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NEWS ARCHIVE

11/06

PFIZER ANNOUNCES 2.200 JOB CUTS

Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, will cut 2,200 jobs, 20% of its U.S. sales force which may cause other companies to do the same. Pfizer is reducing its sales force as part of a cost cutting program designed to decrease expenses by $4B in 2008 to transform the company into a more nimble organization as it struggles with sluggish sales. The drug company has 11,000 sales representatives, and the cuts will be made by the end of the year,

In the past decade the number of pharmaceutical sales people has tripled to 100,000. There is now one salesperson for every 9 doctors, compared to one for every 18 in 1996. Other pharmaceutical companies may announce reductions in their sales forces very soon.

Some physicians complain that they see too many pharmaceutical sales people and some hospitals have adopted policies to reduce or eliminate communication between sales reps and doctors.

Pfizer has lost patents on numerous drugs recently, including blockbuster antidepressant Zoloft. Other drugs, like the blood pressure medicine Norvasc, are slated for generic competition in 2007. Pfizer said in October that sales would be flat for the next 2 years after previously predicting moderate growth.

Like other big drug companies, Pfizer remains very profitable. Last year, the company had $14 billion in profits, excluding one-time charges, on $51 billion in sales.

But despite a $7 billion annual research budget, Pfizer has been plagued by deep difficulties bringing new drugs to market. Earlier today, Pfizer announced it had ended a research collaboration to develop asenapine, a treatment for schizophrenia that analysts had predicted could be a multibillion-dollar drug.

Pfizer has also run into unexpected problems with torcetrapib, a drug to raise so-called good cholesterol. Torcetrapib appears to raise blood pressure slightly in patients, a serious side effect for a drug intended to reduce heart disease.

8/30/06

CENSUS REPORT ON POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES

37 Million People Living Below Poverty Level in 2005

In 2005, the poor accounted for 12.6% of the population, roughly the same as in 2004. The only racial group that saw any improvement in their poverty rate over the year before was non-Hispanic whites - going from 8.7% to 8.3% living below the poverty line.

The nation's median household income rose slightly faster than inflation last year for the first time in 6 years. The rise, however, had little to do with bigger paychecks - in fact, both men and women earned less in 2005 than 2004. The increase was due to more family members taking jobs to make ends meet, and some people made more money from investments and other sources beyond wages.

As defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2005 was $19,971; for a family of three, $15,577; for a family of two, $12,755; and for unrelated individuals, $9,973. The average person living in poverty earned $3,236 less than the poverty line - $19,971 for a household of 4 in 2005, the highest such gap ever measured by the Census Bureau. And 43% of the poor earned less than half of the poverty limit.

New Jersey had the highest median household income and Mississippi had the lowest.

While the economy has been strong for the past several years, its benefits have not translated into improvements in the standard of living for many people.

Nationally, the 1.1% increase in median household income was not enough to offset a longer term drop in median household income - the annual income at which half of the country's households make more and half make less.

The figure fell 5.9% between the 2000 census and 2005, to $46,242 from $49,133, according to an analysis of the data conducted for The New York Times by the sociology department of Queens College. The difference was so sharp, in part, because the 2000 census measured 1999 income, which was at the height of the dot-com bubble.

The number of people living below the poverty line held steady in 2005 after 4 consecutive annual increases

The poverty rate in 2005 for children under 18 (17.6 percent) remained higher than that of 18-to-64-year olds (11.1 percent) and that of people 65 and older (10.1 percent). For all three groups, the rate was statistically unchanged from 2004.

The number of people living without health insurance climbed for the sixth straight year to 46.6M, an increase of 1.3M in one year and an increase from 15.6% to 15.9% without coverage,

After recent decreases in numbers of children without healthcare, this data showed an increase from 10.8% of those under 18 to 11.2%.

STATE	DECLINE IN MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME FROM 1999	PERCENT PEOPLE IN POVERTY
United States	6.0%	12.6%
Mississippi		21.3%
Michigan	11.9%	13.2%
North Carolina	11.2%	15.1%
Utah	10.4%	9.6%
Texas	9.9%	17.6%
Indiana	9.5%	12.2%
Ohio	9.3%	13.0%
Illinois	7.9%	12.0%
California	3.0%	13.3%
New York	2.5%	13.8%
New Hampshire	1.9%	7.5%


Hawaii	Negligible - within margin of error
Maine	Negligible
Maryland	Negligible
Montana	Negligible
North Dakota	Negligible
Virginia	Negligible

Slightly more than half of the nation's income was going to the top 20% of wage earners at the same time that the number of people living in poverty remained unchanged, at about 37M people.

This is further evidence that the nation's economic recovery has had very limited reach, with many low and medium income families not sharing the benefits.

Those in the top fifth in income were more likely to live in Metropolitan areas - 90.8%.(61.5% in suburbs; 29.3% in dominant city limits):

79% were married and living in single family homes
81.2% were non-Hispanic white
76.3% had 2 or more wage earners

Those living in the bottom fifth in income, below the poverty level, were more likely to live in rural areas

21.2% lived in rural areas compared to 9.2% for the wealthy
59% lived in non-family households compared to 12.5% of the wealthy
Children in rural areas were particularly hard hit, with the percentage living in poverty in 41 states higher in 2005 than it was 5 years ago
20.6% were blacks compared to 5.8% of those in the top 5th
13.4% were Hispanics compared to 5.9% of those in the top 5th

8/11/06

TAX DEDUCTIONS AVAILABLE WHEN MOVING FOR JOB

Frequent job changing is fast becoming the norm in today's economy. Young people can expect to change employers several times during their careers and sometimes move clear across the country, or even abroad. That can get expensive, so be sure you claim the maximum tax deductions if you are moving to a new job. you can deduct moving expenses as long as you are moving to take a job (it can't be your first job out of school) and the distance to your new home minus your current commute to work must be more than 50 miles.

You can itemize deductions, including the expense of finding a new job as long as you remain in the same occupation. Postage and supplies for sending out your resumes, phone calls, and travel for interviews can all be deducted.

Use Schedule A of IRS 1040 but only if your miscellaneous tax deductions exceed 2 percent of your adjusted gross income (if you are self-employed there is no minimum).

7/1/06

JOB STRESS WORSE FOR MEN

Workers who are under constant stress may start to show it in their blood pressure readings. In a study that followed 6,719 white-collar workers for 7.5 years, Canadian researchers found:

Those with high job demands and reported low levels of social support in the office, tended to have higher blood pressure than other workers.
The relationship was stronger among men than among women.
Men and women who said they got little or no support from their bosses and co-workers seem particularly vulnerable to the blood pressure effects of job strain.

Previously studies have indicated that work with high psychological demands, but with little independence and decision-making authority are more likely to develop heart disease.

The current findings support the notion that curbing job strain could make a difference in some workers' blood pressure.

Studies are being conducted to see if giving workers more support or more say in how they accomplish their tasks, loosening up deadline pressures, or offering more chances for learning and growth could make a difference in blood pressure readings.

