 "’As we look forward to celebrating July 4 with fireworks and festivities, we must also consider the safety of workers who handle pyrotechnics,’ said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. ‘It's the employer's responsibility to keep everyone safe on the job and take appropriate measures to protect workers making, selling, displaying, or otherwise handling dangerous pyrotechnic materials.’ “OSHA offers a Safety and Health Topics page that addresses two sectors in the pyrotechnics industry: retail sales of fireworks and fireworks display. On the Web page are descriptions of common hazards and solutions found in both areas of the industry, downloadable safety posters for workplaces where fireworks are handled, and a video demonstrating best industry practices for retail sales and manufacturers based on National Fire Protection Association consensus standards.” Source: OSHA |
30 June 2012
∙ July 4th Fireworks: OSHA Has Suggestions for Your Employees
29 June 2012
∙ The Weekend: Connecticut Issues Mosquito Alert
 Source: TorringtonCitizen.com |
• Unemployment in Connecticut's Major Metro Areas
 The largest over-the-year decrease in unemployment was reported in Waterbury...-1.3 percentage points. Source: USDOL |
∙ Employment in Connecticut's Major Metropolitan Areas - May 2012
 Employment: In May, 5 of the 6 metropolitan areas in Connecticut that are included in a study by the USDOL-BLS reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment; 1 reported a decrease. The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment was reported in Danbury...+2.5%. Source: USDOL |
∙ U.S. Major Metropolitan Area Employment, Unemployment – May 2012
 Five areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while 29 areas registered rates of less than 5.0 percent. Employment: In May, 266 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 101 reported decreases, and 5 had no change. The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment was reported in Lafayette, La. (+10.5 percent), followed by Columbus, Ind. (+9.4 percent), Odessa, Texas (+8.5 percent), and Gainesville, Ga. (+8.2 percent). Source: USDOL |
∙ U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Mandate
 "Although much of the debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) centered on the reach of the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause, the court upheld the law as a permissible tax, concluding that the penalty that the law imposed for refusing to buy insurance was the kind of measure that Congress can impose under its taxing power.” |
∙ U.S. Consumer Confidence Dropped to Lowest Since December
 ”The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of sentiment fell to 73.2 this month from 79.3 in May.” Source: BusinessWeek.com |
∙ U.S. Payrolls Increased in May...but Not in Manufacturing
 Goods-producing industries' payrolls decreased $7.0 billion, in contrast to an increase of $5.6 billion; manufacturing payrolls decreased $4.5 billion, in contrast to an increase of $3.2 billion. Services-producing industries' payrolls increased $8.3 billion, in contrast to a decrease of $0.4 billion. Government wage and salary disbursements increased $0.3 billion, compared with an increase of $0.4 billion. Source: USDOC |
∙ U.S. Personal Income Up, Expenditures Down in May
 Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) decreased $4.7 billion, or less than 0.1 percent. Last Month: In April, personal income increased $29.4 billion, or 0.2 percent, DPI increased $19.5 billion, or 0.2 percent, and PCE increased $16.2 billion, or 0.1 percent, based on revised estimates. Real disposable income increased 0.3 percent in May, compared with an increase of 0.1 percent in April. Real PCE increased 0.1 percent in May, the same increase as in April. Source: USDOC |
∙ Did You Know? Certain Connecticut Organizations Are Required to Have Defibrillators
 "If the heart is in ventricular fibrillation (i.e., beating abnormally), the microprocessor recommends a defibrillating shock to restore a regular rhythm. The shock is delivered through adhesive electrode pads. ”Connecticut law requires AEDs in certain establishments, including schools (provided funding is available), public golf courses, and, starting October 1, 2012, higher education institution athletic departments. State regulations also require defibrillation equipment (not necessarily AEDs) in certain medical settings. "State law addresses other topics related to AEDs, such as (1) training standards for AED use by certain professionals and (2) immunity related to negligently providing, maintaining, or using an AED in certain circumstances.” Source: Connecticut General Assembly |
