View an interview with Linda Bilmes
The Harvard Kennedy School Library runs an excellent series on its web site, offering a virtual book tour of titles by faculty members. Currently featured on the tour is an interview with Linda Bilmes, coauthor with Scott Gould of The People Factor. Check out the video clip for in-depth commentary about this book on strengthening public service in America.
- Learn more about The People Factor
- Check out The People Factor blog
The People Factor cited in the Federal Times
“A survey of federal agencies commissioned by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, discovered that between 1997 and 2000, federal agencies spent about 1.9 percent of their financial payroll on training, while the private sector spends 4 percent and leading organizations even more,” stated a recent article in the Federal Times. With the economic slowdown, there is heightened need for skilled workers in the United States, but with the continuous downsizing of even the wealthiest firms, companies are tempted to downsize their human resources also. But is this truly possible? What repercussions await a great country with workers of little skill? The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service, by former Commerce Department Assistant Secretary Linda Bilmes and W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department, addresses the issue.
So what can America do to increase its number of skilled workers? The People Factor argues that the country cannot prosper without a strong, highly functioning federal work force to manage the government. Bilmes and Gould call for a $10 billion investment to improve recruiting, better training and enhanced management of the federal workforce predicting that the investment will yield $300-$600 billion in productivity gains.
In an age where human resources remain the most important factor for global growth, The People Factor urges the nation to invest in its greatest resource—public service.
- Get more information on The People Factor
- Learn about America’s “people factor” in the full article by Tim Kauffman of the Federal Times
Working Longer continues to receive nationwide attention
Did you laugh when you heard that working longer could save your retirement plan? Did you scoff and decide that others could work past the retirement age of 62, but certainly not you? Be prepared, because the last laugh may not be yours; it seems the bandwagon is filling up as the media alerts Americans to the possibility that Brookings authors Munnell and Sass are spot on! Working longer could indeed be the solution to the retirement income challenge. Following coverage by the Wall Street Journal and The Economist, The New York Times has just reviewed the Brookings Institution Press book Working Longer.
Harry Hurt’s conclusion: this “thought-provoking” guide “tackles the issue of surviving one’s so-called golden years” but the ultimate decision to push the retirement age lies with Congress. Hurt does not seem hopeful stating that he has“learned to expect the worst”.
- Read The New York Times' review of Working Longer.
