Jobs

Airport strike extended in Frankfurt
The union representing ground workers at Frankfurt airport said that it was extending its strike through Friday to press its demands for more pay from airport operator Fraport AG. (Boston Globe)

China factory reforms may signal a big shift
The announcement Saturday that Foxconn Technology - one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers - will sharply raise salaries and reduce overtime at its Chinese factories signals that pressure from workers, international markets and concerns among Western consumers about working conditions is driving a fundamental shift that could accelerate an already rapidly changing Chinese economy. But the true meaning of Foxconn’s reforms, analysts say, will depend in part on how effectively the company can remake an economic system that has relied for much of the last decade on luring cheap migrants to work long hours in mammoth factories building smartphones, computers and other electronics. (By David Barboza and Charles Duhigg, Boston Globe)

Engineer helps robots get the job done
There’s a James Bond-style aura around the types of exploratory remote machines that software engineer Sandy Takacs helps develop. (By Cindy Atojee Keene, Boston Globe)

It’s tricky asking for feedback after rejection
Feedback is helpful, but sometimes HR professionals are reluctant to share feedback for a number of reasons. (By Patricia Hunt Sinacole, Boston Globe)

Habitually being late affects your image
It’s one of the times your cellphone is really useful. Don’t leave your co-workers and boss wondering where you are, or if you are coming in. (By Peter Post, Boston Globe)

Logan airport contract workers appeal to Massport for higher wages, benefits
Workers at Logan International Airport appealed to the Massachusetts Port Authority’s board yesterday to require airport subcontractors to improve working conditions, citing paychecks that don’t cover their bills and sick children left home alone because their parents’ jobs don’t include medical days. More than 30 baggage handlers, security guards, customer service agents, and community organizers attended the public comment period to discuss working conditions of more than 1,500 contracted passenger service workers at Logan, none of whom are employed by Massport. (By Katie Johnston, Boston Globe)

Stronger job market could boost economy further
The healthier job market that’s lifted the economy in recent months shows no signs of slowing. Applications for unemployment aid are near a four-year low, raising expectations of further hiring gains. The news yesterday helped catapult the Dow to its highest close since May 2008. More jobs and tame inflation are giving consumers more buying power. Their higher spending could further boost growth and lower the unemployment rate for February for a sixth straight month. Even the troubled housing market is benefiting. Builders expect improved sales in the near future. In response, they are planning to break ground on more homes. (By Christopher S. Rugaber and Derek Kravitz, Boston Globe)

Innovation Economy: Boston’s most powerful women in the technology sector
Highlights from Scott Kirsner’s Innovation Economy blog (By Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe)

Business Etiquette: When writing an e-mail tone it down
Peter Post writes: ‘At a recent seminar, we were discussing rudeness in the workplace. A hand shot up. One of the participants lamented the unfriendly tone in emails. What, she wanted to know, is going on with people who write emails that seem so rude? Tone matters. And email writers often underestimate the tone of their writing. When you talk on the phone, the other person hears inflection and other clues that help transmit the tone of your words.’ (By Peter Post, Boston Globe)

Entrepreneur offers ‘home office away from home’
Charlie Weisman logged countless hours using cafes as free office space. But, Weisman said, “I always felt I had a little sign above me that said, ‘I work here because I can’t afford my own office.’ ’’ Weisman, 36, recently opened Oficio, a shared workspace that offers a “home office away from home’’ and a swanky address (Newbury Street) to put on business cards. Oficio focuses on the standard accouterments of office life, including conference rooms, fax machines, and printers. (By Cindy Atoji Keene, Boston Globe)

Patience can be a virtue when looking to advance
A reader asks the Job Doc: I have worked at a very large company for the last five years, and I love the benefits and vesting. But I feel like I am going nowhere, and I have more to offer. I do not have a college education, but I’m in a job that requires one for the most part. I would love to go back to school, but I am impatient and I want to make money and succeed now. Do you have any suggestions? (By Elaine Varelas, Boston Globe)

Unemployment aid applications near a 4-year low
The number of people seeking unemployment aid neared a four-year low last week, a positive sign that strong hiring could continue in the coming months. The Labor Department said yesterday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 358,000. That’s the second-lowest level since April 2008. (By Christopher S. Rugaber, Boston Globe)