Sunday 31 December 2017

Want More Luck in 2018? Follow These 3 Simple Rules

Take advantage of chance occurrences, break the weekly routine, and once in a while have the courage to let go

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2CvB2Bw

The Missing Element in Protecting the Environment

We have the science and technology. We're missing effective leadership. Let'slearn from past success.

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2CrFIrX

US considers mortgage credit check shake-up

Critics complain current system outdated and locks millions out of home ownership

from International homepage http://ift.tt/2lyUPIe

18 Ways to Make Employee Town Halls More Engaging in 2018

Break out of the box and take town halls to a whole new level.

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2DBHJBa

The State of UX in 2018

The year UX designers break beyond screens.

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2Cu7rZg

Rouhani’s commitment to reform in Iran is on trial

Stagnation and frustration with theocratic regime fuel unrest, writes Andrew England

from International homepage http://ift.tt/2Cog6ic

Minimum Wage Raises Coming To 18 States On New Year’s Day

Some hikes are less than a quarter an hour. But when you're making minimum wage, every penny counts.

from Business and Finance News, Opinion and Analysis - HuffPost Business http://ift.tt/2q3w3FI

German lawmaker blasts EU for opposing Niki sale to Lufthansa

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government will probably lose a 150 million-euro government-backed loan to insolvent Air Berlin because the European Union opposed Lufthansa's purchase of Air Berlin's Austrian unit, Niki, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives said on Sunday.


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Why Elements Could be the Next Page in Merchant Loyalty Programs

Blockchain technology may be able to improve reward programs while boosting customer loyalty.

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2CqkEEC

Sears Stopped Buying National TV Ads in Critical Holiday Season

Sears Holdings Corp. hasn’t paid for any national TV spots for its struggling Sears and Kmart chains in December, as the CEO shifts advertising to digital channels.

from WSJ.com: US Business http://ift.tt/2Cu0GXo

A Blockbuster and Online Fees Juice China's Box Office

China’s box office is on the upswing, owing to accounting changes and one blockbuster success that signals the evolving tastes of the country’s massive audience.

from WSJ.com: US Business http://ift.tt/2DD5aKt

Question #6 for 2018: How much will wages increase in 2018?

Earlier I posted some questions for next year: Ten Economic Questions for 2018. I'm adding some thoughts, and maybe some predictions for each question.

6) Real Wage Growth: Wage growth picked up in 2016 (up 2.9%), but slowed in 2017 (up 2.5% year-over-year in November).  How much will wages increase in 2018?

The most followed wage indicator is the  “Average Hourly Earnings” from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) (aka "Establishment") monthly employment report.

Wages CES, Nominal and Real Click on graph for larger image.

The blue line shows the nominal year-over-year change in "Average Hourly Earnings" for all private employees.  Nominal wage growth had been running close to 2% since 2010, and picked up a little in 2015, and more in 2016.

However nominal wage growth was a little soft in 2017.

The red line is real wage growth (adjusted using headline CPI).  Real wages increased during the crisis because CPI declined sharply.   CPI was very low in 2015 - due to the decline in oil prices - so real wage growth picked up in 2015.

Real wage growth trended down in 2017.

There are two quarterly sources for earnings data: 1) “Hourly Compensation,” from the BLS’s Productivity and Costs; and 2) the Employment Cost Index which includes wage/salary and benefit compensation. All three data series are different, and most of the focus recently has been the CES series (used in the graph above).

Atlanta Fed Wage TrackerThe second graph is from the Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker.   This measure is the year-over-year change in nominal wages for individuals.

By following wage changes for individuals, this removes the demographic composition effects (older workers who are retiring tend to be higher paid, and younger workers just entering the workforce tend to be lower paid).

The Atlanta Fed Wage tracker showed nominal wage growth close to 4% at the end of 2016, but only 3.2% in November 2017.

As the labor market continues to tighten, we should see more wage pressure as companies have to compete for employees. I expect to see some further increases in both the Average hourly earning from the CES, and in the Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker.  Perhaps nominal wages will increase close to 3% in 2018 according to the CES.

Here are the Ten Economic Questions for 2018 and a few predictions:

Question #6 for 2018: How much will wages increase in 2018?
Question #7 for 2018: How much will Residential Investment increase?
Question #8 for 2018: What will happen with house prices in 2018?
Question #9 for 2018: Will housing inventory increase or decrease in 2018?
Question #10 for 2018: Will the New Tax Law impact Home Sales, Inventory, and Price Growth in Certain States?

from Calculated Risk http://ift.tt/2Cv7xQq

Question #6 for 2018: How much will wages increase in 2018?

Earlier I posted some questions for next year: Ten Economic Questions for 2018. I'm adding some thoughts, and maybe some predictions for each question.

