Federal Employees: Pay and Pension Increases Since 1969

[From Summary] Pay increases for current federal employees and cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retired federal employees often differ because they are based on changes in different economic variables. Increases in pay for civilian federal workers are indexed to wage and salary increases in the private-sector, as measured by the Employment Cost Index (ECI), whereas federal retirement and disability benefits are indexed to price increases as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Both the ECI and the CPI are calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor

Older Workers: Employment and Retirement Trends

As the members of the “baby boom” generation — people born between 1946 and 1964 — approach retirement, the demographic profile of the U.S. workforce will undergo a substantial shift: a large number of older workers will be joined by relatively few new entrants to the labor force. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, while the number of people between the ages of 55 and 64 will grow by about 11 million between 2005 and 2025, the number of people who are 25 to 54 years old will grow by only 5 million. This trend could affect economic growth because labor force participation begins to fall after age 55. In 2004, 91% of men ages 25 to 54 and 75% of women in this age group participated in the labor force. In contrast, just 69% of men ages 55 to 64 and 56% of women ages 55 to 64 were either working or looking for work in 2004

Images for change: community development, community arts and photography

This article explores how community development objectives can be achieved through critical photographic practice. It summarizes the literature relating to community arts practice and its potential for social regeneration. Photography is then located within this context and explored as a critical practice, with particular attention being given to photo-elicitation, photo-novella and photovoice methods. The literature is discussed and analysed to explore how far critical photographic practice can meet the objectives of community development

Public Participation in New Local Governance Spaces: The Case for Community Development in Local Strategic Partnerships

Research into public participation in local decision-making has increased over the past forty years, reflecting increased interest in the subject from academic, policy and practitioner perspectives. The same applies to community development, a valuesbased profession promoting a transformational agenda. During the New Labour government’s period in office (1997-2010), public participation featured centrally in several policies, reflecting their adherence to communitarian theory and Third Way politics. Additionally, the language of community development (promoting community empowerment and social justice) featured in these policies. Guidance for Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) – central to New Labour’s local government reforms – required them to facilitate public participation in decision-making, and used the language and values of community development. This paper reports on research into LSPs’ public participation practice. Applying a constructivist methodology, the research applied an evaluative framework reflecting the community development values in all 22 LSPs in the Yorkshire & Humber region. Data was collected through documentary review and interviews with LSP officials in each participating LSP. Case study research was conducted in one LSP, concentrating on two communities, generating deeper understanding of the process of facilitating public participation in different circumstances. Notions of power feature centrally in the analysis, and the research concludes that local authorities struggle to relinquish power to communities in any meaningful way, even within the context of government guidance requiring this process to be implemented. These findings are extrapolated to present a brief critique of the present UK government’s stated commitment to de-centralising power to communities in various policy areas

Retirement Savings and Household Wealth: A Summary of Recent Data

Pension analysts refer to Social Security, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and personal savings as the “three-legged stool ” of retirement income, but for some workers at least one of the legs is missing. Many workers fail to save adequately for retirement and many are not covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Data from the Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) indicate that only 58 % of households with an employed head or spouse between the ages of 21 and 64 included at least one worker who participated in an employer-sponsored retirement plan in 2001. Most of them participated in savings and thrift plans, in which the worker must decide whether to contribute to the plan, and how to invest the funds. Only 25 % of households included at least one worker who was covered by a defined benefit pension plan that guarantees a fixed monthly payment for life. The Federal Reserve Board collects data on household assets and liabilities through its SCF. The most recent data from this survey were collected in 2001. According to the SCF, 47.8 million households with at least one worker between the ages of 21 and 64 — (63%) — owned one or more retirement accounts in 2001. A

Search and Email Still Top the List of Most Popular Online Activities

Presents survey findings about Americans' use of the Internet. Analyzes the two most popular online activities by gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, and household income

Older Workers: Employment and Retirement Trends

As the members of the “baby boom” generation — people born between 1946 and 1964 — approach retirement, the demographic profile of the U.S. workforce will undergo a substantial shift: a large number of older workers will be joined by relatively few new entrants to the labor force. According to the Census Bureau, while the number of people between the ages of 55 and 64 will grow by about 11 million between 2005 and 2025, the number of people who are 25 to 54 years old will grow by only 5 million. This trend could affect economic growth because labor force participation begins to fall after age 55. In 2006, 91% of men and 76% of women aged 25 to 54 participated in the labor force. In contrast, just 70% of men and 58% of women aged 55 to 64 were either working or looking for work in 2006. The rate of employment among persons age 55 and older is influenced by general economic conditions, eligibility for Social Security benefits, the availability of health insurance, and the prevalence and design of employer-sponsored pensions. Labor force participation among people 55 and older may, for example, be affected both by the trend away from defined-benefit pension plans that offer a monthly annuity for life to defined contribution plans that typically pay a lump-sum benefit. The declining percentage of employers that offer retiree health insurance also may result in more people continuing to work until they are eligible for Medicare at 65. Recent Census Bureau data show that the percentage of men and women age 62 and older who work in paid employment has risen over the past 10 years. In March 2007, 49% of men aged 62 to 64 were employed, compared with 43% in 1995 and 42% in 1990. Of men aged 65 to 69, 33% were employed in March 2007, compared with 27% in 1995 and 26% in 1990. Among women 62 to 64 years old, 42% were working in March 2007, compared with 32% in 1995 and 28% in 1990, whereas among women 65 to 69 years old, 26% were working in March 2007, compared with 17% in 1995 and 1990. There also has been a trend toward more full-time employment among older Americans who work. In March 2007, 81% of employed men aged 62 to 64 were working full-time, compared with 77% in 1995 and 1990. Seventy-one percent of men aged 65 to 69 who were working in March 2007 were employed full-time, compared with 57% in 1995 and 56% in 1990. Among working women aged 62 to 64, 69% worked full-time in March 2007, compared with 60% in both 1995 and 1990, whereas among working women aged 65 to 69, 54% were employed full-time in March 2007, compared with 43% in 1995 and 44% in 1990. As more workers reach retirement age, employers may try to induce some of them to remain on the job, perhaps on a part-time basis. This is sometimes referred to as “phased retirement.” Several approaches to phased retirement — job sharing, reduced work schedules, and rehiring retired workers on a part-time or temporary basis — can be accommodated under current law. Under the recently enacted Pension Protection Act, a pension plan can begin to pay benefits to workers who have not yet separated from the employer at the earlier of age 62 or the pension plan’s normal retirement age, which in most plans is 65. Some employers would like to be able to pay partial pension distributions to workers who have reached the pension plan’s early retirement age. This would require a change in federal law

E-Reader Ownership Doubles in Six Months

Presents survey findings about trends in ownership of e-book readers such as Kindles or Nooks and tablet computers such as iPads or Motorola Xooms, compared with other devices and by gender, parental status, race/ethnicity, age, education, and income

Half of Adult Cell Phone Owners Have Apps on Their Phones

Presents survey findings about trends in the use of mobile apps on cell phones, downloaded or preloaded, and tablet computers by demographics, purpose, portion of downloaded apps used, and portion paid for. Compares results with 2009 and 2010 surveys