BLS regional and state annual averages report for 2013 released

March 3, 2014 By

Jobs report: in your region

Source: BLS 

In 2013, as evidenced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Regional and State Unemployment — 2013 Annual Averages” report, the unemployment rate decreased in 43 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia. It rose in only 2 states, and remained unchanged in 5 states. On average, the national rate fell 0.7 percent from the previous year, with December 2013 seeing the largest year-to-year rate drop of 1.2 percent. By the end of 2013, the national unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent — the lowest since October 2008 — and in January 2014, the rate inched down to 6.6 percent.

All four U.S. regions saw remarkable decreases in their unemployment rates, with the West having the largest drop of 1.2 percentage points. While the West had the largest decrease, it still was well above the national rate, at 8.0 percent. Conversely, the South region had the only unemployment rate significantly below the national average, at 7.0 percent.

Zooming into the 9 geographic divisions, 6 of them had notable year-to-year unemployment rate decreases. The largest decrease occurred in the Pacific — which dropped 1.4 percent, and the South Atlantic — which fell 1.0 percent. Just like its parent region the Pacific had the largest percentage drop, but unfortunately retained the highest national unemployment rate of 8.4 percent — an unwanted title it has owned for the sixth year in a row.
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POSTED IN: In America, Job Market Update, Regional Report | Leave a Comment

Connecting US reservists and their families to jobs

February 28, 2014 By
LTG Talley pic

Left to right:
Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley
Rachelle Chapman, Sr. Manager, Recruitment and Military Liaison for Adecco
Erin M. Thiede, Director Employer, Partnership Office
Angel Faggins, Manager Employer, Partnership Office

Finding a good job is challenging these days, and it can be especially difficult for a civilian soldier in the Army Reserves.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate for reservists and veterans is several points higher than the national average.  For junior enlisted reservists, it’s twice the national average.  So when Adecco was asked to help our nation’s reservists find jobs, we jumped at the chance.

In early 2009, we publicly committed to recruit and hire Army reservists through the Employer Partnership Office (EPO) in a ceremony at the Capitol in Denver, Colorado.  Over the past five years we have worked with our EPO partners all across the country to connect reservists and their families from all military branches with our clients.  The only state without an active EPO presence was Hawaii – until now.
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Workforce watch list video: The skills gap

February 26, 2014 By

In this Adecco USA Workforce Watch List video segment, Kimber McCafferty gives a visual presentation on the skills gap crisis facing the U.S. job market. The video includes senior executive polling results, why the skills gap is a problem, how it affects our economy and what can be done to alleviate the problem.

Is your business in need of top quality talent? We can help! Contact us today! Are you job seeker? Apply today!

POSTED IN: Small Business Resources, Workforce Watch List | Leave a Comment

Workforce Watch List: Supply Chain and Logistics

February 25, 2014 By

supply chain and logistics staffing needsThe field of supply chain and logistics is exploding at a rapid pace.

45% of companies view their supply chain management as a strategic asset and, of that group, 70% see higher, better performance in their business. More and more organizations are quickly realizing the value of implementing robust teams to focus on the transportation and storage of their goods. Not only can a top supply chain team make an organization run more efficiently, it can also provide significant bottom-line savings.

Three major themes in the world of supply chain logistics are cost reduction, technology, and opportunity for growth–and they all go hand-in-hand. While cost reduction is a major supply chain trend so is maximizing the profitability of the supply chain which includes implementing new technology (RFID tracking systems, process automation tools, etc.) and better efficiency across the board. Other cost-saving methods include reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Many organizations are kicking these efforts off by hiring logisticians to audit their business to see where pain points and weaknesses exist and removing those barriers to save money.
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POSTED IN: Staffing News, Workforce Watch List | Leave a Comment

IT skills training: Tips and tricks

February 24, 2014 By

Mortgage and banking jobsWith technology changing at an unprecedented pace, IT jobs are hot these days.

Yet for job seekers pursuing in-demand roles such as those highlighted in this infographic from K Alliance, the challenge is often acquiring the skills necessary to do the job, as well as keeping those skills up-to-date.

There’s been considerable focus on the IT skills gap in recent weeks, particularly in the wake of President Obama’s State of the Union speech during which he called for an across-the-board review of federal employment and training programs to help ensure people ready to work have the skills for high-demand jobs.

While the President laid out an ambitious agenda, the reality is that those seeking to develop and enhance marketable IT skills need to devise and execute their own training program. Here are three ways to make it happen:
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POSTED IN: Engineering & Technical, Job Seeker Advice | Leave a Comment

Can we be optimistic after two straight disappointing BLS jobs reports?

February 21, 2014 By

Millennial indecisive about his job. He, like many other Gen Yers may be a job hopper.For the second straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Employment Situation” report showed a slowdown in U.S. job creation. In December only 75,000 jobs were added, followed by January’s increase of 113,000 — both significantly lower than the 2013 average monthly gain of 194,000.

The fact is that December was the weakest month for job creation since August 2012. Employers hired fewer employees than any other month since last June, and layoffs reached a four-month high of 109,000 — which broke a three-month streak of progress. When you see this information and pair it with the tepid job creation numbers, it’s understandable why many believe that economic recovery has truly lost momentum.

But is there a silver lining in these “not-so-great” numbers? Is there something that we can feel positive about? Certainly there is.

First, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ”The Employment Situation – January 2013” report revealed that 638,000 more people said that they had work last month over December. This helped to lower the national unemployment rate to 6.6 percent, making it 1.3 percent less than what it was a year ago, and the lowest it has been in more than five years.
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POSTED IN: In America, Job Market Update | Leave a Comment
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