Direct & Current

SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS GET BIGGER THIS MONTH. The 47 million Americans receiving Social security will see their payments rise by 2.7% in January 2005, the biggest cost of living adjustment (COLA) since the 3.5% rise in 2001. The average check will increase from $930 to $955. However, a 17.4% hike in Medicare Part B premium will take away about half the COLA increase, a jump of $11.60 to a total of $78.20, the largest Medicare premium to date.

COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS BY WEB may not be all it's cracked up to be, according to a new study by Information Week magazine. Of 413 customers of one company who were e-mailed an inquiry or who received it in Web form, only two in five of the senders received a reply that was personalized and was specific to the sender's needs. E-mail is faster and easier, but less personal. Another study at Illinois State University reports an alarming illiteracy trend in e-mail office communications.

THE MORE EMPLOYEES.THE MORE MANAGERS EARN, according to a survey by Abbott, Langer & Associates, Crete, Ill. Engineering department managers and supervisors in firms with 50 to 99 employees have a median income of $68,390, while managers and supervisors in firms with 2,500 to 9,999 employees are paid a median annual income of $109,103.NEMA 3RD QUARTER INDEX UP NEARLY 14%. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association's "Primary Industrial Control Index" improved substantially in the third quarter of 2004, although not fully recovering from 2000. The 3rd quarter index level of 84.4 marks the highest the primary index has reached since the 1st quarter of 2001, after peaking above 102 points early in 2000.

STEM CELL RESEARCH HOPES NOW IN PRIVATE HANDS as alternatives to replacement of withdrawn federal funds are sought by medical institutions. The relatively new field of research is being given top priority by the National Institutes of Health, which funds the majority of U.S. basic medical research. Funds have been withdrawn since the Bush Administration curtailed them for political concerns. The death of actor Christopher Reeve, a major advocate of stem cell research after he was paralyzed in a riding accident, as well as the presidential debates focused attention on the controversy. Research centers are now trying to raise money to continue their experiments.

MAIL SERVICE MAY BEGIN TO IMPROVE in some areas now that a $48 million contract has been awarded to ABB to supply turnkey robotics containerization systems to assist USPS processing facilities. Each of 67 selected systems will contain two robots that automatically sort, move, and stack mail trays based on zip code information embedded in bar codes on the containers. The contract follows a 2000-2001 project under which ABB supplied 100 similar containerization systems to 50 different USPS facilities