28 June 2012
∙ U.S. GDP Increased at 1.9% AR in Q1
 The GDP estimate released today is based on more complete source data than were available for the "second" estimate issued last month. In the second estimate, the increase in real GDP was also 1.9 percent. The increase in real GDP in the first quarter reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), exports, residential fixed investment, nonresidential fixed investment, and private inventory investment that were partly offset by negative contributions from federal government spending and state and local government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased. The deceleration in real GDP in the first quarter primarily reflected decelerations in private inventory investment and in nonresidential fixed investment that were partly offset by accelerations in PCE, in exports, and in residential fixed investment and a deceleration in imports. Source: USDOC |
• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Down 6K
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In the week ending June 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 386,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 392,000 and down 9.2% from the same week a year ago. The 4-week moving average was 386,750, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average of 387,500. Click on chart to enlarge:  The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending June 9 were in Alaska (4.2), Puerto Rico (3.8), Pennsylvania (3.6), California (3.4), New Jersey (3.3), Connecticut (3.2), Illinois (3.1), Oregon (3.1), Nevada (2.9), Rhode Island (2.9), and the Virgin Islands (2.9). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending June 16 were in Pennsylvania (+4,656), New Jersey (+3,907), Maryland ( +2,624), Florida (+2,528), and Puerto Rico (+1,533), while the largest decreases were in California (-8,016), New York (-3,018), Georgia (-2,160), Illinois (-1,996), and Missouri (-1,339).
Note: “Insured rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits. Source: USDOL-BLS |
∙ “Tips for Creating a Standard Job Description Format“
 “Not only do they help you find the best candidates by letting job seekers see if they are a good fit, and help you evaluate employee performance by connecting duties with outcomes and accountabilities during performance appraisals, but they also keep you in regulatory compliance, acting as proof of essential job functions for ADA purposes or as proof of exempt job duties for FLSA purposes.” Source: Business & Legal Resources |
27 June 2012
∙ Subcontractor Charged with Workers' Compensation Violations, Forgery in Connecticut
 ”Mario Vazquez, age 35…was arrested on a warrant charging him with two counts of Failure to Comply with Workers' Compensation insurance requirements and two counts of Forgery in the Second Degree…. ”According to the arrest warrant affidavit,…” Source: Connecticut State Division of Criminal Justice Mr. Vazquez is presumed innocent until proved guilty. |
∙ “U.S. Supreme Court Rules Pharmaceutical Sales Reps are Exempt from Overtime”
 "Both the majority and dissent in the 5 to 4 decision agreed that....” Source: JacksonLewis.com |
∙ U.S. Durable Goods Orders Jumped in May
 This increase, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, followed a 0.2 percent April decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.4 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.7 percent. Source: USDOC |
26 June 2012
∙ Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) Payments Continue to Increase
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”Because the state is not in a position to pay its outstanding loan in full this year, a credit reduction in the amount of 0.6% will be applied to wages paid in 2012. The additional FUTA credit reduction, a maximum of $42 per employee, will be due in January 2013. ”Because the FUTA tax was reduced as of July 1, 2011 to an effective rate of 0.6%, the total rate for Connecticut wages paid in 2012 will be 1.2%. While you may wish to accrue funds at this level, federal deposit rules require only the FUTA tax, and not the credit reduction, to be included in your deposit calculations for April, July and October. The entire credit reduction for the year, plus any remaining un]deposited FUTA tax, must be deposited or paid by January 31, 2013.” Source: CTDOL |
∙ ”How Do You Calculate Intermittent FMLA Leave?”
