Publishers Note:  From time to time, Graniterock publishes in this blog, articles from guest authors to provide information that our customers and readers may find helpful.  Our publication of guest articles is not in any way an endorsement of any product or service the author may describe or provide, or of the content of the article.  The guest author is solely responsible for the content, opinions and recommendations contained in the article.
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Publishers Note:  From time to time, Graniterock publishes in this blog, articles from guest authors to provide information that our customers and readers may find helpful.  Our publication of guest articles is not in any way an endorsement of any product or service the author may describe or provide, or of the content of the article.  The guest author is solely responsible for the content, opinions and recommendations contained in the article.
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Publishers Note:  From time to time, Graniterock publishes in this blog, articles from guest authors to provide information that our customers and readers may find helpful.  Our publication of guest articles is not in any way an endorsement of any product or service the author may describe or provide, or of the content of the article.  The guest author is solely responsible for the content, opinions and recommendations contained in the article.
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The newspapers and politicians had a lot to say over the weekend about the disappointing hiring report for May. Only 69,000 jobs were created in May causing the unemployment rate to increase to 8.2% from 8.1%. The unemployment rate also went up because 642,000 Americans resumed their job search. The unemployment data confirms a downshift in hiring that began in May. A net of just 69,000 jobs added in May falls well short of what is required to support a self-sustaining recovery. Both the March and April job reports were weak.
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The California appeals court issued two new cases recently that warrant the attention of any contractor wishing to preserve its lien, bond or stop notice rights.  Both cases address the importance of getting the preliminary notice requirement right.
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Professor Dean Chemers, Vice-Provost and Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has studied organizational leadership approaches and has a strong mastery of research and literature on the subject. In September, 1998, Bruce W. Woolpert summarized some of his thinking for Construction Update readers. What was written then holds true today.
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There has been some confusion among construction contractors recently about the California State Board of Equalization’s (“Board” or “SBE”)position on the application of sales tax to materials provided by a construction contractor working under a time and materials (“T&M”) contract.  The confusion stems from an unclear “Summary of Application of Tax for Construction Contractors” table that was attached to a February 8, 2012 letter sent to licensed contractors throughout the State, and comments made to some contractors by SBE agents who claimed that contractors owed sales tax any time they added mark-up to materials on a T&M job.  Even the regulation that governs the application of sales tax to construction contractors—Regulation 1521—is not a model of clarity regarding what is and is not taxable on T&M contracts.
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Another sign of an economic recovery is car sales were the strongest they have been in four years in March. Sales were 12.7% ahead of sales a year ago and are tracking a 14.4 million unit pace for the year, compared with 12.8 million vehicles last year. Demand for fuel efficient vehicles is increasing.
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Publishers Note:  From time to time, Graniterock publishes in this blog, articles from guest authors to provide information that our customers and readers may find helpful.  Our publication of guest articles is not in any way an endorsement of any product or service the author may describe or provide, or of the content of the article.  The guest author is solely responsible for the content, opinions and recommendations contained in the article.
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The California Federation of Commerce and Education released its 2012 survey of business executives. Business executives are slightly more optimistic about the State’s economy as well as the prospects for their own businesses. But they continue to have a poor outlook on the long-term California business climate, mainly citing overregulation as the main problem. Eighty percent stated California was "on the wrong track" while only 19% felt that California is "going in the right direction." While businesses are slightly more upbeat about the short-term improvement in the California economy, they are decidedly more negative about the long-term prospects for the State.
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