Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

According to allegation, Robert Rizzo, the former city administrator of Bell, Calif., could have been the king of swindling public sector employees not so long ago. Today, Rizzo just pleaded no contest to 69 counts in his corruption trial, according to a Los Angeles County District Attorney's office press release. And he's likely to get the "the longest prison term for public corruption" - the judge says 10 to 12 years - in the area since 2000. Came in no more than a week before a jury was to be chosen, Rizzo's plea was a surprise to everyone counting the DA. "An open plea", this is what the DA's office calls the move to the presiding judge and was not a negotiated settlement. According to the DA's statement Rizzo was part of an alleged corruption ring that reportedly included his one-time deputy and co-defendant, former assistant city manager Angela Spaccia. On Monday, her trial is scheduled to start. Furthermore, five former Bell elected officials - including a mayor, vice-mayor, and three council members - were already found guilty in March. The reports say the ring was as brazen as it was large. The five ex-officials paid themselves salaries topping off at $100,000 yearly in a city of 35,000 people, 25 percent of whom lived underneath the poverty line. An audit had found that the officials unlawfully raised local taxes and fees to fund their salaries. They were pikers as compared to what allegedly went on somewhere else. According to the report, Rizzo's paycheck reached a $1.5 million peak in a year when he had 107 vacation days and 36 sick days. His salary before he resigned in July 2010 was just under what must have seemed in comparison a paltry $800,000, according to the DA's office. Putting it into context, that's about twice what the President of the United States makes. According to television station KTLA, Rizzo was charged with a variety of schemes that cost the city millions of dollars, including writi

By 25 active operators in Southeast Asia with 46 rigs, the contracting conditions have been challenging due to the collapse in crude oil prices while exploration and production spending have pressured both utilization and day rates in the region INTRODUCTION Southeast Asia is rich with hydrocarbon resources. The region is made up of Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Jakarta Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. According to Shell, the Indonesia oil industry and what subsequently became Royal Dutch Shell are closely connected. Shell discovered commercial quantities of crude oil in Sumatra just over 100 years ago. Moreover, Shell was the first to bring a drilling rig to the region and the first to discover oil off of Brunei in 1958. Today there are about 25 operators active in Southeast Asia with 46 rigs (Jack Ups, Semis and Drillships) currently contracted. Forty one of the contracted rigs are drilling, and five are waiting on location or in shipyards. In addition to the rigs that are contracted in the region, there are eight cold stacked units, nine ready stacked units, and one unit in the shipyard without a contract for a total supply of 64 rigs. Thus, total utilization in the region is 72% and ready utilization is 84%. While indications are that Jack-Up Market fundamentals have begun to stabilize. Southeast Asia only has eight semisubmersibles actively drilling in its waters (one other is contracted but not currently working). Four are off Malaysia, two are off Vietnam, one is off the Jakarta Peninsula, and another is off Myanmar. However, the drilling Jack Up count is significantly higher at 31 (four others are contracted but not currently working). Malaysia has the highest Jack Up count at twelve, followed by Vietnam with seven, Thailand with five, Indonesia with four, Brunei Darussalam with two, and East Timor with one. There are also two Drill ships working in the region. One is off Malaysia and the other is of

Many people perhaps consider bullies as permanently angry teens insisting lunch money and carrying swirlies. However playgrounds and school hallways aren't the lone places where violent behavior, threats, gossip, and rejection are used to oppress people and affirm power. warning! Bullying is very damaging than we may know says, Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia. This holds true by a study from CareerBuilder shows that bullying is alive and well in offices across America. The study, which incorporated more than 3,300 employees thru industries and company sizes, demonstrates that 28 percent of employees answer they've felt bullied at the office at some time in their career, and of those employees, 19 percent said the bullying initiated them to leave their job. Who are the victims and why aren’t they filling complaints? In general, women are more expected to have felt bullied, with 34 percent stating they've been victim to workplace bullying at some stage in their career matched to 22 percent of men. Furthermore, 30 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers testified being the victims of bullying at work, while there are 44 percent of physically disabled workers. The study furthermore discovered that 27 percent of African American workers and 25 percent of Hispanic workers have suffered from bullying on the job, as compare to 24 percent of Caucasian males. Not counting workers from Asian countries such as KL Malaysia, Jakarta Indonesia, Beijing China and many more. "One of the most surprising takeaways from the study was that bullying impacts workers of all backgrounds