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”In a BLR webinar titled FMLA Intermittent and Reduced Schedule Leave: How to Stop Abuse and Overcome Compliance Challenges, Drew L. Alexis outlined some guidance for us on the proper way to calculate the FMLA leave taken in these scenarios.” Source: Business & Legal Resources |
∙ U.S. Consumer Confidence Fell in June
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”Says Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board: ‘Consumer Confidence declined in June, the fourth consecutive moderate decline. Consumers were somewhat more positive about current conditions, but slightly more pessimistic about the short-term outlook. Income expectations, which had improved last month, declined in June. If this trend continues, spending may be restrained in the short-term. The improvement in the Present Situation Index, coupled with a moderate softening in consumer expectations, suggests there will be little change in the pace of economic activity in the near-term.’” Source: The Conference Board |
∙ Connecticut's Recession Recovery - Through May 2012
 Connecticut has now recovered 34,900, or 29.7%, of the 117,500 total nonfarm jobs lost in
the March 2008 - February 2010 recessionary period.
The private sector has now regained 43,600 (39.6%) of the 110,200 private jobs lost in the recessionary downturn. Financial activities, other services, and government have continued to lose jobs even after the recovery began in February 2010. However, last month, total private employment declined slightly (-200, less than 0.05%) as government had a large gain (1,600, 0.7%). Since last May, the private sector has added 9,900 positions (0.7%), while overall nonfarm employment is running at a somewhat slower pace (6,200, 0.4%). The current job recovery highpoint is February 2012 (1,634,900) for Connecticut. Source: CTDOL Photo: Capt. Len Persson, 20 JUN 2008; Long Island Sound off Milford, CT |
25 June 2012
∙ U.S. New Home Sales Improved in May
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The median sales price of new houses sold in May 2012 was $234,500; the average sales price was $273,900. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of May was 145,000. This represents a supply of 4.7 months at the current sales rate. Source: USDOC |
∙ U.S. Time-Use Survey Shows Hours Worked…and Where
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Hours Per Day: On days that they worked, employed persons spent an average of 7.6 hours working. More hours were worked, on average, on weekdays than on weekend days--8.0 hours compared with 5.7 hours.
Weekend Work: Many more persons worked on weekdays than on weekend days: 82 percent of employed persons worked on an average weekday, compared with 35 percent on an average weekend day. These estimates include individuals who worked on days they were not normally scheduled to work. For example, the 35 percent of workers who worked on a weekend day includes those whose jobs are typically scheduled on weekends, as well as those who usually work on weekdays but spent time working on the weekend. Homework: On the days that they worked, 21 percent of employed persons did some or all of their work at home, and 85 percent did some or all of their work at their workplace. Men and women were about equally likely to do some or all of their work at home. Source: USDOL-BLS |
∙ Employment In Connecticut’s Major Industries – May 2012
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Gaining industries were led by education and health services (+1,600, 0.5%). Both educational services (+800, 1.3%) and health care and social assistance (+800, 0.5%), had identical numerical gains. Government also added 1,600 jobs (0.7%). The entire public administration gain came from the local government portion (+2,600, 1.7%), while state (-800, -1.2%) and federal (-200, -1.1%) government experienced over-the-month declines. Local government education job counts are often volatile during the transition to summer, so these gains may not hold up in future months. On-going U.S. postal service reductions continue to pull down federal employment levels. Construction and closely related mining created 700 positions (1.4%). The building sectors have been affected by large monthly fluctuations to date this year because of the record warm winter and appear to be returning to normal this month. Manufacturing strengthened by 600 jobs (0.4%) over the month, led by growth from durable goods (+400, 0.3%) and nondurable goods (+200, 0.5%) production segments. Financial activities had a small increase of 100 positions (0.1%) for this grouping’s third monthly gain in a row. The finance and insurance (+100, 0.1%) portion provided a small gain as real estate held steady (0, 