> BLS DAILY REPORT, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1997 > > Factory orders for manufactured goods advanced for the second month in > a row, rising 0.8 percent in February to a record, the Census Bureau > reports. Gains were reported for both durable and nondurable goods in > February, but increases were at a slower pace than previously reported > ....(Daily Labor Report, page D-1; Washington Post, page E3; New York > Times, page D4; Wall Street Journal, page A2)_____A growing backlog of > unfilled orders at U.S. factories is the latest evidence that the > economy's brisk momentum will carry into the spring and that more > interest-rate increases might be needed to hold off inflation. For > the sixth consecutive month, new orders for manufactured goods piled > up faster than factories could ship completed items to their customers > ....(Washington Times, AP story, page B12). > > Budget strategies predicted in April; early talks promising, White > House Legislative Affairs Director John Hilley told a group of > reporters ....The Daily Labor Report story (page A-6) includes: The > issue of adjusting the CPI or cost-of-living adjustments to more > accurately reflect the true measure of inflation has been discussed in > the last two weeks only in the most technical sense, Hilley said. The > White House and budget staffers have talked about what BLS can be > expected to propose by way of a correction "in its own right," he > said. That leaves them to discuss the gap between BLS's technical > adjustments downward, expected by many to be about 0.4 percent, and > other recommendations of as much as 1.1 percent. Although Clinton > found the idea of a special CPI commission to look at an adjustment > beyond what BLS may propose to be tough political sledding at this > early stage of the budget talks, the inflation-measure question > remains on the table between both parties. Hilley said budget > negotiators are ready to build into a five-year plan any corrections > BLS will make to the CPI, but remain undecided about what kind of > adjustment is needed on top of that. For strategic reasons, the White > House is letting the issue lie dormant for the time being .... > > After three years, the North American Free Trade Agreement has not > benefited American workers and is in desperate need of reform, said > Robert E. Scott, Economic Policy Institute economist, at a panel > discussion held at the Foreign Press Office in Washington, D.C. In > contrast, Sidney Weintraub, an economist from the Center for Strategic > and International Studies, argues that NAFTA has benefited the U.S. > economy and the agreement should be expanded to South America > ....(Daily Labor Report, page A-7). > > The Washington Post says in a page A1 story that the protective labor > laws of France hamper economic downsizing. Says the Post, "When times > were good, as they were for much of the postwar period, workers were > protected by these rules. They still are, in large part, but in these > difficult and competitive times, the French government and the private > sector of the economy are beginning to fear that the price for > protecting those already employed and keeping them at their current > level of compensation and job security is fewer jobs for the > nonworking" ....The article is illustrated with a graph that shows the > unemployment rate in various European countries as of January 1997, > led by Spain (21 percent), followed by Finland (15 percent), and Italy > and France (both 12.4 percent) -- as well as job growth in 1985 and > 1995 for the United States, France, and the European Union. > > The Census Bureau says it is considering counting people of mixed race > as a separate category for the first time. Between 1970 and 1984, the > number of interracial married couples rose from 150,000 to more than > 1.1 million, according to Census figures. Supporters say the change > would help foster pride and self-affirmation among mixed-race > Americans ....But some civil rights advocates are balking, claiming > the new category would reduce the numbers of blacks and Hispanics > counted, imperiling minority voting districts and financing for > minority programs. A preliminary decision is expected this summer > (USA Today, page 3A). > > DUE OUT TOMORROW: The Employment Situation: March 1997 > >
