The U.S. Produced 11% of the World’s Petroleum yet Consumed 22%
Drill baby, drill!
Let’s look at some facts related to oil so we can put the Middle East turmoil in perspective — at least as it relates to the turmoil’s impact on the economy.
In 2009…
The U.S. was the world’s third largest crude oil producer.
The U.S. produced 11% of the world’s petroleum yet consumed 22% of the world’s petroleum.
The U.S. imported 51% of the petroleum we used.
Of the 51% that we imported, 51% of that came from Western Hemisphere countries.
Our five biggest suppliers of crude oil and petroleum product imports were:
1. Canada (23.3%)
2. Venezuela (10.7%)
3. Saudi Arabia (10.4%)
4. Mexico (9.2%)
5. Nigeria (8.3%)
Approximately 14% of our crude oil and petroleum product imports came from the Persian Gulf countries of Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Dependence on OPEC is declining as 41% of U.S. petroleum imports came from OPEC countries in 2009, which is down from 70% in 1977.
The data above comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and indicates we are still heavily dependent on imported oil. The good news is a significant chunk of the imports are from friendly and “stable” countries. So, while problems in the Middle East are a serious concern for the U.S. economy, so far, it appears that we we’ll have a steady supply of oil. The big question is, at what price?
The price of oil for our nation is one of the most important factors when one determines how they can get back and forth to work. In too many cases the price of crude is directly affecting whether people can afford to drive their own cars back and forth to work. Employment and unemployment is going to continue to suffer as long as oil production instability remains in doubt. The recent American ban by Obama on off-shore drilling impacts jobs, and what we pay for crude.
What do you think the US should do?
Better, said: What should the Congress do?
For sure, the ban should be lifted in order to rebuild what the Obama Administration destroyed.
RELATED STORIES
THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT SYSTEM OF RECRUITMENT
Where is my resume?
It’s our corporate policy!
It’s their responsibility.
I’m too busy to talk to personnel.
Many companies have excellent Personnel Departments, serviced by people who are expected to be “Jack-of-all-experts”. Yet, very few managers have any real appreciation of a Human Resource or Personnel Manager’s responsibilities.
To be sure – it’s not hiring executive staff!
How can a Personnel Manager possibly be expected to hire anyone for whom they are not accountable? Well of course any self-respecting HR or Personnel executive will tell that it is not their function.
So what is a Personnel or Human Resource Manager’s function insofar as executive recruitment is concerned?
Most of the time (and tell us if we’re wrong) the real hiring authority uses Personnel as a “clearing-house”; a facility to carry out the mundane, but essential groundwork necessary to setup the recruitment process. On the face of it this seems like a good idea – delegating the responsibility for all the time consuming routine work to someone else…”it can save line management a lot of time and aggravation…”
But does it work?
Most of the time the involvement of a Personnel or HR Department is counter-productive, for without the essential accountability, it can only dilute the recruitment process. Delegating responsibility without the concomitant authority is like taking a shower with your raincoat on!
It fails to achieve the primary objective – to obtain and retain the best available talent.
Next Week: Equal Opportunity (EOE) Errors and Omissions Excepted. A skit that makes the point.
Manufacturing grows at fastest pace in nearly 7 years as orders, employment rise
Article by: Christopher S. Rugaber
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. manufacturers expanded at the fastest pace in nearly seven years last month, but a sudden rise in the price of raw materials could threaten their profits.
Let's hope that this good news about the economy sustains itself for the good
Although this announcement is very good news for our economy, it is the result of the rest of the world’s needs which is driving our economy. The two trillion dollars of unnecessary debt that was created in the last two years, and the future debt projections in the fiscal 2012 budget, and projections for the next decade are drowning us in incalculable depths.
Manufacturing here in the US is one of the keys to reviving our economy. The over-expansion of a service driven economy are apparent when you look back on the recent economic recessions since the “dot.com” disaster a decade ago.
READ MORE of this article
Noodling Through the Unemployment Statistics
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Source, Jansville Gazette
“The calculation
For purposes of the official unemployment rate, respondents are lumped into three basic categories based on their answers to the survey questions.
The U.S. Department of Labor, through its Bureau of Labor Statistics, is responsible for calculating and publishing the monthly rate with input from state agencies.
The categories are:
n Labor force: This includes working people 16 and older and those who are unemployed and looking for work.
If someone is neither working nor looking for work, they are not in the labor force.
n Unemployed: These are people who don’t have a job, are available for work and have tried in the last four weeks to get a job.
Despite popular opinion, the government does not define unemployment by whether someone is receiving weekly unemployment compensation.
In fact, the federal survey does not include a question about unemployment insurance benefits.
n Employed: People who worked at least one hour for pay somewhere or for 15 unpaid hours in a family-run business.
The official unemployment rate is then calculated by dividing the number of unemployed by the labor force. It is expressed as a percentage.”
WHAT IS THE AFFECT OF THIS PROLONGED CONDITION?
Over the period reflected in the graph above, the general public paid little or no attention to what the “unemployment rate” was, nor how the statistics were compiled. If you read this far you are probably scratching your head and wondering, what it all means?
There are some things missing, no?
