Labor Market Trends

As the United States Economy begins to re-open, more individuals are being hired, and schools across all states plan to re-open in the fall; we have many reasons to feel excited. And we should; life looks to return to some resemblance of normalcy. In May,, jobless claims have seemed to enter in a lower trend(lower than economist forecasts). This can be viewed as a positive sign as more individuals return to the labor force,, and there's a decrease in individuals applying for unemployment benefits. On the other side of the convention, some employers have found it difficult to attract workers to their job openings. Reports have shown that these can be the result of many reasons, among them are, workers may be fearful of getting sick until guidelines are lifted across the board, family engagements at home may result in a parent staying home to take care of their child, unemployment benefits increasing the reservation wage of the individual and shifts within career outlook. These factors may have played a role in a gap in supply and demand for labor, but of the group, the one I'll be talking about today will be the shift in a career outlook. The relationship between employer and employee can be described as an incomplete contract because the employer has the upper hand in the power dynamic. However, I believe that for one of the first times, within the U.S economy, the employees have a bit of an upper hand within some industries. I think during this time that individuals may have decided to reconsider their career options. Depending on the state(lockdown restrictions and business closure mandates were longer in some states, and some states didn't have such limits), the groups of workers who may have been furloughed may have taken this time to ponder on whether or not they would like to be within this field long-term. Some workers who may have been in physically demanding roles would now like to have the flexibility of a career that is not as physically demanding. Some can turn to temporary job agencies within their respective states and see if there is available training. Or there may be online courses offered for various skill sets that may require more technical capabilities. Even rewarding trades that can be entered into that do not require college degrees can be expensive and may not be worthwhile for some individuals. This form of change may be more uncomplicated for the younger ages of the population and can be advantageous to those with college degrees looking to gain their first full-time job from a previous engagement or. As the U.S economy gets back on its feet and consumer demand picks up, this can cause a problem for some employers who cannot fulfill the demand for their goods and service. With capable workers essentially sitting on the sideline, what can be done to get them to get back into these careers? A combination of higher pay and benefits and improved working conditions seems to be a consensus view on the way to get there. Is it that simple for businesses to just increase wages and expect to have groups of interested candidates coming at their door? It may be for some industries; however, this hasn't seemed to be the case within fast-food and various retail outlets. Some employees have stated that they have no plans on returning to those highly stressful environments due to a lack of compensation to account for the toll on their physical and mental framework, even noting that some of the new hikes in wages have not enticed them enough. It has been reported that supply chain disruptions have led to shortages within industries such as automotive, leading to increases in used car prices. However, if businesses are understaffed, they will not be able to meet the demand of their consumers along with potential disruptions on the production or allocation of raw materials; these can aid to pressures of prices increasing or real wages decreasing. Rising wages may result in increased prices for the consumers, aligning with views that we will see increased inflation in the near-term future.

Hidden Unemployment

As the United States Economy exits the recovery stage from the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Many private industries are returning to gross output levels similar to the pre-pandemic years. One can imagine as demand for goods and services should begin to pick up as individuals return to work or are consuming amassed savings during this time. The near-term outlook is promising as we recover, but what about growth? During the epidemic of COVID-19, companies have ramped up technological innovations to suit the restrictions that were recommended to be put in place by health officials. Unfortunately, the adverse effects of this virus impacted the bottom 50% of income earners the most. Individuals who worked within transportation, retail, hospitality, and others whose job requirements focused on interacting with individuals in customers were subject to these economic shocks. However, in a previous piece I wrote before, “Telehealth Boom”, I discussed the impact of Telehealth services on the administering of healthcare virtually. The telehealth industry saw a boost in liquidity of $14 Billion, which doubled the amount of venture funding entering the industry the year prior. Many of the care providers were able to pivot and offer services to their customers, and employees could keep their jobs with their ability. In this article, I’d be looking to analyze some effects of the recent shock on the labor market caused by the pandemic and analyze what has historically occurred during technological advancements and how the future labor force responds. 

Firms are generally motivated by maximizing profits as much as possible; thus, they may be inclined to take on initiatives if there can be reduced costs while productivity remains constant or improves. This can have adverse effects on the workers who may no longer need it in the process. It can be easy to be upset with such advancement in technology, displacing workers out of a job. However, all is not lost for that worker, despite the possibility of having to re-learn a new career path or move to a new firm. Technological advances have made few careers obsolete, and in addition, these advancements can create new forms of work. In an MIT study, The Work of The Future, they cited the invention of “new jobs” in the distribution of employment occupations over 1940 and 2018. Farming and Mining occupations had one of the minor shares of new employment, reflecting a shift away from those industries. Growth in new types of jobs was prevalent within Professional, Clerical & Administrative careers. Over 60% of the jobs done in 2018 had not been “invented” in 1940(MIT, 2020). Despite losses within some industries, theory suggests that the cost savings incurred by consumers can lead to spending elsewhere, which should increase demand for labor. 

