Helter-Skelter

[Anonymous]

Odi, what are the COVID requirements for non EU foreigners to travel to Finland?



I ask because my husband and I are going to Holland for Christmas..



I assume they will have the same rules as Finland.

Canada is green listed on  the EU-level.

No restrictions.



Welcome aboard.

Thank you for your warm welcome.

 ac_smile

[Odinson]

Odi, what are the COVID requirements for non EU foreigners to travel to Finland?



I ask because my husband and I are going to Holland for Christmas..



I assume they will have the same rules as Finland.

Canada is green listed on  the EU-level.

No restrictions.



Welcome aboard.

Thank you for your warm welcome.

 ac_smile

 

[Anonymous]

Former "Dirty Jobs" star Mike Rowe said that the massive worker shortage undermining America's economic recovery is due to people looking down on jobs involving hard work.



Labor shortages across the country have hamstrung companies trying to meet the increased demand as the pandemic recedes and Americans go back to living life. Average wages have risen as a response, but skyrocketing inflation is also taking a toll.



"Look this whole problem, this disconnect, this skills gap, 11 million open jobs, this isn't a mystery. This is a reflection of what we value," Rowe continued.



Rowe went on to say that even people who value labor generally don't want their children to become welders or truck drivers, despite the opportunity to earn great wages working those jobs.

[Anonymous]

The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released Nov. 12, showed that 4.4 million U.S. workers quit their jobs in September, a record high. The so-called quits rate, which reflects worker confidence in being able to find a better job, rose to a record high of 3.0 percent, with the voluntary separations data painting a picture of labor market tightness and growing pricing power of workers.



But this comparison leaves some things to be desired given that another 4.4 million were working part-time but wanted full-time work and yet another 6 million wanted a job but were not in the labor force, or not looking for work.

[Anonymous]

Evergrande and Oceanwide are not the only large Chinese developers in trouble. Shenzhen-based Fantasia and Shanghai-based Sinic Holdings missed debt payments in October on bonds worth $315 million and $246 million, respectively. In early November, S&P Global Ratings downgraded Sinic Holdings Group to a CCC+ rating, junk bond status, citing "a failure to communicate a clear repayment plan."



China Properties Group announced recently that its development subsidiary, Cheergain Group, has defaulted on $226 million worth of debt payments.



Shanghai-based Greenland Holdings has billions of dollars' worth of projects in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Toronto, all now at risk as it reports a 27 percent drop in profits compared to last year.



And last week Beijing-based developer Modern Land joined the headlines, announcing missed payments on a $250 million bond due Oct. 25.



Meanwhile, Shanghai's Yango Group has been trying to avoid default by restructuring payments on $747 million of outstanding bonds, according to a Nov. 1 filing at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In a statement, Yango Group blamed "tightening governmental policy, multiple credit events, and deteriorating consumer sentiment" for putting "enormous pressure on our short-term liquidity."



Seven of China's top ten developers reported severe drops in net profit in the third quarter of 2021.



A potential economic disaster looms. According to S&P Global Ratings, "The risk of default among Chinese developers is real. In the most severe scenario, the liquidity of as much as one-third of rated Chinese developers will come under pressure. We forecast a 10 percent drop in residential sales in 2022. This trend should continue into 2023."



China home sales have already fallen sharply. In October, property sales of the country's top 100 developers dropped 32 percent year-on-year, following a 36 percent drop in September, according to the China Real Estate Information Corp. Meanwhile, construction on many development projects in China has stopped completely. At risk is China's $55 trillion domestic real estate market, twice as big as the US market.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/china-real-estate-crisis-could-mean-trouble-for-us-markets_4101486.html?utm_source=morningbriefnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2021-11-13&mktids=fabc7961f1f9d0021546a15a0dfcbe24&est=gvX7LWyxd7gluzAnOozSujadV%2BM6UxMnte0W9am%2BbjptKlHlpYImsFxWRw3BdcTbaA%3D%3D">https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morni ... TbaA%3D%3D">https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/china-real-estate-crisis-could-mean-trouble-for-us-markets_4101486.html?utm_source=morningbriefnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2021-11-13&mktids=fabc7961f1f9d0021546a15a0dfcbe24&est=gvX7LWyxd7gluzAnOozSujadV%2BM6UxMnte0W9am%2BbjptKlHlpYImsFxWRw3BdcTbaA%3D%3D



Very bad for a shaky global economy.

[Anonymous]

The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released Nov. 12, showed that 4.4 million U.S. workers quit their jobs in September, a record high. The so-called quits rate, which reflects worker confidence in being able to find a better job, rose to a record high of 3.0 percent, with the voluntary separations data painting a picture of labor market tightness and growing pricing power of workers.



But this comparison leaves some things to be desired given that another 4.4 million were working part-time but wanted full-time work and yet another 6 million wanted a job but were not in the labor force, or not looking for work.

There are a lot of open crappy low wage service jobs. Industrial jobs that you can actually live on are harder to find.

[Anonymous]

Recent government data on the labor market provided fresh insight into the so-called "Great Resignation," with the figures showing that workers in sectors with a lot of face-to-face interaction with other people, like in accommodation and food services, were quitting their jobs in September at record or near-record numbers and at over twice the national rate.



The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released Nov. 12, showed that a total of 4.4 million U.S. workers quit their jobs in September, a record high. The so-called quits rate, which reflects worker confidence in being able to find a better job, also rose to a record high of 3.0 percent, painting a picture of labor market tightness and growing pricing power of workers.



But the quits rate in several industries—leisure and hospitality (6.4 percent) and accommodation and food services (6.6 percent)—came in at over twice the national rate and at levels at or near their respective record highs.

[Anonymous]

It seems every restaurant and every store is looking for staff.

[Anonymous]

The National Retail Federation forecasted that holiday sales during November and December 2021 will surpass 2020 sales by between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent, for a total ranging between $843.4 billion to $859 billion.



Some companies are offering sign on bonuses, or referral bonuses. Macy's announced plans in September to hire approximately 76,000 full- and part-time employees for its Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury stores, call centers, and distribution and fulfillment centers. Macy's also stated that current employees could be eligible to earn a bonus of up to $500 for each family member or friend they refer to join the retailer's team. Amazon is offering sign-on bonuses of up to $3,000 for seasonal workers. Kohl's, which is hiring around 90,000 seasonal employees, stated that new hires are eligible for up to a $400 bonus for working through the holiday season.



Besides offering a monetary amount for signing on, retailers are extending other benefits to encourage workers to stay. These perks go beyond traditional features that were accepted in the past.



"Employee discounts are no longer cutting it," Hawk said. "While the biggest bonuses and incentives are offered for permanent staff, temporary staff are still benefiting from increased salary options in the current market."



Amazon's starting pay for seasonal workers is $18 an hour, with an additional $3 per hour based on shifts in certain locations.



The benefits available at some retailers are tailored to fit the lifestyle many employees seek.

[Odinson]

I'm in Sweden right now.



Its still standing.

[Anonymous]

I'm in Sweden right now.



Its still standing.

Just barely right.

[Anonymous]

I'm in Sweden right now.



Its still standing.

Just barely right.

They got problems, but what European country doesn't.

[Anonymous]

[media]

[Anonymous]

[media]

[Anonymous]

Expect even more supply chain problems. Extreme rains and mudslides have washed out our infratructure in Southern BC. Our engineering service crew are working round the clock to make panels for new track.



No freight is able to move on CP or CN track between the Port of Vancouver and Kamloops. Ships backed up ready to be unloaded in Vancouver will have to be diverted to Prince Rupert to be moved by CN.