Career and job-search news, trends, and scoops for job-seekers,
compiled by the staff of Quintessential Careers.
July 30, 2004
Perhaps -- finally -- some good news for all you information technology professionals
searching for work. Dice.com reports that the IT job market has seen an increase in job postings by approximately
65 percent since May 2003.
However, as always with this current job market, the new is mixed because in a poll taken by Robert Half Technology,
chief information officers seemed cautious about their third quarter hiring expectations. Eight percent of executives
expect to add to their IT department while 3 percent anticipate cutbacks and 88 percent plan to maintain existing levels.
Additionally, 41 percent of those surveyed believe that the most in-demand skill for IT workers is UNIX.
July 23, 2004
Initial jobless claims fell more than expected last week, the U.S. Labor Department
reported on Thursday.
First-time claims for unemployment benefits dropped 11,000 to 339,000... however,
these numbers are heavily influenced by seasonal factors linked to the closure of car plants for
their annual retooling, during which thousands of auto workers briefly claim unemployment benefits.
Initial claims have bounced from 349,000 to 309,000 to 350,000 to 339,000 in the last four weeks.
The more closely watched number is the four-week average, which irons out weekly
volatility; it dipped to 336,750 last week, down from 339,250 the prior week --
confirming that layoffs continue to slow.
There are jobs out there for job-seekers, but you are going to spend more
time searching, more time networking, and possibly need to consider
relocating to get the job you seek.
July 17, 2004
One recent study says not to expect the job picture in the U.S. to improve
until after the November presidential elections.
Of the 100 companies surveyed by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 69 had added jobs in the
first half of this year, while 31 had not. Of those companies that have added
jobs, 44 percent said would do more hiring this year. And only a quarter of the
firms that had not hired any workers this year said they planned to hire
employees before 2005.
And of those companies that do hire, job-seekers should continue to expect
a very competitive job market, with lengthy searches, and little power to
negotiate higher salaries.
July 13, 2004
What are the top regions in the U.S. for hiring over the next few years? According
to Business 2.0 magazine, here are America's 20 hottest job markets:
A new report from Challenger, Gray and Christmas, an employment research firm, shows the continuing
good-bad news scenario of the current job market. In a study of company plans for layoffs or hiring, the
report shows that while the number of planned layoffs had fallen in June, the level of planned hirings also declined.
According to Challenger, Gray and Christmas, planned layoffs in the United States slipped to
64,343 in June, down from May's 73,368.
But corporate hirings, which Challenger began tracking in May, fell to 38,377 workers,
down 31 percent from May's 55,307.
July 5, 2004
A new study forecasts strong demand for temporary workers in the U.S. for the third quarter
of this year.
According to the RemedyTemp Quarterly Labor Forecast, demand is expected to increase 10.5 percent
over the same period in 2003.
The RemedyTemp Quarterly Labor Forecast had predicted a 10 percent increase in demand for
temporary labor in the second quarter of this year, while the actual increase was about 12 percent.
If you are considering temporary employment opportunities, check out all the tools and
resources we offer in this section of Quintessential Careers:
Temping Tools, Advice, Strategies, and Resources.
July 3, 2004
The job market continues to puzzle all the experts, as two recent reports simply
raise more questions than answers.
In one report, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the number of
Americans seeking initial jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week to
351,000. It was the second consecutive weekly increase. And the number of people
who already qualify for benefits and remain jobless rose 13,000, the third
straight rise, to 2.97 million unemployed.
In the other report, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the economy
created just 112,000 jobs in June -- less than half the predicted increase
of 250,000 new jobs -- raising new questions about the strength and
endurance of the job market.
The unemployment rate remained constant for the third straight month,
sitting at 5.6 percent of the population.
While manufacturing lost jobs last month, new jobs were added in healthcare,
social services, education, retail, hospitality, and transportation.
And, unfortunately, many of the jobs -- some economists put it at 60 percent of
all new jobs created -- pay less than the national average, the so called low-wage
and minimum-benefit jobs.
July 1, 2004
Think it's too hot and too many people are on vacation to do any job-search activities in the summer? If
you said yes, you're wrong. The summer is a great time to network -- at company picnics, sporting
events, and the like. And then there are the weddings, graduations, pool parties, backyard barbecues.
All these events are great times to expand and strengthen your network of contacts -- and remember,
networking is an essential activity for all job-seekers.
Interested in learning more?
If you're a novice to networking, go to our
networking resources section and
learn the in's and out's of networking.
Finally, remember to take copies of your resume with you wherever you go -- you just never
know when someone in the reception line asks to see a copy of it!
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.