Base from official figures, Britain is finally "on track" to recover from the economic crisis with employment back at the same level as in 2008. The economy grew by 0.6 per cent between April and June despite earlier speculation that there may have been a renewed recession. This has been followed by another rise earlier in the year. There are optimistic signs of growth with employment and the number of hours worked returning to pre-crisis levels, ending a five-year slump. But, in totality the size of the economy is still way smaller than previous to the crisis and politicians were last night eager to stress that Britain still faces years of austerity and improbability before it will have fully recovered. George Osborne, the Chancellor, said that the country was "on the mend" as he prepared to make improving the economy his key message at the next general election. "The figures are better than forecast," Mr Osborne said. "Britain is holding its nerve. We are sticking to our economic plan. "Britain is on the mend, but we've got to stick with the plan because there's still a long way to go." David Cameron, who went on his annual summer holiday, added: "We are on the right track - building an economy for hard-working people." Nonetheless, senior politicians also gave warning to people "not to get carried away"and stressed that ministers were not complacent. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, said that he would not be prepared to declare that the economy had recovered before there had been another "two or three years" of strong growth. Neil Bentley, the deputy director-general of the CBI, said that the figures confirmed that Britain was on the road to recovery although there were likely to be "a few bumps ahead". "Underlying conditions are quite weak as consumers are still saddled with debt and despite the global economy picking up, the potential for getting knocked off course remains," he said. According to the O

Westhill Consulting Career & Employment based in Australia, thank the guardian for the following comments Do your research Collaborating with an overseas university first is a great way to get to know them if you are considering moving abroad. Paul Matsudaira started his career at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, before accepting the position as head of biological sciences atNational University of Singapore in 2009. While he was still at MIT, Matsudaira taught biology to students from two Singaporean universities via an online videolink. He also travelled to Singapore several times in the summer holidays to teach at study camps. He says his family really enjoyed their trips to Singapore, and this made it much easier for him to make the decision about accepting the offer of a full-time post. Go for it wholeheartedly Once you have made the decision to move, make sure it is a clean break. Matsudaira says the biggest mistake he saw others making was expats not really committing to the move. warning, it can be very stressful trying to run parallel lives - particularly across different time zones. It can also lead your new employers to question your commitment to the job. He said a "go for broke" attitude is essential to succeed. Don't be put off by the paperwork Job interviews often take place in London. The employing university liaises with the immigration department and it usually takes less than four weeks for a work permit to be issued. Pay In general HK/south-east Asian universities pay better than European institutions and about the same as US universities, but tax is much lower. Check for allowances Academics with children should also check on the availability and costs of places at international schools and whether the employer provides any education allowance. Look into accommodation Accommodation is very expensive in many of south-east Asia's densely populated cities so colleges often provide it as part of the package. But if living

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/05/19/jobs-growth-oil-gas-firms-uk/ Companies in the UK oil and gas sector anticipate creating up to 39,000 jobs over the next two years. One hundred companies were surveyed, commissioned by the Bank of Scotland, since last year found expectations of employment growth had increased. A clear majority (69%) of executives in the companies were optimistic about their growth prospects in 2014/2015 while 38% of those responding said a shortage of skilled workers would be their greatest challenge. Whereas 64% of those taking part cited that the international expansion was a priority. Key areas for investment were Africa, North America, Jakarta, Indonesia and the Middle East. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia's survey says 46% of companies were planning by now for a further growth in foreign markets over the next 24 months. The research was carried out by BDRC Continental and companies were chosen to reflect a range of size, location and service type. In the previous year, a related study was carried out saying that the companies in the sector would recruit an additional 34,000 people over two years. Bank of Scotland commercial area director Stuart White, said: "The findings of this report are excellent news for the economy, demonstrating the employment-generating nature of the oil and gas industry now and in the future. "With most of the UK's oil and gas firms clustered in Aberdeen and the north-east, Scotland should reap the largest share of these new jobs, however other parts of the UK will benefit from expansion plans. "The report also highlights the growing challenges posed by the lack of a skilled workforce." Mr White said new specialist apprenticeship schemes could help address the shortfall. "The results also demo

