Working + The Economy
International travel to Las Vegas still far below pre-pandemic levels, warn officials
Visitation rates in Las Vegas have stalled as fewer international travelers arrived at Harry Reid International Airport in April compared to pre-pandemic levels. In April, 4.25 million travelers passed through Reid’s gates, a slight dip from March’s 4.27 million passenger count, according to data by the Clark County Department of Aviation. Passenger volume for international […]
In an unprecedented economic recovery, why are we only talking about inflation?
The latest jobs report shows that the U.S. economy continues its rapid recovery from the pandemic crisis. Employers added 428,000 new jobs in April, continuing a now-year-long streak of similarly strong job growth. After surging to a post-World War II high of 14.7% in 2020, unemployment is now down to 3.6%, the lowest level in […]
The Silver and Ack
The New York Times published a story on the Raiders late last week that mostly focuses on mayhem in the front office, with an emphasis on the dysfunctional and bungling nature of the organization. But arguably more important were the parts of the story that shed light on working conditions within the organization. Here’s an excerpt: […]
Majority of Nevadans with mortgages are equity rich
More than half of Nevada homeowners with mortgages are considered “equity rich” according to real estate data analyst ATTOM, meaning they owe less than 50% of their property’s market value. Some 625,164 residential properties in Nevada have mortgages. Of those 331,768 or 53.1%, are equity rich, up from 49.8% in the last quarter of 2021. […]
Biden administration vows to speed up environmental permits needed for infrastructure projects
President Joe Biden’s administration will seek to hasten construction of roads, bridges, wind farms and more by tweaking the federal review process for environmental and other permits, administration officials said Tuesday. On a press call, administration officials said they were seeking to make permitting easier without sacrificing environmental standards. The new permitting plan includes five […]
Starbucks’ caffeinated anti-union efforts may leave a bitter taste – but are they legal?
Good news greeted Starbucks workers on May 3, 2022, in the shape of a promise of new pay increases. But there was a catch: Employees at unionized stores – or those planning to unionize – shouldn’t expect to see a dime of this hike. As far as efforts to discourage workers from supporting union drives […]
Hey Republicans: If you really love moms and babies like you claim, here’s what you’ll do
Since a Supreme Court draft overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked to Politico, I’ve heard Republican politicians claim that they “love women and babies” and will support women who, post-Roe, cannot get abortions. This claim puzzles me. Outlawing abortions seems not supportive at all but in fact the cruelest way to lower abortion numbers in the U.S., not to mention […]
Bernie Sanders at U.S. Senate hearing rips Amazon over union opposition
WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took Amazon to task Thursday at a congressional hearing, bashing the online giant’s leadership for fighting union drives and questioning whether the federal government should continue contracting with the multibillion-dollar company. Amazon executives didn’t attend the hearing but U.S. senators did hear from labor unions and the U.S. Government […]
Nevada among least supportive states for children, report says
Nevada was among the nation’s least supportive states for families with infants and toddlers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report released Tuesday. The report— State of Babies Yearbook: 2022—published by national nonprofit ZERO TO THREE placed Nevada in the lowest tier, “Getting Started,” ranking the state as one of the least effective […]
Businesses balk at SNHD’s proposed fee hike
The Southern Nevada Health District has not increased fees for environmental health inspections and other services since 2009, leaving the agency unable to keep up with demand, including mandated annual inspections of restaurants. Without a proposed 27% increase in environmental health fees, SNHD will come up close to $3 million short in the next two […]
With NV workplace injuries and deaths outpacing nation, activists push for more safety measures
Worker fatalities and injuries in Nevada continue to outpace the national average, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2020, the latest data available, 37 Nevada workers died on the job between January of 2019 and June of 2020. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund also noted that Nevada was among 20 states […]
Southern Nevada Health District’s 27% fee hike advances
Thousands of businesses in Clark County that are inspected by the Southern Nevada Health District are likely to see their fees increase by 27% in the next fiscal year and up to 3% annually after that, following a vote by the SNHD finance committee Monday. SNHD officials say a lack of funding prevents it from […]