In my view, the “under-employed” and the people who have just given-up looking for work corrupt the usefulness of the statistics, because they should be taken into account for the graph to be true. Omission is always bad.
We all know that jobs are scarce, and low overseas wage pressure on employers is forcing US employers to produce their goods elsewhere in order to compete with the third world nations.
Add to this pressure the union clamor on all fronts generates for their egregious demands, and you have a cauldron of boiling oil ready to destroy any incentive to manufacture and produce goods here at home, and offer employment to US citizens.
The statistics are just the danger signal that something is wrong with how we are managing our country, and they point out that the trends are staying in dangerous territory for the peaceful state of our people.
Watch carefully the uprisings in other smaller nations, and it is clear that the US is very close to disrupting the peacefulness of our streets if Washington does not make some major decisions about reducing our nations debt. Angry mobs demonstrating are not out of the question.
Stop regulating from Washington, and then, maybe, we can put some people back into productive jobs, not make works jobs that can go away at the stroke of a pen.
The US has always been the leader in making the “Best Mouse Traps!”
THE BUDDY SYSTEM OF RECRUITMENT
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Also known as the “Good-Old-Boy-Network” or just good old fashioned nepotism. Arguably the most ancient of recruitment methods, widely used by such diverse employers as the Emperor Caligula, The Borgias and Catherine-the-Great in order to maintain the succession of their respective dynasties.
It might be considered reasonable for a well connected executive to find and recruit the right person through the “buddy-system,” after all , there is nothing wrong with nepotism provided it’s kept in the family. That’s the catch – you have to, don’t you?
So anyway, you contact an old friend.
You arrange an interview. Well, it’s not really an interview is it? After all you did tell a friend you needed him the moment you made contact. So the first thing to go out the window is your objectivity, isn’t it?
Never mind. You have known each other for such a long time you already know all you need to know!
Well along with your objectivity goes your predetermination not to be influenced by emotive or sentimental reasons. You make some assumptions. It’s so much more efficient then going through all those resumes you normally get from the newspaper advertisements. And think of the money you have saved!
Sure, you can fill the position – but with the right person?
You will never know.
It makes more sense, as Confucius would have said, to develop your relationships outside business than it would be to employ relations inside. After all, look what happened to those guests who had supper with the Borgias.
Next Week: THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT METHOD OF RECRUITMENT.
Unemployment Hangs On
Forex – Real House Prices and the Unemployment Rate
ForexTV.com
Back in 2009, when the house price bottom callers were out in force, I pointed out that real house prices usually bottom after the unemployment rate peaks – and sometimes several years after the peak (like in the ’90s). Below is a comparison of real …
Home prices hit new lows in valley, nation
US house prices plumb new depthsThe Guardian
Charlotte home prices at ’04 levelsCharlotte Observer
Pajamas Media -San Diego Reader (blog)
The Paper Chase Recruitment Method
By Charlie Courtois.
Originally published 1998
CyberHireWire
Also known as the “Universal Agency Resume Race.” Considered by many employers as an extension of the “American Way.” Competitive, Challenging, and Embodying the free enterprise spirit! So you put the job on the open agency market.
(That means you told as many agencies as possible.)
Now all you have to do is sit back and wait! You can expect a half-a-dozen recruitment agencies to send you upwards of ten to fifteen resumes of their best candidates. After all, the agencies have lots of candidates on the books, don’t they? They certainly do. But what has that to do with your needs?
Well, if more resumes equaled more qualified candidates it would be great. Sadly, it never works that way. How come?
Simply because you are putting pressure on a Recruitment Agency to be “first past the post,” as you will only reward the fastest. Not the best. Under those conditions an agency is not encouraged to locate the right talent. Is that why they advertise?
Yes – to collect as much “paper” as they can in anticipation of your needs. It’s like whistling in the dark! What’s wrong with the “Paper Chase” method?
The interest of the employer comes second. And in a race that means you lose. Next Week: The Buddy System of Recruitment.
I’m Posting Every Day in 2011
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Title: I’m Posting every day in 2011!
I’ve decided I want to blog more. Rather than just thinking about doing it, I’m starting right now. I will be posting on this blog once a day / once a week for all of 2011.
My blogs will be about “Employment and Unemployment” everyday. It’s a broad topic and one which vitally affects everyone.
I know it won’t be easy, but it might be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful. Therefore I’m promising to make use of The DailyPost, and the community of other Bloggers with similar goals, to help me along the way, including asking for help when I need it and encouraging others when I can.
If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, and good will along the way.
Signed,
Charlie Courtois
Welcome to the Employment Information Source
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After twenty-five years of successful self-employment I have decided to Blog daily about a field that I am an expert in since 1979.
The purpose of this Blog is to help people with all of their employment issues. I welcome any, and all questions, and if I know the answers I will answer; if not I will use my my resources to find out the information.
I intend to write short pieces daily (250-500 words) about current employment issues. If you are looking for a new job, got let go from your job, are using a head-hunter, an executive search agency, a temp-agency, or are just plain stumped about what to do, come by and tell us about your plight.
I spent over twenty years in executive search for CEO’s to Sales Managers, and everything in-between.