The total of Americans filing new requests for unemployment assistances fell more than anticipated, signifying that a severe stoppage in job progress last month was perhaps a deviation. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 36,000 to a seasonally adjusted 280,000 for the week ended Sept. 13, the Labor Department said last Sept. 11. It was the lowermost level ever since July. Claims for the previous week were studied to show 1,000 more applications received than formerly reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims falling to only 305,000 last week. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia is also feeling the growth since last year, an example were the upsurge in the economy in Indonesia which eventually paved the way of many job openings in Jakarta. Since then, lesser complaints were reported. The four-week moving average of claims, measured a better amount of labor market drifts as it irons out week-to-week instability, fell 4,750 to 299,500. A Labor Department analyst said there were no special factors influencing the state level data. This month's data covered the period during which employers were charted for September's non-farm payrolls. Claims drop 19,000 between the August and September survey times. That proposes payrolls growth bounce back from August's eight-month low, which most economists terminated as a fluke, noting that payroll improvements tend to be lesser in August for the reason that of problems regulating the data for seasonal variations in hiring. Employers appended only 142,000 jobs to their payrolls in August, breaking six consecutive months of job upsurges above 200,000. The jobless claims report displayed the number of people still getting benefits after an early week of aid dropped

It's the period to begin a writing habit if you're intrigued in a stress-free technique to get better at your job performance and improve your career. A study from Harvard Business School confirmed whether taking 15 minutes at the end of a work day to ponder on that day's work enhanced their performance and discovered the participants tasked with everyday written deliberation did 22.8 percent improved on an assessment compared to the control group. Westhill Consulting Career & Employment, world's largest free online jobs website which is funded by UK government however headquartered in Australia until it expanded and now almost every country is being served by the company, such as Jakarta Indonesia in SE Asia, Toronto in Canada, New York in the US and many more, put this 15-Minute-a-Day Habit and found it to be successful and less complaints on works performances were reported. But wouldn't internal reflection by itself be sufficient to boost performance? "My speculation would be that writing things down would be more beneficial as the act of writing imposes a discipline on us to stay focused," says paper co-author Brad Staats, an associate professor of operations at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. Reflection forced people to process their days, find patterns and link actions. Some people might think the experiment focused on the successes of the day, but Staats says the parameters of the experiment when explained to the journaling employees didn't specify giving the reflections a positive or negative slant. "What we wanted was for them to reflect more on whatever they thought was most important from the day," Staats explains. "The positive/negative point is a great question, but not one we looked at here. In other research, Francesca and I have explored how individuals struggle to learn from failure, but when they acc

On November 8, Friday, President Barack Obama tries to shift the national conversation to economic growth from anger over insurance policy cancellations under his signature healthcare law, as he visits the Port of New Orleans. The next day after Obama said in a nationally televised interview he was sorry some Americans were dropped by their health plans because of changes mandated by the Affordable Care Act, he will tour a busy cargo and cruise ship port, the White House said. Again, he will convey the message that the United States should spend more on its roads, bridges and ports as a way to create jobs and strengthen U.S. firms through increased trade. Said on Friday, he will speak after the government that employers added 204,000 jobs in October despite a 16-day government shutdown, although the jobless rate ticked up to 7.3 percent. The White House expected that there would have been 120,000 additional jobs created in the month if not for the shuttering of government offices regardless of the surprisingly strong employment report. The administration has repeatedly said that the economy would be growing more rapidly and job growth would be more robust without the shutdown, prompted by Republican efforts to defund or delay the healthcare law, known as Obamacare. Yet, the jobs report suggested the impact of the shutdown on the economy was slighter than many had thought. The Mississippi River port will provide Obama an appropriate setting to discuss about his proposal to spend $50 billion to repair and upgrade the nation's infrastructure and efforts to expand trade. The president "believes that exports are central to our national economy and has made increasing exports a major focus for his administration," the White House said in a statement. However, because of lingering questions about Obamacare, Obama's efforts to press Congress for more spending to strengthen economic growth will be overshadowed. The failed even out of the online signup process for in

Getting money for non mortgage holders or inhabitants was dream in the past as they don't had property in their names to vow against advance sum. Be that as it may, now this issue has been arrived at an end. This has been conceivable with personal loans.

