Futurity.org » recession

Kids of unemployed struggle in school

William Harms-Chicago — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:09:43 +0000

U. CHICAGO (US) — One lingering effect of the Great Recession could be poor academic performance and behavioral problems among children of the unemployed.

“There is growing evidence that parental job loss has adverse consequences on children’s behavior, academic achievement and later employment outcomes, particularly in economically disadvantaged families,” says Heather Hill, assistant professor in the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

The material hardship and stress associated with unemployment appears to reduce the quality of the home environment and adversely affect children, Hill and colleagues have found. Findings are published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.

Thrifty firms keep on an even keel

Karen Nikos-UC Davis — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:58:01 +0000

UC DAVIS (US) — Frugal companies succeed by controlling spending and being resourceful as a matter of course rather than as a reaction to events like recession.

“The research was motivated by all of the headlines that came out during the worst parts of the recession indicating that firms were becoming frugal, as evidenced by layoffs and other cuts,” says Shannon W. Anderson, professor of management at University of California, Davis.

Employee training gets smart

Jessica Kelly-Cardiff — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:22:15 +0000

CARDIFF U. (UK) — Fears that companies in the UK would slash investment in skills training as a result of the recession have proved to be largely unfounded.

Instead, employers are “training smarter,” by focusing on key business needs, organizing more in-house courses, and using their own staff as trainers, according to a new study.

Brands help hotels leave the lights on

A'ndrea Elyse Messer-Penn State — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:18:28 +0000

PENN STATE (US) — During economic downturns, hotels with brand names fare better than independently operated properties, new research shows.

A study of hotel performance during both economic recessions and expansions indicates branded hotels are more profitable than independent hotels under all economic conditions, but the difference is particularly significant during recessions, says John O’Neill, associate professor of hospitality management at Penn State.

It’s the energy supply, stupid

Tim Green-U. Texas — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:11:17 +0000

U. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — A decade-long decline in the quality of the nation’s energy supply—not the housing bubble—caused the U.S. recession.

That’s according to energy expert Carey King of the University of Texas at Austin, who says to get the U.S. economy growing again, Americans will have to produce and use energy more efficiently.

Did market meltdown stoke bankers?

Stephen Rouse-Cardiff — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:39:00 +0000

CARDIFF U. (UK) — Bankers who brought the global economy to its knees two years ago may have actually enjoyed the sensation of losing hundreds of billions of pounds and plunging the world into recession.

The willingness of banks to deal in subprime loans and related derivatives, which were bound to result in disastrous losses, can only be understood if the bankers unconsciously desired the destruction of their own institutions, says Paul Crosthwaite, lecturer in literature and critical and cultural theory at Cardiff University.

Hourly workers hit hard by recession

William Harms-Chicago — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:16:37 +0000

U. CHICAGO (US)—A record number of U.S. workers are involuntarily working part-time due to reduced hours or the inability to find a full-time job.

Hourly workers—the majority of the wage and salary workforce—are especially susceptible to reduced, irregular, and fluctuating hours—and the myriad of challenges associated with them—according to a new report.

Can telecommuting put the brakes on a career?

Jim Sweeney-UC Davis — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:53:43 +0000

UC DAVIS (US)—Working from home may reduce commute time, save money, and shrink an employee’s carbon footprint. But it can also be a hazard to career advancement, a new study shows.

“Merely being seen—often from a distance and without any interaction or real understanding of what a person is doing—that in itself has value,” says Kimberly Elsbach, professor in the Graduate School of Management at University of California, Davis. “People notice.”

Survey finds CFOs hopeful—at least in U.S., Asia

Futurity-Jenny Leonard — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:48:05 +0000

Duke University and CFO Magazine surveyed more than 1,200 CFOs from a broad range of global public and private companies about their expectations for the economy. Above, an optimism index comparing the United States, Europe, and China.

DUKE (US)—Chief financial officers in the United States and Asia see a dim light at the end of a very long economic tunnel, according to a survey from Duke University and CFO Magazine. European CFOs, however; don’t agree.

Avoiding toxic workplace amid layoffs, pay cuts

Futurity-Jenny Leonard — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:00:07 +0000

Both employers and employees need to take practical steps to maintain or restore trust in the workplace during our recession

CORNELL (US)—Do layoffs, bigger workloads, and reduced benefits for remaining employees mean an erosion of trust in the workplace? Not necessarily, according to Cornell University’s Michele Williams.

Both employers and employees need to take practical steps to maintain or restore that trust, says Williams, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Williams’ research with 147 midcareer professionals and their bosses shows that a supervisor’s perception of worker benevolence can positively affect performance assessments.