Chapter 11: Human Resource Management - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Another 4.4 Million Americans Filed for Unemployment Last Week

April 23, 2020

This morning, the Labor Department announced that another 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. That brings the official number of jobless people to 26.5 million over the past month, effectively erasing almost all of the new jobs created since the 2008 financial crisis. To make matters worse, many state unemployment processing systems have become overwhelmed after receiving record numbers of requests. As a result, experts predict that the actual number of jobless Americans could be much higher Continue reading →

Hiring, Ethics, Coronavirus, Human Resources, Unemployment, Regulation, Health

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Retail Sales Plummet with Worst Monthly Loss on Record

April 16, 2020

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With thousands of stores closed around the country, U.S. retailers saw sales plunge by 8.7 percent in March. That represents the worst monthly decline on record as millions of consumers stopped visiting restaurants, bars, and shopping malls due to stay-at-home orders for coronavirus containment. While sales of cars, furniture, and electronics all experienced double digit drops, spending at clothing stores plummeted by more than 50 percent. Manufacturing capacity and oil production also fell to their lowest rates since the end Continue reading →

Nearly a Third of Renters Have Not Paid This Month’s Rent

April 9, 2020

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This morning, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that another 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. All told, almost 17 million people have applied for jobless aid in the past three weeks, accounting for 10 percent of the U.S. labor force. The sudden loss of so many jobs is staggering and unprecedented. For comparison, it took two years for 8.6 million people to lose their jobs during the Great Recession. Many analysts predict that the unemployment rate Continue reading →

Real Estate, Coronavirus, Labor Relations, Unemployment, Economics, Ethics, Regulation, Human Resources, Health

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Small Businesses Have Trouble Securing Vital Loans

April 7, 2020

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The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused countless restaurants and stores across the country to alter their services or close entirely, some for as long as a month so far. This stretch of downtime has been devastating for many small businesses that usually get by on week-to-week sales. At Old Town Pizza & Brewing in Portland, Oregon, owner Adam Milne had to lay off two-thirds of his staff as the brewpub transitioned into carry-out only service. In the process he racked Continue reading →

Startups Hit Hard By Coronavirus Shutdowns

April 3, 2020

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Earlier this year, we looked at how the fitness startup ClassPass grew into a $1 billion company thanks to an innovative business model that allows members to easily find exercise classes in their area. Flash forward just a few months later, however, and ClassPass finds itself in a completely different position due to widespread shutdowns caused by coronavirus containment. As gyms and fitness centers closed across the world in March, ClassPass watched as 95 percent of its revenue disappeared within Continue reading →

[VIDEO] A Breakdown of the $2 Trillion Stimulus Package

April 2, 2020

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After a long debate, last week legislators finally approved and signed into law a $2 trillion stimulus package that provides much needed economic relief during this unprecedented health crisis. The video below looks at how the money will be allocated to companies and the logistics behind expanded unemployment benefits as well as a $1,200 stimulus payment to American adults.

Questions:

What sort of restrictions does the stimulus package place upon companies that accept government relief?
Do you think this Continue reading →

Economics, Regulation, Ethics, Health, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Crisis management, Layoffs, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

Movie Studios Offer New Titles On-Demand for Homebound Viewers

March 27, 2020

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With movie theaters across the world closed due to coronavirus containment, experts predict that the global film industry could lose as much as $15 billion this year. China shuttered more than 60,000 theaters in January right before the annual Lunar New Year holidays, a boom period that usually brings in $2 billion in box office sales. Meanwhile in the U.S., AMC Theatres recently announced that it has furloughed its CEO and corporate staff after the company closed more than 1,000 Continue reading →

3.3 Million Americans Applied for Unemployment Last Week

March 26, 2020

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After the federal government placed a ban on gatherings of ten or more people last Monday, restaurants and bars across the country either closed or drastically altered their operations. Although such measures are necessary to contain the spread of coronavirus, countless businesses have had to furlough workers or lay them off entirely as a result. In fact, statistics released by the Labor Department this morning found that a record 3.3 million Americans applied to receive unemployment benefits last week.

That Continue reading →

Labor Relations, Unemployment, Regulation, Ethics, Health, Human Resources, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Bean Sales Skyrocket as Shoppers Stock Up

March 24, 2020

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Although countless businesses have either altered their hours or closed up entirely, supermarkets around the country remain very busy as people gather supplies for their extended stays at home. Along with items like soap, hand sanitizer and toilet paper, Americans are also stocking up on foods with long shelf lives. As a result, sales of dry goods like beans are skyrocketing. “In one sense, this is like my best dream,” said Tim McGreevy, the leader of a trade group for Continue reading →

Health, Hiring, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, Operations Management, Coronavirus, Human Resources

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management

[VIDEO] Service Industry and Gig Workers Struggle during Pandemic

March 20, 2020

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With many businesses altering their day-to-day operations, millions of Americans working in restaurants, bars, hotels, or for gig companies like Uber have seen their hours and pay cut drastically. This video looks at how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting regular people working in the San Francisco Bay Area and the solutions that they are asking for to relieve this crisis.

Questions:

Why do small businesses like restaurants and bars face so much uncertainty during the current coronavirus pandemic?
Do Continue reading →

Operations Management, Ethics, Regulation, Human Resources, Health, Labor Relations, Unemployment, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos