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5/9/04
PERSONNEL
A bonus or a raise tops the list of things workers want most from their employers. In a study of 571 working men and women, the three primary concerns were money, time, and staffing. Nearly 48 percent of the respondents said what they desired at work was more pay, 24 percent said they wanted more time off, and 17 percent said they wanted their firms to hire additional workers to help shoulder increasing workloads. The survey was conducted by OfficeTeam, the nationwide staffing service. Its findings suggest that tight corporate budgets have meant less pay, more work, and less free time for many US employees. 'What the survey may really be telling us is that employees today are feeling undervalued, overworked, and spread too thin," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. 'For those who have assumed additional responsibilities to make up for personnel shortages, a raise or bonus is a tangible, meaningful reward. Employers should insure that salary levels are competitive with those of related industries in their geographic region, or risk losing top performers." Other research suggests that many workers are struggling to make ends meet with less pay. Last year, the country's collective workforce took home median weekly wages of $825 in the fourth quarter, an increase of 2 percent over 2002 but not enough to stay ahead of inflation. In addition, the American Management Association reports that some workers have so little time to accomplish their duties at work that they are reluctant to take a vacation. When they do go away, they are likely to take work with them, the association said. It also said that the lines between work and leisure time have become almost indistinguishable because of cellphones, computers, and increased concerns about job loss. According to the AMA, 25 percent of US workers contact their worksites each day while away on vacation, 40 percent tend to do some work, and 44 percent work for employers who require that they leave information about their whereabouts so that they can be contacted if needed.
NURSE SHORTAGE With a shortage of nurses threatening patient care, more US hospitals and medical institutions are recruiting nurses from abroad. The drawback is that US demand for trained registered nurses could deplete the number of nursing professionals in developing countries and undermine global health initiatives, according to a report in the current issue of the journal Health Affairs. The journal said Western countries have not done all they can to create 'a sustainable professional nurse workforce at home." It added that such demand for foreign-trained nurses is a symptom of failed policies, including a reluctance to invest more time and money in promoting nursing as a viable profession. 'Although hospitals and health entities in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland recruit nurses from the Philippines, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria, many of these countries have twice as many nurses for their populations [as] those countries have," according to the article. 'For example, the United States has 782 registered nurses per 100,000 people. In Zimbabwe, however, there are 129 registered nurses per 100,000." Linda Aiken, director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, said foreign nurses who willingly leave their homes to work in the United States, Britain, Canada, or Ireland are struggling to overcome poor wages, low employment, economic instability, and other problems such as poorly funded healthcare systems. At the same time, she said, the migration of nurses from poorer countries could undermine efforts to improve health systems in those countries when international resources are finally available to address diseases like AIDS and improve immunization. Statistics from the US Department of Health and Human Services show that an estimated 2.8 million nurses will be needed in this country by 2020 as more and more baby boomers age. However, the United States will experience a shortfall of approximately 400,000 by 2020. One reason: Nursing schools and colleges are having difficulty expanding their enrollments to meet the increasing demand for nursing services. Also, fewer women are entering the profession. Instead, many are pursuing medical school or other careers in medicine.
HIRING The American Management Association reports that 52 percent of 229 US executives expect to increase hiring this year, up from just 38 percent in 2003. Thirteen companies said they would probably have fewer workers in 2004. Last year, 22 percent said they planned to reduce staff. The findings, part of the association's 2004 Job Outlook Survey, also found that 76 percent of the executives expect to offer raises, 61 percent plan to give workers bonuses, and 55 percent will promote staff. Of those planning to reduce staff, 48 percent plan to lay off workers because of organizational restructuring. Forty-two percent said automation has reduced the need for certain employees, and 37 percent pointed to reengineering of some business processes as the reason they will cut staff. The companies also mentioned other factors, such as better utilization of personnel, outsourcing and contracting work to other firms, and less demand for some products or services.
ENGINEERING The 225,000-member Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA reports that the number of employed electrical and electronics engineers continues to decline, according to data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the first quarter of 2004, for example, the unemployment rate for those professionals was 6.2 percent. In all of 2000, by contrast, the jobless rate for electrical and electronics engineers was 1.3 percent. By the end of 2001, their unemployment rate had increased to 2 percent. Computer scientists and systems analysts also have seen an increase in joblessness. The institute reports that the jobless rate for those professionals, which averaged 5.2 percent last year, increased to 6.7 percent in the first quarter of 2004. The number of people employed in the profession averaged 722,000 in 2003. As of the first quarter of 2004, the number had dropped to 672,000. 'The latest statistics indicate that times are still tough for engineers," said John Steadman, president of the institute. 'The continued shrinkage of the electrical and electronics engineering workforce should send up warning flags that the United States may be losing ground in its technological competitiveness." -- DIANE E. LEWIS
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