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1. Long COVID Leaves Millions of Americans Out of Work
A report by Brookings Institution shows that long-term effects of COVID-19 are keeping between 2 million and 4 million Americans from working, the Wall Street Journal reports. As a result, the report estimates this translates to about $170 billion per year in lost wages.
"Roughly 16 million Americans of working age — between 18 and 65 — have long COVID, which most groups and doctors define as wide-ranging symptoms that persist for months following an infection and can include shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and neurocognitive issues," the news outlet reports.
2. Europeans Cross Borders To Fill Gas Tanks
A phenomenon described as "pump tourism" is gaining popularity among people in Geneva who are driving over the French border to fill up their cars with cheaper gas, European TV news network Euronews reports.
A liter of fuel in Geneva is priced around 2.30 euros ($2.30), while in the Haute-Savoie region it is 1.8 euros.
"With the cost of living impinging on people’s lives and travel plans all over the continent, the Swiss-French border isn’t the only one seeing this sort of traffic," the news outlet reports. "Luxembourg has famously cheap fuel, leading both long-distance truckers and holidaymakers to fill up en route to their final destinations."
3. Hotel Food and Beverage Directors Adjust to Higher Expectations
Directors of food and beverage are now working more closely with revenue management experts at hotels to ensure food and drink menus are priced at the most profitable rate, reports HNN's Trevor Simpson from the recent Hotel Data Conference.
Consumer psychology plays a significant role in these pricing strategies, said Steve Palmer, founder of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group.
“There’s one question you have to ask yourself: Are they going to come back? If they’re not going to come back, it doesn’t matter what you charged them for their steak; it doesn’t matter how right you thought you were. … We do an enormous amount of listening,” he said.
4. Wage Exploitation Found Among H-2B Visa Holders
An Economic Policy Institute report found industries that employ the majority of H-2B visa holders made up nearly $1.8 billion in wage and hour violations over the past 20 years and puts migrant employees and Americans who work alongside them at risk of wage exploitation, HR Dive reports.
"EPI pointed to more than 180,000 violations between the fiscal years of 2000 and 2021 across a list of seven industries, including amusement; construction; food services; forestry; hotels and motels; janitorial services; and landscaping services. In all, more than 1.6 million employees were owed back wages," the news site reports.
5. US Government Issues Travel Warnings For Mexico
The U.S. Department of State is urging Americans to avoid traveling to multiple areas in Mexico, including Baja California, Tijuana, Ensenada and Rosarito, as violent crimes increase, Travel Noire reports.
"U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel to certain areas in Mexico because of the limited emergency services available. If there are employees already in those parts of Mexico, they are restricted from hailing taxis and traveling in the dark to other cities. Employees can only use authorized vehicles such as ride-hailing apps like Uber and taxis stands. They are urged to not travel solo," the news outlet reports.