Magic Pot of Jobs

Being unemployed during a time when the economy is struggling can be very difficult. Between high competition and a smaller number of businesses hiring, job search efforts tend to take more time than they usually would. By taking a few small steps, you can make finding a new job much easier.

For starters, active job seekers should have some idea of what type of position they’re looking for and what they’re suited for. Applying for jobs that you don’t qualify for or things that you would hate will only make you miserable. If money is tight and you have to take whatever is available, then continue to look for something that fits you better in your spare timing. In this case, remember to keep your job search efforts quite so that you don’t lose favor with your current boss.

Then you should turn your attention to your resume. Every time you get ready to apply for a new position you should edit this document to avoid typos and make sure the job experience you’ve listed are the best examples you have to offer. Another good idea is to tailor the objective field to fit each job that you are applying for.

After figuring out what type of work is best for you and applying for several positions, then you should mentally go through all of the reasons that it fits you and how to articulate what you bring to the table to employers. By going through this and coming up with what you will say during the interview you may be asked to come in for you’ll seem much calmer and more put together. Trying to anticipate what the hiring manager will ask you and how you will respond will also help in this manner.

Once these things are handled you’ll find that there is a much better chance that your job search will end successfully much sooner. Since finding employment quickly is extremely important when jobs are scarce, this can help to make sure that you don’t have to rely on an unemployment check for an extended period of time as many will.

In an ironic twist, due to the increasing workload, the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) is temporarily hiring staff to assist those individuals filing for unemployment benefits. Thirty to forty Virginia jobs will be added statewide.

Recent federal funding, which allows for contingency funding based on increased workloads, will pay for the extra services. That federal funding package also extends unemployment compensation for those whose benefits have expired, providing up to seven additional weeks of benefits to eligible individuals. Letters were mailed today to individuals who are eligible for extended benefits. Customers must file their Extended Unemployment Compensation claims on the forms provided in the mailing.

Customers are encouraged to file other claims online at www.VaEmploy.Com as a first option. They may also call the Customer Contact Center toll free at 1-866-832-2363 (TYY 1-866-241-9978). Typically, Mondays are the busiest day of the week for the Customer Contact Center and it is more difficult to get through. In an effort to accommodate its customers, the Virginia Employment Commission has extended the hours of operation of its Customer Contact Center. The Customer Contact Center phone lines are now open on Saturdays from 8:15 a.m. to noon in addition to Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The VEC is examining new strategies to provide services as numerous employers are laying off large numbers of staff. Many layoffs are not included in the current month’s unemployment rate due to the fact that severance and other pay must be exhausted prior to an individual receiving unemployment benefits payments. Seasonal unemployment is a factor as well.

VEC Commissioner Dolores Esser said, “The VEC is working diligently to meet the needs of its customers and to respond to questions.”

$14.2 million was paid in unemployment insurance claims during the first week of December.

According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, those searching for jobs in Chicago are had more competition for work during November of this year than they did in 2007. Unemployment is the area is currently 6.3 percent, which is a 1.7 percent increase from last year’s 4.6 percent. In a recent statement the Department said that this is the 19^th consecutive month that unemployment rates increased in all of the metropolitan areas in the state.

With joblessness up in the area, new work opportunities are definitely needed. This makes it even more important that Wal-Mart is considering opening a 2^nd store in Chicago. During last spring, the company had spoken of creating a Supercenter but decided against it after encountering road blocks from the city, according to Chicago Tribune. Now Wal-Mart representatives are talking about reviving their attempts.

With the economy suffering, many retailers have had to scale back the size of the staffs their employee. Wal-Mart is among the small group of stores that has continued to post gains, despite everything. This is mostly due to the fact that they are popular for helping customers save money and sell a variety of different items. Because of Wal-Mart’s resilience, the news that they may soon create new Chicago jobs is more promising than such an announcement from other retailers would be.

“We’ve shown ourselves to be a very viable business and a relevant one in the face of some pretty tough development in the economy,” said Wal-Mart in Chicago’s director of public affairs John Bisio.

The city may be more open to allowing the store to open a 2^nd store now that jobs are more scarce.

“We’re always open to talk to them about other opportunities,” said the city’s Planning Department spokesman Pete Scales.

At this time, it is unknown as to how may new Chicago jobs will be created if the retailer does follow through this time.