As the pandemic enters its late stages, I think it will be interesting to analyze the decline of jobs and the creation of jobs and how some jobs have adjusted. A few examples I have found were the shift for personal trainers to virtual platforms, allowing them to build more extensive client capabilities while they may not have had to pay for fees of using a gym area. Event coordinators pivoted to virtual settings through video-sharing platforms to organize birthday parties or special occasions. Interior designers potentially saw an increase in demand for services as businesses needed to redesign their offices to suit social distancing needs. New types of work included contact tracers, screeners for healthcare facilities. There were also increases in jobs(at times seasonal); Amazon is one company that comes to mind, as they hired over 400,000 positions to their staff to deal with the increases in demand for eCommerce shopping. This shows that there can be increases in jobs, though not high paying, it is an opportunity for someone to earn a living.

As mentioned, some will benefit and others who will not be as fortunate, a harsh reality. It may be time for an equipping of skills that may provide economic value. This can be possible as new technologies often take many years of development before they enter the marketplace. Depending on the stage of technology within the particular industry, this can allow individuals to develop skills so long as they are accessible. The role of the government in enacting policies will be critical through investment in its population, providing an opportunity for those who want to. Individuals can take advantage of free courses offered by companies or online learning hubs to take initiatives to ensure they are prepared. As we look ahead to our future, it is important that we dont turn a blind eye to the displacement of jobs. 

Why do nonprofits need more fundings?

On March 18, 2020, the Standard and Poor's 500 (S&P 500) had a record low at the closing of 2,447.33. As of April 07, 2021, it had a record high of 4,079.95, which increased 6,600 basis points (66.7% increase). For organizations in the social sector, it has been a year that they have wanted to forget, with organizations having to lay off millions amid the pandemic. This NYT article looks at the YMCA as it operated on margins of less than 3% typically. Still, since the pandemic, revenue was sliced by about 50%, they were forced to furlough workers and shut some of its low-performing branches.  

The above anecdotal explains the growing concern of the rich continuing to get richer while the poor continue to stay poor. That's why as stewards of society, individuals that are aiming to fight for a better tomorrow for all, we should encourage and demand more discretionary funding in all non-profits and non-governmental organizations. These organizations need our help because they face a tremendous uphill battle every year to stay within their budget. Throughout this short essay, I plan to provide several reasons why non-profits need/deserve more funding and some of the drawbacks. 

There are some key differences to note between the different types of sectors. Some people refer to non-profits and non-governmental organizations as the social/voluntary sector. And this sector is the third-largest sector; here in the United States, about 12.3 million people work for non-profits. These organizations contributed about 1.047 trillion to the US economy in 2016. The private sector consists of organizations that are the market base of our economy. Companies within the private sector can sell equity and profit from their services rendered, such as Apple and General Motors. The public sector is the part of the economy where the government controls, such as many governmental agencies' Internal Revenue Service. 

Non-profits deserve more funding because they are left with solving the issue that the government nor the private sector could solve; we refer to this as contract failure theory. This theory explains how non-profits are the only type of organization to fill when all else fails, and we can translate this to mean that they're the last line of defense before the chaos. For example, in the field of healthcare,  according to research done by PolicyAdvice in its tracking in the number of individuals uninsured in the United States before and after the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare), the number of individuals uninsured before was about 60 million individuals, however, now there are less than 27 million people in the United States. Nearly ⅔ of the hospitals operating in the United States have non-profit designation status. The point of this example was not only to see the horrific number of individuals that were/are uninsured in an industrialized country but also to demonstrate that we should be thinking of healthcare as a community concern. Having health insurance is one of the most important things that an individual can have. In the world, especially in the United States, a person without insurance can face quite an exuberant bill to receive critical healthcare. Many non-profit hospitals in the United States are required to provide free healthcare to individuals who may not have health insurance or cannot afford to pay for their hospital care. These organizations need more non-discretionary and discretionary funding, but because some of these hospitals are on the brink of insolvency, as Bloomberg reported in 2018, at least 26 hospitals are in default or distress. This issue has hurt a lot of rural, small towns. I believe both liberals and conservatives can agree that they want to see fewer uninsured individuals and see less of a profit motive in healthcare. Therefore creating more avenues where funding has fewer restrictions will allow for a more equitable standing for the voluntary sector since now we don't value them.  The non-profit is dependent on financing from the public and private sectors, but both depend on the services these non-profits provide.  