5/21/06

TEN HOTTEST CITIES FOR JOB GROWTH

1. LAS VEGAS, NV	6. JACKSONVILLE, FL
Projected job growth: 35.5%	Projected job growth: 20.8%
Employers to watch: Citibank, Harrah's, MGM Grand, US Airways, Wynn Resorts	Employers to watch: Bank of America, CSX, Fidelity Financial, Winn-Dixie Stores, Wachovia
Median Household Income: $59,050	Median Household Income: $57,700
Median Housing Cost: $319,000	Median Housing Cost: $200,000

2. ORLANDO, FL	7. TAMPA, FL
Projected job growth: 28.3%	Projected job growth: 19.7%
Employers to watch: Darden Restaurants, Hughes Supply, Walt Disney, NBC Universal, Lockheed Martin	Employers to watch: Bank of America, U.S. Central Command, Outback Steakhouse, Raymond James Financial, Verizon Communications
Median Household Income: $55,100	Median Household Income: $52,150
Median Housing Cost: $257,000	Median Housing Cost: $214,000

3. RIVERSIDE, CA	8. DALLAS / FORT WORTH, TX
Projected job growth: 26.7%	Projected job growth: 19.4%
Employers to watch: AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Gas, Harte-Hanks, The Press Enterprise	Employers to watch: Affiliated Computer Services, Electronic Data Systems, J.C. Penney, Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments
Median Household Income: $55,650	Median Household Income: $65,000
Median Housing Cost: $400,000	Median Housing Cost: $137,300

4.. AUSTIN, TX	9. CHARLOTTE, NC
Projected job growth: 24.7%	Projected job growth: 19%
Employers to watch: AMD, Dell, Samsung, Toyota, Whole Foods Market	Employers to watch: Bank of America, Wachovia, Duke Energy, Nucor, Goodrich
Median Household Income: $68,600	Median Household Income: $62,500
Median Housing Cost: $167,000	Median Housing Cost: $184,000

5. PHOENIX, AZ	10. ATLANTA, GA
Projected job growth: 24.3%	Projected job growth: 18.8%
Employers to watch: Apollo Group, Honeywell, Intel, Phelps Dodge, Wells Fargo	Employers to watch: BellSouth, Cox Communications, Home Depot, SunTrust Banks, UPS
Median Household Income: $58,300	Median Household Income: $69,300
Median Housing Cost: $259,000	Median Housing Cost: $184,000

Sources: Global Insight; state and regional government agencies, U.S. Department of Housing and Development, Fiserv CSW, National Association of Realtors

5/21/06

JOB MARKET SHIFTS IN JOB SEEKERS FAVOR

Recent newspaper headlines don't do much to convey the fact the job market is coming to a boil. Unlike previous job booms, this one is not being driven primarily by the creation of new jobs. Instead, it is the ever-growing number of people quitting their jobs -- to retire, or increasingly, to seek out new opportunities -- that has created openings which managers need to fill.

At the same time, productivity growth has stalled, making it harder for bosses to squeeze more work out of existing employees -- and hiring a more urgent matter.

The result? Unemployment among college graduates has sunk to a level that the economy has not seen in years, and the labor market is on fire.

4/20/06

AMERICANS ARE LEAVING BIG CITIES

Americans are leaving the big cities in search of cheaper homes and more open spaces farther out.

Nearly every large metropolitan area had more people move out than move in from 2000 to 2004, with a few exceptions in the South and Southwest, according to a report by the U.S. Census Bureau:

Northeasterners are moving South and West
West Coast residents are moving inland
Midwesterners are chasing better job markets
Everywhere, people are escaping to the outer suburbs known as exburbs

It is a case of middle class flight for housing affordability.

The states that attracted the most new residents:

Florida
Arizona
Nevada

The states that lost the most residents:

New York
California
Illinois

The cities that lost the most residents to domestic moves:

New York
Los Angeles
Chicago

The New York City area had a loss of more than 210,000 residents a year from 2000 to 2004.

Smaller, wealthier households are replacing larger families in many big metropolitan areas. That drives up housing prices even as the population shrinks, chasing away even more members of the middle class.

Areas attracting new residents, include:

Riverside, California - known as the Inland Empire attracted the most new residents from the Los Angeles area. This area includes San Bernardino and Ontario and had a net gain of 81,000 people a year from 2000 to 2004. It has grown to become the 13th largest metropolitan area in the nation. The median price of a home is $374,200 compared to Los Angeles which is $529,000.
Phoenix, Arizona
Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

4/08/06

MARCH JOBLESS RATE LOWEST IN 4 1/2 YEARS - 4.7%

Employers hired 211,000 workers in March, suggesting that a strengthening economic expansion is putting companies in the hiring mood and brightening prospects for job seekers.

Hiring gains were seen in industries, including:

Education and Healthcare - 30,000
Retail - 29,000
Government - 24,000
Financial - 16,000
Construction - 7,0000

Hiring losses were seen in industries, including:

Transportation and Warehousing - 7,600
Manufacturing - 5,000

Overall employment was stronger in March than the expected 190,000 new jobs.

Analysts believe the economy emerged from an end-of-year funk and grew at an annual rate of 4.5% during the first 3 months of 2006.

4/08/06

RETIREMENT PLANNING

As more and more companies eliminate or reduce retirement benefits plans, it becomes imperative that workers prepare for their own retirement. A recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that about 68% of workers are confident about having adequate funds for a comfortable retirement.

At the same time, more than half of workers day they have saved less than $25,000 toward retirement. Even among workers 55 and older, more than 4 in 10 have retirement savings under $25,000.

Poor savings performance is particularly troubling as more and more employers are eliminating or greatly reducing retirement benefits, defined benefit plans, pensions and forcing employees to assume responsibility for their own retirement planning.

Workers report the following savings::

$25,000 to $49,999 - 12%
$50,000 to $99,999 - 11%
$100,000 to 249,999 - 11%
$250,000 or more - 12%

One expert estimated that workers should aim at saving enough to replace 85% of their pre-retirement income when they stop working.

A 25 year old entering the work force today who immediately starts saving 15% of his or her income will be able to retire at age 60 with enough savings.

