Here at BNA, we keep a close eye on the world of labor and employment, watching for trends and developments that affect our readers and how they approach their jobs. Late December and early January are very busy for us, as we work with experts, analysts, and officials across the spectrum of labor and employment professionals to produce our yearly Outlooks, annual analyses of what to expect in the year ahead.

This week, we published our 2012 Economic Outlook, which finds an economy inching toward recovery. The forecast of the 26 economists at 21 leading financial, consulting, and academic organizations across the United States calls for a small uptick in the jobless rate, as more Americans re-enter the job market to look for work. Wage gains, meanwhile, will remain small.

Later this month, we will publish our 2012 Labor Outlook, an in-depth analysis of what to expect this year from Congress, the Supreme Court, the Labor Department, National Labor Relations Board, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, among other agencies. In addition, we’re talking to labor and management officials across the country on trends and developments to expect in collective bargaining. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, in other labor and employment news:

• President Obama today announced his intent to recess appoint Sharon Block (D), Terence F. Flynn (R), and Richard Griffin (D) as members of the National Labor Relations Board. As of yesterday, the five-seat board had dropped to two members following the expiration of Member Craig Becker's recess appointment. Obama's move tests his authority to bypass the Senate, as Senate Republicans have been holding pro forma sessions during the congressional break in order to head off any recess appointments. Following the president's announcement, Republicans jeered and Democrats cheered, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce denounced the action, and AFL-CIO commended it.

• Right-to-work legislation was introduced today in Indiana, with proponents of H.B. 1001 contending the measure is needed to support employers in the state, as labor advocates promise a big fight and the Economic Policy Institute releases a report finding that such laws drive down workers’ wages.

• The Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division is proposing a rule that would extend the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage and overtime regulations to most home care workers.

• Help-wanted advertising rose in December for the first time in seven months, as demand increased particularly for managers and transportation and material moving workers, the Conference Board said today.