He says he constantly begs his managers at Walmart for full-time work. He generally works around 28 hours a week, but can be assigned as few as 18. He supports his fiancée on an income that can be as little as $900 a month. After spending about $550 on rent, $65 on gas for his car, as well as paying for food, diapers, cellphone costs and insurance, he can rarely afford new clothes or recreation.
Walmart says about half of its hourly-wage workers work part time, and that percentage can be even higher at other retailers. In 2007, about 685,000 of a total of 19.2 million workers in the retail sector were involuntarily employed part time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2014, the number of involuntary part-time retail workers had more than doubled, to 1.4 million, even as the total number of retail workers declined to 18.9 million.
On February 25, 2015 the Subcommittee on Social Security will hold a hearing on Disability (POSTED ON Feb 18, 2015)
A list of witnesses will follow. Oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements by the close of business on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-3625 or (202) 225-2610."
"Anything is fair game when the political establishment wants to pass major trade agreements like NAFTA or the Trans-Pacific Partnership. At such times we see respectable Washington types making pronouncements bearing so little relationship to reality they would cause Sarah Palin to cringe...It is only when the question is one of jobs for U.S. workers that the risk of such a rebellion becomes an unacceptable price. Finally the bad story that we are supposed to fear, “scuttling the entire project,” should arouse howls of derision everywhere. Wow, all those industry folks spent years trying to craft a deal that would boost their profits by circumventing laws and regulations in the U.S. and elsewhere, and now their efforts may prove pointless? Pass the handkerchief, I can’t hold back the tears."
That sentence was mis-worded and I changed it to say the article "suggests people should take their Social Security benefits early — at age 62 — so they can invest in bonds or the stock market." (I suppose if you had read that CBS article, you would have understood. But it's my fault, as I should have been more clear. Thanks for mentioning this.)
Also, as far as "subsequent information in this article is incorrect" -- can you please be more specific, as I would like to correct any mistakes. Thanks.
The Republican-controlled Congress needs to pass a war tax to, not only fund another new war, but also to put our young people into college — or to train them in other skills — and to also hire them for good-paying jobs for government infrastructure projects — like FDR did during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression.
The rise of “independent contractors” is the most significant legal trend in the American workforce – contributing directly to low pay, irregular hours, and job insecurity. What makes them “independent contractors” is the mainly that the companies they work for say they are. So those companies don’t have to pick up the costs of having full-time employees. It’s become a race to the bottom. Once one business cuts costs by making its workers “independent contractors,” every other business in that industry has to do the same – or face shrinking profits and a dwindling share of the market ... They take these jobs because they can’t find better ones. And as the race to the bottom accelerates, they have fewer and fewer alternatives.
I agree that most "senior-citizen" groups like AARP etc. are front groups for insurance companies. But why do you not disclose that the Alliance for Retired Americans is a front group for the AFL/CIO? I do admit it takes great creativity to shoehorn a trade agreement into a senior-citizen issue.
(Most of the subsequent information in this article is incorrect, most obviously: People can take their social security benefits at 62. Why would CBS propose that?)
"Since June 2009, private-sector employment has increased by about 10 million, more than offsetting the decline that occurred during the recession. However, unlike in the recession, the majority of job gains were in the low-paying industries. Of the 10 million increase in private nonfarm jobs during the current expansion, about 61 percent, 6.1 million, were in low-paying industries ... In particular, job growth in the retail trade, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality industries was responsible for almost half of total job growth during the recovery. In high-paying industries, job growth was especially strong in business services, which has accounted for about a third of the private-sector job gains during the recovery."
Employees are literally losing sleep as restaurants, retailers and many other businesses shrink the intervals between shifts and rely on smaller, leaner staffs to shave costs. These scheduling practices can take a toll on employees who have to squeeze commuting, family duties and sleep into fewer hours between shifts.
I think the net gains by JOLTS are the closest one can get to real labor flows and this would show temporary to some degree, but does not show the "carousel" of revolving people who are working temporary and then being without work for a long time period to then later get another temporary job.
If you are one of those people who earns the median wage or less; or fears you might one day get laid off from your job; or believes that it's possible that one day you could become disabled or too sick to work; or think you'll work long enough to survive on a meager Social Security check in your old age; then these 5 articles are for you...
Sen. Lindsey Graham (Sen. Rand Paul's likely rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016) is getting some encouragement from Sheldon Adelson (the c@sino owner who backed Mitt Romney in 2012).
Companies must end their reliance on temporary employees.
http://www.mndaily.com/opinion/columns/2015/02/15/temp-work-becoming-per...
He says he constantly begs his managers at Walmart for full-time work. He generally works around 28 hours a week, but can be assigned as few as 18. He supports his fiancée on an income that can be as little as $900 a month. After spending about $550 on rent, $65 on gas for his car, as well as paying for food, diapers, cellphone costs and insurance, he can rarely afford new clothes or recreation.
Walmart says about half of its hourly-wage workers work part time, and that percentage can be even higher at other retailers. In 2007, about 685,000 of a total of 19.2 million workers in the retail sector were involuntarily employed part time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2014, the number of involuntary part-time retail workers had more than doubled, to 1.4 million, even as the total number of retail workers declined to 18.9 million.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/business/next-goal-for-walmart-workers...
An excellent history...too bad you spoil the whole thing by putting down the Republicans and following the Commie/Liberal party line.
On February 25, 2015 the Subcommittee on Social Security will hold a hearing on Disability (POSTED ON Feb 18, 2015)
A list of witnesses will follow. Oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements by the close of business on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-3625 or (202) 225-2610."