3/14/06

FORTUNE'S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES - 2006

1. General Electric

2. FedEx

3. Southwest Airlines

4. Procter & Gamble

5. Starbucks

6. Johnson & Johnson

7. Berkshire Hathaway

8. Dell

9. Toyota Motor

10. Microsoft

11. Apple Computer

12. Wal-Mart Stores

13. *United Parcel Service

13. *Home Depot

15. PepsiCo

15. Costco Wholesale

17. American Express

18. Goldman Sachs

19. IBM

20. 3M

BY INDUSTRIES

FINANCIAL INDUSTRY

Securities

1. Merrill Lynch

2. Lehman Brothers Holdings

3. Bear Stearns

4. Goldman Sachs Group

5. Franklin Resources

6. A.G. Edwards

Megabanks

1. Wells Fargo

2. Bank of America

3. CitiGroup

4. Wachovia

Superregional Banks

1. Bank of New York

2. M&T Bank Corp.

3. State Street

4. BB&T Corp

5. PNC Financial Services Group

Financial Data Services

1. Dun & Bradstreet

2. First Data

3. DST Systems

Mortgage Services

1. Golden West Financial

2. Countrywide Financial

3. Washington Mutual

4. Stewart Information Services

5. LandAmerica Financial Group

Insurance: Life and Health

1. Northwestern Mutual

2. New York Life

3. Aflac

4. Massachusetts Mutual Life

5. TIAA-CREF

Insurance: Property and Casualty

1. Berkshire Hathaway

2. Chubb

3. Allstate

4. Progressive

5. Hartford Financial Services

6. State Farm Insurance

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Food Production

1. Bunge

2. Pilgrim's Pride

3. Smithfield Foods

4. Corn Products International

5. Tyson Foods

Beverages

1. Anheuser-Busch

2. Pepsi Bottling Group

3. Pepsi / Americas

4. Coca-Cola

Consumer Food Products

1. Nestl�

2. PepsiCo

3. General Mills

4. Kellogg's

5. Unilever

Apparel

1. Nike

2. Liz Claiborne

3. VF

4. Polo Ralph Lauren

5. Timberland

Household, Personal Products

1. Procter & Gamble

2. Est�e Lauder

3. Colgate-Palmolive

4. Avon Products

5. Kimberly-Clark

Tobacco

1. Altria Group

2. Reynolds America

CONTRACTED SERVICES

Diversified Outsourcing

1. Aramark

2. Convergys

3. Iron Mountain

4. Cintas

5. ServiceMaster

Temporary Help

1. Manpower

2. Robert Half International

3. MPS Group

Health Care: Insurance

1. UnitedHealth Group

2. Aetna

3. WellPoint

4. PacifiCare Health Systems

5. WellChoice

Health Care: Medical Facilities

1. Health Management Associates

2. Manor Care

3. HCA

4. Triad Hospitals

5. DaVita

SHELTER

Furniture

1. Herman Miller

2. HNI

3. Leggett & Platt

Homebuilders

1. KB Home

2. Pulte Homes

3. Centex

4. Toll Brothers

5. Lennar

6. Ryland Group

Real Estate

1. Simon Property Group

2. Boston Properties

3. Vornado Realty Trust

4. Host Marriott

Home Equipment, Furnishings

1. Fortune Brands

2. Newell Rubbermaid

3. Masco

Engineering, Construction

1. Jacobs Engineering Group

2. Peter Kiewit Sons

3. CH2M Hill

4. Fluor

5. Granite Construction

Building Materials, Glass

1. USG

2. Vulcan Materials

3. Martin Marietta Materials

4. Owens Corning

STORES AND DISTRIBUTORS

Wholesalers: Electronic, Office

1. CDW

2. Arrow Electronics

3. Graybar Electric

4. Tech Data

5. Ingram Micro

Wholesalers: Diversified

1. True Value

2. Airgas

3. Hughes Supply

4. W.W. Grainger

5. Fisher Scientific International

Wholesalers: Food, Grocery

1. Sysco

2. CHS

3. Supervalu

4. United Natural Foods

5. Performance Food Group

Wholesalers: Health Care

1. Henry Schein

2. Cardinal Health

3. McKesson

4. Patterson

General Merchandisers

1. Nordstrom

2. Target

3. Wal-Mart Stores

4. J.C. Penney

5. Federated Department Stores

Specialty Retailers

1. Home Depot

2. Best Buy

3. Costco Wholesale

4. Lowe's

5. Limited Brands

6. Staples

Food and Drug Stores

1. Walgreen

2. Publix Super Markets

3. Safeway

4. Kroger

5. CVS

Food Services

1. Starbucks

2. McDonald's

3. Brinker International

4. CBRL Group

5. Yum Brands

NATURAL RESOURCES

Mining, Crude-Oil Products

1. Apache

2. Peabody Energy

3. Anadarko Petroleum

4. Occidental Petroleum

5. Devon Energy

Metals

1. Worthington Industries

2. Alcoa

3. Nucor

4. Alcan

5. Phelps Dodge

Pharmaceuticals

1. Johnson & Johnson

2. Genentech

3. Amgen

4. Eli Lilly

5. Abbott Laboratories

Packaging, Containers

1. Sealed Air

2. Pactiv

3. Ball

4. Silgan Holdings

5. Bemis

Chemicals

1. DuPont

2. BASF

3. Dow Chemical

4. PPG Industries

5. Bayer

Forest and Paper Products

1. International Paper

2. Weyerhaeuser

3. Georgia-Pacific

4. Plum Creek Timber

5. MeadWestvaco

COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Computers

1. IBM

2. Apple Computer

3. Xerox

4. Hewlett Packard

5. Pitney Bowes

Internet Services, Retailing

1. Google

2. eBay

3. Yahoo

4. IAC/InterActiveCorp

Computer Peripherals

1. EMC

2. Seagate Technologies

3. Lexmark International

Computer Software

1. Intuit

2. Adobe Systems

3. SAP

4. Microsoft

5. Electronic Arts

Telecommunications

1. AT&T Inc.

2. Sprint Nextel

3. Verizon Communications

4. Comcast

5. BellSouth

Network Communications

1. Qualcomm

2. Cisco Systems

3. Motorola

4. Corning

5. Scientific-Atlanta

Information Technology Services

1. Accenture

2. Perot Systems

3. Electronic Data Systems

4. Science Applications Intl.

POWER

Petroleum Refining

1. Exxon Mobil

2. BP

3. Chevron

4. ConocoPhillips

5. Royal Dutch Shell

Electric and Gas Utilities

1. Exelon

2. FPL Group

3. Southern

4. Dominion Resources

5. Entergy

Energy

1. WPS Resources

2. Oneck

3. Duke Energy

4. TXU

5. Williams

Oil and Gas Equipment, Services

1. FMC Technologies

2. Schlumberger

3. Smith International

4. BJ Services

5. Baker Hughes

Pipelines

1. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners

2. Enterprise Products Partners

3. Enbridge Energy Partners

4. Plains All American Pipeline

MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment

1. Walt Disney

2. Univision Communications

3. Time Warner

4. CBS

5. News Corp.

Publishing

1. Washington Post

2. E.W. Scripps

3. New York Times

4. Tribune

5. McGraw Hill

6. Gannett

Hotels, Casinos, Resorts

1. Marriott International

2. Hilton Hotels

3. Harrah's Entertainment

4. MGM Mirage

PRECISION

Semiconductors

1. Texas Instruments

2. Applied Materials

3. Intel

4. Advanced Micro Devices

5. Analog Devices

Electronics

1. General Electric

2. Siemens

3. Emerson Electric

4. Royal Philips Electronics

5. Sony

Medical Products, Equipment

1. Medtronic

2. St. Jude Medical

3. Stryker

4. Becton Dickinson

5. Zimmer Holdings

THINGS THAT MOVE

Airlines

1. Continental Airlines

2. Southwest Airlines

3. AMR

4. Alaska Air Group

5. ExpressJet Holdings

Motor Vehicle Parts

1. Johnson Controls

2. Lear

3. ArvinMeritor

4. Bridgestone

5. Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Industrial and Farm Equipment

