The Work Buzz

The BLS released January’s jobs report this morning, and while it wasn’t complete cause for celebration, it was encouraging. The unemployment rate fell from 10.0 to 9.7 percent in January, and nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged, down -20,000 compared to -779,000 in January 2009.

Here are the highlights:

• The number of unemployed persons decreased to 14.8 million
• Employment fell in construction by -75,000, in transportation and warehousing by 19,000, and in financial activities by -16,000
• Temporary help services added 52,000 jobs,  retail trade employment rose by 42,000, the federal government added 33,000 jobs (including 9,000 temporary positions for Census 2010) and health care continued to trend up by adding 14,500 jobs.
• The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) continued to trend up in January, reaching 6.3 million. Since the start of the recession, the number of long-term unemployed has risen by 5.0 million
• There were 1.1 million discouraged workers — not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them — up from 734,000 a year earlier. 

Even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics job loss numbers could  were negative for January, unemployed Americans continue to be resilient in their job searches. In fact, 58 percent of those laid off in the last twelve months have secured new positions. According to an updated survey by CareerBuilder, 51 percent of workers who were laid off from full-time jobs in the last 12 months have found new full-time positions, up from 48 percent in June 2009.

Want to know how those people found their jobs? Watch CareerBuilder’s Jason Ferrara discuss the survey on First Business.

Co-workers can really make or break a workplace. A bad boss can make your life miserable, yes, but at least you can commiserate with your fellow disgruntled colleagues. In most situations, they are the ones sitting next to you eight hours a day. They engage in idle chitchat with you and exchange e-mails with you all day. They are as important to the job as your job duties.

Not everyone is so lucky. A recent CareerBuilder survey finds 39 percent of workers feel they don’t fit in with their colleagues. Workers in health care, sales, and professional and business services were most likely to feel like they’re out of step with their co-workers. Continue reading – Co-workers are strange. Very, very strange.

Working overtime is never fun, no matter what state the economy is in. But, when the economy did take a turn for the worst, many employees found themselves with increased workloads, a worse work/life balance and working longer hours — all for the same compensation.

In a 2009 CareerBuilder survey, 34 percent of employers said their workload had increased in the past six months; 8 percent said it greatly increased. In addition, 21 percent of people said they took on additional responsibilities.

While those who are unemployed say that people should be happy they have a job at all, rather than complaining about hours or workload, it’s easier said than done. It’s hard not to complain when you pick up the slack, work more hours and get paid the same amount. But, while it undoubtedly sucks at the moment, your hard work could potentially pay off in the long run. Continue reading – Are you overworked?

Although there are signs the economy is healing, there are still 15.3 million unemployed workers in America according to the most recent BLS data. Among those unemployed, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) continued to trend up, reaching 6.1 million in December 2009. That means 4-in-10 unemployed workers have been jobless for 6 months or longer.

In addition, about 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force last December, an increase of more than half a million from the previous year. Marginally attached persons are defined as those individuals who were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed, however, because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Have they simply given up?

“Unemployed people are facing some historic numbers and formidable competition. However, they need to pinpoint those areas they may be able to change, make a difference and increase their chances for success. Despite the odds, people are still landing jobs every day. Job seekers need to continually make adjustments, learn to run a focused campaign and never give up,” said Bob Wilson, managing partner of OI Partners-High Potential Inc. in Chicago.

If you are feeling the stress of long-term unemployment, here are some tips from Wilson and his colleagues at OI Partners:

Continue reading – Tips for the long-term unemployed

If you’re like millions of Americans, you tuned into President Obama’s State of the Union address last night. If you’re like millions of Americans, you might have tuned in accidentally because you forgot it was on and went to watch Modern Family, only to find Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos chatting with each other. So there’s a chance the only part you watched of Obama’s address was the beginning and that was merely by chance. Either way, even if you only saw the first 20 minutes, you heard one word a lot: jobs. Continue reading – State of the Union: Jobs, jobs, jobs

When you really want to — need to — work, is there anything worse than being unemployed? How about being long-term unemployed?

The number of long-term unemployed  people (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) grew to 6.1 million in December 2009, according to the most recent BLS data. That means that four-in-ten unemployed workers were jobless for 27 weeks or longer. That’s means of all the people who are unemployed in the United States, 40% of them have been looking for work for six months or longer. Looking at those staggering numbers, it’s not difficult to see why so many people are getting desperate or simply giving up on their searches.

Continue reading – Handling job search desperation

How many times a day do you say to yourself, “I like what I do, but not where I work?” Or the opposite, “I like where I work, but not what I do?”

The current economy has kept many employees stationed for the past couple of years, not because they love what they do — but because they are too scared to pursue other opportunities. But, according to a recent Gallup Poll, 71 percent of employees feel disengaged from their jobs. So what should you do? Continue to stay in a job where you are unhappy? Or start looking for somewhere where you’ll be happier?

People quit their jobs for many reasons. Maybe you don’t like your co-workers or your boss drives you crazy. Maybe there’s nowhere for you to move up in the company. Maybe you’re overworked and underpaid. Maybe you’re all of the above.

While the choice to move on to greener pastures is up to you, here are 10 signs that should tell you if it’s time to start thinking about moving on: Continue reading – 10 Signs Time to Quit

Good morning, WorkBuzzers! Nothing can bring down my good mood this morning — not even the fact that’s Monday. Why? The elation I feel from the Vikings’ loss to the Saints in the NFC Championship last night is immeasurable. I was going to write a football-related blog — something along the lines of why professional football kickers might have the hardest job in the world — but time got the best of my morning, per usual.

Instead, I thought I would start off your week with some interesting articles I found on my TweetDeck this morning. Stay tuned tomorrow for a post about how to know when it’s time to quit your job. Continue reading – Need a Good Read Today?

In the workplace, a handshake is supposed to be a quick gesture that says, “Hello, I’m here, I’m engaged, I’m assertive, I’m professional.” Yes, those few seconds when you grab another person’s hand and move it vertically for a second or two should convey something about you as a person. Ridiculous? Maybe, but people expect it and that means you’re being judged whether or not you want to be.

You might wonder what the big deal is. After all, a handshake’s a handshake. (Unless you’re the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.) But anyone who’s been on the receiving end of a lackluster or awkward shake understands why it matters. Even if you think a handshake is a fleeting gesture, you will make a snap judgment about the person’s presentation in that moment. Well, if it’s good, you might not pay much attention. However, if it’s bad, you will definitely take note. Continue reading – What can a handshake say about you?