Nokia is back in the smartphone business with its new Nokia 6. But this is just the beginning. Nokia 6 is now available only in China. Fortunately, there are more new Nokia Android phones to come at MWC 2017 that will be sold in other regions. Qualcomm was rumored to have shown the upcoming Nokia 8 at CES 2017, while a slimmed-down Nokia Heart and flagship Nokia P1 are rumored for the upcoming MWC.

Half of the companies said they were already planning to use their expertise by investing abroad Companies in the UK oil and gas sector expect to create up to 39,000 jobs over the next two years. A survey of 100 companies, commissioned by the Bank of Scotland, found expectations of employment growth had increased since last year. A clear majority (69%) of executives in the companies were optimistic about their growth prospects in 2014/2015. A total of 38% of those responding said a shortage of skilled workers would be their greatest challenge. Continue reading the main story "Start Quote Scotland should reap the largest share of these new jobs, however other parts of the UK will benefit from expansion plans" Stuart White Bank of Scotland International expansion was cited as a priority by 64% of those taking part. Key areas for investment were Africa, North America and the Middle East. 'Expand internationally' The survey found 46% of companies were already planning further growth in foreign markets over the next 24 months. The research was carried out by BDRC Continental and companies were chosen to reflect a range of size, location and service type. A similar study carried out last year indicated companies in the sector would recruit an additional 34,000 people over two years. Bank of Scotland commercial area director Stuart White, said: "The findings of this report are excellent news for the economy, demonstrating the employment-generating nature of the oil and gas industry now and in the future. "With most of the UK's oil and gas firms clustered in Aberdeen and the north-east, Scotland should reap the largest share of these new jobs, however other parts of the UK will benefit from expansion plans. "The report also highlights the growing challenges posed by the lack of a skilled workforce." For more information: https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=3200182 http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=65310369#post65310369

Most people would not take an offer of a traditional job at a major package goods company to a millennial, says Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia. Starting a career may seem like a painstakingly trek up a corporate ladder for nowadays upstart professional. They rather work at Google, Twitter, and Facebook. As well as working at smaller companies like Snapchat that just turned down a multi-billion offer to be sold. In fact, most people would choose to start up a career at start-up. This is not to say that a great company like S.C. Johnson that owns the Drano brand can't attract great people. But, it does mean that the competition to attract the best and the brightest for traditional brand name companies is tougher. And, part of that challenge is an incredible difference between the generations on what constitutes success. As a board member of a few young fast start-ups, I see this first hand. The majority of talented students are not targeting the Fortune 500 as a place to work - or even wall Street. And the reason? That target is off the radar of the lifestyle they want to lead. Before, when I noted these great young minds want to start at a startup - the driver is not money. Although, money is nice, lifestyle is more compelling. For millennials, titles like CEO, COO, and CFO have little cache. These bright people are just fine if their next job is sideways and even down the organization. I noted that they are not climbing a corporate ladder; they are playing on a jungle gym. In swinging from job to job, or project to project, millennials are really seeking a career track where they can make a difference. They ask, "Am I growing professionally and personally." Plus, they manage their personal off hours to fit their lifestyle and budget. Think about how money is not a driver for them. When I w

Top rated National Police Checking providers Australia. Police check in New South Wales NSW, Victoria VIC, Queensland QLD, SA, Wa, ACT, Tasmania TAS, NT

