Notices Poster must be posted by November 21.

CalBizCentral, the source for California business and human resource compliance products, presented by the California Chamber of Commerce, is providing this supplement to download and post next to the 2009 Employment Poster.

The change is required by the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), signed by President ... Continue Reading

House Democrats Prepare For Close Healthcare Vote

Editor and Publisher — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:26:55 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters – The New York Times) – Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives hustled on Thursday to count votes and round up support for a sweeping healthcare overhaul that was headed to a close floor vote on Saturday.

Failure in the Democratic-controlled House would be a huge political blow to President Barack Obama, who has made an overhaul of the vast $2.5 trillion healthcare system his top domestic priority.

Obama planned to visit the Capitol on Friday for a pep talk to House Democrats before the vote. House leaders have struggled to win over some party moderates with lingering ... Continue Reading

Health Plan “Hurts More Than Helps”

Editor and Publisher — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:13:27 +0000

(Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce) Consider the plight of the hard-working employee who’s earned the right to obtain benefits from their employer after years of loyal service – a coverage plan that works for the employee and is affordable for the employer. All of a sudden, that efficient agreement is interrupted by a government attempt to interfere and mandate the terms of the employee’s coverage while possibly instituting new fees (or even fines) to the employer.

For some reason, the Congress and our President (and quite frankly our State Legislature, too) insists on interfering in the perfectly efficient way that ... Continue Reading

CalChamber Partners to Train Employees

Editor and Publisher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:17:00 +0000

CalChamber Keeps California Companies Competitive; New Partnership With ETP Will Facilitate Training for Thousands of Employees Statewide

The California Chamber of Commerce and the Employment Training Panel (ETP) have joined forces in a newly announced partnership that will result in customized job skills training programs for members’ employees throughout the state.

“In this difficult economy, California employers need to have access to training that will improve the skills and productivity of our workforce and help keep our state’s companies competitive,” said Allan Zaremberg, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce. “Our partnership with ETP will help employees, employers and our ... Continue Reading

Health care issues: Other presidents have tried

Editor and Publisher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:08:44 +0000

A look at key issues in the health care debate:

(The Associated Press)

THE ISSUE: Which former presidents have attempted comprehensive health care reform and why hasn’t anyone succeeded?

THE POLITICS: Many have tried. Only Lyndon Johnson achieved transcendent reform, with passage of Medicare and Medicaid protecting the elderly and poor, but universal coverage has been an elusive goal for over a century. Franklin Roosevelt promoted national health insurance but gave priority to jobs and retirement security during the Depression. Harry Truman fought for a single insurance system to cover everyone but ran into Republican opposition and the cries of “socialized medicine” heard ... Continue Reading

RB Chamber Helps Stop Anti-Job Proposal

Editor and Publisher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:00:18 +0000

AB 793 and AB 943, two harmful legislative proposals that would have put businesses in Redondo Beach, were defeated in October when the Governor vetoed both pieces of legislation.

The Chamber reviewed each proposal through its Government Relations Council and sent letters to local legislators and the Governor urging opposition to both proposals.

AB 793 would have revised the statute of limitations law for any workplace claim or lawsuit relating to compensation so that the statute of limitations is renewed each time an employee’s compensation is “affected,” including each time it is paid. AB ... Continue Reading

Survey: L.A. County Layoffs Next Year

Editor and Publisher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:35:13 +0000

By HOWARD FINE

(The Los Angeles Business Journal) One-third of L.A. County businesses anticipate cutting their payrolls next year, more than double the 14 percent rate for the current year, according to a business survey released Tuesday.The findings by the Los Angeles County Business Federation survey come even as Los Angeles County’s unemployment rate jumped in September to a modern record high of 12.7 percent amid the recession.

The survey also found that lack of available credit, the state budget deficit and rising workers’ compensation costs were the top concerns of the 455 county businesses surveyed late September and early October. That’s ... Continue Reading

Cutting to the Chase on the Health Care Bill

Editor and Publisher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:44:44 +0000

Editor’s Note: I receive regular emails from Mr. LeBaron’s organization and respect their efforts to reform government and restore accountability. He makes some interesting points about problems encountered by other nations that have implemented nationalized health care and wisely cautions us on rushing though legislation pushed forward by the political winds or through deception by powerful interests. The passing of the Federal Reserve ACT with barely a quorum during Christmas recess in 1913 is the most outrageous example that comes to mind, but there are many others that have bypassed the democratic process and changed our lives forever.

Let’s cut to ... Continue Reading

California to withhold a bigger chunk of paychecks

Editor and Publisher — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:30:44 +0000

Editor’s Note: Gray Davis’ ghost comes back to haunt us on Halloween.

The amount goes up 10% on Sunday as Sacramento borrows from taxpayers. Technically, it’s not an income tax increase: You’ll get the money back eventually.

By Shane Goldmacher and W.J. Hennigan

(The Los Angeles Times) Reporting from Los Angeles and Sacramento – Starting Sunday, cash-strapped California will dig deeper into the pocketbooks of wage earners — holding back 10% more than it already does in state income taxes just as the biggest shopping season of the year kicks into gear.

Technically, it’s not a tax increase, even though it ... Continue Reading