BLS DAILY REPORT, THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2001
RELEASED TODAY: The U.S. Import Price Index decreased 0.5 percent in
December. The decline followed a 0.1 percent increase in the previous month
and reflected a downturn for imported petroleum prices. The Export Price
Index dipped 0.1 percent in December, after posting no change in November.
...
Expanding the use of telecommuting could improve productivity, which would
increase employers' competitiveness while helping workers balance the
demands of work and family, the Labor Department says in its new report,
"Telework: The New Workplace of the 21st Century." This is a compilation
of 12 studies prepared by researchers on the future of telecommuting. ...
The Labor Department (ASP) estimates there are between 13 and 19 million
full- or part-time employees in the United States who work from home or some
other location outside of their employer's place of business. ... Although
the research is far from definitive, several studies evaluating the impact
of teleworking are promising, according to the report. In one study,
researchers concluded that employees who telework save their employers up to
$10,000 a year in reduced absenteeism and retention costs. ... Telework
programs can also lower overhead expenses for companies by reducing office
space needs. ... Human resources managers reported in a survey that the
main obstacles to teleworking are the lack of supervision of employees, the
absence of upper management support, and concerns about communicating with
employees, the report says. ... (Daily Labor Report, page A-1).
Inventories at wholesalers grew in November as unsold autos, paper goods,
and computer parts accumulated on docks and in warehouses. Wholesale
stockpiles rose 0.4 percent, matching the October increase, the Commerce
Department reported. Sales were unchanged after a 0.1 percent decline in
October. Slower consumer demand, which is causing inventories to grow and
leading to sluggish manufacturing, signals that the economy's expansion is
limping toward its 10th anniversary in April. ... (New York Times, page
C4).
The President's Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities
presents the third annual report documenting the administration's activities
in promoting the employment of adults with disabilities over the past year
and offering recommendations for the future. ... The report, "Re-Charting
the Course: Turning Points," can be found on the DOL Web site (Daily Labor
Report, page A-8).
DUE OUT TOMORROW: Producer Price Indexes -- December 2000
application/ms-tnef