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 3 years, you'll know that job hunting is tough. In fact, in general the world of employment is rocky and is something that has affected people massively over the past couple of years. With people being made redundant, companies cutting back on new intake and less opportunities being made available, people are stuck. This has resulted in massive numbers of people applying for vacancies when they do become available - which means that the recruitment process is tougher than ever! Does this mean you need to be stuck in a job you hate or living a life on benefits? Not at all. It means you need to be inventive, organized and well informed on the ways of recruitment, to give yourself the best possible chance of being given any job that you apply for. Keep At It It can be disheartening when you're looking for a job and nothing seems to come up of. The first thing to remember is that climbing a career ladder is tough and you'll be up against some stiff competition. Companies can only see a limited number of people during their recruitment process so are often very picky when it comes to who gets to the interview stage. You need to bear this in mind and don't give up when it seems like you're just not getting anywhere at all. Instead make sure that you look in different places for job adverts and keep applying for any that peak your interest. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket and apply for one job at a time - get your application out there to as many companies as possible in order to give yourself the best possible chance of being successful. Think Outside The Box Sometimes you need to take the initiative and contact a company, even if they aren't advertising jobs. It's not recommended that you simply spam every company in your local area with letters, but if there is a company that you would love to work for - why not let them know? Companies generally like people that are passionate ab

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/03/10/7-tips-revamp-job-search-2014/ Experts foresee the job market being more competitive than ever in 2014. With 10.9 million Americans unemployed, it is important to take a fresh look at your job search strategy. Now is the perfect time to develop an effective plan for success. How can you set yourself apart from the competition and position yourself for finding the best next step in your career? Here are seven tips to help you refresh and refocus your job search in 2014: 1. Don't be a copycat candidate. Job searches are a very personal experience and one-size-fits-all strategies will not help you stand out among the competition. Even though a certain interview tactic or style was successful for one candidate doesn't mean it is the best strategy for you. Take into consideration your personal experiences, preferences and career goals and use them to position yourself as a unique candidate. 2. Learn to look at job titles differently. Be open-minded about your preconceived notions of job titles. Roles in compliance, human resource, or administration, for example, are often perceived as being boring, career-limiting or otherwise undesirable. Such preconceptions, however, about the scope, strategic importance and long-term potential of these positions are not always true in today's market. In many cases I've seen, these jobs offer exceptional opportunity for influential and attractive long-term careers. 3. First impressions are everywhere. With 92% of employers using social media in the hiring process, the content of your social profile forms an employer's first impression before you even sit down with for an interview. You should take special consideration to job-proof your social media profiles. For example, use a picture that represents you as a professional. Don't rely on privacy settings to keep your personal information safe. Your best bet is to assume everything will be seen by a potential emplo

The first thing that you had to do is to identify exactly what you enjoy, what you probably need to do is do some research on your dream job According to Alan Watts, a respected philosopher, the best Way to find what you should be doing with your life Was to ask yourself this important question: "What would you do if money were no object?" What if you won the lottery and you could do whatever you Wanted to do with your life? Sure, you'd Want to relax for a while, but eventually you're going to get bored. So what would you do to make yourself really, truly happy? To avoid scams, plan several clear objectives and time scales. Be certain that you are moving forWard every day to get closer to your goal. A big Wall calendar will help you to out your through goals and achievements. This may take some time, but if you are willing to focus on the path you Wanted to take, slowly but surely you will get there. Please note that while all great jobs out there are up for grabs, you have to do a reality check and make sure you are not delusional when pursuing your dream. There will be physical and other limitations that are out of your control. There could of course be very valid obstacles such as family situation or your finances; as a rule, however, there is alWays a solution that can be worked out over time. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia offers articles, tips and many more about career and employment. Do you ever Wake up in the morning and ask yourself: "Am I in the right job?" "At the right company?" "On the right career path?" "Doing what I am supposed to be doing with my life?" If so, you are not alone. After almost a decade of research, Tempe, Ariz, based "purpose" firm Ignite reports that more than 95% of workers in the U.S. are in the wrong roles. In another study by the company, 1,916 randomly selected employees between the ages of 23 and 28 were asked if they were interested in changing jobs, and 1,571

I would like to get into the oil and gas industry, but do not know how and what qualifications needed (perhaps Nebosh oil and Gas Certificate?). I am currently working as a safety advisor for a local authority and undertaking my Nebosh Diploma at the same time.

