Employee Participation

Whoever wins the U.S. presidential election will likely struggle to manage the biggest economic threats he'll face.

In short, management is a lot harder than it looks. At least for me.

For four years, the bumpy economy cut an uneasy path. It raked small towns and big cities, knocked liberals and conservatives on their backs, plagued Republicans and Democrats alike. It was the worst economic setback since the Depression, and it didn't take sides.

Moving from a nonmanagerial role to management is not only a challenge for some employeesit causes problems for virtually all employees.

As the world economic gender gap is now at 60 percent, according to World Economic Forum, businesses, governments and academic leaders should develop plans that allow women to build sustainable careers, suggests Manpower Group, a provider of workplace solutions.

Weekly applications for U.S. unemployment aid fell last week to a seasonally adjusted 369,000, a level consistent with modest hiring.