The Work Buzz » Unemployment

U.S. loses 190,000 jobs in October

anthony balderrama — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:49:07 +0000

Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data and reported 190,000 jobs were lost in October. Although that figure means 190,000 people lost their jobs–a reality no one can be pleased about–it is a better figure than the 219,000 jobs lost in September. Look back to a year ago, when the numbers hit 597,000 in November 2008 and only got worse for the next five months. In that regard, the outlook is definitely more positive than it was only a few months ago. The unemployment rate also came out today, and at 10.2 percent it set a record for the highest rate since April 1983.

So are there any bright spots?

Yes, actually. Health care added 29,000 jobs in October. Temporary employment services had steadily lost jobs in the beginning of the year, but in October they added 34,000 jobs. Companies have the need for more workers, but they’re cautious of adding new permanent employees. If the economy struggles again, they’d prefer to not renew temporary workers’ contracts rather than layoff a group of employees.

Two CareerBuilder.com experts were on TV to discuss the job numbers and the job outlook this morning.

First up, watch CEO Matt Ferguson on CNBC.

And senior career adviser Michael Erwin was on CBS 2 in Chicago. Watch that clip here.

You can also read the detailed, full report from the BLS on its site.

Job declines lowest since October While the BLS reported this morning that nonfarm payroll employment...
Jobs Report: 598,000 jobs lost in January More grave news about the American job market as the...
467,000 jobs lost in May The job loss numbers released by the Bureau of Labor...

U.S. loses 263,000 jobs in September

Kate Lorenz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:00:07 +0000

We were waiting for two big announcements this morning at CareerBuilder. One was about Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics – our corporate headquarters are in downtown Chicago — and the other was about September’s unemployment numbers. Well, the Olympics are going to Rio de Janeiro and the job losses were higher than expected.

The Labor Department reported that U.S. employers trimmed 263,000 jobs last month. While that number is slightly higher than predicted and the more than the number in August (201,000), it still is much lower than the numbers we saw in late 2008 and into 2009. The largest job losses were in construction, manufacturing, retail and government.

“We’re not going to see job growth until the second half of next year. And even when it does start to grow, it’s going to be slow,” said Marissa Di Natale from Moody’s Economy.com in today’s New York Times Economix blog.

Because the economy is still healing, we’re likely to see some fluctuation month to month, but CareerBuilder’s recent survey indicates that less employers plan to decrease staff levels in Q4 compared to Q3. If you look at the number of jobs lost from May 2009 through September 2009, that average (307,000) was half of the average we saw from November 2008 to April 2009 (645,000).

While the national unemployment rate hit 9.8% in September, there are areas in the country where that rate is much lower and much higher. If you’re thinking of relocating to greener (as in money) pastures for work, take a look at this interactive map from Forbes. It breaks down the unemployment rate of every county in the United States. Did you know the unemployment rate in Bismarck, N.D. is 3.3%?

Although the rising unemployment rate may mean more candidates applying to jobs, attendees at a recent conference for recruiting professionals discussed how this influx of candidates has not made it any easier to find the right, qualified talent for available positions. Translation: As a job seeker, you might be down, but you’re definitely not out. You just need to be competitive – something you should practice in your job search no matter the market.

What you want to do is continue to market yourself aggressively and look to those areas that are hiring today. Currently, we’re seeing a demand for workers in health care, sales, customer service, technology and education.

What’s Unemployment Like In Your City? A new report released today by the Bureau of Labor...
Jobs Report: 598,000 jobs lost in January More grave news about the American job market as the...
U.S. loses 190,000 jobs in October Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data...

Losing a job, losing an identity

anthony balderrama — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:24:57 +0000

We get a lot of questions from readers here at The Work Buzz (and if you want to ask us one, feel free to leave it in the comments here) and on Twitter. Looking at what everyone is saying, we realize that people are struggling to not only find a job but also stay sane in these tough times. And the times are tough. The frustration is palpable.

I was flipping through the pages of Pink Slipped: A post-layoff survival guide and figured one chapter in particular would be helpful to you. Edie Milligan Driskill, CFP, CLU, author of Pink Slipped, devoted an entire section to post-layoff identity.

The answers to the following two questions will tell us a lot:

1. Who were you the day before you lost your job?

2. Who are you today?

If the answers to those two questions are not exactly the same, then you’ve got some work to do.

Driskill goes on to explain that the title on your business card (real or imaginary) doesn’t mean that’s actually who you are. It can. As she says in the book, an accountant is an accountant as long as he or she has a CPA license. Whether or not the accountant is on someone’s payroll is irrelevant. Or another example she gives is that a physical therapist who gets a job as a waitress in order to make ends meet might not consider herself a waitress. She’s a physical therapist working as a waitress.

That might sound a bit hokey to some of you, but think about it this way:

One strategy that employers use to encourage people to be productive and stay around is to find titles that will feed their egos and give them status within the organization. If you were handed one of those titles and you bought into it, you forgot that it was a rental contract. Believing that you actually owned it will cause you to have an overall harder time dealing with the loss of your employment.

Losing a job is hard on all aspects of your life. It’s an unwelcome surprise. It affects your finances. You’re reminded of it daily when you’re at home instead of at work. If you connected yourself more to the idea of the job than the actual work you like doing, you’re going to have a hard time coping and a hard time finding work. Job titles differ from company to company, as do the responsibilities and expenses that come with them. Your job search needs to encompass a range of options that let you do what you like (and hopefully make what you’d like). That’s why we like to recommend job seekers:

Search for jobs by skills, not just by titles
Know what they’re good at and what they like doing so that they can find work that suits them–not just another job they hate like the last one they had
Know what they don’t want to do, because ruling out what doesn’t work makes it that much easier to find the job that will work.

Pink Slipped: A post-layoff survival guide is out now if you want to read more about handling unexpected unemployment.

15 companies hiring in August Despite promising indicators that the economy is improving — economists...
10 Companies Hiring in September Every day, we seem to hear one more piece of...
Wednesday Buzz Turn off your PC at quitting time: USA Today Get...

Thursday’s good reads roundup

anthony balderrama — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:56:32 +0000

We give you entertaining, informative and interesting articles to read on this, the second-to-last day of the work week. Read ‘em and weep. Or don’t weep, just learn and spread the knowledge. Weeping doesn’t do you any good.

People forget that one of the worst parts of a job loss is the loss of social interaction.
Layoffs test true friendships
Another interesting look at the personal side of losing a job (and its salary).
Some Tips for Noncustodial Parents After Job Loss
You’re super awesome–so make sure the interviewer knows it, too!
Acing the Job Interview Process
Even lawyers get the blues.
Laid-Off Lawyers Struggle in Establishing Their Own Firm

Wednesday’s good reads roundup You’re probably thinking, “It’s Wednesday. Surely people aren’t still writing...
Wednesday’s good reads roundup Hey, there! Are you as excited for the weekend as...
Friday’s good reads roundup Judging by the heavy shoulders of everyone I passed on...

Thursday’s good reads roundup

anthony balderrama — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:59:07 +0000

If you’re looking forward to the weekend, it’s almost here! Hooray! And here’s some good reading material to keep you occupied in the meantime.

Helping people get an education is always a good thing.
New College Scholarships for Laid-Off Workers
I would’ve titled this, “Chick yourself before you wreck yourself,” but the article’s still worth reading.
Laid Off? Check Your Look … and Your Attitude
A bad interview is salvageable.
Five Ways to Shine in a Bad Interview!
Wah-waaaah.
Jobless Claims Climb in Latest Week

Thursday’s good reads roundup We have a new Supreme Court justice and John Hughes...
Monday good reads roundup Hello, Work Buzzers. Monday’s been pretty busy here. And even...
Thursday’s good reads roundup One day away from the weekend. Can’t you just taste...

Wednesday’s good reads roundup

anthony balderrama — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:10:42 +0000

You’re probably thinking, “It’s Wednesday. Surely people aren’t still writing things about job interviews, job loss, workplace issues, and getting hired!” Well, my friend, you would be wrong. And here’s just a sample of what they’re writing:

We hate getting fired. We like getting hired. But by the same company?
You’re fired! You’re hired!
Dionne Warwick would be so disappointed if your friends were not on your side forever more.
Can workplace friendships stand up to job loss?
This probably depends on the company, to be honest. (Though, can we at least get rid of ugly ties at least?)
Enough with the ties already

Thursday’s good reads roundup We give you entertaining, informative and interesting articles to read...
Wednesday’s good reads roundup Hey, there! Are you as excited for the weekend as...
Ask The Work Buzz! How to Answer “Have You Ever Been Fired?” Nicole asks an excellent question: When an interviewer ask if...