1. Illinois Tool Works

2. Deere

3. Caterpillar

4. ITT Industries

5. Black & Decker

6. Ingersoll-Rand

Transportation, Logistics

1. Expeditors International of Washington

2. C.H. Robinson Worldwide

3. Sirva

4. CNF

5. Alexander & Baldwin

Railroads

1. Union Pacific

2. Norfolk Southern

Delivery

1. United Parcel Service

2. FedEx

3. Brink's

Aerospace and Defense

1. United Technologies

2. Lockheed Martin

3. Northrop Grumman

4. General Dynamics

5. Boeing

Trucking

1. YRC Worldwide

2. J.B. Hunt Transport Services

3. Landstar System

4. Werner Enterprises

5. Arkansas Best

Automotive Retailing, Services

1. CarMax

2. United Auto Group

3. AutoNation

4. Lithia Motors

Motor Vehicles

1. Toyota Motors

2. BMW

3. Honda Motor

4. Nissan Motor

5. DaimlerChrysler

3/14/06

LIKEABLE EMPLOYEES MAY HAVE MORE SUCCESS ON THE JOB

A study in the Harvard Business Review found that personal feelings toward an employee play a more important role in forming work relationships than commonly acknowledged. It is even more important than how competent an employee is seen to be.

The Likeability Factor by Tim Sanders explores how having an appealing personality can positively influence life and careers. An appealing personality can positively influence life and careers.

Likeability is the ability to produce a positive emotional experience in someone else, making co-workers feel good about themselves.

LIKEABLE EMPLOYEES ARE FAVORED BY CO-WORKERS

The Harvard Business Review study found that employees don't want to work with someone who is disliked, and it almost doesn't matter how skilled they are.
There is growing recognition that job effectiveness can be undone if an employee is competent but not likeable. Being proficient at job tasks is of little comfort to an organization if an employee alienates clients or other staff.

HOW LIKEABLE AN EMPLOYEE IS CAN INFLUENCE CUSTOMERS

Research has found customers' perceptions of the employees they deal with can influence their overall feelings toward a company.
Nearly 60% of customers say that, when faced with rudeness, they take their business elsewhere, even if it means going out of their way or paying higher prices.

LIKEABILITY CAN HELP CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Likable employees are more likely to get bigger pay raises and promotions. Employees with skills in relationship building are often seen as valuable to an organization.
Some employees say their pleasant personalities have helped them get ahead.

A COLLABORATIVE WORKPLACE

Co-workers who work with a likeable colleague are more comfortable with them, so work tends to be more collaborative.
Some employers say likeable employees are so important that they won't hire anyone they think may have an attitude.

NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF LIKEABILITY

However, likeable employees who like skills or are seen as pushovers can lose out on management opportunities or can be seen as a liability.
Managers who are too likable can get too sociable with subordinates, blurring the line between boss and friend.
Younger Generation X or Generation Y employees can try so hard to be liked that they come across as overly enthusiastic. Being too enthusiastic can irritate management.
Those who have a tendency to say 'yes' all the time in an effort to please can get pushed around. They get assigned too many tasks.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Many employers indicate that although they do not hire just because someone is nice, personality is key.
Personality and likeability can help employees keep their jobs when performance is lacking.
Likeability is more important to some employers than specific skills or experience because you can provide training to compensate for missing skills, but it is almost impossible to compensate for personality.

2/23/06

STUDY SAYS TECH HIRING GROWS

Demand for technology workers in the United States continues to grow in spite of American companies shifting more technology work overseas, according to a new study.

The Association for Computing Machinery, a professional development organization that includes academic, government, and industry officials from the information technology field, released a study Thursday that said that shifting IT jobs to countries like India and China is not nearly the threat to workers here that is commonly believed. The study indicates:

Between 2-3% of IT jobs will be lost annually to lower-wage developing countries through the process of offshoring.
The U.S. IT sector's overall growth should outpace the loss of jobs, expanding opportunities for those trained in fields such as architecture, product design, project management, and IT consulting
Despite losses of IT jobs to India and China, the size of the IT employment market in the U.S. is higher today than it was at the height of the dot.com boom
Information technology appears as though it will be a growth area for at least the coming decade
The U.S. government projects that several IT occupations will be among the fastest growing occupations in the coming decade
The lower wages in India and China are not pushing down pay for U.S. IT workers - average annual wages have seen steady gains for different fields in the sector of between 2 and 5% per year

The study suggests that there are several factors in the continued growth in demand for IT workers in the U.S.:

Use of offshoring, including start-up forms, to limit their costs and grow their businesses, creating more opportunities here even as an increasing amount of work is done overseas
Companies in a variety of sectors in the economy continue to discover greater efficiency and more competitive operations through investment in IT leading to continued demand for IT as underserved fields such as healthcare, retail trade, construction, and certain services make greater investment in technology
The need for even those companies outsourcing to India and China to keep some IT jobs at home to manage job processes that are not routine or need to have face-to-face interaction for a specific job.

One of the greater threats to IT growth in the United States is the belief by many parents and young people that the field does not have good job prospects, which has resulted in a decline in students choosing to study various IT fields. It also sees tighter visa restrictions forcing more IT work offshore because fewer foreign students will be able to come here to study and provide the skilled workers companies are looking for,

2/23/06

JOBLESS CLAIMS DECLINE MORE THAN EXPECTED

The number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell 20,000 last week, a government report showed, emphasizing a vigorous job market.

First-time claims for state unemployment dropped to 278,000 in the week ended February 18th from an upwardly revised 298,00 the prior week.

The four-week moving average of initial claims fell to 281,750 from 283,250.

The number of unemployed who remained on the benefit rolls after an initial week of aid rose 41,000 to 2.5 million in the week of February 11th, the latest period which figures are available.

A return to winter weather after an unusually warm January could tamp down opportunities for finding work.

"So despite the indicator today, the report for February might not be quite as strong as this is suggesting."

2/21/06

WORLDWIDE TALENT SHORTAGE SEEN BY EMPLOYERS

Employers are having difficulty finding the right people to fill jobs despite high unemployment in Europe and the United States, a survey by U.S. based staffing firm Manpower showed. The survey conducted late in January showed that nearly 40% of nearly 33,000 employers in 23 countries across the world are struggling to find qualified job candidates.

Across North America and Asia, the top 3 talent shortages are identical:

Sales Representatives
Engineers
Technicians

Employers are looking for experienced sales representatives who know their industries and can drive revenues. According to the CEO of Manpower, in 10 years many businesses will fail because they have not planned ahead for the talent shortage and will be unable to find the people they need to run their businesses. "This is not a cyclical trend, as we have seen in the past, this time the talent crunch is for real, and it's going to last for decades."

