October 11, 2011

MANUFACTURING IN CHINA AND VIETNAM: A PERSPECTIVE

Today in Manufacturing
China once was a low-cost but low-quality market, but times have changed. Vietnam is now undergoing the same transformation ... continue

USMTO: MANUFACTURING STUMBLES BUT ISN'T DOWN
Today in Manufacturing
Manufacturing technology sales dropped 9.4 percent from July to August, but yearly data still shows strong growth over 2010 ... continue

OBAMA, JOBS COUNCIL URGE ACTION ON JOBS
Today in Manufacturing
Obama is pressing for passage of his full $447 billion jobs package in the face of certain congressional defeat ... continue

U.S. MACHINE TOOL SALES OFF 9.4% IN AUGUST
Quick Manufacturing News
Despite a monthly decline, the market segment’s year-to-date total for new orders is $3,439.21 million, 101% ahead of the January-August 2010 result. Click to continue

WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS IMPROVE SAFETY, SAVE MONEY
Quick Manufacturing News
A decade's worth of inspection data in Washington suggests that a visit from the Department of Labor & Industries can be good not just for workplace safety, but also for a company’s bottom line. Click to continue

SENATE TO VOTE ON CHINESE CURRENCY SANCTIONS
Today in Manufacturing
A bipartisan majority that supports the legislation says forcing China to appreciate its currency could put large numbers of Americans back to work ... continue

IMMIGRATION COMPLIANCE SEMINAR
The Employers Council
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is stepping up worksite enforcement of federal immigration laws. According to ICE, their Form I-9 inspections are one of the most powerful tools to ensure that businesses comply with the law. Every employer, regardless of size or industry, may be targeted for an ICE inspection. In addition, Utah has joined a number of states exploring bold solutions to immigration challenges by passing state laws directly impacting employers. In our upcoming seminar, Immigration Compliance: Trends and Challenges, Council staff attorneys will provide key insight and offer practical guidance on how to make sure your company is in compliance with both federal and state immigration laws. Topics to be covered include:

• Form I-9 Administration – common mistakes and best practices

• Current ICE workforce enforcement trends

• Handling no-match letters from the Social Security Administration

• Utah state requirements – latest updates & outlook

Join us on November 17, 2011, from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, at the Radisson Hotel in Salt Lake City for this up to-the-minute seminar. It will keep you abreast of the fast moving developments. For details and registration information, see the attachment to this week’s newsletter.

COMPANY PERKS MAKE COMEBACK
The Employers Council
According to a survey from career firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, nearly 60% of companies that were recently forced to eliminate employee perks have brought back some or all of them. One-quarter of these companies even plan to introduce new benefits. The perks include everything from salary bonuses to extra vacation time and more flexible schedules. Much of the reason for the turnaround has to do with a growing concern among businesses that, as the economy continues to improve, their best talent may look for work elsewhere. Of the 100 HR executives who were surveyed, 42% were increasingly concerned about losing their top talent to competing companies. They admit that the single-most effective perk for retaining talent is performance bonuses. Given the increasing eagerness to lock in the best employees, more companies could be forced to roll out bonuses this year. As effective as extra cash may be, however, Challenger argues that there are plenty of other cost-efficient perks that companies can and should rely on to attract and maintain the best workers. Simply providing free meals in the morning, or offering employees the option to telecommute once a week, costs the company relatively little, but could pay huge dividends in worker satisfaction.