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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> </b></p>
<div align="center">
<h2><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What�s Ahead For Employment
2005?</font> </h2>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2005
looks like a busy year for employers. Beyond the continuing growth in
the economy, there are many new employment laws and regulations showing up on
the horizon. Let�s take a look at the highlights we can already see.</font></span></p>
<h3><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Immigration</font></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">1.
There are proposed changes in the <b>H-1B</b> (professional/technical workers)
concerning the labor conditions and requirements for employers. This includes
the granting of an additional 20,000 new visas and higher wage and fee requirements.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.
There will be new audits in the entire <b>H-2B</b> (Non-exempt/ non-professional
workers).</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">3.
I-9 forms will become available on line. You will be able to complete
the forms in your computer for instant filing.</font></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText2"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">4.
Major changes in the entire immigration program which, if passed, will allow
un-documented aliens, who have U.S. jobs, to register for employment rights.
Once registered, they will be allowed to work and will an additional 3 years
to process documents for legal U/S. presence and work rights.</font></p>
<h3><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Veterans</font></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Changes
in the USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) will
include the requirement for companies to provide employees with formal notices
of their USERRA rights much as they do now for COBRA and FMLA. The D.O.L.
will provide a suitable form that will be made available to employers.
In addition a new required USERRA poster must be displayed by March 10, 2005.
(For a free copy visit the �Forms: section of this HR University site.). Veterans
will also have COBRA rights to continue their benefits at their own expense
while in the service. However they will be allowed 24 months of continued
coverage instead of the standard 18 months.</font></p>
<h3><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Comp-Time</font></h3>
<p class="MsoBodyText2"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">It
appears that the Presidents �Family Time Flexibility Act� has enough support
to become a reality this year. The primary issue, �Comp Time� is one that
both employers and employees have supported for many years but has in the past
always been opposed by trade unions. If passed, this law will allow employees
to bank overtime hours and take them as paid leave time at a later date.
Although there is likely to be many changes in the final bill, in it�s present
form the maximum time employees can �bank� as comp time is 160 hours.
This could make for a very nice extended vacation. </font></p>
<h3><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">FMLA </font></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">New
regulations intend to require employers covered by the Family and Medical Leave
Act (companies with 50 or more employees) to notify employees immediately if
you are approving and counting their leave as FMLA. Failure to do so may
result in the employee being granted their FMLA leave rights all over again.
Interested parties may submit comments between March and May of 2005.
There may also be a simplification of some of the FMLA rules.</font></p>
<h3><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Employee Benefits</font></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">1.
The issue of taxing employee benefits has been an issue for many years.
Although the most recent plan called for the taxing, as wages, of all employee
health benefits, it now appears that that plan is dead. But there seems
to be growing support for a change that would set a top limit on the amount
of health benefits employees can receive before the tax kicks in.</font></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText2"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.
In a recent survey, companies and HR executives were asked how they were dealing
with the increasing costs of health benefits in 2005, they responded as follows:</font></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="68%" id="AutoNumber12">
<tr>
<td width="50%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Increasing
employee co-pay</font></td>
<td width="50%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">38%</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Doing
nothing </font></td>
<td width="50%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">31%</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" valign="top" height="17"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Increasing
employee co-pay and decreasing benefits </font></td>
<td width="50%" valign="top" height="17"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">29%</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="50%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Decreasing
benefits </font></td>
<td width="50%" valign="top"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2%</font></td>
</tr>
</table>
<h3><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pay Trends</font></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Although
labor shortages are being forecast from almost all sources, employers are not
responding with any significant changes in pay increases, A recent study by
Mercer Compensation Consulting Practice (MCCP) showed that average pay increases
for all U.S. employees is forecast at 3.5%. For Executives the increases
will average slightly less at 3.3%. Mercer predicts that an upswing in
pay increase averages will begin to show later in the year. </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: </font></b></font><b>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4" color="#FF0000">
March 2005</font></b></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>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<h3 style="text-align:justify"><u>Feds Require New Poster</u></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Beginning March 10, 2005,
all employers must add a new employment poster to their workplace.
