High-paying job prospects: Skills count
EconoMeter panel takes a Labor Day look at employment outlook
from San Diego Union Tribune’s EconoMeter panel.
Q: Will the employment picture improve enough to get a high-paying job with good benefits in the months ahead?
Bob’s Answer: YES
However, high paying and good benefits are relative terms. Given the economic headwinds and where we stand in the economic cycle, there is an expectation that wages will finally begin to rise after their lagging performance since the Great Recession.
Hard work deserves to pay off and the economy is finally at a point where workers should reap the rewards, but the “sharing economy” and “on-demand” services may disrupt traditional employment.
Naked Bootleg: Football Play Gives Game Plan to Hoteliers, Restaurateurs and Tourism Industry Businesses
Naked bootleg is a term used in football whereby the quarterback runs counter to his blockers and tries to create a run or pass opportunity with no help from his blockers. The Great Recession forced us to operate our businesses naked…
China currency drop: Any impact on U.S. economy?
from San Diego Union Tribune’s EconoMeter panel.
Q: Does China’s currency devaluation signal worsening times for its economy with some impact on the U.S.?
Bob’s Answer: YES
The reduction in value of the yuan vs. the dollar was the biggest amount in over 20 years. Worries about China’s economy will certainly have some ripple effects on the U.
S. economy. China’s purchases of U.S. products will likely decline. This could have an impact on the September Fed meeting where most of us were expecting an interest rate bump, albeit a modest one. That may still occur but it will be with even more caution than thought previously.
Parental leave: A bonus to business?
EconoMeter panel looks at upside of more time off
from San Diego Union Tribune’s EconoMeter panel.
Q: Are extended parental leave policies good for employers?
Bob’s Answer: NO
Employers struggle with extended parental leave because in today’s collaborative work environments, extended parental leaves cause a disruption to the work-flow dynamic. Further, it may be possible for very large corporations to provide unlimited parental leave for the first year after birth because they have vast resources at their disposal.
As a small business owner, such a policy is not financially feasible.
Hence, generally speaking, extended parental leave policies are not good for most employers.
Does peso’s drop affect San Diego and Tijuana’s economy?
EconoMeter panel looks at the recent currency fluctuations
from San Diego Union Tribune’s EconoMeter panel.
Q: Will there be a local impact from the declining peso on San Diego or Tijuana’s economy?
Bob’s Answer: NO
There will be virtually no impact due to a declining peso. Most emerging economies are trading poorly against the dollar and Mexico is no exception.
It might get moderately worse before it gets better, but there is no indication of a meltdown that would cause business in South Bay, in particular, to plummet.
Mexico’s leader, Pena Nieto, is committed to a stronger economy and notwithstanding the current challenges with the drug cartel, he will succeed.
2016 Business Planning Guide
The hospitality industry is changing by the minute and this often creates challenges for hoteliers to keep up with the latest trends, drive profits and increase guest satisfaction. As 2016 quickly approaches…
Raise capital-gains rates?
EconoMeter looks at Hillary Clinton’s idea
from San Diego Union Tribune’s EconoMeter panel.
Q: Should the capital gains tax rate be raised to discourage short-term investing, as Hillary Clinton suggests
Bob’s Answer: NO
Instead of focusing on capital gains tax rates alone, Hillary Clinton and all of the presidential candidates should focus on a wholesale reform to the tax code. Clinton’s proposal would increase the top rate for capital gains taxes by over 80 percent and would essentially penalize investors who help create capital “flow.
” This will stifle economic growth when investors are forced to hold an investment solely to avoid high taxes.
Is Chargers stadium EIR a wise expense?
from San Diego Union Tribune’s EconoMeter panel.
Q: Is it economically wise for the city to spend .
1 million on an expedited EIR to replace Qualcomm Stadium?
Bob’s Answer: YES
We must take appropriate and measured steps in this plan to keep the Chargers in San Diego. The task force and Mayor Faulconer have put in thousands of hours and they deserve some baseline support to keep this going until a decision is made by the NFL, the Chargers and San Diego residents. Moving parts include the Convention Center, stadium location and more, but the Qualcomm site needs an EIR.
Are local CEOs paid too much?
from San Diego Union Tribune (07.17.2015)
Bob Rauch on the EconoMeter panel as they discuss if CEOs are paid too Much
Is CEO pay too high?
Bob Rauch: NO
“CEO salaries should be tied to the performance of the company and its stock. If a leader is capable of unleashing enormous value into a company, he or she should be rewarded by shareholders.
Today, it is difficult to find a leader with these skills who will stay with the ship so to speak.
The enormous pressure and stress of the CEO role including time away from family and friends for the benefit of the company should also be considered.
”
Transformation of the Hotel Industry from Art to Science
from HospitalityNet(June 1, 2015)
The Transformation of the Hotel Industry from Art to Science
The venerable institution of hospitality has been turning around over the past two decades. The combined impact of shifting demographics and new technologies are the primary catalysts for this metamorphosis. The Internet provides consumers an opportunity to think of the hotels as commodities.
Hotels had been lowering prices to gain a competitive advantage from 2009 to 2013 but are now raising prices as quickly as possible, hoping that the music won’t stop soon. The many changes occurring today are proof positive that this industry is no longer limited to being an “art.” We have officially moved into the John Naisbitt coined “hi tech, hi touch” world.
Led by revenue management but now including distribution channel management, social media marketing, Web 2.
0 or 3.0, call it what you like and more, this industry has been transformed.