0.0%). Leisure and hospitality added 100 positions (0.1%) over the month. The accommodation and food services component increased by 300 positions (0.3%) but the arts, entertainment, and recreation component declined by 200 (-0.8%). The leisure and hospitality supersector has also been heavily influenced by the warm winter weather and appears to be returning to more of a typical seasonable pattern. The three declining industries were led lower by professional and business services (-1,600, -0.8%). This industry had job losses in two components, professional, scientific, and technical services (-900, -1.0%) and administrative and waste management services (-700, -0.9%), while management of companies and enterprises was unchanged. Other services was the next largest decliner (-1,200, -2.0%). Trade, transportation, and utilities (-500, -0.2%) also posted a decline. A large wholesale trade employment drop could not be offset by smaller gains in both retail trade (700, 0.4%), and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (200, 0.4%). Information, was unchanged over the month. Source: CTDOL |
22 June 2012
∙ OSHA Issues PPE Rule Re Head Protection
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The rule will be effective September 20, 2012 unless OSHA receives a significant adverse comment by July 23, 2012. Source: USDOL-OSHA |
∙ Connecticut's Hours of Work - May 2012
 The workweek for employees in the private sector, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 33.8 hours in May 2012, down 0.3 hours (-0.9%) from the May 2011 figure of 34.1 hours. Source: CTDOL |
21 June 2012
∙ State Employee Charged with Workers’ Compensation Fraud, Larceny, Forgery
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”Mary Beth anderson, age 53…was charged with one count of Workers’ Compensation Fraud, one count of Larceny in the Second Degree, and four counts of Forgery in the Second Degree. ”According the arrest warrant affidavit….” |
∙ How U.S. States Fared on Unemployment, Employment in May
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Unemployment: In May, 18 states, including Connecticut, had over-the-month unemployment rate increases, 14 states and the District of Columbia had decreases, and 18 states had no change.
Employment: Nonfarm payroll employment was up in 27 states, including Connecticut, and the district, down in 22 states, and unchanged in Maine. Source: USDOL |
∙ U.S. Leading Indicators Rose in May
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”Says Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board: ‘The LEI rose in May, reversing the slight decline in April. Weakness in the average workweek in manufacturing, stock prices and consumer expectations kept the LEI from rising further. Its six-month growth rate remains in expansionary territory and well above its growth at the end of 2011, pointing to a relatively low risk of a downturn in the second half of 2012.’ ”Says Ken Goldstein, economist at The Conference Board: ‘Economic data in general reflect a U.S. economy that is growing modestly, neither losing nor gaining momentum. The result is more of a muddle through. Continued headwinds, both domestic and foreign, make further strengthening of the economy difficult.’” Source: The Conference Board |
∙ New Connecticut Law Permits Certain 16-Year-Olds to Work in Manufacturing
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It defines an internship as supervised practical training of a high school student or recent graduate that includes curriculum and workplace standards approved by the departments of Labor (DOL) and Education (SDE). Source: Connecticut General Assembly Note: Any employer intending to make use of minors in this regard should first discuss the matter with the Employment of Minors section of the Wage & Workplace Standards Division, CTDOL |
∙ U.S. Mass Layoffs Declined in May 2012
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Seasonally Adjusted Data: Employers took 1,380 mass layoff actions in May involving 130,191 workers as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month. Each mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. Mass layoff events in May decreased by 8 from April, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 5,409. Year-to- date mass layoff events (6,768) and initial claims (636,484) both recorded their lowest figures since 2007. In May, 264 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 29,675 initial claims. Not-Seasonally Adusted: The number of mass layoff events in May was 1,201 resulting in 109,259 initial claims for unemployment insurance. Over the year, the number of average weekly mass layoff events decreased by 42 to 300, while associated average weekly initial claims decreased by 2,663 to 27,315.
