News & Commentary

June 17, 2014

The Wall Street Journal reports that President Obama plans to sign an executive order which would bar federal contractors from discriminating against employees based on gender identity or sexual orientation. The White House is currently finalizing details – including whether or not to allow an exemption for non-profit religious organizations – and will likely not issue an order until the Supreme Court announces its decision in Hobby Lobby. The Washington Post visualizes the scope of the planned executive order’s coverage.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that American Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with the International Association of Machinists union. Earlier in the year, bargaining between the union and company was at an impasse, with the union objecting to American Airlines’ merger with US Airways. The Machinists union has said that the new agreement provides “substantial wage increases, job security improvements and maintain[s] industry-leading health care benefits.”

The New York Times offers a visualization of employment to population ratios on a state-by-state basis across America. Though the familiar labor market indicator of unemployment rates have been nearing pre-recession lows, the share of “adults with jobs — or employment rates — look[s] much less healthy.”

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