This Week's Herman Trend Alert Green Banks Thrive

The Herman Trend Alert January 28, 2009 Where the Jobs Are and Will Be According to a new study by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), for the first time in history, American adults are reading more literature. The study, called "Reading on the Rise" documents a convincing increase in rates and numbers of American adults who read literature, with the biggest increases among young adults, ages 18 to 24. This growth reverses more than two decades of downward trends cited in previous NEA surveys. The overall rate at which adults read literature, novels and short stories, plays, or poems, rose by seven percent. Young adults showed the most impressive increases in literary reading. Since 2002, 18 to 24 year-olds have had the biggest increase (nine percent) in literary reading, and the most rapid rate of increase (21 percent) as well. Reading rates among Hispanic Americans have improved at the sharpest rate---by 20 percent; among African Americans, rates have increased by 15 percent and among Whites, at a mere eight percent rate of increase. Also, for the first time in the survey's history, literary reading has increased among both men and women. In fact, literary reading rates have grown or held steady for adults of all education levels. Fiction, that is novels and short stories, accounts for the new growth in adult literary readers. Nearly 15 percent of all US adults read literature online in 2008 and a slight majority of American adults now reads literature or books in any format. "This dramatic turnaround shows that the many programs now focused on reading, including our own 'Big Read', are working," said NEA's Chairman Dana Gioia (no relation to our author). The Big Read program has an active presence in every state, and reaches almost 500 communities with over 21,000 organizational partners. It is only one example of the countless efforts by teachers, parents, and others to encourage young people to read. In light of the expanding variety of distractions in the form of music, movies, video games, and alternate universes, these results are surprising. We expect this reading trend to continue to increase, in a small way supporting the US in its drive for competitiveness © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." ANNOUNCING: EMPLOYER OF CHOICE® WORKSHOPS Have you wanted to be recognized as an Employer of Choice®? The first step is to send your champion to The Employer of Choice® Workshop. In Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam (17 and 18 March), Singapore (23 and 24 March), and Accra, Ghana (Week of 29 March), we will hold these two-day learning experiences. We will also hold a workshop in the United States in April. For more information, contact Joyce at 336-210-3548 or email, her: joyce@hermangroup.com. She will refer you to the local sponsor. LOOKING FOR A DYNAMIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE? You need look no farther. Joyce Gioia (joy-yah) is a sought-after speaker in Asia as well as Europe, and of course the United States. Joyce shares her knowledge and expertise about talent engagement and retention with business executives around the globe. Her understandings and insights will inform and fascinate you. For more information on Joyce's topics, call Carol McKinney at 336-282-9370 or visit the web site at http://www.hermangroup.com/joyce.html. GOOD SELECTION = BETTER RETENTION If you are not using pre-employment assessments, you are flying without radar---not very smart in today's highly competitive environment. Let us help you better understand your candidates and your employees. In less than 30 minutes, you will know if they can do the job (abilities); their work behaviors, even their personality and attitudes (like integrity & ethics), and those can't be trained. It's very cost effective, too! For more information, contact Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too! http://www.hermangroup.com/assessments.html Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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