Thirteen of the 19 major industry sectors in the private economy reported over-the-year decreases in average weekly initial claims, with the largest decrease occurring in manufacturing. The industry with the largest number of private nonfarm initial claims was food service contractors.” Source: USDOL |
• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Down 2K
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In the week ending June 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 387,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 389,000 and down 8.7% from the same week a year ago. The 4-week moving average was 386,250, an increase of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 382,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending June 9, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending June 2 were in Alaska (4.4), Puerto Rico (3.7), Pennsylvania (3.5), California (3.3), New Jersey (3.3), Connecticut (3.2), Oregon (3.2), Illinois (3.1), Nevada (3.0), and Virgin Islands (3.0). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending June 9 were in California (+12,987), Pennsylvania (+7,036), Texas (+4,028), Georgia (3,686), and North Carolina (+3,148), while the largest decreases were in Missouri (-438), Alaska (-126), Puerto Rico (-99), Nevada (-99), and Minnesota (-66). Click on chart to enlarge: Note: “Insured rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed AND receiving UC benefits. Source: USDOL-BLS |
∙ Connecticut's Hourly and Weekly Pay - May 2012
Average hourly earnings at $27.98, not seasonally adjusted, are now down twenty six cents, or -0.9% lower than last May. The resulting average private sector weekly pay estimate was $945.72, down $17.26, or -1.8% over the year. Source: CTDOL |
20 June 2012
∙ U.S. Job Openings and Hires – April 2012
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Job Openings: There were 3.665 million job openings on the last business day of April, down from 3.722 million in March.
Hires: The hires rate, 3.3 percent, was up from 3.1% in March as U.S. employers hired 4.447 million workers as compared to 4.127 the previous month. Source: USDOL |
∙ Connecticut Outdoor Workers at Risk for Heat Stress
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Each year in the US, several hundred people are killed by heat-related conditions, and thousands more are made ill. Young workers, older workers, and those with underlying health conditions or taking certain medications are at greatest risk for heat stress and heat stroke. In Connecticut, dozens of workers are seen in emergency departments each summer due to the health effects of heat stress. “On average, heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States, and many of those harmed or killed are workers.” said DPH Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen. “While any worker death is tragic, those caused by heat stress are particularly disturbing because they are so easily preventable.” Employers can take actions to protect their employees working in hot environments. These include: ∙ encouraging frequent breaks away from direct sunlight, ∙ scheduling physically-demanding work during the cooler parts of the day, and; ∙ providing cooling fans and moisture-wicking clothing to help their employees keep cool. Those working in hot environments should be encouraged to drink non-caffeinated liquids frequently to stay properly hydrated, typically 8 ounces of fluids every 20-30 minutes. In addition, onsite workers trained in recognizing and treating heat stress disorders, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, is essential to early recognition and intervention. For more information on heat safety in the workplace go to: |
∙ “Can You Recognize Sexual Harassment When You See It?”
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”In each situation below, determine if sexual harassment is an issue. Then scroll down to check your answers. ”1. A female employee wears short skirts and tops with low necklines to work. Is this inviting sexual harassment? ”2. A female supervisor makes frequent comments about a male employee's physique. Is this sexual harassment? ”3. A male supervisor makes a sexual advances to a female employee under his supervision. He promises her a raise if she'll go to bed with him. Is this sexual harassment?” Read the full article at: Business & Legal Resources |
∙ Connecticut Unemployment Insurance Special Assessments to be Mailed in August
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”In Connecticut, the statutory mechanism to collect these interest payments is via an annual special assessment billed to the state’s employers on August 1 and due on August 31. In 2011 the agency issued an assessment to collect approximately $30 million interest due and, thanks to your collective response, Connecticut made its interest payment to the U.S. Treasury in full and on time. ”In December 2011 the state was able to make a payment of one hundred million ($100,000,000) to reduce the principal on which interest will be calculated. We recently made an additional payment in an effort to further reduce the outstanding loan balance and the corresponding interest due. Our current outstanding loan balance is approximately $630 million. The interest rate on trust fund loans for 2012 has been set at 2.9430%. So, while we are required to pay interest on 12 months of outstanding loans this year (as opposed to nine months in 2011 due to the waiver) we expect this year’s total interest charge to be approximately the same as last year. ”Therefore the projected 2012 special assessment will be approximately $1.70 per thousand dollars of taxable payroll, or about $25.50 per full time employee. For example, an employer with 10 workers might expect an August assessment of about $255.” Source: CTDOL |
∙ Employment in Connecticut’s Labor Market Areas – May 2012
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Four of the six major Connecticut Labor Market Areas saw job improvement
in May 2012, while one LMA declined and one was unchanged.
