Two weeks ago the House passed the bill, and then it went to the Senate. Yesterday, the Senate passed the bill, 68-29. (If you want to see how your senator voted, look at this excellent map from The New York Times.) Today President Obama signed the bill into law. Obama said:

A consensus is forming that, partly because of the necessary — and often unpopular – measures we took over the past year, our economy is growing again and we may soon be adding jobs instead of losing them. The jobs bill I’m signing today is intended to help accelerate this process. (Reuters)

Among the provisions in the bill are tax breaks for small-business owners and Social Security breaks for employers hiring unemployed job seekers. Just how many jobs will be created, if any, is a topic of much debate right now. Experts (and regular Americans like you and me) wonder whether or not enough jobs will be created to offset the record unemployment rate. Obama seems to understand this and has said this bill isn’t the answer to everything, but rather a step toward recovery, according to the New York Times.

What do you think? Is this law going to help? Is it better than nothing? Does it leave out important provisions? Let us know what you’re thinking.

Related posts:

1. House passes jobs bill After a lot of sound and even more fury, the...
2. State of the Union: Jobs, jobs, jobs If you’re like millions of Americans, you tuned into President...
3. Some workplace news for the day We try to discuss current workplace topics as much as...

Yet, a story that ran on NPR yesterday brings up another point: Young workers are concerned about work-life balance. The story explains that work-life balance is nothing new, but employers have historically associated the issue with working parents, not young newcomers.

You may have heard that millennials in the workplace are lazy and “entitled,” but sociologist [Phyllis] Moen says that’s a bad rap. She says young workers simply don’t want to wait decades until retirement for their quality of life — an attitude that has been reinforced by the recession, as they’ve seen parents and boomer relatives lose their jobs.

The story goes on to explain that work-life balance is not just the concern of working parents or millennials. Every age group has the desire to find personal time away from their busy professional lives. Just last week we mentioned the e-leash and how it’s restraining workers on a daily basis. As the article points out, the younger generation of workers is comfortable with gadgetry and views technology as a tool that enables them to work away from the office or on their own clock. Not everyone, including your boss, agrees, but this view is a reality of today’s workplace. In many professions, being at a cubicle is irrelevant to getting work done and workers wonder why they don’t have a little more flexibility.

Employers might think they offer an adequate amount of flexibility, while workers see it differently.

[Research] also shows that employees don’t find their workplaces nearly as flexible as managers report. Work-family experts say arrangements often appear more generous on paper than in practice and can be highly dependent on the generosity of immediate supervisors.

If work-life balance matters to you, keep the following tips in mind when looking for a job or considering a discussion with your boss:

-Can my job be performed from home?
-Would a flexible schedule (working earlier and leaving earlier or working later and leaving later) affect your job or your colleagues negatively?
-What work-life issues aren’t you willing to compromise on?
-Does your employer (or future employer) stress the importance of a work-life balance or do their values clash with your needs?
-How do you define work-life balance for yourself?

Balancing your personal and professional lives isn’t easy, and you could find yourself frustrated with your situation if you don’t understand what’s important to you. If you’re interviewing for a job or want to discuss new arrangements with your boss, walk into the meeting room knowing what you want.

Related posts:

1. A third of working moms are burned out You know all those May flowers that are blooming thanks...
2. Ask The Work Buzz! Handling Age and an Employment Gap Steve Shoemaker comes to us with a double dilemma: I...
3. Parents forced more often to choose work over kids How many of you have had to sacrifice personal relationships...

That is one of the questions we frequently receive here at The Work Buzz. And we do our best to point you in the right direction. Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics made locating these open positions a simpler task by releasing the current January Job Openings and Labor Turnover Report.

It’s a lengthy release, so we’ll just give you some of the highlights.

• On the last day of January, there were 2.7  million job openings
• The job openings rate increased to 2.1 percent, which is the highest it’s been since February of last year
• Over the 12-month period ending in January, 48.4 million workers gained employment and 52.4 million workers separated from their jobs (a figure that includes both layoffs and resignations). Therefore the period saw a loss of 4 million workers.

Which industries have the most job openings?

The most opportunities exist in education and health services, where you can 620,000 positions were open at the end of January. In the same month 520,000 were hired into this industry, suggesting that employers are actively trying to get people onboard as soon as possible.

Professional and business services have the second highest amount of openings with 508,000. Trade, transportation and utilities come in third, with a respectable 482,000 available positions.

