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Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are required to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 14

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are required to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are required to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are required to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 27

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are required to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 28
June, 2008

Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 14

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 27

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 28

Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 14

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 23

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 25

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 27

Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/boomer00/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 28

No Babies? NY Times Magazine Article

The New York Times did a fantastic service regarding raising the awareness of the demographic crisis by having a front-page article in its Sunday NY Times Magazine focussing on Europe’s problem with reduced fertility. You will probably have to register, but the link is (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/magazine/29birth-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=ma).

The author is very articulate in describing many of the reasons for the birth dirth in Europe, and especially the Eastern and Southern parts of Europe. However, he does not recognize that the trend to lower fertility has been going on for two centuries. Napoleon worried about it. So did Teddy Roosevelt. Allan Greenspan told Congress that this has been going on for “at least 150 years.”

We must recognize this new demographic reality. The only reasonable solution is to create a paradigm shift regarding the potential of older workers.

Posted in Pensions, Working Longer, Uncategorized | No Comments »

International Competition for Skilled Workers

The debate continues regarding whether there will eventually be major labor shortages in the U. S. With the big jump in the percent unemployed last week, many will probably be even more skeptical.

However, the argument must move beyond what is going to happen to the average worker. If the nation is going to maintain any semblance of the GDP growth of the past decade, government and business must do something to educate and motivate skilled workers.

Engineers are a frightening example. Many reports have been published about a shortage that already exists in many of the engineering disciplines in the U. S. (a recent example was Workforce Management’s repor that “Engineers, Machinists, Tradesmen in Short Supply” (link). Many executives and government specialists may be counting on importing that talent from abroad. Recent international reports will question that assumption.

The Financial Times reported on May 12, 2008 that “Germany, home of the engineer, faces acute skill shortage.” (Registration required). The FT reports that there are 95,000 unfilled posts in Germany.

The International Herald Tribune reports on June 8, 2008 that “Japan is running out of engineers.” (Link).

Hmmmm. The three largest economies, and the three that were responsible for such a large percent of the technical innovations for several decades, are now running short of technical innovators.

Would anyone who does not think that we have a workforce crisis, and that we need to desperately work to keep our current technical people in the workforce, please detail why not in a response!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Rep. Emanuel Tries to Help Older Workers

We have noted before that everyone should try to support legislators that have the foresight to help older workers that want to stay in the workforce. The NCOA Public Policy Update for June reported that Reps. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Jim Ranstad (MN) have introduced a bill (H. R. 6036), the Lifelong Learning Accounts Act, that would allow workers to “create employer-matched, portable educational accounts that workers can use to finance their education and training” (per the NCOA).” This is an important change from current law, which only works for retraining directed to an individuals present job. The latter is obviously not much help to those who lost their job because of category obsolescence or heavy competition in a category from foreign competitors.

Details on the legislation can be located on Rep. Emanuel’s web site.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »