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March 2018 Summary of Select Trends
Click on the source in (parenthesis) to visit the full article Community Local retail will be changing again. Amazon’s test store in Seattle, which opened to the public for the first time on Monday, could be what automated shopping spaces will look like in the future. It uses cameras and sensors to detect what food you've taken from a shelf, then automatically charges shoppers when they walk out. For now, the novelty of Amazon's first automated grocery store is eclipsing potential issues that may come up. Because it requires an account and smartphone, it could be inaccessible to many lower-income shoppers. The tracking technology may raise privacy and data collection concerns. And then there's the 3.5 million cashiers in the U.S. making around $9.70 an hour who could eventually lose their jobs to automation. (CNN) Community In light of numerous crises, local and state governments have seen a shift in how youth voice their needs. Schools across the state of West Virginia were closed in late February, and teachers and students alike picketed in support of increasing wages for teachers. Also, following recent school shootings, students around the country are organizing on social media to have a march on Washington DC. (CNN) Community Starting next year, when Americans file their 2018 taxes, only victims of presidential-declared disasters qualify for casualty loss deductions. Experts in natural disaster recovery say this could have a substantial effect on people and could negatively impact small communities affected by a disaster that doesn’t meet the threshold for FEMA assistance. The casualty loss deduction has been one of the single most important sources of funding for your average middle-class person who is affected by a catastrophic disaster when that disaster is not widespread such as a small tornado or an urban fire with a half a dozen buildings affected. For the individuals involved, it’s just as catastrophic as Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Katrina. (Governing) Economics Residents in many states are seeing bigger numbers at the gas pump. Twenty-three U.S. states have hiked gas taxes since 2013. The highest increases were implemented in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. On top of these increases, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pushing for a 25-cent gas tax hike as part of the infrastructure overhaul plan presented to Congress. (Axios) Economics Cryptocurrencies continued to see erratic price swings in February, with many digital tokens ending the month in the red. Litecoin, the fifth-largest digital token by market cap, got a huge boost from being added to the Bloomberg Terminal and ended up more than 21 percent for the month. Bitcoin saw a four percent drop. (Markets Insider) Taxes Tax reform in the U.S. has influenced many companies to take action, including providing bonuses to employees in light of lower tax rates for corporations. At the G-20 summit in April, the European Union is making a grab for these benefits also. Led by France, the EU will present to the finance ministers in attendance a plan to increase taxes on U.S. tech companies doing business overseas. If approved, positive effects of tax reform seen in Americans’ take-home pay may be neutralized by EU tax hikes on the very companies that received lower taxes under the adjustments to the tax code by the Trump Administration. (Forbes) Health Care Tech companies such as Apple and Amazon are taking their disruptive ways to the health care industry. Apple is launching health clinics for its employees can get care this spring. Also announced last month, JP Morgan, Amazon, and Berkshire Hathaway formed a new independent nonprofit venture to lower healthcare costs for their employees, ultimately shedding new light on employer-sponsored health plans. (Markets Insider) Retirement The Social Security Retirement Age has increased. Americans turning 62 this year (born in 1956) will need to wait two extra months to claim their full Social Security retirement benefit in 2018. The retirement age will increase by two months each year until it reaches age 67. Claiming Social Security early significantly reduces their monthly payout. (U.S. News) Technology A major U.S. government contractor, Cellebrite, claims to have found a way to unlock nearly every iPhone on the market today and is advertising these claims to law enforcement officials and private forensic specialists in the U.S. and across the globe. The technology used can get around security on devices running on iOS 11, which includes the latest iPhone X. An iPhone X was successfully mined for data by the Department of Homeland Security in November 2017 and most likely utilized Cellebrite technology. (Forbes) Technology A recent survey by Axios shows the majority of Americans are unsure the government will effectively regulate how U.S. technology companies operate. Autonomous vehicles, social media, and other disrupting technology in business have received their share of bad press lately, but still more than 8 of 10 surveyed said U.S. tech companies are good for the economy. (Axios) Technology Amazon just got access to more information on homes and small businesses. Late last month, Amazon agreed to buy video doorbell startup, Ring. It plans to enable delivery people to leave packages inside buildings, making this recent acquisition a significant first step toward offering that service. (Axios) Workplace Choose your words in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and benefit documents carefully. The Supreme Court unanimously determined that retiree health care benefits expire when the CBA expires if the CBA does not provide otherwise. The court noted the intent to vest for life should be stipulated in the CBA between the company and its union. (SHRM) Demographics Millennials are on the cusp of surpassing Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living adult generation, according to population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau. Millennials (ages 20 to 35) numbered 71 million. Boomers (ages 52 to 70) numbered 74 million. Millennials are expected to overtake Boomers in population in 2019 as their numbers swell to 73 million and Boomers decline to 72 million. Generation X (ages 36 to 51) is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028. The Millennial generation continues to grow as young immigrants expand its ranks. Boomers are aging and their numbers shrinking in size as the number of deaths among them exceeds the number of older immigrants arriving in the country. (Pew) |
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Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations affordably engage communities through high-quality surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups that use instant audience feedback technology. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help you thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help you by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].
Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations affordably engage communities through high-quality surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups that use instant audience feedback technology. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help you thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help you by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].