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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div align="center"><b> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="5">New
Hire On-Boarding and Orientation Mistakes</font></b> </div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">When
we again find ourselves at the point where we are hiring new employees, we begin
to think more about the entry process of �On-Boarding� or �Orientation�.
These two terms both generally mean that we want to:</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -.25in"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="font-family: Symbol">�<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span>Welcome new employees</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="font-family: Symbol">�<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span>Let them know how we see ourselves and where they fit into that
view</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="font-family: Symbol">�<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span>Tell them how and why we do things</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="font-family: Symbol">�<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span>Explain company policies</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -.25in"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="font-family: Symbol">�<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span>Motivate them to be a productive part of their new team</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">A
survey by the American Management Association (AMA), of high performance, high
profit companies listed the following four successful methods used in their
on-boarding programs:</font></p>
<table border="0" width="424" id="table21">
<tr>
<td width="361" valign="top">
<ul>
<li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Pairing
new hire with a company veteran </font></li>
</ul>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="53">
<div align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">49%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="361" valign="top">
<ul>
<li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Implement
a formal on-boarding program customized for each employee
</font></li>
</ul>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="53">
<div align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">30%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="361" valign="top">
<ul>
<li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Other
(various) </font></li>
</ul>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="53">
<div align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">16%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="361" valign="top">
<ul>
<li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Allow
a grace period for employee to learn and adjust </font></li>
</ul>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="53">
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -.25in; margin-left: .25in" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
5%</font></p>
<p align="left">
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">However,
within the survey report, they also reported the four most common mistakes made
in on-boarding or orientation programs. How does your program measure
up?</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>Mistake
#1 Cramming 20 hours of information into four mind-numbing
hours of orientation.</b></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">As
a practical observation this is a waste of your time and theirs. It�s
impossible for them to absorb the information. At what point early on,
will their minds begin to tune out? Smart companies break the orientation
into smaller �bite-sized chunks�. They also divide the information into
different formats. Which part of this information should be done face-to-face
and which can be done though the company�s internet where employees can access
things on their own? Can any part become a part of the next morning�s
start-up by the manager or supervisor? Which parts can be done over a
longer period of time?</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>Mistake
#2 Running a �fly by the seat of your pants� program.</b></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">This
almost always has a negative effect on the new employee�s opinion of the company.
Doing it off-the-top-of-your-head can send a message that you�re a slipshod,
second rate company. That we don�t plan things, we just make them up as
we go along. Throughout their service with the company, there will be
few times that are as sensitive to interpretation and with such long-lasting
impressions as the orientation process. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Because
new employees find themselves in uncharted territory and are often �disoriented�
they are prone to over interpret everything they see and hear. They will
�make meaning� out if everything, even every little thing. The impressions
they feel and conclusions they reach will likely be with them for a very long
time. It is often said, �You never get a second chance to make a first
impression�.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>Mistake
#3 Your orientation has all the excitement of watching
paint dry</b>.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">There
is so much information available on creative training techniques, interactive
exercises and even games that it�s a bad reflection on a company that bypasses
all this for a coma-inducing data dump of filling out forms and memorizing rules.
Speakers droning on about various policies and watching the required sexual
harassment video does not do much to inspire your new team mate. This
is your best opportunity to create an inspiring experience that can reassure
new hires that they�ve made the right choice and that the adventure ahead can
be exciting and rewarding. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>Mistake
#4 Tossing the orientation program and using the �sink
or swim� method</b></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Throwing
a new employee into the fray with no support, coaching or understanding can
be damaging to the employee. Research, studies and surveys since the 1930s
have taught us that one of the main reasons you will lose your new employee
in the first 90 days is that he is disoriented and does not see himself as part
of this organization. It also says to many employees that management here
just doesn�t care about its employees or that they don�t have much common sense.
