Categories
Archives
National Average Price Per Gallon: $3.22
The U.S. dollar is gaining strength. Unfortunately, this could hurt the oil market, according to some analysts.
That’s because a strong U.S. dollar makes oil more expensive to much of the world. This pushes down oil prices as a result.
“There are lots of variables in the oil market, the most important of which is Iran,” said Tamas Varga, senior analyst at PVM oil associates. Varga also noted that a strong dollar will “put (an) almost unbearable burden on consuming countries.”
Framing lumber: $440
Panels/plywood: $461
The plunge in framing lumber prices continued last week. However, deep discounts at mills did attract the interest of some buyers.
Structural panel prices barely budged compared to the previous week’s price ($462). The market did generate more energy than the framing lumber market as buying stepped up.
More companies are increasing the types of background checks they run on potential employees. They’re also re-screening current employees and checking social media accounts.
According to HireRight, the most popular types of background checks are:
- Criminal searches
- Employment, identity, and education verifications
- Motor vehicle
The number of employers who say they scan social media also increased by 3% in 2017. “One bad hire can result in a significant impact to your brand reputation when you consider how quickly news spreads over social media,” said Alonzo Martinez, a compliance associate at HireRight.
Sources: Random Lengths, EIA, CNBC (1), CNBC (2)