The work these voluntary organizations can do ranges from providing abuse prevention services to funding for endangered species.  These people love the work they can be part of because some believe it's much more satisfying as many private-sector gigs are always focused on the bottom line.  However, some drawbacks have forced many people to leave the sector, such as being overworked and underpaid. People who have a few years of experience at these non-profits can often receive a hefty payday if they were willing to seek it out. In a study done by the Urban Institute, it was found that non-profits are eager to devote much of their resources to their cause and were willing to allocate some resources away, such as salaries and benefits (link) (link). The executive directors of non-profit organizations are eager to force their employees to live directly below the poverty line. I believe that it is in the organization's best interest to provide an employee with a decent wage. The Urban Institute also found struggling to gather funding is still a formidable challenge (link). With most of the money given from the public sector, having strings attached to it makes it tough to hand out to employees as it has to have a direct relationship (cost conversion cycle). And these organizations are unwilling to defy or stand against the government due to fear of backlash, and it would ultimately put the organization out of business. Unfortunately, voluntary organizations have to rely on in-kind or cash donations to pay their employees. 

Some counterpoints can be made for why non-profits should work with the funding they have secured. For instance, many for-profit companies have to make critical assumptions and use what they'll receive in revenue; they will also look at raising equity or debt financing. However, non-profits cannot raise equity because they operate under a non-profit status that doesn't allow them to make a profit. While sometimes debt financing may look like a unique avenue to look towards, they are often not the strongest candidates to hand out or pay back a loan because it would be tough for them to pay it back in the future, and it would be hard to get the money from a non-profit organization through legal proceedings. Some of the ways non-profits escape this idea are finding board members who can donate/loan their money, time, and talent. When seeking candidates for seats on the board member they preferably want all three characteristics, which will further the organization's mission in the short/long term.  Sometimes we hear stories about non-profits paying out high overhead costs to employees when we have no idea the number of job titles fits under one person's job.  For instance, in the news a few years ago, it was mentioned that about 80%  (or $0.80 of each $1) of the money given to the Red Cross would be going to someone's salaries rather than to the cause directly. This forced non-profits to rethink their spending habits altogether, as they didn't want rumors to come out about how they were spending their resources.  The Red Cross was the one bad apple because this isn't the case for many non-profits; many have annual budgets well less than $1 million. Many non-profits have to scrape by, as they have been unsuccessful in receiving specific streams of funding. The funding/gifts non-profits receive are helpful in several ways and should never be frowned upon, but these gifts must be used for their exact purpose. 

The underfunding of many non-profits has to stop; this has become a mass epidemic; we are hurting our communities when we fail to provide adequate funding to non-profits. To tackle this issue, there needs to be cooperation between all sides: non-profit, public sector, private sector, and individuals. Non-profits need to become better at demonstrating all of their needs, and if they are facing discrepancies in funding, they need to bring this to the board's attention. The public and private sectors need to create more grants that come with fewer strings attached. These organizations are filling the gap where these sectors are unable to fulfill. We need to tell these organizations that we appreciate them and provide at least a percentage of the funding going towards non-dictionary funding. Lastly, individuals need to become more interested in giving and shouldn't be only focused on donating to benefit the tax write-off. For a community to grow, there has to be support from everyone. 

 

Daron Babcock

Daron Babcock is the founder of BonTon Farms in South Dallas, is an agricultural intervention program aiming to improve the nutritional status of the community. Daron is originally from West Texas, where he met his wife and moved to Oregon to start to raise their two sons. A few years later, his wife soon recognized something about a bump on her tongue, so she went to get a biopsy done on the bump. The doctors soon realized that the lump was cancer. His wife later died, and this sent him in a tailspin in making the right choices. He began going to clubs, engaging in criminal activity, and consuming illegal drugs. He soon realized the bad things he was partaking in and went to the Alcohol and Drug rehab facility, and right outside of the facility, he fell to his knees, asking for help. He decided to move back to Texas because it was only him in Oregon, and it would be best if he and the kids could be close to family. Daron was living comfortably in Frisco, and one day, a friend asked him to join him in a meeting with a community of people coming out of the prison system.                                        

                                                                       