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk was the largest job-generating region in May, adding 2,500 jobs (0.6%). Even Norwich-New London had a strong month (+1,300, 1.0%), boding well for summer tourism in that part of the state. Norwich-New London, however, is still the weakest labor market over the year (-2,600, -2.0%). Waterbury (+800, 1.3%) and New Haven (+100, less than 0.05%) provided smaller gains. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford (-1,400, -0.3%) was the only region that declined in jobs this May, but still has created the most positions over the year of any region in the state (+3,400, 0.6%).” Source: CTDOL |
19 June 2012
∙ U.S. Building Permits and Housing Starts – May 2012
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Building Permits: Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 780,000. This is 7.9 percent (±1.0%) above the revised April rate of 723,000 and is 25.0 percent (±1.5%) above the May 2011 estimate of 624,000. Single-family authorizations in May were at a rate of 494,000; this is 4.0 percent (±0.8%) above the revised April figure of 475,000. Housing Starts: Privately-owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 708,000. This is 4.8 percent (±12.7%) below the revised April estimate of 744,000, but is 28.5 percent (±10.7%) above the May 2011 rate of 551,000. Single-family housing starts in May were at a rate of 516,000; this is 3.2 percent (±12.5%)* above the revised April figure of 500,000. Source: USDOC |
∙ What Connecticut’s New Marijuana Law Means to Employers
 ”Connecticut has become the 17th state in the country to permit the use of medical marijuana. “An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana (Public Act No. 12-55) makes it legal for certain individuals to possess marijuana for palliative use. ‘Palliative use,’ in part, is defined as alleviating an individual’s symptoms of a ‘debilitating medical condition’ or the effects thereof. A qualifying individual will not be subject to any penalty, such as criminal prosecution or civil penalties, if they [sic] meet certain conditions….” Source: JacksonLewis.com |
∙ Connecticut’s Unemployment by Labor Market Area – May 2012
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Note: Not seasonally adjusted data:
Danbury: 6.3% Enfield: 7.4% Hartford: 8.0% New Haven: 8.3% Norwich-New London: 8.3% Torrington: 7.3% Waterbury: 10.4% Willimantic-Danielson: 9.1% Connecticut statewide: 8.0% Total United States: 7.9% Source: CTDOL |
18 June 2012
∙ “ADA Accommodation: 10 Ways to Get the Interactive Process Right"
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"How do you know you're doing what you must to meet the ADA accommodation requirements?” Source: Business & Legal Resources |
∙ Connecticut’s Unemployment – May 2012
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Connecticut: The estimate of people unemployed, seasonally adjusted, was higher by 3,100 from April 2012 to 150,300 in May, and the unemployment rate rose to 7.8%. Nationally: The May 2012 national rate was 8.2%, also rising one-tenth of a percentage point. Connecticut Initial UC Claims: May’s average weekly initial unemployment claims for first-time filers increased slightly over the month by 74 (1.5%) to 4,872, but were down 418 claims from this time last year, or -7.9%. Source: CTDOL |
17 June 2012
∙ Making Human Resources Decisions: The Thought Process
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"What's best for the employee? "What's legal or required by a government agency? "What sets precedent for future decisions about and fair treatment of employees? "What decision will get you sued with all of the concurrent costs and aggravation?” Source: HumanResources.About.com |
16 June 2012
∙ Connecticut Restaurants Agree to Back Wages for 53 Workers
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”An investigation by the Hartford District Office of the Wage and Hour Division found that the G.D. Diner of New Haven Inc., Athenian Diner of Middletown Inc., Athenian Diner of Milford LLC and Athenian Diner of Waterbury LLC violated the FLSA by paying kitchen employees fixed weekly salaries for all hours worked, without regard to overtime premium pay due for hours beyond 40 per workweek. ”In addition, the investigation found that a 17-year-old dishwasher at the Middletown restaurant operated a meat slicer and another 17-year-old dishwasher operated a meat chopper. Federal child labor provisions prohibit the operation of power-driven meat and poultry processing machines by workers under 18.” Source: USDOL-WHD Photo: Newstimes.com |
15 June 2012
∙ Connecticut Department of Labor On Connecticut’s Jobs Situation in May