Recruitment firms have benefited from global trends such as outsourcing and better economic growth worldwide.

2/16/06

MOST LUCRATIVE COLLEGE DEGREES IN 2006

So far this academic year, college seniors in most majors are experiencing and increase in starting salary offers, according to a quarterly survey published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers' (NACE).

Topping the list of the highest paid majors were:

MAJOR	SALARY	CHANGE FROM 2005
Chemical Engineering	$55,900	+4.2%
Electrical Engineering	$52,899	+3.5%
Mechanical Engineering	$50,672	-0.3%
Computer Science	$50,046	-2.0%
Accounting	$45,723	+8.2%
Economics / Finance	$45,191	+11.0%
Civil Engineering	$44,999	+4.3%
Business Administration	$39,850	+3.9%
Marketing	$36,260	-3.4%
Liberal Arts Majors	$30,828	+6.1%

Economics / Finance and Accounting experienced the largest growth.

According to this survey, employers planned to hire 14.5% more college grads this year compared to last year.

2/16/06

JOB OPPORTUNITIES GROW IN 2006

The national unemployment rate doesn't predict the future but it is at 4.7% now. In 2005, the national rate averaged about 5%. According to some economists, the strong job growth will be in the first half of the year and then it will taper off.

Economy.com predicts an average of 183,000 new jobs each month in 2006, compared with 174,000 in 2005. In 5 years ending in 2000, the average monthly job gain was 241,000.
Some economists project that the job market will slow in 2007.

Where the jobs will be

The most jobs will be added in:

Restaurants (341,000 jobs)
Industrial Services - including car, uniform, equipment rental agencies, and temp agencies (336,400 jobs)
Medical Services / Healthcare - including hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians' offices (315,800)
Mining - including oil and gas extraction will increase 9.7%
Internet - Google, Yahoo, E-Bay, and Amazon.com - are expected to increase payrolls by 8.2%
Finance companies will grow 5.6% though that growth is not likely to be in the mortgage lending arena
Computer Software and Services will increase by 5.3%
New home building construction jobs will decline by 3.7% but growth in commercial construction as well as reconstruction jobs in hurricane effected areas

WHERE IS THE GREATEST JOB GROWTH

In percentages:

Nevada - 3.6%
Arizona - 3.5%
Florida - 3.4%
Utah - 2.8%
Washington - 2.6%

In absolute numbers the leaders are:

Florida
California
Texas
Virginia

COLLEGE DEGREES PAY OFF

Young Americans wondering which career to focus on should first focus on college.

"The best advice you can give anyone is if you don't have a college degree, go get one, because the demand isn't going to go away. If you have a college degree you are part of the productivity improvement generation. That's what everybody wants to do so we can be globally competitive.

The unemployment rate for those with Bachelor's degrees, in January, was 2.1%, vs 4.4% for those with high school diplomas, and 7% for those without a high school diploma, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2/11/06

IS BIG PHARMA IN BIG TROUBLE?

This article is from an interview with Shereen El Feki in The Economist, titled "Prescription for Change"

The global pharmaceutical industry consists of thousands of companies, including biotech firms, generic drugmakers, contract research organizations, wholesalers, and retailers. On top of them sits "Big Pharma" - a dozen or so multinational firms with headquarters in Europe and America. Their sales account for roughly half of the world's $550B retail drug market. But the pharmaceutical industry is relatively fragmented, with the biggest company, Pfizer, holding less than 10% of the global market.

On the face of it, Big Pharma firms are in a business to die for. Populations in rich countries�and increasingly developing ones too�are getting older, and many people suffer from chronic conditions. Global drug sales have almost doubled since 1997, and will rise to more than $700 billion by 2008. By the standards of other industries, most big pharmaceutical companies are hugely profitable: operating margins are more than 25%, against 15% or so for consumer goods.

But behind the healthy glow, a more worrying picture emerges. In the past few years large drug companies have had trouble with:

Getting new drugs out of their pipelines and into the market
Several high-profile medicines being withdrawn because of safety concerns
Recently, a whole group of drugs, anti-inflammatory medicines both old and new, have run into trouble
Several firms suffering manufacturing problems

Many so-called "blockbuster" drugs - those with more than $1B in global annual sales - have had their patients, their market share, challenged by cheaper generic rivals. Over the next 5 years, a record $70B-worth of drugs will face generic competition in America alone. Drug company sales, which increased 10%-15% a year for most of the 1990s, have slowed to single-digit growth. As a result, investors have shifted their attentions away from pharmaceutical firms, particularly in America, where drugmakers are currently in a worse state than their European peers.

The drug market in the United States is the largest in the world, accounting for 40% of global sales. American drug prices are largely set by the market, which has prompted pharma firms to invest there on a large scale. As a result, they have become a highly visible target for criticism. Europeans care far less about the industry, in part because their drug bills are paid for mainly by their governments, and in part they are shielded from pharmaceutical marketing.

Last year, healthcare spending in America reached an estimated $1.8 trillion, more than 15% of the GDP. Some $200B of that went on prescription drugs. Despite the enormous expenditure, large numbers of Americans are becoming increasing frustrated about the state of healthcare in their country. Many elderly people struggle to pay for their drugs, big companies complain about their medical bills, and 45M people lack health insurance. Over the years, this frustration has in turn been vented on doctors, managed care companies, and hospitals, now it is the drug companies' turn, their public standing having fallen as precipitously as their share price.

Why this anger at companies in the business of making life-enhancing medicines? The following is an excerpt from congressional hearings that summarizes the case against and for Big Pharma, It has been argued that the drug industry / pharmaceutical companies:

Derived a higher rate of return on investment than other American industries
At times have exaggerated their claims for the therapeutic value of certain drugs
Have spent unreasonable portions of their budgets to indoctrinate doctors so that they would prescribe high-priced trademarked products

Americans blame high drug prices on Big Pharmas appetite for profits. Senator Edward Kennedy, a long-time critic of the industry, has a simple formula for categorizing drug firms:

A third of them have the public interest at heart
A third are motivated by greed
A third are somewhere in-between

This is nothing new. The debate over pharma profits and practices has taken place since the 1960s. In the 60s and 70s, the first wave of blockbuster drugs for ulcers and high blood pressure came to market, drugs that treat -- or even prevent -- chronic conditions and are therefore taken for years, This was a fundamental change from an earlier generation of drugs that tackled acute ailments such as bacterial infections. The 1980s brought more new pharmaceuticals, for depression, cancer, and nasty viruses, such as HIV.

By the early 1990s, the prospect of healthcare reform and price controls in America brought gloomy predictions for the industry, but they turned out to be spectacularly wrong. Drugs that had been seen as modest earners, such as cholesterol-lowering statins, became multi-billion dollar blockbusters. Massive marketing campaigns lifted sales, and investors piled in as share prices rose ever higher. Firms flirted with all sorts of businesses before honing in on patented pharmaceuticals as the model for modern big drugmakers. The launch of a few high profile drugs such as Viagra and Lipitor, created a sense of an industry always on the verge of great scientific breakthroughs. And the growth of employer-sponsored health insurance provided a lot more money to pay for it all.