At first, he was very optimistic about going, but once he got there, he was struck with the perseverance of the individuals in the area. Daron saw a problem in South Dallas with the issue of opportunity to strive in the community with it being a desert for food, jobs, poverty, and much more. He saw that the people are left in an endless cycle of poverty, crime, and unhealthy living. When Daron recognized the problem, he felt that this was his calling in life. He moved into a house with no electricity and one bed, to fully understand and help the community. Many members of the city dealt with the lack of jobs, so he set out by teaching them new skills such as lawn care services. Once people started calling in sick, he saw that the community lacked healthy and fresh food choices. They soon started planting a garden in an empty lot, and the people that help tend to it were able to take fruits/vegetables with them. The garden allowed them to develop a new skill that would open doors for job opportunities and more. After being turned down by multiple times, employers over liabilities concerns with members of the community. They soon got an offer to work with bees, and a guy funded the business for two years. After the success they produced, they opened BonTon Honey Company, but they didn't stop there. Once Habitat for Humanity saw the great work they were doing, they were given two lots to expand and create a farm. Daron defines the farm as a "vehicle." The community's vehicle needed gas to run, and without healthy food to eat, the city was dying. The goal Darron wanted to magnify was to normalize the community and disrupt the status quo. With the creation of the farm, they were able to grow food and sell their food. Darron understood, for a community to succeed, they needed to create value, and the food did just that. 

*Support BonTon Farms at this link

Is Violent Crime Rising??

The rise in the number of television shows being able to watch at the click of a button is quite instrumental, and many people thought 30 years ago this was never possible. With the rise of these platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, and others has allowed us to watch full seasons of a show in a matter of days. Back in my parent's day, they would have to wait an entire week for the next episode. I remember her telling me stories of everyone huddling around the water cooler to talk about what happened on the show Magnum, P.I., and everyone would talk about it. Waiting an entire week to see the next episode feels like eternity in today’s standards. I don’t even know if I could do that right now, that’s why I decide to put off a show until at least 4 episodes have been released. Being part of a society where I can watch episodes has presented some great and bad flaws throughout society.

Some of the most watched television shows on Netflix are Money Heist and Breaking Bad. Looking at shows such as Breaking Bad, The Blacklist, and Ozark, these drug lord shows and crime shows are well produced and are highly viewed by today's demographic.The show Ozark has recently completed its third season and has caught the eyes, with it garnering the attention of 16.4 million viewers in April. Ozark, a story about a couple that launders money for a drug lord. They ended up moving to Ozark, Missouri starting a casino so they could launder cash. He goes through the struggles of having to be a good husband, dad, stay safe, and launder. Putting all of these problems on just one person will cause them to spiral out of control. Earlier this week, we saw a 20-year-old college student, allegedly committed suicide after hedging put and call options against one another, causing him to get under maximum leverage. After getting down over $700,000, reportedly thought there was no end but to commit suicide, which is an extremely sad but also allows for a learning point for all of us that the stock market isn't a game.

Sentiments on crime throughout the United States have continuously risen, but I guess many can suggest that towards globalizations. Globalization has led to many people throughout the United States and beyond to have allowed people to communicate at a moment's notice or have access to news at the click of a button. We have seen another example of globalization earlier in the video-streaming services with Netflix. I wanted to look at crime statistics to see if we have had higher rates of Violent Crime in the United States throughout the past fifteen years.To first begin answering the question, I first decided to look at some crime data from 1960 - 2014 via the FBI. Here are some cool statistics from the dataset.

Violent Crimes consist of  murder negligent manslaughter, legacy rape, revised rape, robbery, and  aggravated assault. As the graph points out the National Violent Crime Rate per 100,000 people reached it's peak in the early 90s with the two highest types of crime bring robbery and aggravated assault. Since the 90s has passed we have seen it go on the decline. Violent crime occured only about 250 aggravated assault per 100,000 times in they year 2014 and 100 robbery incidents per 100,000 in 2014. So we can say, that violent crime has occurred less in the in the past compared to the present. Let's see if this also holds true for Property Crime.

Property Crime consist of burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. Property Crime has also been down since the 90s as well. Which is quite interesting to view, like where more people commiting crime or cops arresting more people? What was the sentiment or were we just locking individuals up for any reason due to political affiliation? In an Political Ad paid for by the National Security PAC, on behalf of the George H.W. Bush campaign.

