The Scout Report for Business & Economics - November 4, 1999

November 4, 1999

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The target audience of the new Scout Report for Business & Economics is faculty, students, staff, and librarians in business and economics. Each biweekly issue offers a selective collection of Internet resources covering topics in the field that have been chosen by librarians and content specialists in the given area of study.

The Scout Report for Business & Economics is also provided via email once every two weeks. Subscription information is included at the bottom of each issue.


In This Issue

Research

Learning Resources

General Interest

Current Awareness

New Data

In The News


Research

Asia Pacific Management Forum [.pdf]
http://www.apmforum.com/
Asia Pacific Management Forum is a creation of Orient Pacific Century, an Asian business and management consulting group, in conjunction with a plethora of businesses and universities throughout the Pacific. This valuable resource showcases its daily and monthly columns, and features over 1,000 entries in its searchable database of related Websites. The Market Research Guides include short Capsule Reviews of Asia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore, as well as in-depth articles and links to Websites that report on economic overviews, market overviews, abstracts of research papers, and maps of the countries. Also included are over 25 research articles in .pdf format along with an extensive research abstract database. [EM]
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Internet Corruption Perception Index 1999
http://www.GWDG.DE/~uwvw/1999.html
Transparency International
http://www.transparency.de/documents/cpi/index.html
The 1999 edition of Corruption Perceptions Index (last discussed in the February 26, 1998 Scout Report for Business & Economics) has been published. Transparency International has put together the Bribe Payers Perceptions Index (BPI), which ranks the leading nineteen exporting countries "in terms of the degree to which their corporations are perceived to be paying bribes abroad." According to the Bribe Payers Index (BPI), Sweden ranks the highest, followed by Australia and Canada, tying for second place. The United States comes in at seventh. This site links to the press release, background information, and framework document as well as the actual data. [EM]
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Glass Ceiling Commission [.pdf]
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/e_archive/glassceiling/
Existing from 1991-1996, the Glass Ceiling Commission was a federally funded commission which considered the "invisible, artificial barriers that prevent qualified individuals from advancing within their organization and reaching full potential." While the term "Glass Ceiling" originally referred to women, it was expanded to also include minorities. The Catherwood Library at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University has electronically archived the reports and findings of the commission, as well as a host of papers written on the Glass Ceiling Commission. The Commission summaries, reports, and findings are annotated, as are the accompanying papers. [EM]
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"OECD Principles of Corporate Governance" [.pdf]
http://www.oecd.org/daf/governance/principles.htm
The "Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Principles of Corporate Governance" sets out a structure for directing and controlling corporate businesses. This document (html or .pdf) consists of five sections detailing the principles: "The rights of shareholders," "The equitable treatment of shareholders," "The role of stakeholders in corporate governance," "Disclosure and transparency," and "The responsibilities of the board," as well as annotations for each of the sections. Be sure to visit the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance Q&A page, linked at the top of the page. [EM]
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John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development [MS Word, PowerPoint, .pdf]
http://www.heldrich.rutgers.edu
The John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, located at Rutgers University, examines the needs of the workforce development system in the United States. The center strives to "increase the efficiency of the labor market by identifying and creating strategies to empower America's workforce to seize the job opportunities emerging in the global economy." Along with news and information about the center, this site also includes (PowerPoint, MS Word, and .pdf) presentations and publications on welfare reform, minimum wage, and other workforce issues. A resources section will soon be added to the site. [EM]
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Learning Resources

Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Resource Guide
http://www.opm.gov/er/adrguide/toc.htm
Created by the US Department of Personnel Management, Alternative Dispute Resolution: A Resource Guide is a seven-chapter comprehensive manual that considers the ways in which various government agencies resolve disputes. Chapter one, organized alphabetically by agency name, examines the dispute tactics used by these agencies. The second chapter looks at the alternative dispute resolution practices within these agencies. Other sections include "Shared Neutrals Program" and "Administrative Appeals Agencies." The site also features Alternative Dispute Resolutions training and assistance sources and Websites, as well as an annotated bibliography. [EM]
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economagic [Excel]
http://www.Economagic.com/
Economagic consists of over 100,000 time series, each including data and charts. Data is mainly indexed in alphabetical order, by source. However, special sections are listed for "Most Requested Series" and "Data by Region." Selections are not annotated, but Economagic does note how many series are included with each resource. [EM]
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British Trade International
http://www.brittrade.com/
British Trade International is a comprehensive site covering aspects of the British import and export trades. Along with headlines and daily news, this site also includes news and information for exporters, sector information, and a large searchable database of overseas trade fairs and seminars. An ever-expanding number of market information pages includes snapshot overviews of the countries, maps, and summaries of the UK's dealings with the countries. [EM]
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World Tax
http://www.taxresources.com/html/taxsites/foreign.html
Tax Resources's World Tax page strives to "record links to the major free tax resources of each" of the 190 countries of the world. Along with tax news and theory, this site has a database of free tax resources, searchable by country using pull-down menus. Also included are various countries's rates and forms and global tax information. [EM]
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Shaman Presents "On The Net" -- New Ideas in Pollution Regulation
http://www.worldbank.org/nipr/onthenet.htm
David Shaman, of New Ideas In Pollution Regulation (NIPR), has created this extensive annotated index of Websites that deal with pollution regulations. Favored sites are highlighted with a yellow "pot o' gold" icon, and recent additions are noted with a checkmark. Sites are organized in several sections including Data about Industrial Pollution and Related Topics, Research, Academic, and Non-Governmental Organizations, and US Government and International Organizations. [EM]
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General Interest

Top Economic Events of the Twentieth Century -- The Dismal Scientist
http://www.dismal.com/top25/introduction.asp
The Dismal Scientist is commemorating the year 2000 with a look back at the top economic events of the 20th century. The editors have ranked their picks of the top 25 economic events of the past 100 years, according to criteria including the nature of the event, how it affected the US economy, and the long-term effects of the event. Each event is linked to a short article about its economic impact. The Dismal Scientist has also included a form for its readership to submit events. [EM]
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Wall Street Executive Library
http://www.canadianceo.com/
A one-stop resource, this portal includes news, reference tools, and a search engine directory. Websites are organized by country, mainly focusing on resources from Canada and the United States. Other countries are also included, however. The reference section contains informative links to general reference sites, law, and business sources. [EM]
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The SEC Mutual Fund Cost Calculator
http://www.sec.gov/mfcc/mfcc-int.htm
Users may use the US Securities and Exchange Commission's Mutual Fund Cost Calculator to "estimate and compare the costs of owning mutual funds." Before starting, browse and read the Frequently Asked Questions in order to understand more about SEA Mutual Funds, as well as how to most efficiently use the cost calculator. The cost calculator takes users through a step-by-step process, in which they enter certain criteria into the program. The calculator then processes the information and gives its cost estimate. [EM]
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MonyWolff
http://www.monywolff.com
This forecasting service for day traders has been created by the DeLoria Barger Investment Advisors of Cincinatti, Ohio. MonyWolff "primarily focuses on short term market forecasts -- movements in stocks and the major market averages which may take place in the next few hours to the next several weeks." Each day, MonyWolff offers a brief summary of their short term market forecasts in an informal, conversational style as well as daily tips on Internet stocks. Users may subscribe to the daily business e-newsletter. In MonyWolff's idiosyncratic fashion, they have also included in-depth bios of their dogs. [EM]
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Los Angeles at Work: 1920-1939
http://www.lapl.org/photo/laatwork/laatwork_4.html
An online photo gallery from the Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles at Work is a collection of captioned photographs documenting different jobs held by the men and women of LA from 1920 to 1939. The photographs were chosen from an archive of thousands of pictures taken by the staff of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. The pithy captions describe the circumstances of the photos, highlight some of the details, and give the dates and locations of the photos. Click on the thumbnails of the pictures in order to enlarge them. [EM]
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Current Awareness
(For links to additional current awareness on tables of contents, abstracts, preprints, new books, data, conferences, etc., visit the The Scout Report for Business & Economics Current Awareness Metapage: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/bus-econ/metapage/).

Working Papers

Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FRB BOG) Finance and Economic Discussion Series [.pdf]
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/index.html
Do Noisy Data Exacerbate Cyclical Volatility?
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199950/199950pap.pdf
Abstract
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199950/199950abs.html

What's Happened to the Phillips Curve?
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199949/199949pap.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199949/199949abs.html

Monetary Policy, Parameter Uncertainty and Optimal Learning
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199948/199948pap.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199948/199948abs.html

Option Prices with Uncertain Fundamentals Theory and Evidence on the Dynamics of Implied Volatilities
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199947/199947pap.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199947/199947abs.html

Minimum Wage Careers?
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199946/199946pap.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/1999/199946/199946abs.html

Federal Reserve System:
FRB New York Staff Reports [.pdf]
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/1999.htm
Borders and Business Cycles
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/sr91.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/sr91.html

Borrower Risk and the Price and Nonprice Terms of Bank Loans
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/sr90.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/sr90.html

Assessing the Impact of Short-Sale Constraints on the Gains from International Diversification [.pdf]
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/sr89.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/sr89.html

Does Talk Matter After All? Inflation Targeting and Central Bank Behavior
http://www.ny.frb.org/rmaghome/staff_rp/sr88.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.ny.frb.org./rmaghome/staff_rp/sr88.html

FRB Philadelphia Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.phil.frb.org/page.asp?page=workpapers99
Solving and Simulating a Simple Open-Economy Model with Markov-Switching Driving Processes and Rational Learning
http://www.phil.frb.org/files/wps/1999/wp99-14.pdf

FRB San Francisco Research Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/rwp99.htm

Tests of Equal Forecast Accuracy and Encompassing for Nested Models
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/PDF/rwp99-11.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/rwp99-11.htm

Forecast-Based Monetary Policy
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/PDF/rwp99-10.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/rwp99-10.htm

Monetary Policy in an Estimated Optimization-Based Model with Sticky Prices and Wages
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/PDF/rwp99-09.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/rwp99-09.htm

Borders and Business Cycles
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/PDF/rwp99-07.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/reswkpap/rwp99-07.htm

FRB St. Louis Research Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.stls.frb.org/research/wp/

Committing and Reneging: A Dynamic Model of Policy Regimes
http://www.stls.frb.org/docs/research/wp/99-020.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.stls.frb.org/research/wp/99-020.html

European Business Cycles: New Indices and Analysis of their Synchronicity
http://www.stls.frb.org/docs/research/wp/99-019.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.stls.frb.org/research/wp/99-019.html

Other Institutions:
World Bank Policy Research Working Papers on Macroeconomics [.pdf]
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/macroecon.html
Sector Growth and the Dual Economy Model: Evidence from Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana,
and Zimbabwe
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2175/wps2175.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2175/wps2175-abstract.html

Prospective Deficits and the Asian Currency Crisis
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2174/wps2174.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2174/wps2174-abstract.html

Capital Flows, Macroeconomic Management, and the Financial System: Turkey, 1989-97
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2141/wps2141.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2141/wps2141-abstract.html

Small States, Small Problems?
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2139/wps2139.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2139/wps2139-abstract.html

Economic Reforms and Total Factor Productivity Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (1950-95): An Empirical Note
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2114/wps2114.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2114/wps2114-abstract.html

Life during Growth: International Evidence on Quality of Life and Per Capita Income
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2110/wps2110.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2110/wps2110-abstract.html

When Is Fiscal Adjustment an Illusion?
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2109/wps2109.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2109/wps2109-abstract.html

Public Goods and Ethnic Divisions
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2108/wps2108.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2108/wps2108-abstract.html

Was the Credit Channel a Key Monetary Transmission Mechanism following the Recent Financial Crisis in the Republic of Korea?
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2103/wps2103-abstract.html
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2103/wps2103.pdf

The World Bank's Unified Survey Projections: How Accurate Are They? An Ex-Post Evaluation of US91-US97
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2071/wps2071.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.worldbank.org/html/dec/Publications/Workpapers/wps2000series/wps2071/wps2071-abstract.html

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Working Papers [.pdf]
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/shortres.cfm?title=&auth_ed=&subject=&ser_note=working%20papers&Year=1999&datecrit=during&lang_f=all
Measuring Misalignment - Purchasing Power Parity and East Asian Currencies in the 1990s
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99120.pdf
Modeling and Forecasting Inflation in India
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99119.pdf
Inflation and Growth in Transition: Are the Asian Economies Different?
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99118.pdf
Investment, Capital Accumulation, and Growth - Some Evidence from The Gambia 1964-98
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99117.pdf
The Relative Merits and Implications of Inflation Targeting for South Africa
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99116.pdf
The External Wealth of Nations - Measures of Foreign Assets and Liabilities for Industrial and Developing Countries
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99115.pdf
Exchange market Pressure and Monetary Policy - Asia and Latin America in the 1990s
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99114.pdf
Bank Fragility and International Capital Mobility
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99113.pdf
Firm Investment and Balance-Sheet Problems in Japan
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99111.pdf
Foreign Exchange Queues, Informal Traders, and a Zero Premium in the Black Market - A Cape Verdean Puzzle
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99110.pdf
Deconstructing Job Creation
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99109.pdf
Bailout and Conglomeration
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99108.pdf
Analysis of the U.S. Business Cycle with a Vector-Markov-Switching Model
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/1999/wp99107.pdf

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Technical Papers [.pdf]
http://www.oecd.org/dev/pub/tp1a.htm
The Politics and Economics of Transition to an Open Market Economy in Viet Nam
http://www.oecd.org/dev/PUBLICATION/tp/tp152.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.oecd.org/dev/PUBLICATION/tp/sum152.pdf