At the same time, white coats started to give away to dark suits in the boardroom as a new generation of CEOs from the commercial side of the business took over from the scientists and doctors. Firms started to concentrate on hitting quarterly earnings forecasts, and mergers became a popular way to cut costs. Drugmakers began to spin out patients to stretch their sales, and became staunch advocates of strong intellectual property rights at home and abroad. Existing drugs were tried out on different diseases, and more drugs of the same feather -- so called "me too" medicines -- poured out of the pipelines.

Much of the mess some of the big pharmaceutical companies have found themselves in over the past few years is a consequence of those heady days. The fruits of new science, such as informatics and genomics, are only now starting to appear, later, as usual, than scientists had hoped for, and size has not helped the big pharmaceutical firms to excel at discovering new drugs.

Marketing practices are now under scrutiny, and drug companies stand accused of rushing drugs to market on the back of inadequate studies and withholding information about their drawbacks from patients and physicians. Drug companies have been slow to recognize that the traditional relationship between experts and the public has changed. Much of the public trust drugmakers enjoyed derived from the doctor-patient relationship, which is central to medicine. Yet that relationship, too, has changed over the past decade. If patients are prepared to question their doctors -- sometimes prompted by pharmaceutical advertising -- they are bound to start questioning the suppliers of those medicines too.

Some critics of the drug industry argue that drugmaking should be taken out of private hands and put in the public domain; after all, many of the basic discoveries that drug companies develop and profit come from universities and government institutes in the first place. But there is little evidence that governments or universities are any better than the private sector at bringing new drugs to market. The public may not like the way drug firms choose to spend their R&D dollars, or how they go about promoting their wares, but at least they have a record of bringing them to market in the first place.

Pressure from investors, buyers, regulators, doctors, and patients is already forcing the world's leading drugmakers to question the way they do business. "The industry was living a little fat and happy," says Sidney Taurel, Eli Lilly's boss. Many firms are now busy cutting costs. Some are diversifying away from primary care to specialist drugs, vaccines, generics, or diagnostics. Some smaller companies may find themselves in mergers over the next few years. Some of the biggest firms might get smaller as they spin off come of their operations, perhaps even their core R&D. It will be harder to tar the whole industry with a Big Pharma brush.

2/11/06

JOB CUTS

Job cuts and outsourcing plans announced recently include:

AUTOMOTIVE

Volkswagen - 20,000
Ford - 25,000 to 30,000 in North America and closing of 14 plants in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in the next 6 years
General Motors - 28,000 by 2008

COMPUTER

Oracle - 2,000 to boost profits after $5.8B takeover of Siebel Systems Inc.
Dell will open its 4th call center in India, adding 5,000 jobs in India over the next to years and increasing its workforce to 15,000; it will also double the jobs, adding 300 at its testing center in Bangalore, Dell currently has 9 plants, 6 of them outside the United States

FOOD

Kraft Foods - 8,000 in addition to 5,500 in the past 2 years, closings of 19 plants, and sales of unwanted units, including Life Savers, Altoids, and Stella D'oro resulting at least in part from higher costs for ingredients like coffee and nuts, packaging, and energy

PHARMACEUTICAL

Job cuts approached 29,000 in 2005, the most since at least 1993 - a sign that big Pharma is in trouble
Merck - 7,000

1/02/06

THREE INDUSTRIES POISED FOR GROWTH IN 2006

Three industries projected to grow in this new year are healthcare, biosciences, and technology. Recruiters and economists say these fields will lead the nation in new job creation in 2006.

According to Moody's Economy.com, projections include:

Computer-Systems-Design and related service companies: 81,000, up 6.8% from 2005
Physicians' Offices: 86,000, up 4% from 2005
Biotech companies: a subset of the bioscience industry: 20,000, up 2.7%
Hospitals: 100,000, up 2.4% from 2005

The most growth in these industries will be seen in rank-and-file clinical and technical jobs, but opportunities for executives and professionals will increase as companies in these fields expand. The forecast comes amid a healthy outlook for the broader senior-level job market, recruiters say.

HEALTH CARE

The healthcare industry will require more employees, largely as a result of the needs of aging baby-boomers. There is also growing popularity for workplace health programs at large companies - companies promoting wellness programs within their organizations are using occupational health nurses to create great work environments.

The most growth in healthcare positions will be for:

Doctors
Nurses
Technicians

There will also be an increased need for business managers and professionals with business focused analytical and strategic skills, including:

Chief Executive Officers
Chief Operating Officers
Chief Nursing Officers
Compliance Officers
Managed Care Directors
Medical Economists
Directors of Business Development

While those in "officer" positions usually need hospital experience, candidates for the other jobs do not necessarily need a hospital background.

BIOSCIENCES

Bioscience industries include medical device, pharmaceutical, and agricultural chemical companies, research and testing firms, and academic health centers. Growth in this industry is also attributed to the needs of aging baby boomers.

Hot jobs in biosciences include:

Scientists for product development teams
Sales / Sales Managers
Marketing
Manufacturing
Quality
Senior Clinical Managers
Global Sourcing Managers

Genentech Inc., a biotechnology company in South San Francisco with about 9,000 employees, expects to recruit at "an aggressive pace" in 2006, citing positive clinical trials as one factor driving recruiting. The company is hiring in research and development, manufacturing, commercialization, and business support.

A science background is usually helpful for breaking into biosciences. One exception might be in sales. "There are just not enough good pharmaceutical sales people, and companies are looking for great candidates who can be taught."

TECHNOLOGY

Recruiters report hiring in a wide range of technology companies, driven by the demand for technological advances in industries as diverse as healthcare, automotive manufacturing, and consumer products.

Among technologies hottest jobs will be:

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications Managers and Teams, which help companies better track business data
Data Integration Project Managers
Global Sourcing Managers
Sales Managers
Senior Executives - including CEOs
Sales / Engineering in wireless, security, storage and Internet protocol communications

Cisco Systems looks for sales personnel with 8-10 years of comparable experience.

11/29/05

MERCK ANNOUNCES ELIMINATION OF 7,000 JOBS - 11% OF WORK FORCE

Merck & Co, the world's fifth largest pharmaceutical company with 63,382 employees, worldwide, announced the elimination of 7,000 employees and the closure of 5 of its 31 drug-making plants, a basic research site, and 2 pre-clinical development sites by 2008. Half of the employees will be from the United States. People who are to lose their jobs by the end of the year will be notified by December 16th.

This is an attempt to reduce costs to match falling sales resulting from withdrawal of the best-selling pain killer Vioxx after a clinical trial linked it to heart attacks and strokes and competition with generic pharmaceuticals. Zocor, its biggest selling and most profitable medicine loses its patent protection in 2006.