</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Orientation
gives you the opportunity to create avenues of communication that can continue
on into their hopefully, long-term employment. By showing new hires the
value of this new relationship and how they can get things done, you will help
them feel more involved, motivated and secure. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">The
quality and effectiveness of your on-boarding, orientation program, may determine
whether or not your next formal interview will be his exit interview 90 days
later. </font></p>
<hr>
<h2 style="margin-left:.75in" align="center">
<font face="Verdana" color="#008000">Have an employment question?</font></h2>
<h3 style="margin-left:.75in" align="center"><font face="Verdana">Send it to
<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=From HR On The Job">
[email protected]</a></font></h3>
<p style="margin-left:.75in" align="center"><b><font face="Verdana" size="2">
Please include Company Name and Association in your e-mail. Company
identification will be kept confidential.</font></b></p>
<hr>
<h2 align="left"><b><u><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hitchhiking on the Information
Highway</font></u></b></h2>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font
size="4" color="#FF0000">Dateline: May</font></b></font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><font
size="4" color="#FF0000"> 2008</font></b></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">Note. Although we attempt to provide the HRU update on the first
of each month, we are normally delayed awaiting the release of several
monthly government statistical reports. We will hereafter update the information
as each report becomes available without waiting for all of them to be
released.</font></i></p>
<p> </p>
<table border="0" width="100%" height="3030">
<tr valign="top">
<td width="100%" height="3546">
<blockquote>
<div align="center">
<div align="left">
<h2 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Want To Be In
Demand?</font></b></h2>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>
Here�s What They�re Demanding</b></font></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>
<span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Manpower,
Inc recently reported on the ten most difficult jobs to fill in
the USA. The company has been conducting the survey for the last
three years. Sales representatives, technicians, accountants/finance
staff and machinists have appeared on the list for all three years.
It is becoming increasingly important for companies to retain those
employees with these skills while developing better methods of attracting
younger workers. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Fewer
young people today want to go into the more technical jobs on the
list. That means companies will be competing with each other
for the available candidates. That also means that the wages
will continue to go up on these jobs. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">10
most difficult jobs to fill:</font></b></h3>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Engineers</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Machinists / Machine operators</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Skilled Trades</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Technicians</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">5.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Sales Representatives</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">6.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Accounting / Finance staff</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">7.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Mechanics</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">8.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Laborers</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">9.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>IT Staff</font></p>
<p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -.25in"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">10.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Production Operators </font>
</div>
<table border="4" width="50%" id="table17" cellpadding="2" height="102" bordercolor="#000000">
<tr>
<td valign="top" height="78">
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid white 1.0pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid white 1.0pt;border-right:none;padding:
10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in">
<h2 class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">�<b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Big
jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow
smaller ones�</span></i></b></font></h2>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">-Ralph
Waldo Emerson</span></i></b></font></h2>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h1 align="center" style="text-align:center"> </h1>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> <span style="font-size:18.0pt"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">City
Students Don�t Do As Well As Suburban or Country Students</font></span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> Former
General Collin Powell has founded an organization aimed at addressing
the failure of our American schools. His organization, �America�s
Promise Alliance� Has issued a 2008 report showing that 9<sup>th</sup>
grade students in big city schools have about a 50/50 chance of graduating
four years later. But if they were to cross over into their
own suburbs, their chances improve dramatically. Big city schools
educate about 12.5% of high school students yet they account for 25%
of all the drop-outs. Those are averages, when we look at the
some actual examples the differences really jump out.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">In
Baltimore MD only 34.6% of city students graduate while in the Baltimore
suburbs the figure is 85%. The top five:</font></p>
<div align="left">
<table border="0" width="50%" id="table23">
<tr>
<td>
<table border="0" width="100%" id="table24">
<tr>
<td valign="top"><b></b></td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u>City School Graduates</u></font></b></div>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u>Suburban School Graduates<br>
</u></font></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
Baltimore, MD</font></b></td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
34.6% </font></div>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
81.5%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
Columbus, Ohio</font></b></td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
40.9%</font></div>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
82.9%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
Cleveland, Ohio </font></b></td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
42.2%</font></div>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
78.1%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
New York City</font></b></td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
47.4%</font></div>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
82.9%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
Denver, Colorado </font></b></td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
46.8%</font></div>
</td>
<td valign="top">
<div align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
80.9%</font></div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"> The
U.S. Secretary of Education calls that gap �unacceptable� and pointed
out that the figures may well be much worse as city schools tend to
use their own methods of calculating graduation rates that are inconsistent
with other schools. The teachers union feels that the
answer lies in paying school teachers higher wages and reducing their
class sizes. But that�s been the practicing solution of choice
for over 40 years, back when American education was considered among
the top 2 or 3 countries in the world. We now rank around 30<sup>th</sup>,
somewhere below South Korea. </font></p>
<p>
</div>
<span style="mso-ignore: vglayout">
<div align="center">
<table border="4" width="50%" id="table19" height="87" bordercolor="#000000">
<tr>
<td height="109" valign="top">
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid white 1.0pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid white 1.0pt;border-right:none;padding:
10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in">
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">�<b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Why
do we fail Sir?�</span></i></b></font></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">�In
order to learn how to pick ourselves up�</span></i></b></font></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">-Alfred</span></i></b></font></h3>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</span>
<div align="center">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> <span style="font-size:18.0pt">New
Jersey Passes Paid FMLA</span></b> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">When
the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed back in 1993, employers
objected to the idea of having to lose employees for up to 12 weeks
(16 to 18 weeks in some states) each year in addition to vacation,
holidays, sick leave and personal days complaining that this puts
an enormous burden on companies. In meeting with the Department
Of Labor (DOL) employers said that they feared that this would eventually
be expanded to paid leave. DOL said that they had no such plans
and that FMLA only applied to companies with 50 or more employees.