It’s been a hard year for those looking for work in Nevada. With credit issues causing several major casino project being put on hold, expect construction positions and many other types of employment opportunities were not what the state had hoped for. Despite the fact that the holiday season usually brings seasonal jobs in Nevada(For more information, click here), unemployment is once again on the rise.

Aetna, one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, announced it will reduce its workforce by approximately 1,000 positions, or less than 3 percent of the company’s 36,208 employees. With headquarters in Hartford, no word on precisely how many Connecticut jobs will be affected.

This action is designed to align administrative expenses with the company’s growth outlook for 2009 and redirect resources to areas with a greater potential for future growth.  As a result of this and other actions, Aetna expects to incur approximately $35 million, after tax, in restructuring charges in the fourth quarter of 2008.

“These actions will reduce our operating costs and allow us to manage through the economic downturn from a position of strength,” said Ronald A. Williams, chairman and CEO.  “The fundamentals of our business are solid, and we continue to win in the marketplace.  While changes like this are never easy, they will help us maintain our strong competitiveness and ensure our continuing success.”

The company said the job eliminations are targeted to ensure that they do not impair Aetna’s ability to meet its customer commitments and growth targets going forward. Eligible employees will receive severance benefits based on length of service as well as outplacement and other support programs.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an $859,829 grant to assist the approximately 464 Florida jobs affected by manufacturing layoffs at 12 companies within Citrus, Levy and Marion counties.

“Across a variety of sectors, manufacturing in this three-county area has been hit hard in recent months,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell. “This grant will aid in retraining affected workers, and help them find new and challenging work in other fields.”

The grant, awarded to the Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc., will provide employment-related assistance to workers who have been impacted by manufacturing layoffs. This assistance will include retraining in new occupational fields, with a focus on health care, nuclear energy and welding. Additional assistance will include job search and relocation.

Between December 2007 and October 2008, workers were laid off from the following companies: American Panel, Closetmaid, E-One, Fluid Routing Systems, Golden Flake, Hamilton Products, Homette Corp., Masco Builder Cabinet Group, Monterey Boats, Proline Boats, Seminole Food and Universal Forest Products.

One large company is closing its Atlanta plant, meaning many Atlanta manufacturing jobs will be lost.

Steelcase Inc., which manufactures office furniture, plans to close its Atlanta-based plant, a move that will result in the loss of about 300 jobs. The work done at that plant will move to another facility in Athens, Ala., but few jobs will be transfered, according to an article by Business Week. The company, which will post a loss for the fiscal third quarter, is making cuts as part of an ongoing restructuring effort expected to save $20 million to $25 million of pre-tax restructuring costs during the next six to nine months and $40 million per year after that.

While the Alabama plant could add an additional 250 jobs during the next two years, the company currently plans to shut down eight plants in North America following the Atlanta closing. The company further plans to eliminate 300 white-collar jobs worldwide, including positions in Strausborg, France; Hong Kong and Grand Rapids, Mich.

(more…)

In October the unemployment rate in Baltimore, Maryland rose from 4.7 percent to 5.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the same time, the state’s average jumped from 4.6 percent to 5.0 percent. Both continued to fair better than the national jobless rate of 6.5 percent.

Statistics for the area may soon rise as one local employer recently announced that they will be cutting 400 jobs in Baltimore. Constellation Energy, which is based in the city, will be doing away with 800 positions throughout the workforce, half of which will occur at the company’s home base. Other offices that will be effected include Constellation’s operations in London and Houston.

The layoffs are the result of the failing energy commodities business, according to the Baltimore Examiner.

Governor Martin O’Malley recently stated that the state will be assisting to make the transition easier on those about to lose their jobs in Baltimore. He said that the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation is currently trying to decide which state assistance option for these individuals. The Department’s Secretary Thomas Perez is overseeing the process of making this decision.

“We’re going to be working with Constellation and displaced workers to help them through this rough transition,” said Governor O‘Malley, according to the Examiner “Tom Perez is on top of this, working with leadership of Constellation.”

Constellation’s CEO Mayo Shattuck said that the subsidiary effected in the area will be Baltimore Gas and Electric. Some of the positions will be done away with soon, while others will be cut over the course of the next year.

“I deeply regret this action but it’s a necessary and responsible step we must take,” said Shattuck in a recent memo . “I assure you this decision was the result of thoughtful deliberations and was taken only after many other cost-cutting options were considered and implemented.”

Other jobs in Maryland that will soon be cut include 200 positions at Legg Mason and 30 at Solo cut. For the most part, the average worker effected by these layoffs made less than $10.00 an hour.