Merck's key drugs include:

High cholesterol medications - Zocor, Vytorin, and Zetia
Osteoporosis medication - Fosomax
Asthma and seasonal allergy medication - Singular

Revenues for 2004 were $23 billion and profits were $5.8 billion.

11/21/05

GM WILL ELIMINATE 30,000 JOBS

General Motors Corporation, in an attempt to achieve $7B in cost reductions on a running rate basis by the end of 2006 - $1B above its previously indicated target, announced today that 30,000 manufacturing jobs and 9 assembly, stamping, and powertrain plants in North America will be eliminated and closed by 2008.

It is also anticipated that about 7% of salaried, non-union staff will be cut by the end of 2006, although specific numbers of those were not given.

Plants reportedly will close in:

Doraville, Georgia
Flint, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Ontario, Canada

In addition there will be cutbacks in shifts and production lines in other plants.

11/21/05

THE SAFEST AND MOST DANGEROUS PLACES TO LIVE IN THE U.S.

According to Morgan Quitno Press, the publisher of City Crime Rankings, an annual reference book

SAFEST

Newton, Massachusetts
Clarkstown, New York
Amherst, New York
Mission Viejo, California
Brick Township, New Jersey
Troy, Michigan
Thousand Oaks, California
Round Rock, Texas
Lake Forest, California
Cary, North Carolina

MOST DANGEROUS

Camden, New Jersey
Detroit, Michigan
St. Louis, Missouri
Flint, Michigan
Richmond, Virginia
Baltimore, Maryland
Atlanta, Georgia
New Orleans, Louisiana
Gary, Indiana
Birmingham, Alabama

11/18/05

ARE YOU ADDICTED TO WORK?

What is a workaholic?

It is a person who is driven to put in long hours by internal needs, typically a desire to escape intimacy and social relationships. Workaholics often come from dysfunctional homes and have learned that putting in long hours helps to calm their anxiety about other aspects of life. But like excessive drinking and overeating, workaholism only masks the underlying problem while creating other difficulties.

What is the difference between a hard worker and a workaholic?

A hard worker will sprint at the office, managing large amounts of work efficiently and well. Hard workers know how to relax and enjoy life away from the office and share outside interests with family and friends.
A workaholic constantly thinks and talks about work, even when at home or on vacation. As a result, the workaholic's family suffers, and despite long hours at the office, productivity lags - perfectionism overrides efficiency.

Some say the physical and mental problems stemming from workaholism may cost U.S. companies as much as $160 billion per year.

The divorce rate among workaholics is reportedly 40% higher than the rest of the population.

What are the physical signs of workaholism?

Headaches
Fatigue
Indigestion
Chest Pain
Shortness of breath
Nervous Tics
Dizziness

What are some behavioral signs of workaholism?

Temper outbursts
Restlessness
Insomnia
Difficulty relaxing
Irritability
Impatience
Forgetfulness
Difficulty concentrating
Boredom
Mood swings from euphoria to depression

What kind of bosses do workaholics make?

Typically, workaholics make terrible bosses because they often:

Micromanage subordinates, crushing their creativity and initiative, and making unreasonable demands on them
Are reluctant to promote a rising star, fearing that the up-and-comer might eclipse him at the office due to their own lack of confidence and self-esteem
Create an unpleasant atmosphere that leads to morale problems, burnout, absenteeism, anxiety, and high turnover among subordinates.

Over time, employers don't benefit from workaholics. Hard workers tend to miss fewer days than workaholics, develop better working relationships with others in the office, especially subordinates, and are more efficient.

In Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics Their Partners and Children, and the Clinicians Who Treat Them, Dr. Byron E. Robinson offers this test to determine if you are a workaholic. Do you:

Prefer to do things yourself rather than to ask for help?
Get impatient when you have to wait for someone or when something takes too long?
Seem to be in a hurry and racing against the clock?
Get irritated when interrupted in the middle of doing something?
Keep busy and have many irons in the fire?
Find yourself doing two or three things at one time, such as eating lunch and talking on the phone while writing a memo?
Overcommit yourself to biting off more than you can chew?
Feel guilty when you are not working on something?
Find it important for you to see the concrete results of what you do?
Have more interest in the final result of your work than in the process?
Feel things never seem to move or get done fast enough for you?
Lose your temper when things don't go your way or work out to suit you?
Ask the same questions over again without realizing it after you have already given the answer once?
Spend a lot of time mentally planning and thinking about future events while tuning out the here and now?
Find yourself continuing to work after your co-workers have called it quits?
Get angry when people don't meet your standards of perfection?
Get upset when you are in situations where you cannot be in control?
Tend to put yourself under pressure from self-imposed deadlines when you work?
Have difficulty relaxing when you are not working?
Spend more time working than socializing with friends, or on hobbies or leisure activities?
Dive into projects to get a head start before all of the phases have been finalized?
Get upset with yourself for making even the smallest mistake?
Put more time, thought, and effort into your work than into your relationships with loved ones and friends?
Forget, ignore, or minimize celebrations such as birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, or holidays?
Make important decisions without having all the facts and have a chance to think them through?

11/6/05

JOB GROWTH SLOWER THAN EXPECTED IN OCTOBER

The Labor Department reported a net gain of 56,000 jobs in October, compared with a net loss of 8,000 jobs in the revised September reading. Economists had expected a net gain of 100,000 jobs in the most recent period.

According to the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job loss reported in September was caused by the impact of Hurricane Katrina and the weaker-than-expected number in October was the result of softness in the labor market outside the storm-affected areas. It was suggested that higher oil prices may have reduced employer hiring plans.

The unemployment rate, based on a different survey, improved to 5% from 5.1% in September. Economists had predicted that the unemployment rate would remain the same.

The average hourly wage rose 8 cents, or 0.5%, to $16.27 - up 2.9% in the last 12 months.

Employees paychecks apparently lost ground on prices. A jump in gasoline prices raised the overall Consumer Price Index, the government's key inflation index, up 4.7% over the 12 months ending in September.

STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR SEPTEMBER 2005

RANK	STATE	RATE
1	Hawaii	2.7%
2	Florida	3.5%
2	Idaho	3.5%
2	Virginia	3.5%
5	North Dakota	3.6%
6	Vermont	3.7%
7	Minnesota	3.8%
7	New Hampshire	3.8%
9	Nebraska	3.9%
9	South Dakota	4.0%
11	Alabama	4.0%
12	Delaware	4.1%
12	Maryland	4.1%
12	Wyoming	4.1%
15	Nevada	4.2%
16	New Jersey	4.3%
17	Iowa	4.5%
17	Montana	4.5%
19	Utah	4.6%
19	Wisconsin	4.6%
21	Massachusetts	4.7%
22	Missouri	4.8%
22	Pennsylvania	4.8%
24	Arizona	5.0%
24	Kansas	5.0%
24	Oklahoma	5.0%
27	California	5.1%
27	Colorado	5.1%
27	Tennessee	5.1%
30	Connecticut	5.2%
30	New York	5.2%
32	Georgia	5.3%
32	Indiana	5.3%
32	Maine	5.3%
35	New Mexico	5.5%
35	North Carolina	5.5%
37	Rhode Island	5.6%
37	Washington	5.6%
37	West Virginia	5.6%
40	Arkansas	5.7%
40	Illinois	5.7%
40	Kentucky	5.7%
40	Texas	5.7%
44	Ohio	5.8%
45	District of Columbia	6.1%
45	Oregon	6.1%
47	Michigan	6.4%
48	South Carolina	6.6%
49	Alaska	6.8%
50	Mississippi	9.6%
51	Louisiana	11.5%

10/10/05

HOTTEST BIG CITIES FOR JOBS

Las Vegas and Phoenix are the hottest job markets in the nation, according to the latest rankings from bizjournals and American City Business Journals. Rapid growth in their population and job bases, coupled with low unemployment rates have propelled Las Vegas to first place and Phoenix to second place among America's 87 major labor markets with more than 250,000 jobs.

