The Scout Report for Business & Economics - April 6, 2000

April 6, 2000

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

2000 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers -- United States Trade Representative [.pdf]
http://www.ustr.gov/reports/nte/2000/contents.html
From the United States Trade Representative (USTR), this report "surveys significant foreign trade barriers to U.S. export." Created from information collected from government agencies including the USTR and the US Departments of Agriculture and Commerce, the report attempts to classify barriers in foreign trade into ten categories including import policies, government procedures, lack of intellectual property protection, and investment barriers. Reports on US trade relations with 55 countries, from the Arab League to Zimbabwe, are provided, giving succinct summaries of the outlined ten categories. Available in .pdf format only, the report may be downloaded by country or in its entirety. [EM]
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Small States: Meeting the Challenges in the Global Economy [.pdf]
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/smallstates/final.pdf
This 127-page report from the Commonwealth Secretariat/ World Bank Joint Task Force on Small States considers the unique development issues that affect the sovereign, developing small states of the world (states with a population of less than 1.5 million people). This report examines the ways in which small states differ from their larger counterparts, especially the large states that make development challenging and lead small states to be economically vulnerable. The report also outlines some the "challenges and opportunities" for small states, including the availability of external assistance and policies. [EM]
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Carving Out: Development in the Pacific
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/carvingout/
The homepage for Carving Out, the online counterpart to the ABC.net radio program of the same name, seems to camouflage its wealth of information behind graphics of swimming fish, circling sharks, and jumping turtles. However, Carving Out provides an excellent introduction to development issues in the Pacific, including countries such as Fiji, Tonga, Paupa New Guinea, and the Marshall Islands. Beginning with basic maps of the region, which cover the islands as well as sea areas, users may click on the links on the top and bottom of the maps and stats section to learn more about each country's language, colonial history, environmental concerns, and nuclear test sites. Clicking on More Detailed Info will take users to charts with more in-depth information on these issues. The Issues section covers topics including economics, urbanization and migration, governance, aid, and environment with articles and papers from a variety of scholars and sources. The site also contains transcripts from the radio program. While Carving Out can be confusing to navigate, it serves as a wonderful beginning resource for those interested in a basic education about development issues in the Pacific. [EM]
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Bank Information Center [.pdf]
http://www.bicusa.org/
Bank Information Center (BIC) is a nonprofit, independent, non-governmental organization that "provides information and strategic support to NGOs and social movements throughout the world on the projects, policies and practices of the World Bank and other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)." The organization's Website contains information about BIC's ongoing activities and offers useful publications and toolkits for those interested in and involved with MDBs. The Toolkits for Activists section includes fact sheets that explain the inner workings of the World Bank, covering topics such as basic information about the World Bank, the Country Assistance Strategy, World Bank policy framework, and information on World Bank's lending. Each fact sheet is available in both .pdf and HTML formats. The publications section offers a variety of resources including papers, case studies, and meeting reports, many of which are available online. Also provided are links to other monitoring organizations around the world and several online forums. An information services page will be added soon. [EM]
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European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN)
http://www.eapn.org/default_en.html
European Anti Poverty Network was created in 1989 "to put the fight against poverty and social exclusion on the political agenda of the European Union." The Network consists of 25 European organizations that work to alleviate poverty and 15 national networks that fight poverty specifically inside the EU. EAPN offers a nice collection of position papers and reports analyzing the ongoings of the European Union, its member countries and their policies, as well as news releases and news flashes. The site gives general information about the EAPN including its mission, members, and activities, as well as providing a tightly organized set of links. [EM]
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Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS)
http://tess.uspto.gov/
This new site, currently a pilot service, will soon replace the US Trademark Search Database. TESS allows the general public to search and retrieve trademark application and registration information, using the same text and image database provided to examining attorneys at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Users have three search options, a simple Structured Form Search, a more advanced Free Form Search, and a Browse Dictionary option, which allows "users to scan through the search indices to see indexed terms around a specific search term and provides the counts of occurrences for those indexed terms." Initial returns include Serial Number, Word Mark, and Live/Dead Indicator. Each links to a more detailed record which includes Filing Date, Owner, Type of Mark, and when appropriate, an image. A sample search for "beer" returned over 11,000 returns, while one for "software" produced over 150,000 hits. Search help, a glossary, and a FAQ are provided. [MD]
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United States of America v. Microsoft Corporation, Conclusions of Law and Order [.pdf]
http://usvms.gpo.gov/
On Monday, US District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson announced his decision that Microsoft had violated antitrust laws by stifling competition in the Internet browser market and "unlawfully tying its Web browser" to Windows. The 46-page Conclusions of Law and Order, placed online in HTML or .pdf format by the US District Court for the District of Columbia, affirms Jackson's November ruling that the company is a monopoly that has bullied competitors and squelched innovation, hurting US consumers in the process. The Conclusion came a few days after extended settlement talks between the software company and the government broke down. A settlement is still possible, but if no agreement is reached then Judge Jackson must decide what penalty to impose; possibilites include forcing Microsoft to share its source code or even breaking up the company. Any penalty, however, will be delayed by years as the case works its way through the appeal process. [MD]
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Learning Resources

Knowledge Management WWW Virtual Library
http://www.brint.com/km/
Created by author and founder/ chairman/ chief knowledge architect of @Brint.com, the Knowledge Management WWW Virtual Library is an award-winning digital library dedicated to knowledge management and intellectual capital information. This all-inclusive site features an extensive collection of research papers, articles, and interviews on topics such as data mining, complexity theory, and "the human side of knowledge management;" these documents can be found in the Themes in Knowledge Management section. Users are encouraged to participate in several ever-changing online discussion forums; archived discussions include Data and Knowledge; Creative Abrasion of Knowledge, Information, Intellectual Capital; and Jump Starting Communities of Practice. Because there is so much information on this site, at times we found it somewhat difficult to navigate and search. However, for those interested in knowledge management, it should be an invaluable resource. [EM]
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GE Center for Financial Learning
http://www.financiallearning.com/
Sponsored by General Electric, the GE Center for Financial Learning strives to promote financial literacy by becoming "the most comprehensive source for personal finance information on the Internet." The most exciting feature of this excellent site is the collection of free, online courses in finance. Courses take between 30 minutes and an hour to complete and are offered in topics including Financial Planning for Singles, Financial Planning for Retirees, and beginning and intermediate classes on life insurance, annuities, and investments. Articles on "hot topics" provide insight and information on subjects such as taxes, wills, and financial literacy for children. The help section contains a site tour, FAQs, and a dictionary of financial terms. In the Research Studies section, users will find the results of GE's phone survey of American financial literacy, a truly fascinating look at how much Americans know, and think they know, about money and investing. [EM]
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Career Development Manual
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocecs/CRC/manual-home.html
The University of Waterloo has produced this excellent manual for career development. Aimed at graduating students, the guide takes users through six steps of career and life planning, starting with the building blocks of self assessment and ending with re-evaluation. Each section offers thought-provoking activities and helpful advice and instructions for completing the unit. Along with basics, such as networking and resume and cover letter writing, the manual also outlines steps that many job seekers may not have considered in their quest for a job or career, such as learning styles, information interviews, and long and short-term personal objectives. [EM]
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World Employment Report Virtual Conference
http://www.virtualwer.org/
Open from March 21, 2000 to April 10, 2000, the World Employment Report Virtual Conference is an online discussion about several aspects of world employment. After a quick, free registration (only users's names and email addresses are required), users may read and participate in a number of discussions on topics including The emergence of the new enterprise, The skills challenge, and Impact on industrial relations. The contributions to this forum will be considered in the final World Employment Report. [EM]
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National Center on Education and the Economy
http://www.ncee.org/
The National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) is a nonprofit organization that promotes standards-based reform for education and training systems. Focusing on helping state and local educational systems create and implement unique standards, the NCEE believes that educational standards must be tailored to fit communities and that both students and educators must understand the value of these standards. The NCEE Website offers a variety of information about the Center as well as its programs and resources. While the site doesn't contain very many full-text resources, it does, however, give in-depth overviews of all of NCEE's products and services. [EM]
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Free-Market.Net (FMN)
http://www.free-market.net/
Provided by the Henry Hazlitt Foundation, this portal offers access to a host of free market/ libertarian-related material. The site maintains a database of over "5,000 freedom-related news stories, policy analyses, books, e-texts, job openings, activist opportunities, events, and other resources." From the front page, users can access the most recent news stories and in-depth features, the latter of which includes an introduction to the issue, news reports, backgrounders, online and print resources, and scholarly studies. The main database may be searched by keyword from the main page or browsed via a directory. Additional resources include links to other Freedom Network sites and additional FMN channels, including ifeminists.com, Free-Market Environmentalists, and Libertarian.org. [MD]
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General Interest

Forbes 500 Annual Directory
http://www.forbes.com/tool/toolbox/forbes500s/
Wait no longer! Forbes Magazine has released its 2000 annual directory of the biggest, most powerful companies in the United States. This year's Forbes 500 is fully searchable by rank of sales, market value, assets, and profits, as well as by state or industry. As would be expected, technology and New Economy companies were highly ranked, as were many Old Economy businesses, with General Electric topping the list. Along with the Super 100 breakdown of the top 100 companies, this year's directory also offers "Business is Booming," a look back to the success of US businesses in 1999; commentary on the year's biggest winners and losers; a survey of the benefits offered at these companies; and an interactive map which showcases where Forbes 500 companies are located. [EM]
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Child Labor in the 19th Century
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRchild.main.htm
Child Labor in the 19th Century, from The Spartacus Internet Encyclopedia, documents the lives of British child laborers through photographs, drawings, and biographies of the children, factory workers, owners, and labor reformers. The information is divided into the sections Factory Reformers, Supporters of Child Labor, Life in the Factory, The Factory Workers, Tactics and Issues, The Factory Acts, and Statistics. Most entries link to other relevant sections of the encyclopedia, and include quotes from individuals or primary documents. The most compelling sections of this collection detail the lives of the child laborers themselves, including first-hand accounts from the children. [EM]
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"Everything I know about Leadership I Learned from Movies" -- Inc.
http://www.inc.com/articles/details/0,,ART17290_CNT53,00.html
Inc.'s tribute to the 2000 Academy Awards lists the top ten movies that have inspired its readers in their business practices. While the list consists of some business standards like Norma Rae and It's a Wonderful Life, it also contains unconventional picks such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Dead Poets Society. Each entry's plot is summarized, and the movie's overriding business message is constructed and analyzed. This entertaining list brings new meaning to movies such as Twelve O'Clock High.[EM]
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MsMoney.com
http://msmoney.com/
MsMoney.com, touted as "the two-minute a day solution to simplify a woman's financial life," offers women a streamlined approach to managing their finances. Eight sections cover financial subjects including Life Planning, Life Purchases, Banking & Credit, and Financial Health. Each section contains a grouping of articles and links that examine different aspects of the issue, along with a section of tools and calculators. For example, Investing offers advice on setting investment goals; evaluating stocks, bonds, and mutual funds; and finding a financial advisor, as well as financial calculators that tabulate returns of stocks and how long it will take to become a millionaire. While the advice here is often a little over-simplified, MsMoney.com is an excellent site for women just beginning to really consider financial management. [EM]
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Co-op America
http://www.coopamerica.org/
Co-op America offers support for individuals and businesses committed to sound economic and environmental practices. Fusing financial and environmental interests, this nonprofit organization offers information and tools to promote these interests. While many of the resources on this site are only available to Co-op America members, several sections are open to the general public, including tax and financial information, events, and conferences. [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 Economics Discussion Series
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/index.html
Anatomy of a Fair Lending Exam: The Uses and Limitations of Statistics
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200015/200015pap.pdf
Making News: Financial Market Effects of Federal Reserve Disclosure Practices
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200014/200014pap.pdf
Activist Stabilization Policy and Inflation: The Taylor Rule in the 1970s
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200013/200013pap.pdf
The Growth of Consumer Credit and the Household Debt Service Burden
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200012/200012pap.pdf
Explaining the Investment Boom of the 1990s
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200011/200011pap.pdf
The Timing of Debt Issuance and Rating Migrations: Theory and Evidence
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200010/200010pap.pdf
Generational Aspects of Medicare
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200009/200009pap.pdf
The Effects of Weather on Retail Sales
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200008/200008pap.pdf
On Identification of Continuous Time Stochastic Processes
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200007/200007pap.pdf
Computers, Obsolescence, and Productivity
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200006/200006pap.pdf
Stock Prices and Fundamentals in a Production Economy
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200005/200005pap.pdf
Globalization of Financial Institutions: Evidence from Cross-Border Banking Performance
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200004/200004pap.pdf
Should America Save for its Old Age? Population Aging, National Saving, and Fiscal Policy
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200003/200003pap.pdf
Real Wage Dynamics and the Phillips Curve
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200002/200002pap.pdf
Inflation Targeting and Target Instability
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/pubs/feds/2000/200001/200001pap.pdf

Federal Reserve System:
FRB Atlanta Working Papers
http://www.frbatlanta.org/publica/work_papers/2000.htm
A Simultaneous Equations Analysis of Analysts' Forecast Bias and Institutional Ownership
http://www.frbatlanta.org/publica/work_papers/wp00/wp0005.pdf
The Effect of Medicaid Eligibility Expansions on Births
http://www.frbatlanta.org/publica/work_papers/wp00/wp0004.pdf
A Gibbs Simulator for Restricted VAR Models
http://www.frbatlanta.org/publica/work_papers/wp00/wp0003.pdf
FRB Minneapolis Staff Reports
http://research.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/sr/
International Business Cycles With Endogenous Incomplete Markets
http://research.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/sr/sr265.pdf
Do Mergers Lead to Monopoly in the Long Run? Results From the Dominant Firm Model
http://research.mpls.frb.fed.us/research/sr/sr264.pdf

Other Institutions:
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Working Papers
http://www.oecd.org/eco/wp/onlinewp.htm#2000
The Polish tax reform
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2000doc.nsf/c5ce8ffa41835d64c125685d005300b0/c125685b0057c558c12568a500550aef/$FILE/00074416.PDF
The tax system in Mexico: a need for strengthening the revenue-raising capacity
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2000doc.nsf/c5ce8ffa41835d64c125685d005300b0/c125685b0057c558c1256896005a3dca/$FILE/00073519.PDF

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Working Papers
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/wp1_sp.cfm?s_year=2000&e_year=2000&brtype=default
A Framework for Assessing Fiscal Vulnerability
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0052.pdf
The Complier Pays Principle - The Limits of Fiscal Approaches Toward Sustainable Forest Management
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0051.pdf
The Pros and Cons of Full Dollarization
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0050.pdf
The Impact of Ethnic Heterogeneity on the Quantity and Quality of Public Spending
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0049.pdf
Herd Behavior in Financial Markets - A Review
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0048.pdf
Compliance with IMF Program Indicators and Growth in Transition Economies
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0047.pdf
Medium-Term Determinants of Current Accounts in Industrial and Developing Countries - An Empirical Exploration
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0046.pdf
Dynamic Gains from Trade - Evidence from South Africa
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0045.pdf
Globalization and Growth in the Twentieth Century
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0044.pdf
The International Monetary System in the (Very) Long Run
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0043.pdf
Educational Choices and Educational Constraints - Evidence from Bolivia
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0042.pdf
Demographic Transition in the Middle East - Implications for Growth, Employment, and Housing
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0041.pdf
Retarding Short-Term Capital Inflows Through Withholding Tax
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0040.pdf
Currency Crisis and Contagion - Evidence from Exchange Rates and Sectoral Stock Indices of the Philippines and Thailand
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0039.pdf
Financial Liberalization, Bank Market Structure, and Financial Deepening - An Interest Margin Analysis
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0038.pdf
The Role of the State and the Quality of the Public Sector
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0036.pdf
Tax Policy for Emerging Markets - Developing Countries
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0035.pdf
Toward a Framework for Systemic Liquidity Policy
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0034.pdf
Two Approaches to Resolving Nonperforming Assets During Financial Crises
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0033.pdf
The Great Contractions in Russia, the Baltics and the Other Countries of the Former Soviet Union - A View from the Supply Side
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0032.pdf

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Working Papers
http://www.nber.org/new.html#latest
From Benign Neglect to Malignant Preoccupation: U.S. Balance-of-Payments Policy in the 1960s
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7630.pdf
Dimensions of Credit Risk and Their Relationship to Economic Capital Requirements
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7629.pdf
Using Elasticities to Derive Optimal Income Tax Rates
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7628.pdf
What has Welfare Reform Accomplished? Impacts on Welfare Participation, Employment, Income, Poverty, and Family Structure
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7627.pdf
Taxes, High-Income Executives, and the Perils of Revenue Estimation in the New Economy
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7626.pdf
Can Subsidies for MARs be Procompetitive?
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7624.pdf
Outward FDI and Parent Exports and Employment: Japan, the United States, and Sweden
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7623.pdf
Pricing Upward-Only Adjusting Leases
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7622.pdf
The Determinants of Trust
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7621.pdf
Government Ownership of Banks
http://papers.nber.org/papers/W7620.pdf
Efficient Estimation of Average Treatment Effects Using the Estimated Propensity Score
http://papers.nber.org/papers/T0251.pdf

Institute for International Economics Working Papers
http://www.iie.com/CATALOG/WP/2000/wp00.htm
The New Asian Challenge
http://www.iie.com/CATALOG/WP/2000/00-4.pdf
Electronic Commerce in Developing Countries
http://www.iie.com/CATALOG/WP/2000/00-3.pdf
International Economic Agreements and the Constitution
http://www.iie.com/CATALOG/WP/2000/00-2.pdf
Regulatory Standards in the WTO: Comparing Intellectual Property Rights with Competition Policy, Environmental Protection, and Core Labor Standards
http://www.iie.com/CATALOG/WP/2000/00-1.htm
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Periodicals

Federal Reserve Board of Governors (FRB BOG) The Beige Book
http://www.federalreserve.gov/FOMC/BeigeBook/1999/19990317/default.htm
March 8, 2000
The Beige Book, a summary of commentary on current economic conditions, gives an overview of federal reserve board district reports by district and sector. The March 8, 2000 issue reports that the economy, in general, has continued to stay strong, but agriculture and natural resource producers faced mixed results due particularly to poor crop yields and the high price of crude oil, respectively. [EM]


Federal Reserve System:

FRB Chicago Detroit FedPoints
http://www.frbchi.org/pubs-speech/publications/periodicals/fedpoints/2000/mar_apr/fp_mar_apr2000.cfm
March/April 2000

"Inflation Greased by More Than Oil," "Michigan's 1999 Employment Picture," and "Central Cities Stabilizing" are the three short articles in Detroit FedPoints.

FRB Dallas Southwest Economy [.pdf]
http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/swe/3_4_00.html
March/April 2000

Available in both HTML and .pdf formats, the current issue of Southwest Economy contains the articles "'Net Interest' Grows as Banks Rush Online," "Firm Churn on Main Street and Wall Street," and "Capital In and Out of China." [EM]

FRB New York _Economics and Finance
[.pdf]
http://www.ny.frb.org/rmaghome/curr_iss/ci6-3.html
March 2000

The March 2000 issue of Economics and Finance consists of John Wenninger's article "The Emerging Role of Banks in E-Commerce." [EM]

FRB San Francisco Western Economic Development [.pdf]
http://www.frbsf.org/econrsrch/wed/2000/wed0003.pdf
March 2000

According to the March 2000 issue of FRB San Francisco's Western Economic Development, job growth continues to climb steadily, keeping the unemployment rate in the Twelfth District at 4.5 percent. [EM]

FRB St. Louis Monetary Trends [.pdf]
http://www.stls.frb.org/docs/publications/mt/mt.pdf
April 2000

The April 2000 issue of Monetary Trends from FRB St. Louis contains articles on inflation rates, bank credit, and monetary aggregates. [EM]

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FDIC Consumer News
http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnspr00/index.html
Spring 2000
The Spring 2000 issue of FDIC Consumer News includes a guide to using cash, checks, and credit and debit cards. Each form of payment is explored in great detail including positive and negative aspects and tips. [EM]

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Finance and Development
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2000/03/index.htm
March 2000
The March 2000 issue of Finance and Development includes a special focus on Latin America and the Carribean. [EM]

Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
BIS Review [.pdf]
http://www.bis.org/review/index.htm
Recently released articles and speeches from the BIS Review include a speech on banking systems, given by William J. McDonough, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, Maurice O'Connell's February 23, 2000 remarks on the European Central Bank and the euro; and Alan Greenspan's short speech on "the economic challenges facing the United States in the new century." [EM]

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
Latin American Outlook
http://www.aei.org/lao/lao11556.htm
April 2000
The April 2000 issue of Latin American Outlook from the AEI consists of the article "Chile Moves On," by Mark Folcoff. [EM]
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Books and Journals

Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor Latest Books in Business -- April 2000
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M04/UBBS/ubbs17.html
Baker & Taylor Latest Books in Economics -- April 2000
http://www.baker-taylor.com/Academia/M04/UBBS/ubbs16.html
Baker & Taylor lists business and economics books published in April 2000. [EM]

Econbase -- Elsevier
http://www.elsevier.nl/homepage/sae/econbase/menu.sht
The abstracts, tables of contents, and in some cases full text, for over 60 journals are now available online, including the following: Journal of Energy Finance and Development (Vol 4, No 1), Journal of Mathematical Economics (Vol 33, No 3), Journal of Empirical Finance (Vol 6, No 4), Review of Radical Political Economics (Vol 31, No 4), and World Development (Vol 28, No 5). [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. [EM]

2000 Business & Economics Society International Conference
http://www.assumption.edu/html/faculty/kantar/missb1.html
Los Angeles, California
July 22-26, 2000
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Jobs

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

Personal Income, February 2000 -- Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/newsrel/pi0200.htm
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that personal income continued to increase in February 2000, by 0.4 percent, or $32.6 billion. However, in January 2000, personal income jumped 0.7 percent, or $61.4 billion. [EM]
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Mass Layoffs -- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/mmls.toc.htm
According to January 2000 Mass Layoffs Report from the BLS, there were "1,936 mass layoff actions by employers as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits" during the first month of the year 2000. Thirty-eight percent all mass layoff events were in manufacturing industries, as were 44 percent of all claims filed. [EM]
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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
2000 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 April 2000 include reports on pest management practices and export sales. [EM]
[EM]
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Uzbekistan Country Analysis Brief -- Energy Information Administration (EIA)
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/uzbek.html
Created in March 2000, this country analysis brief from the EIA examines the natural energy reserves in Uzbekistan, including the country's "significant oil and gas reserves." The report contains maps and links to other briefs. [EM]
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In The News

April is the Cruelest Month
1) Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
http://www.irs.gov/
2) Last Minute Filing Guide -- CNNfn
http://cnnfn.com/2000/03/31/taxes/q_taxes_lastminute/
3) Investor Tax Center
http://www.quicken.com/taxes/
4) Tax Tips -- Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/krt/taxtips/p-taxtips.html
5) Web A Safety Net for Late Tax Filers -- CNET
http://news.cnet.com/news//0-1007-200-1629269.html?tag=st.cn.sr.ne.1
6) Virtual Tax Library
http://www.tax.kpmg.net/library/
7) "IRS struggling to re-create itself as gentle giant" -- _Dallas Morning News
http://dallasnews.com/metro/57952_NEWIRS01.html
According the Internal Revenue Service Website, American workers will have until Monday, April 17th to file their tax returns, two days later than usual because April 15 falls on a Saturday. This year, many tax-payers are opting to use online forms to file, finding it an easier and faster method. However, even for those who still fill out their taxes longhand, many Websites offer excellent online guides and tips for fast, effective tax filing. This week's In the News gives news, information, and last minute tax tips for those still wringing their hands and procrastinating.

The IRS's official home (1) attempts to make tax time fun, with a resource-packed, user friendly site that supplies complete tax information for individuals and businesses. This guide from CNNfn (2) offers advice to those waiting until the last minute to file taxes. Investor Tax Center (3), from Quicken.com, contains tax information and resources, including estimators and calculators, forms, and discussions. The Christian Science Monitor(4) gives step-by-step advice on tax filing, including Roth IRA conversions, coping with gains and losses, and deductions. CNET (5) reviews the ways in which consumers can use the Web to file taxes. The Virtual Tax Library (6) offers tax information for more than 75 countries around the world, browseable by an easy-to-use pop-down window. An interesting article from the Dallas Morning News(7) examines the IRS's attempts to re-invent its image. [EM]
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