Many speculated that during the 1980s and 1990s individuals representing the Republican party brought drugs into low-income communities predominantly made up of African-American and Hispanic individuals. Many believe the drugs came through Nicaragua which then infiltrated it's way to those communities in the United States. Many reports suggest that drug usage in those communities rose about 60% during that period. Now you might be wondering how can robbery or aggravated assault can be extrapolated to rising drug issues in poverty stricken communities. For example, let's say a person was in need of drugs but didn't have the money to purchase any, how should they go about getting there fix? A person may go by any means necessary to get drugs, which means they'll thinking irrational because they aren't worrying about the future but the present (time value of money). With the government having a tough on crime demeanor as the political ad suggested and which boosted Bush in the polls and helping him win the presidential election. This created a fude on who was tougher on crime.   As we saw in the previous graphs crime reached it's highest point during that period. The racial overtone presented by both,  showed that it would have drastic effect on all minority groups in the United States, as many academics have started to realize since the event.
Because many white women and men, thought they're country was getting a way from it's original ways. And now we're seeing the same rhetoric currently with the election of Trump and his campaign slogan being Make America Great Again (MAGA) which he has been a staunch supporter of Law and Order. Which everyone knows, that this code for locking up minorities. Also, Biden who in the 1970s was big on segregation and who believed de-segregation would cause for his kids to grow up in a 'racial jungle'. So the election will be one for the ages...

I will attach the spreadsheet for your knowledge.-R


https://drive.google.com/file/d/18syDnMC45hqWEu7CA3w_okgICvRVTwEJ/view?usp=sharing

Telehealth Boom?

Overview 

We can trace the beginnings of Telehealth back to the early 1950s through the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute and Norfolk University, setting up a remote monitoring system for psychiatric patients. Since then, it has grown significantly and is now a topic of discussion with the novel coronavirus. A summary of the subject, Telehealth, describes the delivery of healthcare services through a range of options electronically via landline, mobile phones, and the internet. Initially, the goal was to bridge the gap in the provision of care for those who may be in rural communities and did not have access to healthcare providers in their respective locations. Also, this care was to create an affordable form of service for the patient regardless if they had insurance. Various healthcare segments already implement Telehealth, among the most significant users are mental health services, primary care, neurology, and substance abuse patients. 

Studies by Businesswire forecasts that the telehealth industry will grow to $20.18 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of about 7.5% through the year 2024. It creates a vast opportunity for investments and innovation to develop efficient solutions in healthcare where need be. We live in a society where the quicker that we can get things done, the better it is for us. For instance, setting an appointment at a clinic then waiting for thirty minutes or more can be inconvenient for a patient. Sometimes you may need to take time off from work or even leave while you are on shift and then return to work afterward. Not everyone may be able to afford to do that. 

Limitations 

With these proposed benefits to the implementation of Telehealth, there are barriers to the service. In mental health, there are platforms enabling capabilities for client-provider relationships to begin or continue treatment. With restrictions lifted on specific HIPAA(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act laws, platforms such as zoom and facetime can be used for patients to meet with psychiatrists. Added to the existing communication platforms that were solely for mental health treatment, this offers a benefit as care can be more easily accessed, but also has there drawbacks we will mention later. In reaching out to one, I was able to find out that there was difficulty dealing with patients online than in-person at-first. That barrier was overcome when both parties became comfortable with the technical means, and the care can begin. In the case of specialty clinics, I was able to speak with an administrator who told me that most of their patients talk with their doctors via video conferencing or phone calls at their clinic. The only reason a patient will be in the office is if they needed surgery or if the doctor needed to communicate confidential information to that patient.

The administering of service requires a reliable internet connection; this may not be available to a segment of the population. A rise in unemployment and closed schools have made more people accessing wireless internet connections more than usual, which can slow down the overall speed for users. The connection flaws may vary state-to-state and dependent on their geographical regions. Upgrading their internet connection may not be viable if they are not in a position financially to do so. Other issues are regulatory barriers that may vary state-to-state; let's take into account the special licenses. In only nine states, medical boards are set up that allow providers to administer care via Telehealth to patients who are not in their state. 

Issues may arise when conducting physical examinations. Diagnosis of conditions may be difficult when looking at a screen as opposed to seeing the patient in-person. The doctor has to make a basis on what they see, which is risky when it comes to prescriptions. If the patient does not have access to a reliable internet connection at home, it may require them to travel to a location where they can access that, which can defeat the purpose of Telehealth's proposed convenience. The website eVisit informs us from the doctor's perspective that remote monitoring of patients can require hardware and software that may not be cost-effective. A clinic may need to incur potentially high set-up costs and maintenance expenses to ensure that patient-provider communication is secure. Other obstacles for the patient will be that they may need to have access to a smartphone or a computer. These are things that can be overlooked, but not everyone can afford these devices, limiting the accessibility of the care to the population they were initially seeking to help. 

