Career and job-search news, trends, and scoops for job-seekers,
compiled by the staff of Quintessential Careers.
June 25, 2004
What are ten occupations that are bright spots in an otherwise still very mixed
employment situation? The editors at The Wall Street Journal wanted to
know, so they poured over the statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor and
came up with this list:
Pharmacist
Forensic Accountant
Critical-Care Nurse
IT Security Specialist
High-School Math Teacher
Obstetrician
Automotive Technician
Funeral Director
Community-College Professor
Corporate Librarian
Read all the details, including job requirements and salary ranges, in the full article published on
CareerJournal.com.
And whether you are looking for a job in one of these occupations -- or any others -- do two things
today to increase your chances for job-search success:
First. Network, network, network. Learn more about it, including how to network online and off, in
The Art of Networking.
The U.S. Labor Department reported today that new applications for unemployment insurance
dropped last week by 15,000 to 336,000... the lowest level since last May.
As companies continue to evaluate their employment needs, remember that they
often hire temporary workers first, especially when they are uncertain about
future demand.
A recent poll of register voters showed that the majority (57 percent) responded
that the U.S. had lost jobs in the last six months, even though statistics from
the U.S. Department of Labor show the opposite to be the case.
Part of the discrepancy deals with the types of new jobs being added -- many in
occupations that are low-wage and offer only part-time opportunities -- and in
the fact that many job-seekers have not seen the labor market open, as many job experts
have predicted.
You can still boost your chances by increasing your networking efforts and by
using a small number of online job boards (including one or two of the broad
job boards and a few occupation or geographic specific niche boards).
The U.S. Labor Department reported today that new applications for unemployment
insurance increased by 12,000 to 352,000 for the week ending June 5th -- after
two straight weeks of declines in benefit claims.
The good news is that the number of claims is still far below the 424,000 filed for the
same week a year ago.
It is time to be optimistic about a job-search, but remember that some job-seekers
will have a much easier time than others -- based on location, occupation, experience,
and education.
June 4, 2004
In the latest employment news, released today by the U.S. Department of Labor,
May was another good month for many job-seekers as employers added almost a
quarter million workers -- and accommodated enough new job-seekers to keep
the national unemployment rate steady at 5.6 percent.
In fact, when including revised hiring figures for March and April, payrolls
have swelled by almost 1 million in the last three months.
The May increase of 248,000 new jobs reflected hiring across most industries,
with construction, healthcare, hospitality (hotels and restaurants), and business
services (including mainly temporary agencies) having the largest increases.
While these numbers are very solid, looking at the industries with the most
new jobs does bring into question the quality of the jobs... are they high-paying
white collar jobs or the ever-increasing low-wage jobs that require little
education and experience?
With all the good news, it is still important to note that 8.2 million people remained unemployed.
While the overall jobless rate stayed at 5.6 percent, it was much higher among blacks, at 9.9 percent
and Hispanics, at 7 percent.
And the average duration of unemployment rose to 20 weeks last month, up from 19.7 weeks in
April. Almost 22 percent of all jobless workers have been without work for 27 weeks or more.
June 2, 2004
Here's some depressing data for job-seekers. Of the 20 largest growing occupations from 2002 to 2012,
according to the U.S. Department of Labor, 17 of those occupations require minimal education and only
on-the-job training... so called low-wage jobs.
In fact, a total of 80 percent of all the jobs created by these 20 largest occupations -- about 6 million
jobs in total -- will be low-wage, including these:
Job Stuff, A Blog for Your Career, from Stephen Harris.
Stephen's blog is a great resource for those job-seekers who find yourselves in transition, searching for guidance
and reassurance.
The Occupational Adventure Blog, from
Curt Rosengren, a Passion Catalyst. Curt's blog is great for finding encouraging ideas (and resources) for moving forward with your career... a career
that lights your fire.
TrueCareers Career Blog, from the career and job site
dedicated to professional and college-educated job-seekers... where they say you get the real scoop on how to get the job you want faster --
with insider tips and more.