Gender, Human capital and Growth: Evidence from Six Latin American Countries
http://www.oecd.org/dev/PUBLICATION/tp/tp151.pdf
Abstract:
http://www.oecd.org/dev/PUBLICATION/tp/sum151.pdf

Stockholm School of Economics Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance [.pdf]
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/
The Determinants of Host Country Spillovers from Foreign Direct Investment: Review and Synthesis of the Literature
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0339.pdf
Abstract:
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/abs/hastef0339.htm

On the Existence of Finite Dimensional Realizations for Nonlinear Forward Rate Models
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0338.pdf
Abstract:
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/abs/hastef0338.htm

On Consumption Bunching under Campbell-Cochrane Habit Formation
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0337.pdf
Abstract:
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/abs/hastef0337.htm

Forecasting performance of seasonal cointegration models
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0336.pdf
Abstract:
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/abs/hastef0336.htm

The Net Barter Terms of Trade: A Smooth Transition Approach
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0335.pdf
Abstract:
http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/abs/hastef0335.htm
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Periodicals

Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FRB BOG) The Beige Book
http://www.federalreserve.gov/FOMC/BeigeBook/1999/19990922/default.htm
Updated eight times a year, The FRB BOG's The Beige Book summarizes commentary of people in the banking industry who work outside of the Federal Reserve System. It does not include the opinions of Federal Reserve Officials. The September 1999 report shows that, over all, consumer spending is higher than it was a year ago, as are real estate and manufacturing. Labor markets and wages seem to have remained at the same level. [EM]


Federal Reserve System:
FRB Chicago FedLetter [.pdf]
http://www.frbchi.org/pubs-speech/publications/periodicals/chilet/cflnov99_147.pdf
FRB Cleveland Economic Trends [.pdf]
http://www.clev.frb.org/research/Et99/1099/index.htm
FRB San Francisco Western Economic Developments [.pdf]
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/wed/1999/wed9909.pdf

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's FedLetter consists of the essay "A regional approach to measures of important activity." The October 1999 issue of Economic Trends from FRB Cleveland, contains information on monetary policy, interest rates, and labor markets. A bimonthly newsletter, Western Economic Developments reports on the financial status of the western US states in September 1999. [EM]

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Consumer News
http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/sum99cn/index.html
Consumer News, quarterly publication from the FDIC, addresses consumers's banking needs. The Summer issue includes the articles "The law helps those who help themselves," "What's the score on your credit?" And "Insurance brochure Revised." [EM]

Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD) Focus Hot File [.pdf]
http://www.oecd.org/puma/focus/num14.pdf
The September-October Focus Hot File from the OECD contains a report from the OECD Symposium, Government of the Future: Getting from Here to There. [EM]

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) Latin American Outlook
http://www.aei.org/lao/lao10947.htm
The focus of the October 1999 issue of Latin American Outlook from the AEI is on Argentinean electoral process, which is discussed in the article "Argentina: An Electoral Turning Point." [EM]
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Books and Journals

Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor Latest Books in Business -- November 1999
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M11/UBBS/ubbs17.html
Baker & Taylor Latest Books in Economics -- November 1999
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M11/UBBS/ubbs16.html
Baker & Taylor lists business and economics books published in November 1999. [EM]

Econbase -- Elsevier
http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/econbase/
The abstracts, tables of contents, and in some cases full-text, for the following journals are now available online: World Development (Vol 27, No 12), Journal of Health Economics (Vol 18, No 5), Journal of Financial Markets (Vol 2, No 3), Journal of Banking and Finance (Vol 23, No 11), Journal of Mathematical Economics (Vol 32, No 1), European Journal of Political Economy (Vol 15, No 3), Journal of Econometrics (Vol 93, No 2), Economic Modelling (Vol 16, No 3). [EM]
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Conferences

Inomics Conference Calls:
Email Conference Alert
http://www.inomics.com/query/alert
Conference Search
http://www.inomics.com/query/conf_search
The economics research service Inomics (described in the June 18, 1998 Scout Report for Business & Economics) includes a conference alert service. Interested parties may specify their interests and receive email notifications of up-coming events, or they may search the Inomics conference database by date, geographic location, or JEL classification. [EM]

Conferences with Econometric Interest
http://www.eur.nl/few/ei/links/#conferences
The Royal Economics Society's Econometrics Journal site lists conferences in econometrics at this Econometric Links section. Forthcoming international conferences currently listed include American Economic Association (AEA) Annual Meeting and the 2001 North American Winter Meeting of the Econometric Society. Both meetings take place January 5-7, 2001 in New Orleans, LA, USA. [EM]
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Jobs