Privacy Concerns

Privacy is a tremendous concern when it comes to Telehealth. Patients can be hesitant to pursue care because these platforms are capable of being hacked, causing a level of uncertainty in using care. With the use of platforms such as Zoom and Apple's Facetime, there are concerns that this platform may not be secure. Recent lifting on HIPAA laws allowed for the use of communication platforms that were previously not allowed due to the coronavirus's unraveling. Older segments of the population who are urged to stay indoors and limit contact with persons outside of their home can be at a disadvantage if they do not know how to use the Telehealth platforms. 

The recent health-pandemic has undoubtedly boosted the demand for the service. Expansions in the industry resulting from funding by venture capitalists, government, and investors are looking for innovative ideas that can yield significant returns. Should we be looking forward to a life where a routine doctor visit can be a video call away? Are there any potential issues that can arise from too much technology? Can this type of innovation lower the cost of healthcare overall? 

COVID-19: Whats Next For Higher Education

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed much of the world population in a state of distress. This virus has affected the many sectors, including healthcare, transportation, food, among others, not to mention education was not left out. Since mid-March, many universities have made decisions to close their campuses for the semester, causing many domestic students to return home. At some universities, this move proved detrimental as they were closing doors on their international student body who may not have been able to return to their homes. 

For the upcoming fall semester, there is a high level of uncertainty that faculty and students must overcome. In a recent study by The Chronicle, tracking the decisions of 960 colleges across the United States, of which 65% of them are planning to have in-person teaching. Taking into account the circumstances, a majority of the institutions are planning to finish their fall semester by thanksgiving break, which is when the flu season is expected to commence. As to how the in-person classes will be illustrated, other than modifying classrooms so that there will be proper social distancing measures, I was not able to find information on what that will look like.

Incoming college freshmen may likely decide to stay in-state and attend a more cost-effective university, rather than attending an out of state school and/or a private one. Many of these private institutions pride themselves on being a more holistic and thought-provoking curriculum, which requires students to take a variety of classes outside of their disciplines. Smaller class sizes typically offered at private universities allow for personal connection that may not be the case at larger institutions who tend to have a much larger pool of students fighting for the same attention and resources. That is not to say that students cannot flourish in either private or public higher learning institutions, they will have to perform their own analysis and decide what works best for them. In these times, those factors at private schools may diminish in value, unless the university can offer competitive financial aid. It will be interesting to see their total enrollment numbers this year and projections for the future.

Reports have shown that numerous colleges have since collaborated with consulting firms to discuss the measures they will need to have in place to have school in the fall. A few liberal arts colleges have taken this approach of conducting semesters into 7-week modules, here, the student will take 2 courses each module and have and have an option to take winter course. Allowing for a maximum of 36 credits per school year for the foreseeable future. In the state of California, public universities such as the University of California Los Angeles are planning to reopen campus; however, the vast majority (if not all) for their courses being offered online. The Cal State school system has chosen to cancel all in-person classes at its 23 campuses and switching to offer courses online. While at the University of Southern California, a private institution is preparing for a hybrid model approach, to which courses will be in-person with the capabilities for those classes to be online as well to suit students who don't wish to be in a classroom. Now, these are two institutions that are well funded and are capable of conducting these measures, it may not be the same at other schools.

Now moving forward, I would like to see college officials admit that we are in an inconsistent and uncertain time but to adequately inform students of updates so they can adjust. Issues with transparency have plagued student-administration relationships, now is not the time to be opaque. While at the same time be realistic, people are going to move around, there are things that college student gravitate towards doing, what are some of the measures being put in place to ensure the general population of the school is safe. I strongly encourage all students to carefully look into your university's reopening plan, and whenever there are discussion forums, pose your questions and concerns!

How confident are you in your school's response, and what do you think can be done? Are you concerned about your return to school? Feel free to share thoughts and comments.

Be mindful that information can change from the time posted.

2020

Imagine being left on hold for two-hundred years, and this is how it feels to be black day-in and out. The death of George Floyd was heinous by all police officers involved, and I believe all police officers should be tried and charged. White people around the United States, won't ever understand the trials and tribulations that black people go through daily, whether it's walking down the street or taking a jog in their neighborhood. Black folk have to look over their shoulder continually, and they may never know when their ticket number has been called. W.E.B Du Boise said, "Negro Blood has a message for the world. This statement is powerful, it demonstrates the black individual possessing the power to lead the world (Barack Obama), but he should sell his soul to the white man.