</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Since
then The state of California and Washington D.C. have mandated that
FMLA be paid leave. Last month the state of New Jersey passed
legislation requiring six weeks paid FMLA leave in each 12 month period.
All companies,<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size:8.0pt"> </span></span>
<u>regardless of size,</u> must provide the paid leave. And
much like Social Security, a state fund will be set up for employers
to pay into. Employees will be paid 66% of their pay up to $524
a week. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Companies
must begin paying into the fund on January 1, 2009. Employees
will be able to start collecting paid FMLA on July 1, 2009.</font></p>
<table border="4" width="50%" id="table20" bordercolor="#000000">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid white 1.0pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid white 1.0pt;border-right:none;padding:
10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in">
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">�It
is by what we ourselves have done, and not by what others
have done for us, that we shall be remembered in after ages.�</font></span></i></b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">-Francis
Wayland</span></i></b></font></h3>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> <span style="font-size:18.0pt"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Who
Earns The Minimum Wage?</font></span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">The
current federal minimum wage was set on July 24, 2007 at $5.85 per
hour. It will be raised to $6.55 on July 24, 2008, and will
be raised again to $7.25 on July 24, 2009. How many workers
will those increases affect? Not many.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Of
the 151 million workers in the U.S, those making minimum wage make
up 0.0175 percent of the American workforce. That�s a little
less than 2/10 of one percent of the workforce. In number that�s
267,000 workers. Approximately 70% of all minimum wage workers
advance out of that level of work within one year.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Minimum
wage workers tend to be young (about half are under 25), and minimally
skilled and most are women. According to the Business and Legal
Reports historic numbers, whenever the minimum wage goes up, the number
of jobs paying that wage goes down. It is thought that small
companies with a fixed salary capability must cut the number of workers
to fit that capability.</font></p>
<table border="4" width="50%" id="table22" bordercolor="#000000">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid white 1.0pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid white 1.0pt;border-right:none;padding:
10.0pt 0in 10.0pt 0in">
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">�<b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Every
moment of one�s existence, one is growing into more or retreating
into less�</span></i></b></font></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt">-Norman
Mailer</span></i></b></font></h3>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<blockquote>
<hr width="75%">
<p></p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<table border="0" width="47%">
<tr>
<td width="37%" valign="top">
<div style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1; padding-left: 4; padding-right: 4; padding-top: 1; padding-bottom: 1">
<p align="left"><font size="-1"
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Federal Minimum Wage:</b></font></p>
</div>
</td>
<center>
<td width="61%" valign="top">
<h3 align="left"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">$5.85/hr. </font></h3>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><i>Increases
to $6.55 on 7/24/08</i></font></p>
<p align="left"><i><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Increases
to $7.25 on 7/24/09</font></i>
</td>
</center>
</tr>
</table>
<table border="0" width="99%">
<tr>
<td width="13%" valign="middle" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>Average
Income:</b></font></td>
<td width="67%" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber4" height="76">
<tr>
<td width="100%" height="76">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber5">
<tr>
<td width="50%" align="center"><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Hourly</font></b></td>
<td width="50%" align="center"><b><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Weekly</font></b></td>
</tr>
</table>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber6" height="50">
<tr>
<td width="25%" height="50">
<p align="center"> <u><font size="-1"><b>March</b></font></u><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><u>
2007</u></font></b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><br>
$17.29</font>
</td>
<td width="25%" height="50">
<p align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u><font size="-1"><b>March</b></font></u></font></span><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="text-decoration: none"><u>
200</u></span></font></b><u><font size="-1"><b>8</b></font></u><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><u><br>
</u>$17.8</font><font size="-1">8</font>
</td>
<td width="25%" height="50">
<p align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u><font size="-1"><b>March</b></font></u><b><u>
2007</u></b><br>
</font>
</span> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
$584.40</font>
</td>
<td width="25%" height="50">
<p align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u><font size="-1"><b>March</b></font></u><b><u>
2008</u></b></font></span><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><u><br>
</u>$602.56</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td width="20%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<table border="0" width="99%" height="96">
<tr>
<td width="100%" height="40" colspan="2">
<h3 align="center"><span style="text-decoration: none"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>Federal<br>
Poverty Level:</b></font></span></h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" height="48">
<p align="center"><b><u><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">One
(1) Person<br>
</font></u></b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">$10,400</font></td>
<td width="50%" height="48">
<p align="center"><u><b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Family
of Four</font></b></u><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><br>
$21,200</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<hr noshade color="#000000">
</font>
<table border="0" width="100%">
<b></b>
<tr> <b><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<td width="37%" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1">
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><b>IRS Mileage Allowance :</b></font></p>
</td>
</font></b>
<center>
<b></b>
<td width="63%" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1">
<div align="left"><b> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><u>January
1, 2008, IRS mileage allowance:</u></font></b></div>
<div align="left"> </div>
<div align="left"><b> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
Business Purposes: 50.5 cents per mile<br>
Medical or Moving Purposes: 19 cents per mile<br>
Charitable Purposes: 14 cents per mile</font></b></div>
</td>
</center>
</tr>
</table>
<table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<tr>