6) Real Wage Growth: Wage growth picked up in 2016 (up 2.9%), but slowed in 2017 (up 2.5% year-over-year in November).  How much will wages increase in 2018?

The most followed wage indicator is the  “Average Hourly Earnings” from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) (aka "Establishment") monthly employment report.

Wages CES, Nominal and Real Click on graph for larger image.

The blue line shows the nominal year-over-year change in "Average Hourly Earnings" for all private employees.  Nominal wage growth had been running close to 2% since 2010, and picked up a little in 2015, and more in 2016.

However nominal wage growth was a little soft in 2017.

The red line is real wage growth (adjusted using headline CPI).  Real wages increased during the crisis because CPI declined sharply.   CPI was very low in 2015 - due to the decline in oil prices - so real wage growth picked up in 2015.

Real wage growth trended down in 2017.

There are two quarterly sources for earnings data: 1) “Hourly Compensation,” from the BLS’s Productivity and Costs; and 2) the Employment Cost Index which includes wage/salary and benefit compensation. All three data series are different, and most of the focus recently has been the CES series (used in the graph above).

Atlanta Fed Wage TrackerThe second graph is from the Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker.   This measure is the year-over-year change in nominal wages for individuals.

By following wage changes for individuals, this removes the demographic composition effects (older workers who are retiring tend to be higher paid, and younger workers just entering the workforce tend to be lower paid).

The Atlanta Fed Wage tracker showed nominal wage growth close to 4% at the end of 2016, but only 3.2% in November 2017.

As the labor market continues to tighten, we should see more wage pressure as companies have to compete for employees. I expect to see some further increases in both the Average hourly earning from the CES, and in the Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker.  Perhaps nominal wages will increase close to 3% in 2018 according to the CES.

Here are the Ten Economic Questions for 2018 and a few predictions:

Question #6 for 2018: How much will wages increase in 2018?
Question #7 for 2018: How much will Residential Investment increase?
Question #8 for 2018: What will happen with house prices in 2018?
Question #9 for 2018: Will housing inventory increase or decrease in 2018?
Question #10 for 2018: Will the New Tax Law impact Home Sales, Inventory, and Price Growth in Certain States?

from Calculated Risk http://ift.tt/2Cv7xQq

3 Steps Leaders Must Take to Create Content That Builds Trust with Audiences

Authentic thought leadership content is one of the best ways to establish trust with skeptical online audiences. Here are 3 steps for creating it.

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2zTla97

The Digital Transformation Myth and What you Can do to Become Fit for the Future

Consider these three ideas for your next change initiative.

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2lrWL5S

Siemens to gauge interest of state funds in Healthineers IPO: CEO

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Siemens will test the appetite of sovereign wealth funds ahead of the planned listing of its healthcare unit Healthineers next year, its chief executive told a German weekly, possibly to secure anchor investors for the flotation.


from Reuters: Business News http://ift.tt/2q0ZqZ7

10 New Year’s Eve Reads

My getting ready for a quiet cold New Year’s Eve, morning reads: • Stellar year for stocks; more highs forecast (Axios) • The Top Investment Podcasts of 2017 (Meb Faber) • Stock Buybacks: Separating Myth from Reality (Barron’s) • 11 Stocks Rattled by Amazon in 2017. (New York Times) • A physicist who always dreamed of working in the US says it’s no longer…

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The post 10 New Year’s Eve Reads appeared first on The Big Picture.



from The Big Picture http://ift.tt/2zT6qHd

Will You Work When You're Old? A Look at Employment Ages in the U.S. (Infographic)

Today, working past 65 years old isn't uncommon.


from Entrepreneur http://ift.tt/2lxcO1M

10 New Year’s Eve Reads

My getting ready for a quiet cold New Year’s Eve, morning reads: • Stellar year for stocks; more highs forecast (Axios) • The Top Investment Podcasts of 2017 (Meb Faber) • Stock Buybacks: Separating Myth from Reality (Barron’s) • 11 Stocks Rattled by Amazon in 2017. (New York Times) • A physicist who always dreamed of working in the US says it’s no longer…

Read More

The post 10 New Year’s Eve Reads appeared first on The Big Picture.



from The Big Picture http://ift.tt/2zT6qHd

Seaplane Crashes Into Sydney River, Killing All 6 on Board

Sydney (AP) -- A seaplane crashed into a river in Sydney on Sunday afternoon, killing all six people on board, officials said.

from Bloomberg http://ift.tt/2C44rBy

Mindfulness Is So 2017. This Is the Practice That Will Bring You Peace in 2018, According to a Psychologist

Resolve to try this?

from Inc.com http://ift.tt/2lxYIgr

A major curveball in retirement preparedness: divorce

Getty Images; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI Divorce can derail the best-laid retirement plans. Divorced baby boomers — especially women — often...