Survey

- A + A BEIJING (Dec 1): China is set to announce in coming days an easing of its COVID-19 quarantine protocols and a reduction in mass testing, sources told Reuters , a marked shift in policy after anger over the world's toughest curbs fuelled widespread protests. Cases nationwide remain near record highs but the changes come as some cities have been lifting their lockdowns in recent days, and a top official said the ability of the virus to cause disease was weakening. Health authorities announcing the easing in their areas have not mentioned the protests - the biggest show of civil disobedience in China for years which ranged from candle-lit vigils in Beijing to street clashes with police in Guangzhou. The measures due to be unveiled include a reduction in mass testing and regular nucleic acid tests and moves to allow positive cases and close contacts to isolate at home under certain conditions, the sources familiar with the matter said. That is a far cry … [Read more...] about China set to loosen COVID curbs after week of historic protests

SINGAPORE  – Asian equities jumped on Thursday, while the dollar slid as investors poured into risky assets after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell opened the door to a slowdown in the pace of monetary tightening. In an eagerly-awaited speech, Powell said the central bank could scale back the pace of its interest rate hikes “as soon as December,” but cautioned the fight against inflation was far from over. Powell’s comments at the Brookings Institution in Washington sent the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields lower, while stocks soared with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan 1.65 percent higher. The index posted its biggest monthly gain in nearly 30 years in November as hopes for a Fed pivot toward slower rate hikes gathered steam after four consecutive 75-basis-point increases. But the index was still down about 17.8 percent on the year. European markets are set to continue the risk-on mood, with the pan-region Eurostoxx 50 futures up 1.29 percent, … [Read more...] about Asian shares rise, dollar sways as slowing rate hike looms

Employees work at the assembly line of the Moscow Automobile Factory Moskvich, after the production of cars under the Soviet-era brand Moskvich at French carmaker Renault’s former plant was launched in Moscow, Russia, Nov 23, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File photo MOSCOW – Russia’s manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace in almost six years in November thanks to an increase in output and new orders, a business survey showed on Thursday, rebounding from a dip towards contraction last month. The S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose in November to 53.2 from 50.7 in October, moving well clear of the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction and reaching its highest since January 2017. “Demand continued to be driven by domestic customers as new export orders contracted sharply again,” S&P Global said. “Nonetheless, greater new sales spurred renewed increases in employment and inventories, with input buying expanding at a steep rate.” … [Read more...] about Russia factory activity grows at fastest pace in almost six years in Nov – PMI

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin If you want to give gifts to your employees, team or clients for the holidays, but want the gifts to be aligned with your sustainable, environment-social-governance (ESG) principles, there are a lot of options, though it takes a bit of thought, digging and reading the fine print. A new Shopify survey – of 24,000 consumers and 9,000 small and medium sized businesses – found that 40% of consumers are willing to pay more for products made and shipped sustainably, that have a lighter impact on the environment. “Expect more intentional spending; more climate-conscious shoppers seeking out brands with sustainable practices,” their news release said. To align with those priorities, and your company’s ESG – environment, social and governance – related values, you’ll want to choose very carefully if you’re planning to give gifts this year. This can be especially tricky for professional contacts, employees, top talent, or … [Read more...] about Creative, Sustainable Gifts Aligned With Your ESG Values For Talent And Clients

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Have you been job hunting or even had an interview only to find out that the employer had no intention of hiring anyone for that job? If you answered yes, you are likely experiencing what we call “ghost jobs.” You are not alone if you don’t even know what a ghost job is. It’s a lousy way to run the company’s hiring process, where they advertise a job they don’t plan to fill. To better understand how this might affect you and how it all works, let’s examine what happened to my career counseling clients, Ishan and Marie. Ishan, an operations VP, called to say, “I applied for a job that had been posted for more than 60 days. I was a great fit, and the COO, the hiring manager, reached out to me and began the interview process. I was so pleased when he made me a verbal offer which I accepted. Then, the very next day, it fell apart. He said something about the company not meeting the projected earnings, so the budget was now … [Read more...] about Be Careful Of Employers Posting Ghost Jobs