The new poster is to inform employees of their rights if they undertake
military service.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Those rights under the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA) include the
right to return to their jobs, protection of their health benefits and
freedom form discrimination based on their military status.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> You may obtain a free copy
of the required USERRA poster at this HR University website under �FORMS�</p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="48%" id="AutoNumber7" height="96">
<tr>
<td width="100%" height="82">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">It
isn't that they can't see the solution. It is that they
can't see the problem.</font></p>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><i><b>G.K.
Chesterton</b></i></font></p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>
</font></span>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> </h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><u>You�re
Doing A Great Job Boss. (But I can do it Better)</u></b></font></span></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> In a national poll conducted
by Rasmussen Reports, an independent research firm, on managerial performance,
the researchers turned up a few additional surprises. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><u> 69%</u> of the participants
rated their Supervisor as <u>Excellent or Good.</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> But 27% said that they
could do their bosses job better.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> When they broke down the
responses by age and sex some interesting considerations presented themselves.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Workers ages 18 to 29 and
earning less than $20,000 annually, were the primary responders who said
they could do their bosses job better. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Approximately 33% of all
the males said they could do their bosses job better while only 20% of
the women said so. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span style="font-size: 14.0pt"> </span></p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="50%" id="AutoNumber8">
<tr>
<td width="100%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<p class="MsoBodyText2">�Professional men are handicapped by not
being allowed to ignore things which are useless�</p>
</font></span>
<div align="left"></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="text-decoration: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">
<span style="mso-tab-count:7">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Johan Von Goethe</i></b></span><br>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>
<![if !mso]><![endif]>
<h1 style="text-align:justify"> </h1>
</font></span>
<h3 style="text-align:justify"><span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><u>What
Employment Law Causes You The Most Problems? </u></font></span></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> CCH Inc, a leading provider
of HR information conducted a survey asking that question. They
listed several employment laws to choose from. The winner, hands
down with 43%, was the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) In addition
34% said that they believed employees were cheating on their FMLA.
All the remaining laws reflected approximately a 10% vote. </p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="50%" id="AutoNumber9">
<tr>
<td width="100%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<p class="MsoNormal">�I�ve spent 30 years going around factories.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>When you know something is wrong, none times out of ten
it�s the management.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>People
aren�t being led right.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>And bad leaders invariably blame the people.�<o:p></o:p></p>
</font></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="text-decoration: none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">
<span style="mso-tab-count:7">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">John Harvey Jones</i></b></span></font><br>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span style="font-size: 14.0pt"> </span></p>
</font></span>
<h3 style="text-align:justify"><span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><u>King
Kong vs. Fay Wray</u></font></span></h3>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> A recent lawsuit in California
was filed by two women who worked as caretakers for the Gorilla Foundation.
The $1 million lawsuit alleged sexual discrimination and wrongful termination.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> The primary complaint was
that the women were required to expose their breasts to Koko the gorilla
whenever he demanded. The Supervisor, Francine Patterson, directed
the women to do so when Koko communicated his demands in sign language.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Although the suit has not
yet been fully processed, the foundation has already been fined for several
related violations. </p>
</font></span>
<div align="center"><center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="50%" id="AutoNumber10">
<tr>
<td width="100%">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="text-decoration: none">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"> �Excellence is not a skill. It
is an attitude�<o:p></o:p></p>
</span></font>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="text-decoration: none">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"> <span style="mso-tab-count:5">
</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Vince Lombardi</i></b></span><br>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt"> </span></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <span style="font-size: 14.0pt"> </span><u><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Population
Booms Will Be In The Worst Places</font></u></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A
new United Nations report shows that the world�s population will increase
by 40% (to 9.1 billion) by the year 2050. But virtually all that
growth will be in the non-developed nations, particularly the 50 poorest
countries.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By
contrast, to population in the richest, most developed countries will
remain almost unchanged. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">There
are several �guesstimates� of the results this will create. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; margin-left: .5in">
<font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> 1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Many feel that this means the richest countries are going to have
to support the poorest countries.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; margin-left: .5in">
<font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> 2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Other feel that the low birthrate in the richest countries will
create huge labor shortages. The workforce to fill those jobs will
come from the poorest countries.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in; margin-left: .5in">
<font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> 3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span>Almost all agree that the United States is the primary destination
and will receive the most immigrants from those countries. </font></p>
<div align="center">