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"The unemployment rate, up one-tenth of a percent to 7.8% last month, came in with an increase in the number of unemployed (3,112) but also favorable labor force growth (5,270). An expanding labor force may signal jobseekers are reentering the labor market, sensing better employment prospects. “'A resumption of more typical seasonal patterns now will hopefully give us a clearer picture going forward on job growth and unemployment in the state,' remarked Andy Condon, Director of the agency’s Office of Research. 'Growth in the civilian labor force, if it continues, is a sign that more people are actively searching for work and is significant since the labor force had declined four months in a row.'” Source: CTDOL |
∙ U.S. Consumer Confidence in June
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"The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment fell in June to 74.1 from 79.3 the prior month, which was the highest since October 2007." Source: SFGate.com |
∙ U.S. Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization – May 2012
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Outside of manufacturing, the output of mines advanced 0.9 percent in May, while the output of utilities rose 0.8 percent. At 97.3 percent of its 2007 average, total industrial production in May was 4.7 percent above its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization for total industry declined 0.2 percentage point to 79.0 percent, a rate 1.3 percentage points below its long-run (1972--2011) average. Source: Federal Reserve |
• The Weekend: 10 Things Seafood Restaurants Won’t Tell You
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"Slimehead became orange roughy in the 1970s; escolar (which in large quantities can make people ill) shows up on menus under several names, including butterfish... "...and a renaming campaign for the Asian carp over the past two years has led to its being sold under names like Kentucky tuna, silverfin and even Shanghai bass.” |
∙ Connecticut Begins Mosquito Monitoring for 2012
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“'The recent rains have created ideal breeding habitat for the types of mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus, especially in our urban and suburban communities,' said Dr. Theodore Andreadis, Chief Medical Entomologist, CAES. 'Now is the time to eliminate all standing bodies of water around the home and treat storm drains and catch basins that serve as important production sites for these mosquitoes.'” “Last year, WNV-positive mosquitoes were trapped in 30 municipalities. The first WNV-infected mosquitoes were detected on June 21 and the last on October 17. EEE-positive mosquitoes were identified in Plainfield and Stonington last year.” |
14 June 2012
∙ U.S. Average Hourly Pay Fell 0.1% in Last 12 Months
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Real average hourly earnings for all employees rose 0.3 percent from April to May, seasonally adjusted. The increase stems from a 0.1 percent gain in average hourly earnings and a 0.3 percent decline in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI- U). Real average hourly earnings fell 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, from May 2011 to May 2012. The decline in real average hourly earnings combined with an unchanged workweek, resulted in no change in real average weekly earnings during this period.
Since reaching a peak in October 2010, real average weekly earnings have fallen 1.1 percent. Source: USDOL |
• U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Up 6K
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In the week ending June 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 386,000, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 380,000. The 4-week moving average was 382,000, an increase of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average of 378,500.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 26 were in Alaska (4.6), Puerto Rico (3.7), Pennsylvania (3.5), Illinois (3.4), California (3.3), New Jersey (3.3), Oregon (3.2), Nevada (2.9), Rhode Island (2.9), Massachusetts (2.8), and New York (2.8). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending June 2 were in Oregon (+975), Virginia (+838), New Mexico (+531), Wisconsin (+213), and Nevada (+189), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,168), North Carolina (-2,683), Texas (-1,854), Massachusetts (-1,373), and Georgia (-1,367). Click on chart to enlarge: Note: “Insured rate” refers to individuals who are unemployed and receiving UC benefits. Source: USDOL-BLS |
∙ U.S. Consumer Prices Up 1.7% in Last Year
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The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.7 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 229.815 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index decreased 0.1 percent prior to seasonal adjustment.
The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 1.6 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index decreased 0.1 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. The Consumer Price Index for June 2012 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). Source: USDOL |