The protest that happened over this past week has been quite incredible as it has signified people of all races coming together and realizing the injustice taking place in America. Are Not only black men affected by this type of crime but also black women, such as Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. In Minneapolis, the 3rd Police Precinct's destruction showed how fed up people were with these slayings. Watching the event take place, while home in Texas, it was incredible to see individuals come as one and burn the halls of injustice. Even during a global pandemic, we have seen people come together as one, to ensure their voices were heard.

Most of the protesters were very peaceful, and many police officers have handled these events in the right way, showing much restraint, while others dreadfully still haven't. A man in Houston had his surgical mask removed and pepper-sprayed for standing there and a woman throwing a molotov cocktail into a police van where she has been charged with attempted murder. Police officers should realize the authority they possess in their community, as they can take a life or save a life. Officers should be willing to put their life on the line, as it is a calling to serve their community. When brandishing their weapon, it should not happen until all other methods have been exhausted.

People are now encouraged to speak about police brutality, as the civil unrest in the community has risen prolifically. If your reaction towards looting is different than when George Floyd was killed, you're a racist. At least the looters were able to get a free plasma TV. What does the officer get, killing someone gets you. Violence was the answer in the Boston Tea Party, the Revolutionary War, and WWII. Force brings these issues to light, and it encourages change. We should not be afraid of change, and changing is needed right now. This isn't a problem for only black people but between all races vs. police brutality. I want to leave everyone with something. HOW DO WE CHANGE THINGS?


I stand with #ColinKaepernick #GeorgeFloyd and everyone else that encounters an issue when doing what is right.

Financial Equations

Hi, everyone I wanted share some basic formulas with you guys, about some finance equations. I love analyze equations and this a good stepping stone, to learn some material or master. Here's a list of some simple financial equations.


Net Income / Sales = Profit Margin

Sales / Total Assets = Asset Turnover

Total Assets / Average Shareholder Equity = Financial Leverage


When  looking at  how well a company is operating.  We need to analyze quite a bit of information before we're able to make an assumption on how well the company will preform in the future.

We look for liquidity, solvency, profitability and growth.

Liquidity:

Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities

Net Trade Cycle = DSO + DIO - DPO

DSO  (Days Sales Outstanding) = Trade Receivables /  Revenue *360

DIO (Days Inventory Outstanding) = Inventory / Cost of Goods Sold *360

DPO (Days Payable Outstanding) = Accounts Payable / Cost of Goods Sold *360

Solvency:

Debt Ratio = Total Liabilities / Total Assets


Interest Coverage Ratio = Operating Profit (EBIT) / Interest Expense

Profitability:

ROA = EBIT / Total Assets

ROE = Net Income /  Total Equity

Debt to Equity Ratio = Total Assets / Total Equity

ROE Ratio =ROA *(Total Assets / Equity) * (Net Income/ EBIT)

Growth:

Revenue Growth = (Revenue(current year) / Revenue (previous year) -1

India

India is home to 1.3 Billion people, throughout the state, there is a wide variety of religions, dialects, and much more. Currently, India has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and this has ramp-up since the beginning of the 21st Century. With some of their most significant spurts of growth coming about, when the rest of the world was facing a severe economic downturn in 2009 - 2013 (Prasad et al. 2018 p. 24). We classify India as having a developing world economy, by which it focuses mainly on agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Many social scientists believe that in the next 50 years, India will become a significant player in shaping the global economy. There are two main strategies that a country can use to go about influencing trade and economic policy. The first is an import-substitution method, "pro-business," where a country aims to develop its economy from within, making them self-sufficient. Many governments that enacted such policies created high tariffs for such products, thus decreasing competition in the market. This led to countries that adopted these policies to issues of having their currency devalued. Throughout Latin America, we saw a rise in this method in the 1960s, which caused relief to be sent to many countries by the IMF and others (Street & James, 1982). India, in the 1960s, shifted towards a more pro-business take on how to manage its economy. This led to India becoming on the verge of bankruptcy after the excessive borrowing done internally and internationally (Saxena & Cerra, 2000). This policy did not allow businesses to grow more productive but diversify in other industries. The other method used is an export-led growth "pro-market," in which a country opens itself for international trade. Many countries in South Asia, used an export-led approach which created a vast amount of opportunities for them to become hugely successful, and South Korea is just one example (Grabowski et al. 2013, p.178). 