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="52%" id="AutoNumber11">
<tr>
<td width="100%"> <span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<p class="MsoBodyText2" align="left">�You have to stay in shape.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>My Grandmother, she started walking 5 miles a day when she
was 60.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She�s 97 today
and we don�t know where the hell she is�</p>
</font></span>
<p class="MsoBodyText2"><span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><span style="mso-tab-count:7">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Ellen DeGeneres</i></font></span><br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>
<table border="0" width="100%" height="67">
<tr>
<td width="100%" height="370">
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<hr width="75%">
</font></span><p></p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<table border="0" width="33%">
<tr>
<td width="64%" 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>Minimum Wage:</b></font></p>
</div>
</td>
<center>
<td width="100%" valign="top"><font size="-1"
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">$5.15/hr.</font></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">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><u>
February 2004</u><br>
$15.51</font></span></td>
<td width="25%" height="50">
<p align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u>
February
2005<br>
</u>$15.90
</font></span>
</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">February</font>
2004</u><br>
$524.24
</font></span>
</td>
<td width="25%" height="50">
<p align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<u> February 2005<br>
</u>$535.83
</font></span>
</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">$8,980</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>
$18,400</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<b>
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<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>
<center>
<td width="63%" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1">
<div align="left"><font size="-1"><b>37.5</b> </font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">cents per mile<br>
</font></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="68%" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1"> </td>
</center>
</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="68%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">.37</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">Each additional ounce</font></td>
<td width="68%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">.23</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><i>Postcards</i></font></td>
<td width="68%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">.23</font></td>
</tr>
</table>
</b>
<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">6.3 Billion</font>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="34%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><b>U.S.</b></font></td>
<td width="82%">
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">292.3 Million</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"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><u><font size="-1">
January 2004</font></u></b></font></td>
<b>
<td width="12%" align="center"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><u><b>
January 2005 </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">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">146,529,000</font></span></td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">148,132,000</font></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="48%"><font size="-1">Number Employed</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">138,334,000</font></span></td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"> <font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
140,144,000</font></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="48%"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1">Number Unemployed</font></td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none">
<font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">8,195,000</font></span></td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<span style="text-decoration: none"> <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
7,988,000</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>
<span style="text-decoration: none"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">
<font size="-1">5.6</font>%</font></span></p>
</td>
<td width="12%" align="center">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">5.4%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<hr noshade color="#000000">
<table border="0" width="98%" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="96">
<tr>
<td width="25%" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1" height="48">
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="-1"><b>Absentee Rates (annualized)</b></font></p>
</td>
<center>
<td width="10%" align="center" valign="top" style="border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><u>1997</u></b></font></td>
<td width="10%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><u>1998</u></b></font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><u>1999</u></b></font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><u>2000</u></b></font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><u>2001</u></b></font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><u>2002</u></b></font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1"><b><u>3rd Quarter<br>
2003</u></b></font></td>
</center>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="25%" style="border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1" height="48">
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">Men equal
approximately 1/3 of all absenteeism<br>
Women approximately 2/3</font></td>
<td width="10%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.0%</font></td>
<td width="10%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.6%</font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.4%</font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.9%</font></td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">2.1%</font></p>
</td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48">
<p><font size="-1">3.6</font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">%</font></p>
</td>
<td width="11%" align="center" valign="top" height="48">
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="-1">1.9%</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<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" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>1st
Quarter 2004</b></font></td>
<td width="68%"><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">UP
3.8% Increase</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>
2nd Quarter 2004</b></font></td>
<td width="68%"><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">UP
2.5% Increase</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"><font size="-1"><b>3r</b></font><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>d
Quarter 2004</b></font></td>
<td width="68%"><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">UP
1.9% Increase</font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="32%"> </td>
<td width="68%"> </td>
</tr>
</table>
</font></span>
<h3 align="center"> </h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100%" height="61"> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<p><font face="Verdana" size="2">� 2004 William J. Cook</font></p>
</body>
</html>