Nonfarm payroll employment will increase by an average of 70,700 jobs per month during the first half of the year, and by 135,300 jobs per month in the second half, according to BNA's survey.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is expected to remain elevated. Although the most recent employment report from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a slight decrease in the jobless rate in November, from 10.2 percent in October to 10 percent, economists surveyed by BNA still expect an average monthly unemployment rate of 10.2 percent in the first half of 2010. During the second half of the year, analysts expect the monthly jobless rate to average 9.9 percent.

The Bureau of National Affairs reports that while Congress considers expanding health care to the entire nation, lawmakers should take action to address shortages in health care professionals, according to a report recently released by the Center for American Progress.

The report, Closing the Health Care Workforce Gap, said that by 2020 there will be a shortage of up to 200,000 physicians and 1 million nurses.

"These primary care and specialist physicians, dentists, nurses, and other medical and dental assistants labor every day to take care of their patients, but experts say there are too few of them today," the report said. "Rural Americans and those living in other underserved areas across the country are especially vulnerable to these current and growing health workforce shortages."

The report said that the U.S. Bureau of Health Professionals estimates a current shortage of more than 400,000 nurses and that the American Hospital Association calculates that 116,000 registered nurse positions are unfilled at U.S. hospitals.

Violations of basic labor laws against low-wage workers are widespread in Los Angeles the Bureau of National Affairs reports, according to a UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment report recently released.

The report, Wage Theft and Workplace Violations in Los Angeles: The Failure of Employment and Labor Law for Low-Wage Workers, found that low-wage workers in Los Angeles regularly experience violations of minimum wage and overtime pay, and are frequently forced to work off the clock or during their breaks.

Other violations documented include lack of required payroll documentation, being paid late, tip stealing, and employer retaliation. In nearly every case, the violation rates are higher in Los Angeles than in New York and Chicago, which were surveyed by the institute in 2008.

Many of the facilities covered by the Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) regulations have completed their Site Security Plans (SSP's). Now that their filings are done, many are wondering, "What's next?".

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reviewing the SSP's and planning visits to regulated facilities in order to conduct audits. So, now is the time for companies to be implementing any planned measures detailed in their SSP and validating those policies, procedures and training that are integral to their CFATS compliance.