The following is a collection of expert advice from our panel on the challenges and opportunities for women in development http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2013/08/29/women-development-18-tips-career-success/ Ayse Cihan Sultanoglu, UN assistant secretary-general, New York, US. @csultanoglu To get to the top, don't be afraid of starting at the bottom: In building a career in development it is important that you experience living and working in developing countries. This could mean that you must be willing to do something that you had never really considered or something that is out of your comfort zone. Young women shouldn't be afraid of starting at the bottom. The problem is not at the top, but at middle management level: Not having women in top positions isn't the challenge or attracting women at entry levels also does not seem to be too difficult either but the lagging numbers of women in middle-management positions is the problem. Make sure you are adaptable: In any field, you need to renew yourself constantly, maybe more so in development. It is diverse, dynamic and constantly evolving because of its very nature so there is always room for innovation, learning and sharing. Jackie Asiimwe, country manager, Wellspring Advisers, Uganda. @asiimwe4justice Emotions make a leader authentic: Women are being branded as too emotional making it seem that emotions are a bad thing. In my own leadership journey, I have decided I will embrace my emotions because they are part of what makes me human and woman. Emotions are part of being an authentic leader. We cannot be clinical about leadership, Jackie Asiimwe said. Rushanara Ali, shadow minister for international development, London, UK. @rushanaraali We need anti-discrimination laws that are properly enforced: nowadays, anti-discrimination laws to protect women in the labor market and public institutions are very crucial in any society. If those laws are not properly enforced then too often women h

Source: http://westhillconsulting-career.com/ http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/ http://westhillconsulting-employment.bravesites.com/entries/general/westhill-consulting-and-employment-5-tips-for-changing-careers http://www.arto.com/section/blog/ViewEntry.aspx?id=5758057&EntryID=4720895

Equally as important as learning how to get a job is learning how to keep one. Working is much like dating: Keep the relationship exciting or your employer might get a wandering eye for greener pastures. You need to stay at the top of your game to prove to your employer that she was right to pick you in the first place. You can stand out at work by being a stand-up person. Be honest, act with integrity and treat everyone with kindness and respect. Westhill Consulting and Employment in Jakarta has recognized the need of many employees to stand out among colleagues. You cannot expect any development when you continue to stand down to others. 1. Make a habit of introducing yourself. Whenever you walk into a meeting, go up to someone you don't know and introduce yourself. People with the confidence to do this stand out. Work out a few questions to ask to get to know people, and you'll quickly boost your visibility. More people you know more chances of being popular. 2. Sit next to new people. As an extension of tip one, if there's an opportunity to sit next to new people at a meeting, a talk, at lunch, on a training course - you should take it. Whether they may be from different nations like Jakarta, Indonesia, Ghana, Africa or Tokyo, Japan, treat them with respect. Often the shared experience creates an opportunity to build a relationship. Not only does this again demonstrate your confidence, but it's also a great way to show senior managers you take an interest in other people and have the skills to develop a widespread network. If you can show that, it will be noted. 3. Be first to act. If you've heard someone ask for a volunteer, or open the floor for questions after a presentation, you've likely experienced the awkward silence that follows. But by being the person to stand up and volu

Australian businesses predicts 2014 to be a good year for growth, expecting that sales, profits, investment and employment will increase to their highest level in 12 months. Dun and Bradstreet's latest Business Expectations Survey shows capital investment and employment intentions have rebounded from negative territory in the previous quarter to sit above their 10-year average levels. Dun and Bradstreet's economics adviser, Stephen Koukoulas, says expectations for employment are particularly encouraging and should allay some people's concerns about job security. "While we're still not quite at the very strong levels for employment and hiring intentions just yet, it's clearly lifted over the last 9-12 months or so," he said. "And it's suggesting to us anyway that employment will start to lift to a more sustainable pace in the first half of 2014." The survey also explains a quarter of firms designed to raise the cost of their products and services throughout the first three months of this year 2014, a move that may prompt the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates. "It would require a global negative shock to cut rates again in our view," Mr Koukoulas said. "But more likely if the economy is stronger, if we do get a pick-up in selling prices showing up in higher inflation in the next quarter or two, then I think not only do we not have interest rate cuts coming through but the focus of the market will be more on when will the RBA start lifting interest rates and how aggressively will they do it." According to the survey, optimism among Australian businesses is also on the rise, with two-thirds of firms feeling more positive about growth prospects this year compared to last year. Employment objectives have recovered from an interpretation of -1.1 in the last quarter to 8.8 in the present quarter, the highest level in three years, at the same time as the outlook for capital spending was back from -0.4 to 7.2.