Tag Archive for: economic crisis

Is the Future of Work Hidden in Germany?

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Over that past five years the United States has lived with high unemployment that rivals what this country experienced during the Great Depression. As we all hear in the news almost daily, there are now millions of long-term unemployed, many of whose jobs have disappeared and will most likely never return.

However, the picture in Germany today is very different. As New York Times op-ed contributor Glenn Hutchins observes:

In 2009, Germany suffered a more precipitous drop in gross domestic product than the United States, but it experienced almost no change in unemployment.

(see “Work Like a German,” March 14, 2014)

While unemployment almost doubled in the United States after the Wall Street meltdown, in Germany it hardly budged. Today German unemployment is actually lower than it was before the “Great Recession” and – even more impressively – long-term unemployment is virtually non-existent. How could that be? Read more

The Future of the Job Market is Not What You Might Think

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Just found out about a good article in The Futurist magazine about the future of the job market. In the current economy we’re all concerned about creating enough jobs to get back to something resembling full employment. But given the demographics of the work force, employers who think long term may have a very different challenge ahead of them.

This isn’t new news, but it does serve as an important reminder:  ignore demographics at your peril. [continue reading...]

Flexible Work Programs Help You Cope with the “Recession”

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The new issue of Workforce Management includes in interesting report about a study just released by the Families and Work Institute. The study highlights the growing use of flexible work programs (including, of course, telework/mobile work as part of those initiatives:

In a survey of 400 employers released Thursday, July 23, the Families and Work Institute in New York found that 81 percent have maintained flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting, compressed workweeks, phased retirement and voluntary reduced hours.

[continue reading...]

Hitting the Reset Button

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We’re thrilled that one of our Future of Work Agenda feature articles (“Someone Hit the Reset Button“) has been picked up and reprinted by Capital Magazine, the premier business publication in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

It’s an English-language magazine that we believe is comparable to Forbes or Fortune Magazine.

Free registration is required to access the online version in Capital Magazine, but once you’ve done that you can read the article here:

Capital Magazine July 2009

Enjoy! [continue reading...]

A New Look at an Old Tool: Scenario Planning

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Scenario Planning is one of those powerful strategic tools that’s been around for a long time, can be incredibly powerful, and yet seems to be poorly understood, often misused, and mostly ignored.

Now, in an age we all recognize is increasingly uncertain, it’s making yet another comeback. I was reminded of the power of scenario planning by this recent article in the Wall Street Journal:  “Pendulum is Swinging Back on ‘Scenario Planning’“. [continue reading...]

The June issue of Future of Work Agenda is Now Available

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We’ve just posted the online version of Future of Work Agenda for the month of June.

We will be emailing the newsletter to all subscribers later this evening (it’s free – you can register online here), and posting a complete version here on the blog as well. [continue reading...]

Looking for a Career as an Entrepreneur?

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One of the groups being hit very hard by the current economic downturn is this year’s college grads. They are facing one of the toughest job markets ever.

After teaching a class on entrepreneurship recently at INSEAD, Forbes columnist and book author Sramana Mitra heard from many students about their difficulties finding employment. So she has arranged to deliver a free webinar on “Entrepreneurship As A Career” next Wednesday, May 20, at 10 AM PDT. [continue reading...]

May Issue of Future of Work Agenda newsletter

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[This newsletter was emailed to registered subscribers on Sunday evening, May 3. We are reproducing it here for your convenience. The newsletter is also available through our website at this link. You can subscribe to the newsletter here; we produce 11 issues a year, every month except August. The newsletter is free and will remain so as long as possible.] [continue reading...]

The May Issue of Future of Work Agenda is Now Available

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We’ve just posted the online version of Future of Work Agenda for the month of May.

We will be emailing the newsletter to all subscribers later this evening (it’s free – you can register online here), and posting a complete version here on the blog as well. [continue reading...]

Recession-Proofing against the Uncertainties of Today’s Job Market

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[This post was submitted by Jonathon Papp of CSN Stores]

One major characteristic of the current economic crisis is the large number of layoffs that are occurring. Traditionally during recessionary times layoffs were not nearly as widespread, and when they did occur they were generally restricted to manufacturing jobs and other sectors that could easily be outsourced.

White-Collar jobs were mostly left intact, because most companies were afraid that those jobs would be difficult to replace once the economy rebounded. However, these days even the largest and most successful corporations are willing to take that risk because the current credit liquidity crisis makes it more important than ever to cut costs, and layoffs are unfortunately seen as the most direct way of doing so.

So this brings up the important question: is there any way to “recession-proof” a career?

Read more