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Like Hollywood, travel is a glamor industry. Pictures of people on sunny beaches, partying on Las Vegas pool decks, clinking glasses aboard cruise ships or splashing in crystal-clear waters from Bali to Bermuda are designed to do only thing: sell travel and experiences. Hollywood helps sell tourism too. There’s a reason why people long to walk where their favorite characters did, whether it’s an isolated peninsula in Spain where “Game of Thrones” was filmed, or fancy hotels where the women of” Sex and the City” frolicked. HBO’s "White Lotus” will no doubt drive tourists to its first and second season locations of Hawaii and Sicily. But there is a large gap between the expansive, expensive picture the travel industry likes to paint, and the reality. In a perceptive article in The Street , “The Future of Travel is a Three-Star Hotel”, writer Veronika Bondarenkonov writes that for many properties, the goal is attracting … [Read more...] about Is The Future Of Travel Really The Three-Star Hotel?

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The pandemic drove unprecedented change in the workplace, and in the process, brought into the spotlight – largely for the first time in the work environment – a critically overlooked population of employees: Caregivers. Remote work and lack of access to caregiving services like in-person school and in-home medical care created new situations in which employees had to care for their loved ones while working full-time. Meanwhile, the breakdown of barriers between employees' personal and professional lives allowed organizations to fully understand just how much caregiving impacts the lives of employees and how critical supporting these employees can be to the infrastructure of a successful, productive business. But the reality is that caregiving was approaching a crisis state before the world even learned the term ‘COVID-19’. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of people over age 55 grew by 27% , 20 times larger than the growth … [Read more...] about The Employee Engagement Killer No One Is Talking About: How Organizations Can Support Employee Caregivers

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin As 2022 rolls its credits, many leaders are wondering if certain programming, like DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) initiatives, might need to be left on the cutting room floor for 2023. Unfortunately, due to the economic uncertainty that so many businesses (and individuals) are facing, and in an attempt to recession-proof the company, reducing DEI efforts has become a go-to solution - especially when an organization views DEI as a “nice to have” versus it being a business imperative. However, the answer doesn't necessarily have to be taking resources away from DEI efforts, but to instead be more intentional about how to execute DEI in the new year. The main consideration must be towards leaving behind any DEI initiative that does not inspire behavior change and does not address the root causes and systemic issues that lead to bigotry, discrimination, and inequity in the workplace. Check-the-box, compliance-driven DEI … [Read more...] about 5 DEI Trends To Retire In 2023

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Layoffs are relatively commonplace these days. Most notable was the handling of Twitter's abrupt restructuring after the transition to Elon Musk's leadership. There are weekly announcements about mass layoffs across more than just the tech industry. CNN and Salesforce are the latest companies to confirm workplace reductions. So what cultural impact will occur as a result of these changes? What should inclusive leaders be thinking about amidst a multitude of layoff news? Let's look at both of these areas a bit more closely. Cultural Impacts Assess Communications Strategy Organizational culture is a critical component of succeeding in the workplace. When companies make cost-cutting changes that reduce staff, there is a direct impact on the culture. For example, changing the organization's makeup will impact diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. How so? The actions taken by leadership to engage a … [Read more...] about How Should Inclusive Leaders Show Up For Mass Layoffs?

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin According to recent data published by Creative Access in the U.K. – less than one-third of individuals working in the creative industries and identifying as disabled feel optimistic about their opportunities for career progression. That’s in contrast to 69% of non-disabled survey respondents. Additional findings showed that a mere 25% felt they had access to important contacts and networks while just a third believed they possessed the confidence to meaningfully progress their career having endured negative experiences at work. Many such experiences revolve around employers failing to make appropriate workplace accommodations to allow them to operate at an optimum level and a general lack of awareness of disability issues amongst non-disabled co-workers. Zooming out to view the broader picture, in the United States the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this year that the unemployment rate of people … [Read more...] about Job Seekers With Disabilities Need To Know Their Legal Rights From The Get-Go