Monday’s good reads roundup

anthony balderrama — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:43:45 +0000

The beginning of a new week means you’re either rested up and ready to start a new…or you’re exhausted and unmotivated. Whichever you are, it doesn’t matter, because the world keeps going whether we like it or not. Proof? These news stories pouring in from all over the country:

Credit problems can be a pain in the plastic, but maybe things aren’t so bad after all.
Credit trends improve for most credit card issuers
Further proof that Regis Philbin might save the world.
Economy pushes game show contestants to play for keeps
Our past haunts us! DA DA DUN!
When a Background Check Reveals a Misdemeanor
Job interviews are often pains in the neck, but some are worse than others.
Extreme job interviews

See you bright and happy tomorrow, Work Buzzers!

Monday good reads roundup Hello, Work Buzzers. Monday’s been pretty busy here. And even...
Tuesday’s good reads roundup Poor Tuesday. Lost in the sea of a shortened work...
Job seeker + rough economy – vocal abilities = Careereoki I’ll fess up: I’ve never done karaoke and I probably...

Wednesday’s good reads roundup

anthony balderrama — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:59:02 +0000

As I write this, the US-Mexico World Cup qualifier game is full of high tension! My nails are jagged from anxiety. Still, the news stops for no one, and that’s why I give you three articles to read, learn from, and share with friends.

I’m King of the Typos myself, I admit. I try to do my best to proofread multiple times, and I encourage you to do the same.
Job seekers: Don’t press SEND before spel check
If you’re not learning for a job now, but you know someone who is, here’s a way to be supportive of him or her.
Work it Wednesday: Supporting the job seeker in your life
Here’s a helpful Q&A to keep on hand.
Spend your job search time wisely

Thursday’s good reads roundup We have a new Supreme Court justice and John Hughes...
Monday’s good reads roundup Can you smell that? It’s the scent of Labor Day...
Tuesday’s good reads roundup Today, American Idol’s Randy Jackson turns 53. Why do I...

Tuesday’s good reads roundup

anthony balderrama — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:09:05 +0000

Did you have a chance to read today’s workplace headlines and articles of note, or were you too busy in a workplace of your own? Or maybe you’ve been trying applying for jobs and don’t have time to get distracted by the so-called Interwebs. Well, we’ve made done the work for you:

A little tough love comin’ atcha.
Didn’t get the job? Post-analysis is up to you.
We’re always looking for a silver lining.
Laid-off workers seize fresh start
Dress codes really do cause more confusion and anxiety than most any other issue, I think.
Bare legs or pantyhose at job Interviews?
Of course, to get a silver lining, you can’t avoid the rain cloud completely.
Americans working much harder – for less pay

‘Til Wednesday!

Tuesday’s good reads roundup Tuesday’s come and nearly gone (work-wise, at least). If you...
Thursday’s good reads roundup If you’re looking forward to the weekend, it’s almost here!...
Wednesday’s good reads roundup An eclipse, a health-care plan, Michael Jackson’s doctor…these are the...

Thursday’s good reads roundup

anthony balderrama — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:29:05 +0000

We have a new Supreme Court justice and John Hughes died. Big day.

But here are other stories worth reading:

We’ll take signs of recovery anywhere we can find ‘em!
U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Fall More Than Projected
People helping people–nice story!
Job seekers are forming groups to lend each other a hand — and support
Hmm.
Teller Fired For Foiling Robbery
We reported on this guy a while back, and he’s still going!
50 jobs, 50 states: Quest takes man to Brockton

Wednesday’s good reads roundup You’re probably thinking, “It’s Wednesday. Surely people aren’t still writing...
Friday’s good reads roundup Today is Friday. I checked three calendars to be sure...
Thursday’s good reads roundup The news today was a bit kookier than normal. Definitely...