Perfect Labor Storm 2.0

Mompreneurs: Mothers Working at Home

Whether it was the result of downsizing, the allure of work-life balance, or the pull of motherhood, the labor-force participation rate of women ages 25 to 54 with at least four years of college declined from 84.7& in 1994-95 to 81.8% in 2003-04 - and the decline was most pronounced for married women with children under 3.  (Source: Regional Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston)

But this doesn't mean these women weren't working.  A growing legion of these stay-at-home Moms are redefining the stay-at-home experience by using today's technology to earn an income without ever setting foot in an office.  These stay-at-home Moms or WAHMs are also known as "mompreneurs".

Because these women are bright, educated, and willing to work part-time, they are a valuable and growing solution to businesses looking to fill positions in a tight labor market.

For more workforce trends, visit Perfect Labor Storm.

How many "unemployed" people do you have on your payroll?

A new survey from America Online (AOL) and Salary.com found that the average American worker wastes 2 hours and 5 minutes a day, which cumulatively adds up to $759 billion a year in lost productivity.

Not surprisingly, the top time waster was Web surfing, with workplace socializing coming in at number two. "Applying for other jobs" came seventh place on the list.

The survey solicited reasons as to why employees wasted time. The most popular reason was not having enough to do while not being paid enough came in second place. In this regard the sticker axiom, "They pretend to pay me and I pretend to work," comes to mind.

Top time-wasting activities include:

1. Personal Internet Use including emailing
2. Socializing with co-workers
3. Conducting personal business
4. Spacing out
5. Running errands

Top reasons for wasting time:

1. Don't have enough work to do
2. Underpaid for the work I do
3. Co-workers distract me
4. Not enough evening or weekend time
5. Other

This amount of "paid leave" shouldn't catch employers completely off-guard.  Employers do expect workers to waste 1 hour a day plus lunch and actually calculate that into their salary structure.  But workers say they actually waste 2-plus hours a day...and this doesn't include the time they believe they spend in pointless meetings or carrying out inane requests from their boss(es) or waiting for a response from customer service, shipping, vendors, co-workers or their bosses.  Add to this the projects and tasks that are delayed or messed up as a result of turnover, vacations, and vacancies, not to mention sheer stupidity and lack of motivation.

The top time-wasting industries were:

1. Insurance workers - 2.5 hours wasted per day
2. Public sector workers - 2.4 hours
3. Research and development - 2.3 hours
4. Education - 2.2 hours
5. Software and Internet - 2.2 hours

Source: America Online, Survey.com, Success Performance Solutions

Truck Driver Shortages: Are Hispanics the solution?

Hispanics account for one in seven of the nation's 1.3 million long-haul truckers.

One in six long-haul drivers are nearing retirement.

Driver recruitment is lacking industry growth. Industry expansion is growing at 2.2 percent a year while the number of new truckers in 2004 increased only 1.6 percent.

If these trends hold, the current 20,000 driver shortfall will balloon to 110,000 by 2014, a figure that doesn't include the 219,000 truckers expected to retire during that period. (American Trucking Association)

Hispanics are the country's fastest growing ethnic group, accounting for one-half of the popylation's growth between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004 and filling one of every three job openings. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

For more trends and facts of Why Worker Shortages Will Not Go Away, go to Perfect Labor Storm.

Hispanics Hispanics Changing the Face of Business

Hispanics make up 4% of the 7.7 million U.S. business owners with paid employees.

46% of Hispanic business owners are under the age of 45.

Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. will grow 55% in the next six years to 3.2. million.

Hispanics own 5.8% of all U.S. businesses.

More than one-third (34.9%) of Hispanic-owned firms are owned by women.

Hispanic women own 553,618 U.S. businesses, employe 320,000 and generate $44.4 billion in sales nationwide.

Hispanics accounted for half of the nation's population growth between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004.

Hispanics are filling one of every three job openings.  (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Source: U.S. Census, U.S. Economic Census, Center for Women's Business Research