The unemployment numbers we hear in the media are U3 unemployment, and simply disregard the fact that most of the reduction in unemployment from its 10.0 percent peak in October 2009 has been accomplished through a significant drop in the percentage of adults working or looking for work. Discouraging employment- not finding jobs- is the real story behind the decline in the official unemployment rate.
The ISM manufacturing index indicated contraction in November. PMI was at 49.5% in November, down from 51.7% in October.
The General Industry Digest was last published in 2001. It summarizes the requirements of OSHA’s general industry safety and health standards. this 2012 revision is a good single source document to bring you up to date on key occupational safety issues.
The New York Times gets it wrong on the skills gap, confusing cause and effect, ignoring facts, and making a false analogy. Higher wages are a consequence of having skills that add value by increasing the value and or quality of the employee’s work. Raising wages does not of itself add any tangible benefit or skill to the employee’s work product. It does however raise cost.
The word manufacturing has such negative connotations that it is avoided in marketing educational programs. What has happened in our country to make our next generation so turned off by the word manufacturing?
October’s numbers, while up from September’s, are discouraging to our forecast of industry sales for 2012. With seasonal declines already built into November and December, we believe that the Industry will be fortunate to come in even with last year. Add in the global economic slowdown, fiscal cliff, and we believe that dreams of 2012…
Inspection of lifting devices such as straps, slings and chains needs to be done regularly to assure safety. Who is responsible for this in your shop? Can you show me records of their inspections of these critical devices?
Raising wages alone does not create great machinists. Aptitude, attitude, talent, training, and experience do.
These do not arrive by merely raising wages. Higher wages are a reflection of these in an employee.
We’ve come a long way in our shops from the days of the blacksmith, but Hardy Fred Harriss explains the love all of us as craftsmen have for our Craft and tradition of making useful things.
Our industry is all about time. What is your time focus?