E news and economic...run fast enough?

E news
more activities for small or tiny or nano SMEs?

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the engines of growth and innovation in the APEC region. SMEs account for over 97 percent of all enterprises and employ over half of the workforce across APEC economies. SMEs contribute significantly to economic growth, with SMEs' share of GDP ranging from 20 percent to 50 percent in the majority of APEC economies. However, they only account for 35 percent or less of the direct exports. APEC’s Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group (SMEWG) therefore works to encourage the development of SMEs and to build their capacity to engage in international trade.

First established in February 1995 as the Ad Hoc Policy Level Group on SMEs' (PLGSME), the objective was to assist SMEs improve their competitiveness and to facilitate a more open trade and investment environment. In 2000, the group was renamed the SMEWG and granted permanent status.

The SMEWG works towards the achievement of the Bogor Goals by fostering an enabling business environment for SMEs to grow and develop into export-ready firms.

A meeting of ministers responsible for SMEs has been held annually since 1994. In August 2012, the Ministers, at their 19th Meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia endorsed the SMEWG Strategic Plan for 2013-2016 which provided a roadmap to address critical issues pertaining to the growth of SMEs and micro enterprises (MEs) in the APEC region, with the following priority areas for action:

http://www.exim.go.th/eximenews/enews_january2015/enews_januaryr2015_index.html

http://thehearttruths.com/category/jobs-wages-employment/
http://www.apec.org/Groups/SOM-Steering-Committee-on-Economic-and-Technical-Cooperation/Working-Groups/Small-and-Medium-Enterprises.aspx


https://thehearttruths.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/towards-better-jobs-wages-employment-in-singapore-teaser-poster.jpg

Wages,welfare and love..share..no share...equity no equal...

Wages,welfare and love..share..no share...equity no equal...technology..market and poor..relates...then..?

11 Feb 13	กระทรวงมหาดไทย แจ้งการปรับเพิ่มมาตรการประหยัดตามมติคณะรัฐมนตรีในการเบิกค่าใช้จ่ายในการฝึกอบรม และการประชุมของส่วนราชการ รายละเอียดตามเอกสารแนบ             การปรับเพิ่มค่าอาหารว่างและเครื่องดื่มในการฝึกอบรมและการประชุม และค่าอาหารในการประชุม รายละเอียดตามหนังสือกระทรวงมหาดไทย ด่วนที่สุด ที่ มท 0211.2/ว 535 ลงวันที่ 5 กุมภาพันธ์ 2556
	Attachment : ขึ้น OA.pdf (กดปุ่มขวาของ mouse ที่ชื่อ file, หากต้องการพิมพ์หรือ save file) Posted By :  นายจักรกฤษณ์ ยศตีนเทียน  [กองคลัง กรมการพัฒนาชุมชน] - 14 Feb 13 08:10

Germans unwilling to take pay cut to work less

Published: 13 Feb 13 07:05 CET | Print version 

Just 23 percent of Germans would accept a pay cut in exchange for reducing their working hours, according to a survey released amid a new push for a 30-hour workweek in Germany.

• Socialists back 30-hour workweek initiative - Business & Money (11 Feb 13)
• More Germans than ever take early retirement - Society (31 Jan 13)
• German workers feel more stressed - National (29 Jan 13)

For 73 percent of those asked by YouGov polling organisation for the website ofDie Zeit weekly newspaper, working fewer hours for less pay was completely out of the question. 

Among young people, this sentiment appeared even stronger. Some 86 percent of 16-24-year-olds said they would not take a wage hit – contradicting a popular theory that young people are more willing to earn less if it means working less.

When asked if they worked too much, 44 percent disagreed and just 20 percent told YouGov that they were in over their head professionally. 


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The same thoughts applied to taking early retirement. 60 percent said that they would not choose to give up work early if it meant getting less pension. 

Again, in the 16-24 age bracket this figure was higher, at nearly 70 percent, although many of them were not yet old enough to be legally required to pay into a pension. 

The Local/jcw

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130212-47923.html#.URxrUh3ol4I

The impact of a $9 minimum wage

By Tami Luhby @CNNMoney February 13, 2013: 9:57 AM ET

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Click on the map above to see the minimum wage in your state.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

After promising five years ago to raise the federal minimum wage, President Obama finally unveiled a plan to do so on Tuesday.

In his State of the Union address, Obama pressed to raise the hourly rate in stages to $9 an hour in 2015, up from the current $7.25, and index it to inflation. The change, should it become law, would boost the wages of 15 million Americans, according to the White House.

"Tonight, let's declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty,'' he said. '"This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families ... For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets."

Obama campaigned in 2008 on a pledge to raise the federal minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011, but he didn't follow through during his first term, despite multiple calls from worker advocates to do so.

Not every minimum-wage worker, however, is paid the federal rate, which translates into $14,500 a year for a full-time employee. Some 18 states plus the District of Columbia have rates above the federal level, with Washington state mandating the highest level at $9.19 an hour. And 10 states automatically increase their minimum wage rates annually to account for inflation.

Honeymoon hotspots: Splurges vs. steals

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Thailand vs. Vietnam

4 of 6

 

Thanks to its busy bazaars, adventurous meals and nearby island beaches, Thailand is popular among those looking for an exotic getaway. But the country has also become home to some pricey resorts, Winnika said.

For an Asian locale that's easier on the checkbook, Winnika suggests Vietnamese cities like Hanoi, which offer historic sites and French-inspired cuisine. While airfare is similar for the two destinations, lower food and lodging costs in Vietnam helps to trim the bill.

Splurge: Thailand

What you'll pay*: $3,600

Steal: Vietnam

What you'll pay: $3,200

NEXT: London vs. Dublin