And perhaps the best news:

The layoffs and discharges rate fell over the year in many industries, including construction, durable goods manufacturing, nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale trade, information, finance and insurance, real estate and rental and leasing, and other services. Regionally, the rate fell over the year in 3 of the 4 regions—Midwest, Northeast, and South. The layoffs and discharges rate did not rise over the year in any industry or region.

Not only are jobs waiting for the right candidate (you!), but industries aren’t laying off and discharging workers at the same rates as last year. I think we all want some good news, so we’ll take it.

Related posts:

1. January job numbers redux The BLS released January’s jobs report this morning, and while...
2. November job numbers redux In another indicator that the economy is healing, November’s overall...
3. 10 Companies Hiring for the Holidays Yesterday, Kate gave you the latest outlook out seasonal hiring...

Related posts:

1. December job numbers redux The BLS released the last unemployment numbers of the year...
2. November job numbers redux In another indicator that the economy is healing, November’s overall...
3. Breathing a sigh of relief at the job numbers “What’s so great about the loss of 345,000 jobs?” you...

A new study from the Pew Research Center looks at what makes Millennials different from the 30 and older crowd. The study looks at all aspects of this generation’s characteristics, from their politics to their views on family responsibility. Although no study can define every member of a group, these results show a generational consensus on many issues.

According to the study, Millennials are experiencing economic hardships due to the recession, but their attitudes don’t reflect it.

About two-thirds of Millennials (68 percent) say they are not earning enough money to live the kind of life they want. However, within that group the vast majority (88 percent) say they expect to earn enough in the future to live the good life. That is significantly higher than the percentage of Gen Xers (76 percent) or Baby Boomers (46 percent) who share this hopeful view.

You might think that this optimism is curious, especially considering what they’re up against. After all, the economy hasn’t been great for anyone, much less for young people who haven’t had time to accumulate a financial safety net. Yet, the survey points out, the optimism might not be entirely unfounded:

Time is on their side. When the jobs return, the survey results suggest these young people will be prepared. Millennials appear to be on track to becoming the most educated generation in America’s history. Millennials have not yet matched the educational attainment of Gen Xers. So far, 19% are college graduates compared with 35 percent of Gen Xers.”

The study goes on to talk about a lot of stuff — and it’s interesting to see not only what Millennials say but how they compare to past generations. It’s worth a thorough reading.

We’ve mentioned here before and in articles that this generation loves technology, embraces collaboration and expects to climb the professional ladder faster than past generations. We know this (and the study goes into more detail). We are dealing with a group of professionals who have an impressive amount of education but many obstacles in their way, so no rules exist on what they should expect.

Looking at this study, do you think Millennials have a reason to be optimistic or would you caution them to be less hopeful? Are you one of these Millennials?

Related posts:

1. The changing face of the work-life balance Two weeks ago I posted about a Gallup survey that...
2. News Flash: Women ARE as ambitious as men at work A new study released today about attitudes in the U.S....
3. The challenges of a May-December workplace The standard workplace looks very different than it did a...

But when it comes to finding love, it’s not just reserved for primetime. Regardless of the economy, one thing remains the same: The workplace fuels romance.

“Employees are working longer hours and under increased pressure, creating an environment that could cause relationships to bloom,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

CareerBuilder’s annual office romance survey of more than 5,200 workers found that nearly four-in-ten (37 percent) workers said they have dated a co-worker at some time during their careers. That’s in line with the 40 percent who said the same in both 2009 and 2008. Almost one-third said they went on to marry the person they dated at work.

And what about the office crush? While eight percent of workers currently work with someone who they would like to date, with more men (11 percent) than women (4 percent) reporting they would like to do so.

Twelve percent of workers reported that their relationships started when they ran into each other outside of work. Some other situations where Cupid’s arrow flew between co-workers:

• Happy hour
• Lunch
• Working late at the office
• Company holiday party
• Business trip

The question remains: Once the relationship is established, should workers keep it a secret?

“Workplace relationships are more accepted these days, with 67 percent of workers saying they aren’t keeping their romance a secret. However, it is the responsibility of the individuals to understand company policy and make sure they adhere to it,” said Haefner.