Now, India has shifted towards this form of growth in the 1990s, in a study by Sahni & Atri (2012), it has shown that the restructuring of the economy has "enhanced the competitiveness of the Indian industry." Economists have all agreed that a country that exports have a positive correlation with economic growth, which is a catalyst to garner foreign capital. The Modi government has achieved levels of about 7.5% GDP growth since the first term, but members of the UN at least 8% - 10% growth ("Export-Led Growth," 2019). India has quite a few pressing matters that it needs to attend to, but the policies seem to be more relevant to all of India's stakeholders.

An export-oriented company is one that is independent of the state, and that firms utilize in trying to export their goods to the rest of the world. These companies are significant to the business channel side of finding overseas buyers and the market research/trends happening across the globe. Reliant Limited Industries, which is one of the largest firms in India, with it employing over 30,000 individuals. Reliant has done so much great work in India, as it became the first company in India to exceed $100 billion market capitalization. An international organization has also given it a "BB+" credit rating. The company owns businesses that specialize in ranging from energy to natural resources. Reliant can be compared to Alphabet Inc. by the impact it has had in the United States. Companies like Reliant are essential to the entire country because businesses and individuals use the services. Focusing specifically on the petroleum industry in India, it consumes about 4.5 million barrels per day as of 2016. Also, it has the third-largest oil consumption, with it being behind the US and China (Worldometers, 2020) and with India, having such a deep interest in this field.

Good governance is how we can measure public institutions and how effectively they are in implementing decision making. This is quite important to corporations such as Reliant; they are significantly invested in India for the long-term. Some of the pillars that are important to my organization are the control of corruption and transparency. Control of crime is the misuse of public office for private gain, and this problem is identified throughout every country and developed in developing countries. In an article done by Jon S.T Quah, he discusses the ongoing issues in India's fight against corruption. Quah categorizes them as having anti-corruption laws and several fighting corruption agencies. In India, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was formed in 1963. The author claims the CBI has been quite ineffective because of its inability to conduct an independent investigation. It concludes that India needs to curb corruption to reach maximum potential (Quah, 2011). This is quite important as there is a direct link between the control of crime and the business investment climate. Transparency is also vital to many business sector companies, as it ensures that the government has nothing to hide for its constituents and that businesses can paint the actual picture. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is the official auditor of the Indian government. They review the receipts and expenditures of the Government of India and the state governments. Transparency and control of corruption go together, as lower rates of corruption yields higher levels of transparency. In the case of Reliant, it has been a tough road for them, engaging in transparency and corruption. They have faced many allegations and scams as late as 2013. These scams are related to insider trading, as there were controversial issues with Reliant offering fake shares (Shrivastava, 2009). With Reliant, being one of India's largest corporations, it must provide more genuine trust to India's citizens. With recent events, COVID-19 has caused trouble throughout the world, forcing everyone to stay home, making negotiating difficult. We aimed to use this time to promote India's growth and not mainly on what to do about the virus. The oil and gas industry has numerous high-profile cases involved in corruption, but it's due to the risk in these emerging markets. Many countries involved in these markets deal with significant amounts of natural resources are located in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. A study was done by Transparency International to view the perception of foreign bribery. The oil and gas market ranked 17th out of 19 sectors, with a perception score of 6.2 (Transparency International, 2011). This statistic by TI indicated that there is a strong possibility of corruption infiltrating the Indian petroleum industry. When trying to solve this political puzzle, the bad guys always create new methods. In the oil industry, it has its highs and lows, and some individuals take advantage of the opportunities by theft or pilferage. With the industry having both public and private sector employees, this can cause some issues. 

India's first law that addresses corruption in the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) was enacted in 1988. The PCA addresses concerns of corruption in government agencies and public sector companies (Chan & Ho, 2018). The act contains similar aspects that the United States legislation has as well as which puts both parties at fault. As of 2018, the law has some additional amendments which allow for more robust prosecution and punishing these individuals. The industry employs about 50% of the Indian workforce. The industry also creates about 18% of India's GDP. I am not trying to convey that the sector doesn't need the money, but we could use it as a period to strengthen other areas. The coronavirus has had an impact on the entire Indian economy, and many industries have become reliant on the aid money to help during this trying time. India has risen through the ranks in terms of economic development; there has been an average of seven percent growth rate for the past decade. Countries like China and the United States are continuing down the path of the service-led economy, both of these countries have recognized the robust development taking place in India. Many economists are starting to acknowledge that India can put India on a fast-track to a manufacturing economy. Also, the manufacturing sector has the potential to earn $1 trillion by 2025, and this would put the country in the top three of growth manufacturing economies as its attractive demographics have a population of about 1.3 billion people, and with countries in the region having a fertility rate of 3.56 in Pakistan and 2.2 in India.