Economy, Strategy & Finance Briefs
2019
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What's Really Going on with American Consumers?
July 22 | Denise Dahlhoff, PhD, Director, Marketing & Communications Research, The Conference Board | Comments (0)Too many retailers are shutting down: 2019 just hit its halfway point, but already the number of planned retail store closings has exceeded the total for all of 2018.
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The “Culture of Innovation” Advantage
June 10 | Dr. James Gregory, Senior Fellow, The Conference Board | Comments (0)Culture of innovation is a powerful driving force for corporations. The bigger picture, however, is that when the culture of innovation is measured consistently with other descriptive attributes, the results can reliably predict the cash flow multiple. The clear implications are that managers who need to justify and provide accountability for their budgets have a new tool to measure, value, and manage return on investment for intangible assets.
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Automation is making a comeback
May 31 | Gad Levanon, PhD, Former Vice President, Labor Markets, The Conference Board | Comments (0)Now, more than in any other time during this decade, we see signs of a comeback in automation activity. The timing could not be better. Labor shortages are becoming a growing problem for the US economy, especially in jobs that do not require a college degree, which in large part are the jobs where automation is likely to have the most impact. From a demographic perspective, this problem is only going to get worse.
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Participate in our 2019 Labor Shortages Solutions Survey
May 28 | Gad Levanon, PhD, Former Vice President, Labor Markets, The Conference Board | Elizabeth Crofoot, Former Senior Economist, Committee for Economic Development, The Conference Board | Robin Erickson, PhD, Vice President, Human Capital, The Conference Board | Comments (0)There are many anecdotes in the media today of employers across a range of industries wanting to hire more people, but not being able to find them: trucking companies facing driver shortages, retailers and restaurants being short-staffed, and construction companies and manufacturers encountering a limited supply of skilled or STEM-educated applicants.
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Even as Self-Driving Cars Take to the Road, Drivers Will Still be in High Demand
May 27 | Gad Levanon, PhD, Former Vice President, Labor Markets, The Conference Board | Frank Steemers, Former Senior Economist, The Conference Board | Comments (0)Through at least the next decade, human truck drivers, bus drivers and taxi drivers will remain in strong demand. And during that time, self-driving technology will put little, if any, dent in that demand.
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The Conference Board: Grab a Deal This Weekend Because Prices are Headed Higher from Tariffs
May 24 | Steve Odland, President and CEO, The Conference Board, Inc. | Erik Lundh, Senior Economist, Global, The Conference Board | Comments (0)American retailers are working hard to leverage this Memorial Day weekend to boost sales. Heavyweights like Amazon, Target, Macy’s, and Home Depot all have big promotional plans to accomplish this.