The survey also showed the repercussions of workplace romance, with 5 percent of workers saying they have left a job due to an office romance. To be on the safe side, Haefner offers these tips if you want to spark a workplace romance:

• Know your company’s office relationship policy: While some companies are completely open to office romances, others may have stricter policies. Make sure both parties in the relationship are aware of potential rules or consequences.
• Beware of social media: Before you start posting pictures and status updates about your newfound coupledom, it may be better to inform your co-workers or boss in person. That way, there is less chance for gossip or speculation.
• Always take the high road: If your relationship should end, do your best to maintain professionalism and not let the issues affect your performance on the job.

So tell us your office romance story. Was it a success or did it fizzle?

Related posts:

1. 35 percent of workers aren’t planning to take a vacation this year Finally, Memorial Day weekend (the 3-day oasis that gets us...
2. 30 Percent of Layoff Survivors Feel Burned Out At first, workers who survived layoffs within their companies felt...
3. Before you fill out that March Madness bracket… Few things unite co-workers like a good, old-fashioned office...

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.

Related posts:

1. November job numbers redux In another indicator that the economy is healing, November’s overall...
2. Where are the jobs? Education and health services, that’s where. “Where exactly are these jobs you keep talking about?” That...
3. December job numbers redux The BLS released the last unemployment numbers of the year...

In December, both the number of unemployed persons, at 15.3 million, and the unemployment rate, at 10.0 percent, were unchanged. Additionally, October’s number was revised from -111,000 to -127,000, and the change for November was revised from -11,000 to +4,000.

What does this mean for you? To get a better understanding of these numbers and what they mean, watch CareerBuilder’s CEO Matt Ferguson discuss the latest numbers and the 2010 job forecast on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

Related posts:

1. November job numbers redux In another indicator that the economy is healing, November’s overall...
2. U.S. loses 190,000 jobs in October Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data...
3. 467,000 jobs lost in May The job loss numbers released by the Bureau of Labor...

Considering the kind of job market we’ve had since 2008, you might not expect many people to leave their jobs at all. Keep in mind that last year, in order to stay afloat, many companies did some trimming–of personnel, budget, perks and benefits. As a result, workplaces operations have been lean and employees want happier times back.

• 12 percent of workers whose companies either cut benefits or perks plan to stay at their job for six months or less
• 27 percent of workers who received neither a raise nor a promotion  last year will leave their position in less than a year if they don’t receive either.
• 18 percent of workers who received pay cuts will only stay in their current position for six months or less

If you’re someone looking for a job, this means many workers will be vacating their spots and hopefully you can swoop in and replace them!

And if you’re one of the workers who’s deciding whether to stay put or move on to greener (aka better paying) pastures this year, see how you stack up against other workers:

• 57 percent of workers did not receive a raise in 2009; in 2008 only 35 percent of people said that
• 28 percent of workers who were luck enough to get raises only received a bump of 3 percent or less
• 71 percent of workers did not get a bonus in 2009
• 23 percent of workers have some level of dissatisfaction with their work/life balance; last year only 18 percent felt the same
• 23 percent of workers give their corporate leaders a rating of poor or very poor (ouch!)
• The top reasons for being concerned with senior leadership are inability to address employee morale, lack of transparency, and initiating major changes without warning

To read even more results from the survey, read the full release here.

Related posts:

1. 35 percent of workers aren’t planning to take a vacation this year Finally, Memorial Day weekend (the 3-day oasis that gets us...
2. Employers See a Brighter 2010 Yesterday I mentioned that CareerBuilder released its 2010 Job Forecast and...
3. Mature Workers Expanding Job Search Today’s job market has thrown workers of all ages for...

While thinking about what I wanted to write about today, my uncle Bob e-mailed me with an interesting article he heard on NPR yesterday morning about where the jobs will be in the coming decade, and I wanted to share it with you.

The gist of the article says that it’s going to take the U.S. a while to recover from the slump we’ve been in, but that in the next 10 years, we should expect to see about 15 million new jobs. The author predicts strong job growth for the high-paying jobs and the low-paying jobs at both ends of the labor market, but less growth in the middle to replace the well-paying manufacturing jobs the U.S. is losing.

I’ve included highlights from the article in this post, but for the full story, click here

Where The Jobs Will Be This Decade

Related posts:

1. 467,000 jobs lost in May The job loss numbers released by the Bureau of Labor...
2. U.S. loses 190,000 jobs in October Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data...
3. Wednesday’s good reads soundup Oh, Wednesdays in summer. How much do we love thee?...