Minimum wage to rise at federal level

The Microtech View

On business, the workplace and
employee relations

February, 2007

Wages

In Congress last month the House approved an
increase of the federal minimum wage over two years from $515 per hour to
$725, an increase that will help more than just teenagers working their first
jobs A recent study by the University of New Hampshire, for example, showed
that 30 percent of the roughly 30,000 workers in that state earning less than
the proposed new federal minimum wage are more than 45 years old Another 30
percent are parents And 44 percent of those 30,000 employees work full
time

So for that population an increase in the minimum wage is meaningful But
fortunately the majority of US workers earn more than the minimum For them
the ladder to higher wages and a better standard of living rests on job skills
Those that have skills are climbing in the midst of a countrywide labor
shortage Those without are missing an opportunity

The inability to find skilled workers is regularly cited as one of the "top
business problems" by companies in the monthly survey of employers by the
National Federation of Independent Business, a Washington, DC research group
Forty percent of business owners queried in December reported few or no
qualified applicants for unfilled positions Many of those companies said they
plan to raise wages to attract better candidates That's the market's way of
providing higher incomes A need for employees means a company's products are in
demand, revenues are rising and higher wages can be afforded

For job-seekers the opportunity is clear Find ways to raise your skill
level Seek out companies that provide training programs Check local
universities for courses Be proactive in your career, be coveted by employers
and watch your incomes rise

Immigration

The owner of a Southwest chain of pizzerias
didn't expect to get dragged into the immigration debate recently when he
offered a special to his customers, but his business decision provides a lesson
to employers and job seekers Pizza Patrуn has been accepting pesos as well as
dollars for its pizzas in January and February, which many critics have called
"unpatriotic" But the owner, who is Lebanese-Italian and a native of Columbus,
Ohio, says he was only trying to connect with his clientele, the growing Latino
population

As an employer, are you connecting with the minority population in your
workforce? One way to retain valued minority employees is to recognize their
differences and challenges, particularly language barriers, and accommodate them
when possible Job seekers should think about the marketing they do of their own
skills and services Have you clearly identified your target "customer" or
employer group? How are you making yourself more attractive to those
employers?

Microtech on the Move

Microtech Staffing Group continues
to grow along the East Coast, most recently with the opening of our new office
at 3400 Peachtree Road, NE in Atlanta, GA Companies in Georgia planning on
expanding their payrolls and benefiting from the advantages of temporary
staffing should call Keith Anderson at 404-846-5580, ext 104 Microtech now
provides temporary and permanent staffing services to companies from New
Hampshire to Florida through our eight offices and more than 1,500 daily
employees

 

Regards,



Joe Donahue

President

Staffing Industry Good Jobs, Bad Bosses Are there bad jobs or just bad bosses? A recently released Florida State University survey of 700 employees gave some hint how poor management discourages workers from staying on the job 31 percent said their supervisor gave them the "silent treatment" during the previous year 37 percent said their boss failed to give them credit when deserved 39 percent said their supervisor failed to keep a promise 27 percent said their boss made negative comments about them to others 24 percent said their supervisor invaded their privacy