services, health care, and mining.
Asked Questions section of this release.
unchanged in August at 1.7 million and accounted for 24.7 percent of the unemployed.
by 12,000 over the month.
occurred in computer systems design and related services (+8,000).
risen by 62,000, or 10 percent.
per month over the past 3 months.
An established but little known psychological theory is likely to improve performances across a range of activities, including sport, according to new research.
Perceptual Control Theory can be applied to amateurs or skilled performers alike says psychologist Dr Warren Mansell, from The University of Manchester.
The theory argues that when trying to improve performance, teaching people what to do is less effective than teaching them how to picture the outcome.
It has been already been used to accurately model the skills necessary for fielders to get to the right location on the pitch to catch a ball, such as in baseball or cricket.
But according to Dr Mansell, it could be used across sport and the performing arts.
To test the theory, the 48 participants in Dr Mansell's study were asked to draw images using different instructions.
The images ranged from complex to simple symbols and participants were asked to either copy them directly, copy from memory, or copy by giving instructions on how to move the pen. They were also told draw the image after being told what it looked like.
Describing the image led to significantly more accurate drawings than giving the instructions for what movements to make.
He said: "We commonly instruct people in terms of the physical actions they must carry out in order to perform any task.
"Our study — which we think is the first of its kind — tests the effect of describing how to perform a skill in terms of the perception of the outcome compared to the observable actions.
The theory could also be applied to dance, says Dr Mansell: learning a complex routine is all about an internal sense of where it feels right, rather than obsessing on movements, he argues.
He added: "There is a physiological explanation to this: muscle groups interfere with each other by contracting against another when performing a variety of tasks — whether that's drawing, dancing or catching a ball.
"So you may not be able to accurately instruct your limbs what to do, but creating a mental picture of the desired outcome gets around that in efficient manner.
Big data is rewriting the script for how companies around the world do business. The market for big data and business analytics is expected to grow to $203 billion in the next three years, according to the International Data Corporation, a marketplace intelligence provider.
Alzheimer's disease can lead to several widely divergent symptoms and, so far, its various expressions have mainly been observed through the behaviour and actions of patients. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now produced images showing the changes in the brain associated with these symptoms — a development which increases knowledge and could facilitate future diagnostics and treatment.
"Now we have a tool which helps us to identify and detect various sub-groups of Alzheimer's disease. This facilitates the development of drugs and treatments adapted to various forms of Alzheimer's," explains Michael Schöll, researcher at Lund University and the University of Gothenburg.
The findings, published in the journal Brain, are based on studies of around 60 Alzheimer's patients at Skåne University Hospital and a control group consisting of 30 people with no cognitive impairment.
Once Alzheimer's disease has taken hold, it gradually results in the tau protein, present in the brain, forming lumps and destroying the transport routes of the neurons. This can be clearly detected with the new imaging method.
"The changes in the various parts of the brain that we can see in the images correspond logically to the symptoms in early onset and late onset Alzheimer's patients respectively," explains Oskar Hansson, professor of neurology at Lund University and consultant at Skåne University Hospital.
Employers added 209,000 jobs last month as the U.S. unemployment rate fell slightly, to 4.3 percent, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. During the month, the number of workers unemployed remained at seven million. July marked the 80th straight month of job growth in the U.S. Economists had forecast payrolls increasing by 180,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.4 percent.
"While the pace of jobs creation in 2017 may not be as strong as the year before, it's still respectable for mature economic expansion," said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for financial services firm Bankrate.com.
President Donald J. Trump has pledged to dramatically accelerate the pace of job growth and oversee the creation of 25 million new jobs in the next decade. By comparison, the U.S. has added 15.5 million jobs since 2010, a mark that includes significant catch-up from the mass layoffs of the financial crisis. But with major American infrastructure plans on hold it is unlikely the president will find enough alternative sectors to drive the economy and jobs growth to historic levels.
"It was a surprisingly solid report," said Josh Wright, chief economist for cloud-based talent acquisition software maker iCIMS. "Unemployment is declining at the same time job creation is rising. That's a really good thing." The only negative he saw is that the long-term unemployment rate — those jobless for 27 weeks or more — was also steady at 1.8 million, accounting for 25.9 percent of the unemployed.
A company's workforce is clearly its most valuable asset. The largest expense on any employer's balance sheet is headcount, and investing in employees and their skills are critical to an organization's success. Smart employers are acting now to ensure they have the most highly skilled and productive workforce to ensure their organization is prepared for whatever business challenges are coming.
According to the "Definitive Guide" report by Adecco, nearly half (48 percent) of best-in-class companies are already increasing training in critical skill areas to help combat the skills gap. Employees likely want to fill any holes in their skill-set, but cost can be prohibitive. These programs can be expensive. But for companies, the initial investment in alternative training programs may pay lasting dividends, especially where global competition is concerned, said Adecco.
Governments, businesses and employees can learn a lot from what the U.S. economy and workforce endured during the great recession. What is certain is that American workers will show resilience in the face of a daunting labor market, said Adecco. By applying that same resilience, innovation and reinvention to the current skills gap challenge, the report concluded, the American workforce will undoubtedly evolve to meet the needs of the new global economy.
A significant part of the challenge will be balancing the development of soft and hard skills; both will be required to effectively navigate and tackle new industries, technologies and global competitors. And while these are the same dynamics responsible for widening the skills gap, the report said, they will also help connect the American workforce and economy to a greater success and prosperity.