Ways and Means:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398109
(* MY QUESTION: If the hearing is on Feb 25, they will still take comments until March 11 -- and do they really read the comments?)
I got this info from a new post here: Disability Insurance: An Essential Part of Social Security (Posted Feb 24)
http://www.offthechartsblog.org/disability-insurance-an-essential-part-o...
"Anything is fair game when the political establishment wants to pass major trade agreements like NAFTA or the Trans-Pacific Partnership. At such times we see respectable Washington types making pronouncements bearing so little relationship to reality they would cause Sarah Palin to cringe...It is only when the question is one of jobs for U.S. workers that the risk of such a rebellion becomes an unacceptable price. Finally the bad story that we are supposed to fear, “scuttling the entire project,” should arouse howls of derision everywhere. Wow, all those industry folks spent years trying to craft a deal that would boost their profits by circumventing laws and regulations in the U.S. and elsewhere, and now their efforts may prove pointless? Pass the handkerchief, I can’t hold back the tears."
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/29238-trade-crazy-the-push-for-fas...
That sentence was mis-worded and I changed it to say the article "suggests people should take their Social Security benefits early — at age 62 — so they can invest in bonds or the stock market." (I suppose if you had read that CBS article, you would have understood. But it's my fault, as I should have been more clear. Thanks for mentioning this.)
Also, as far as "subsequent information in this article is incorrect" -- can you please be more specific, as I would like to correct any mistakes. Thanks.
Robert
Yup... That's why I call it a spell. I have no idea how to make sense of our own madness anymore.
OMG, let's just give it away, la de da, oh well.
the impact of last year's drought on beef prices might be abating here.
The Republican-controlled Congress needs to pass a war tax to, not only fund another new war, but also to put our young people into college — or to train them in other skills — and to also hire them for good-paying jobs for government infrastructure projects — like FDR did during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression.
(February 22, 2015)
The rise of “independent contractors” is the most significant legal trend in the American workforce – contributing directly to low pay, irregular hours, and job insecurity. What makes them “independent contractors” is the mainly that the companies they work for say they are. So those companies don’t have to pick up the costs of having full-time employees. It’s become a race to the bottom. Once one business cuts costs by making its workers “independent contractors,” every other business in that industry has to do the same – or face shrinking profits and a dwindling share of the market ... They take these jobs because they can’t find better ones. And as the race to the bottom accelerates, they have fewer and fewer alternatives.
http://robertreich.org/post/111784272135
I agree that most "senior-citizen" groups like AARP etc. are front groups for insurance companies. But why do you not disclose that the Alliance for Retired Americans is a front group for the AFL/CIO? I do admit it takes great creativity to shoehorn a trade agreement into a senior-citizen issue.
(Most of the subsequent information in this article is incorrect, most obviously: People can take their social security benefits at 62. Why would CBS propose that?)
St. Louis Fed:
"Since June 2009, private-sector employment has increased by about 10 million, more than offsetting the decline that occurred during the recession. However, unlike in the recession, the majority of job gains were in the low-paying industries. Of the 10 million increase in private nonfarm jobs during the current expansion, about 61 percent, 6.1 million, were in low-paying industries ... In particular, job growth in the retail trade, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality industries was responsible for almost half of total job growth during the recovery. In high-paying industries, job growth was especially strong in business services, which has accounted for about a third of the private-sector job gains during the recovery."
https://www.stlouisfed.org/~/media/Publications/Regional%20Economist/201...
New York Times:
Employees are literally losing sleep as restaurants, retailers and many other businesses shrink the intervals between shifts and rely on smaller, leaner staffs to shave costs. These scheduling practices can take a toll on employees who have to squeeze commuting, family duties and sleep into fewer hours between shifts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/business/late-to-bed-early-to-rise-and...
I think the net gains by JOLTS are the closest one can get to real labor flows and this would show temporary to some degree, but does not show the "carousel" of revolving people who are working temporary and then being without work for a long time period to then later get another temporary job.
No spell checking in the titling I agree, bad form.
Title should exchange "Industiral" for "Industrial". This stuff is too important to be discounted, out of hand, because of a transposal.
HSBC raided as officials launch money-laundering probe
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/02/18/16788/hsbc-raided-officials-la...
Clinton foundation received up to $81m from clients of controversial HSBC bank
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/10/hillary-clinton-foundatio...
If you are one of those people who earns the median wage or less; or fears you might one day get laid off from your job; or believes that it's possible that one day you could become disabled or too sick to work; or think you'll work long enough to survive on a meager Social Security check in your old age; then these 5 articles are for you...
Why Do Americans Feel Entitled to Tell Poor People What to Eat?
http://www.thenation.com/blog/198369/why-do-americans-feel-entitled-tell...
Is Welfare Reform Causing Earlier Deaths?
http://www.thenation.com/blog/198185/welfare-reform-causing-earlier-deaths
These Lawmakers Think the Minimum Wage Should Be Even Lower
http://www.thenation.com/blog/198321/these-lawmakers-think-minimum-wage-...
The rich own our democracy: The donor class opposes policies that favor the middle-class and poor, and they have sway over our representatives
http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/2/new-evidence-suggests-that-...
Although Sen. Bernie Sanders said debt reduction is a worthy goal, he puts far greater emphasis on reducing what he called the “other deficits in our society,” such as unemployment and income inequality.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/19/bernie-sanders-mulling-2...
Sen. Lindsey Graham (Sen. Rand Paul's likely rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016) is getting some encouragement from Sheldon Adelson (the c@sino owner who backed Mitt Romney in 2012).
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/lindsey-graham-2016-elections-dono...
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