Trend Alerts for 2022
Trending Lumber: Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is one of the premier species of the Western forests. Not only is the wood exceptionally strong for its weight, but the trees are abundant. Colors can vary from a reddish color to yellowish. The color darkens somewhat when exposed to light. Read More
Trending Colors: Primary earth tones
Dark greens, like emerald, and lighter shades, like sage, are popular this year. In general, warmer earth tones like burnt orange and tan continue to feature prominently in interiors. Another haute hue to capture a top ranking is cobalt, which is trending up and falls right behind the earth tones. Read More
Trending Design Elements: Sustainable and natural
Going green extends beyond color trends and into green thumbs and green living. When asked what design trends will remain popular in 2022, almost all designers selected sustainable materials (nearly universal at 97%) and plants (93%), which both reflect a desire to remain in harmony with the environment. Read More
Trending Furniture: Tech savvy and convenient
While sustainability is a key trend in furniture also, technological advancements to make our lives more convenient are taking precedence. From voice activation to augmented reality, see what experts have to say about the future of furniture… Read More
Supply Chain Predictions for 2022
The recommendations from the U.S. Department of Transportation are included in one of seven reports published by government agencies after congestion across the country has worsened as ports, railroads, trucking companies and warehouses have struggled to handle a 20% increase in inbound trade flows.
Some of the goals require legislative changes, such as a proposal to eliminate a law that exempts trucking companies from paying overtime to drivers. Others require broad changes in the global maritime industry.
The Ukraine Crisis Effect on the Trade Industry
The world’s dependence on Russia for certain commodities cannot be overstated ‒ from gas, coal, oil, iron ore, aluminium, platinum group metals and zinc to copper, lead, petrochemicals and fertilisers. Many major international oil and gas companies, utilities and miners are invested in Russia.
Here’s how industries are panning out to be affected:
- Oil exports should continue but prices will most likely stay high. In the case of an actual oil supply cut-off, OPEC would be more likely to consider using spare capacity to help offset losses.
- Stricter rules around access to the international financial system could hurt IOCs’ ability to receive dividends and other payments.
- Ukraine has few metal extraction and processing production facilities of scale, so the disruption to production will have a relatively small impact globally.
- The short-term impact of the situation in Ukraine is likely to be felt through two main petrochemical channels: energy prices and sanctions.
EU Publishes Far-Reaching ‘Deforestation-Free’ Regulatory Proposal
Last year, the European Commission (EC) announced a proposal for a new Regulation to reduce global deforestation and forest degradation driven by EU consumption of certain commodities. If enacted the law would have a profound effect on EU trade in the regulated wood and agricultural commodities.
The new law would prohibit regulated commodities and derived products from being placed on the EU market unless they can be shown to be “deforestation-free” and “forest degradation-free”, produced in accordance with applicable laws, and covered by a “due diligence statement.”
Occupational Mismatch Causes Employment Shortage
Despite record-high quits, there are millions of job openings waiting to be filled each month. Employers are struggling to attract and keep employees around as Americans leave for other jobs where they could make more money, be less stressed, have more flexibility, or not be part of a toxic office.
The struggle of finding workers during the pandemic isn’t due to a spike in mismatches between the kinds of jobs people are looking to apply to and the kinds of positions employers have advertised as they seek out new workers.
The following chart using Indeed data shows just what occupational mismatch has looked like — even before the pandemic:
Please contact me for additional information or any questions you may have.
Charlie Fournell-Ferrall
Email: charlie@usfutaba.com
Mobile: (757) 478-5587
Work: (757) 549-0036
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