February 24, 2005

Weekly unemployment numbers jump, but four-week average declines. Job market still improving?

The number of new claims for U.S. jobless benefits climbed more than expected to 312,000 last week, according to the Department of Labor. The number of claims came in well above the 305,000 Wall Street economists had forecast.

Still, the four-week moving average of jobless claims, regarded by economists as a more accurate barometer of labor market trends, fell for the second straight week, dropping to 308,750 from 312,000 the week before -- its lowest level since the week of November 4, 2000, when the U.S. economy was expanding solidly.

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February 18, 2005

Jobless claims hit a 4-year low. Another sign of improving job market.

For the third week in a row, the U.S. Labor Department reported that applications for jobless benefits declined from the previous week.

About 302,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week -- made more unusual by expectations that they would rise to 315,000.

The level of unemployment benefits is the lowest since October 28, 2000.

February 16, 2005

Is the workplace -- is your workplace -- becoming a hostile work environment?

According to three studies compiled during an eight-year span, almost 8 of 10 employees believe they get no respect -- and 60 percent think the situation is getting worse.

The studies, conducted by the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, also reveal that 1 in 5 employees say they are victims of incivility on a weekly basis.

What can you do if you work in such an environment? You can hope for a change, but better to get your resume in shape and start looking for a new job with a better employer.

Besides a positive work environment, what else are you looking for in a new employer? Take this Workplace Values Assessment.

February 13, 2005

How many languages do you speak? If you want to do international business, a new study says you better speak multiple ones.

According to nearly nine out of ten (88 percent) executive recruiters, the ability to speak more than one language is critical to succeed in business in Europe, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America.

Nearly 85 percent of recruiters in Europe, 88 percent of recruiters in Asia, and 95 percent of recruiters in Latin America either "strongly agreed" or "somewhat agreed" that being at least bilingual is critical to succeed in today's business environment, according to the Executive Recruiter Index, released recently by Korn/Ferry International.

Recruiters everywhere agreed that in ten years, it will be "more important than today" for executives to be at least bilingual. They also reported there is a "significant competitive advantage" for executives who are multilingual -- i.e., speak more than two languages fluently.

In terms of which foreign language capabilities are in most frequent demand by employers, recruiters in Asia, Europe and Latin America overwhelmingly chose English when asked to pick up to three languages. Recruiters in North America selected Spanish (79 percent), French (43 percent) and Mandarin Chinese (30 percent).

February 8, 2005

Hiring estimates indicate that this spring’s job market for college graduates could be the hottest in years.

Several studies point to the best recruiting for college grads since the hiring boom of the mid-1990s.

In mid-January, the Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI) at Michigan State University reported in its annual job outlook that employers were planning to increase hiring of college graduates by 20 percent from last year.

And a study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) on the job outlook for 2004-2005 predicts a 13 percent increase (from last year) in jobs this spring for college graduates.

February 5, 2005

January new job numbers show continued moderate growth, while unemployment rate hits new low.

U.S. employers added a much smaller than expected 146,000 jobs in January, according to the Department of Labor, a sharp difference from the 200,000 analysts predicted would be added during the month. And manufacturing lost 25,000 jobs.

Interestingly, the overall gain in nonfarm payrolls in January was enough to return the nation's employment to where it was before the 2001 recession began. It also erased the jobs lost during President Bush's first term.

Finally, the unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent, the lowest level since a 5.0 percent reading in September 2001... those these numbers are a bit questionable since they depend on an accurate count of the people actively seeking employment.

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February 2, 2005

The groundhog may have predicted six more weeks of winter, but what's the job forecast?

A recent study of hiring managers reports that almost a third of them expect to hire more than 10 new employees in 2005.

The study by CareerBuilder.com shows that 30 percent of those responding hiring managers plan to hire between 11 and 50 workers in 2005, while 10 percent plan to hire between 51 and 100 people.

And of those respondents hiring this year, two-thirds say they will be recruiting workers for newly created positions, while one-third indicate they will be replacing workers who left voluntarily or involuntarily.

The top five areas hiring managers plan to recruit for in 2005 include customer service, sales, healthcare, retail and accounting/finance.

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