Job Openings from The Chronicle of Higher Education
Job Openings in Economics
http://chronicle.com/free/jobs/faculty/sscience/econ/links.htm
Job Openings in Business and Management
http://chronicle.com/free/jobs/faculty/professional/business/links.htm

Job Openings for Economists (JOE)
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/joe/joe/

Inomics: Job Openings for Economists
http://www.inomics.com/query/job_search
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New Data

Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
State Personal Income: Second Quarter 1999
http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/newsrel/spi1099.htm
According to the estimates of the US Census Bureau, three plains states, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa, and two western states, Nevada and Arizona, had the country's biggest growths in personal income during the second quarter of 1999. [EM]
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Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [.pdf]
Issues in Labor Statistics
http://stats.bls.gov/opub/ils/pdf/opbils35.pdf
The September 1999 issue of Issues in Labor Statistics examines occupational stress, which the BLS studied as part of its Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. In 1997, 3,418 cases of occupational stress, defined as "neurotic reactions to stress," were reported, and an average of 23 days of work were missed as a result of each case. More than two fifths of these cases involved more than 31 days of absence. [EM]
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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
1999 Agency Reports/ Schedule
http://www.usda.gov/news/calindex.htm
USDA summarizes its report releases from various sources (the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the World Agricultural Outlook Board) at this calendar site. Notable data for November 1999 include the Broiler Hatchery and Crop Progress reports. [EM]
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Energy Information Administration (EIA)
International Petroleum Monthly
http://www.eia.doe.gov/ipm/
International Petroleum Monthly is a publication from the Energy Information Administration. The October 1999 issue shows that the United States's demand for oil is the highest worldwide, averaging 16,988 thousand barrels a day. In contrast, Canada's demand is at 1,690 thousand barrels daily. [EM]
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Census Bureau [.pdf]
1997 Economic Census, Wholesale Trade, Geographic Area Series, Vermont
http://www.census.gov/prod/ec97/97w42-vt.pdf
This 103-page document covers the wholesale trade in Vermont, as reported by the 1997 Economic Census. [EM]
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In The News

France Continues to Have Beef with British Food Safety
1) "How the beef row escalated" -- BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_485000/485146.stm
2) UK Politics: "Beef ban meeting underway" -- BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_502000/502213.stm
3) "Minister in face-to-face beef talks with French" -- ITN Online
http://www.itn.co.uk/Britain/brit19991102/110201.htm
4) "German threat may deepen beef crisis" -- ITN Online
http://www.itn.co.uk/Britain/brit19991101/110101.htm
5) "UK seeks truce in beef war" -- CNNfn
http://cnnfn.com/1999/10/28/europe/france_uk_beef/
6) Meat is a Matter of Mistrust
http://www.ft.com/nbearchive/email-ftibwcq2c3cde.htm
7) "Still mad about cows" -- The Economist
http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/30-10-99/index_br6516.html
8) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy collection -- Independent Agrochemical Observer
http://inet.uni-c.dk/~iaotb/bse.htm
This week's In the News looks at France's hesitancy to lift the European Union's ban on import of British beef. The ban was first set in place in March 1996 after an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalophy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease, in Britain. Although the EU lifted the ban in August, France refuses to allow imported beef from the UK, siting continuing fears of an outbreak of BSE. Throughout the month of October, tensions continued to mount as some British stores boycotted French products in solidarity with the British farmers, and the EU reported that the French had been feeding their livestock rendered sewage, a practice the British had deemed unsafe. Last week an unequivocal scientific study sponsored by the EU reveled that British beef is as safe as any other. France's Food Safety Agency, however, continues to claim the beef poses a health risk. The following eight articles, Websites, and commentaries explore the UK-France Beef Row.

In order to get a better understanding of the background of the beef war, the BBC has put together a timeline of the incidents of October 1999 that deal with the EU beef crisis (1). Also from the BBC, "Beef ban meeting underway" (2) examines British Agriculture Minister Nick Brown's first fact-to-face talks with Jean Glavany and his attempts to convince his French counterpart to lift the ban. ITN Online considers Tony Blair's efforts to relieve the beef war (3) and the German provinces's threats to refuse to open the markets to UK beef (4). CNNfn (5) reports that the United Kingdom seeks a compromise in order to end the beef war. A commentary piece by Dominique Moisi from The Financial Times(6) explores the cultural tensions that may be fueling the beef war, and The Economist(7) looks at the historical connotations of the French ban on British beef. Finally, the Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) Collection (8) is an extensive Web directory of government and personal Websites as well as mailing lists, journal articles, and academic sites dedicated to the study of Mad Cow Disease. [EM]
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