<td width="32%" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1">
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><b>Postage:</b></font></p>
</td>
<center>
<td width="34%" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1"> </td>
</center>
<td width="34%" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>May
12. 2008</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">1 oz.</font></td>
<td width="34%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">.41</font></td>
<td width="34%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">.42</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">Each additional ounce</font></td>
<td width="34%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">.17</font></td>
<td width="34%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2
oz. .27</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><i>Postcards</i></font></td>
<td width="34%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">.26</font></td>
<td width="34%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">.27</font></td>
</tr>
</table>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<b>
<p>
<table border="0" width="38%" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
</table>
<table border="0" width="98%">
<tr>
<td width="34%" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1">
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><b><u>Population:</u></b></font></p>
</td>
<center>
<td width="82%" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1"> </td>
</center>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="34%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><b>World</b></font></td>
<td width="82%">
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">6.5 Billion</font>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="34%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><b>U.S.</b></font></td>
<td width="82%" valign="top">
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">300
Million</font>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><i>One
birth every 8 seconds<br>
One death every 13 seconds<br>
One new immigrant every 30 seconds<br>
Net gain = 1 person every second</i></font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</b>
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<table border="1" width="99%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<tr> <b>
<td width="48%" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1">
<p align="left"><b> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">U.S.
Workforce</font></b></p>
</td>
</b>
<center>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u><font size="-1"><b>March</b></font></u></font></span><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><u><font size="-1">
2007</font></u></b></font></td>
<b>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u><font size="-1"><b>March</b></font></u></font></span><u><span style="font-weight:700"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
</font></span> </u><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><u>
<b> 2008</b></u></font></td>
</b>
</center>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="48%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">U.S. Civilian Workforce</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">152,542,000</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">153,957,000</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="48%"><font size="-1">Number Employed</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">145,713,000</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
145,331,000</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="48%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">Number Unemployed</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"> <font size="-1">6,829,000</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"> <font size="-1">7</font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">,626,000</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="48%"><span style="text-decoration: none"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">Persons Who Currently Want A Job</font></span></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"> <span style="text-decoration: none">
<font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">4,542,000</font></span></td>
<td width="12%" align="center"> <span style="text-decoration: none">
<font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">4,755,000</font></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="48%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">Unemployment Rate</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<p><font size="-1">4.5</font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">%</font></p>
</td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<p><font size="-1">5.0</font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber3" bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<tr>
<td width="100%">
<h4><b><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">PRODUCTIVITY
OF THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE</font></b><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
(The amount of goods produced, divided by the number of work hours
it took to produce it)</font></h4>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1992</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">3.7%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1993</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">0.5%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1994</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">1.3%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1995</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">0.9%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1996</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.5%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1997</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.0%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1998</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.6%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>1999</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.4%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>2000</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.9%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>2001</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">1.1%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>2002</b></font></p>
</td>
<td width="68%">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">4.7%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b>2003</b></font></td>
<td width="68%"><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">4.5%</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font size="-1"><b>2004</b></font></td>
<td width="68%"><font size="-1">4.0%</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>2005</b></font></span></td>
<td width="68%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">2.6%</font></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>2006</b></font></span></td>
<td width="68%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">3.0%</font></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>2007</b></font></span></td>
<td width="68%"> <font size="-1">1.9%</font></td>
</tr>
</table>
</font></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100%" height="21"> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<p><font face="Verdana" size="2">� William J. Cook</font></p>
</body>
</html>