"People like to be in a place that's doing well, which is certainly the case in Las Vegas and Phoenix," says Howard Wall, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. "But is job growth causing people to move there? Or is population growth creating more jobs? I don't think the two can be separated."

Las Vegas and Phoenix are the hottest job markets in the nation, according to the latest rankings from bizjournals and American City Business Journals. Rapid growth in their population and job bases, coupled with low unemployment rates, have propelled Las Vegas to first place and Phoenix to second place among America's 87 major labor markets:

Las Vegas' workforce expanded 7.7% during the past year, creating 62,700 jobs. No other major market grew faster than 5.6%.
Phoenix picked up 62,800 jobs in the same 12-month period and cut its unemployment rate by more than half of a percentage point.

Washington, D.C., in third place, added the most jobs in the past year, 78,400. "The reason is federal procurement spending. That's what' driving job growth here,". says Stephen Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.

Sarasota, Florida, in fourth place, experienced a job growth rate of 5.6%

Orlando, Florida, in fifth place, had a job growth rate of 4.1%.

At the very bottom of the nation's biggest job markets is Detroit, which lost 6,400 jobs during the past 12 months and has a dismal unemployment rate of 7.7%, surpassed only by Fresno, California's 8.4%.

HOTTEST JOB MARKETS

1.	Las Vegas, NV
2.	Phoenix, AZ
3.	Washington, D.C.
4.	Sarasota, FL
5.	Orlando, FL
6.	New York, NY
7.	Boise, ID
8.	Seattle, WA
9.	Tampa - St. Petersburg, FL
10.	Miami, FL
11.	Honolulu, HI
12.	Los Angeles, CA
13.	Charlotte, NC
14.	Salt Lake City, UT
15.	Tucson, AZ
16.	Jacksonville, FL
17.	Austin, Texas
18.	Dallas - Fort Worth, TX
19.	Des Moines, IA
20.	Minneapolis- St. Paul, MN

COLDEST JOB MARKETS (from worst to better)

1.	Detroit, MI
2.	Jackson, MS
3.	Dayton, OH
4.	Cleveland, OH
5.	New Haven, CT
6.	Baton Rouge, LA
7.	Toledo, OH
8.	Memphis, TN
9.	Akron, OH
10.	Rochester, NY
11.	Cincinnati, OH
12.	Columbus, OH
13.	Bridgeport, CT
14.	Columbia, SC
15.	Pittsburgh, PA
16.	Louisville, KY
17.	El Paso, TX
18.	Hartford, CT
19.	Greenville, SC
20.	New Orleans, LA

10/1/05

CHALLENGING JOBS MAY LOWER THE RISK OF ALZHEIMER'S

People with challenging jobs may may have to work hard, but the payoff could be some protection against Alzheimer's disease later in life, new research suggests.

In the study of more than 10,000 Swedish adults who were part of a twin registry, researchers found that people with a history of "complex" work had a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. The same held true among twin pairs in which one was affected by Alzheimer's nut the other was not -- a situation that factors in the influence of genes and upbringing.

The findings suggest that complex jobs may provide some mental exercise that helps delay the onset of dementia later in life, sad the study's lead author, Dr. Ross Andel of the University of South Florida in Tampa.

The study found that the complexity of the worker's interactions with other people - with teaching as an example of higher complexity -- showed the strongest link to lower Alzheimer's risk. Men and women with the most challenging jobs in this regard were 22% less likely to develop the disease compared with those with the least complex work.

These individuals also had a slightly lower risk of all forms of dementia, according to findings published in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences.

Scientists speculate that people who stay mentally engaged throughout their lives may have a greater "cognitive reserve" that allows them to withstand more of the brain damage seen in Alzheimer's disease before symptoms begin.

Overall, people whose main lifetime occupation required more complex interpersonal relationships, such as managing people, making negotiations, or dealing with customers -- were less likely to have Alzheimer's disease.

Among twins discordant for dementia, there was some evidence that complex work with data -- compiling, organizing, or analyzing information, for instance -- was protective.

Complex work was related to lower Alzheimer's risk regardless of a person's education, the researchers found.

The findings fit in with other research that has linked higher education, as well as mentally stimulating leisure activities like reading and doing crossword puzzles, to lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

9/19/05

JOB SITES FOR HURRICANE KATRINA SURVIVORS

Several Web sites are offering postings from employers eager to hire those left without jobs by Hurricane Katrina, including:

www.craigslist.org - the hub for a network of 175 local classified ad Web sites, lists from employers throughout the U.S. with more than 1,000 ads for jobs from entry to senior level. To find jobs in a particular location, choose from a list of cities on the site's homepage, and search the job listings using the keyword "Katrina." A section called "Katrina Relief" lists temporary-employment opportunities.

www.langsheatingandair.com - Lang's Heating & Air Conditioning in Hilton Head, SC is advertising openings for 7 technicians on craigslist. They will pay for relocation and up to 120 days of housing. To apply, call collect 1 (843) 681-6824, or complete the online form at their web site. At least 2 years experience is required for heating and air conditioning technician jobs and 5 years for refrigeration technician jobs.

www.katrinajobrelief.com - a site for which more than 50 industry associations and trade groups across the country are inviting members and others to post jobs for evacuees at no cost. Job hunters can post their r�sum�s at the site for free. Recently, about 2,850 ads were found, 700 from Florida employers. Salaries range from minimum wage to about $100K annually. Most jobs are in healthcare and skilled labor.

www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs - a job board published by the U.S. Department of Labor, from America's Job Bank, is advertising temporary clean-up, recovery, and reconstruction positions open to all job seekers. Employers can post ads at no cost. During a recent visit, 37,000 jobs in a variety of fields were offered. It is free to post your r�sum� and store cover letters.

www.americanstaffing.net - a database of 7,500 staffing agencies nationwide pledged to help Katrina survivors find jobs. Jobs available are in healthcare, office / clerical, technical, information technology, professional/management, and industrial occupations. Full and part-time jobs are available from entry to senior level.

www.katrinahospitalityjobs.com - postings include 65,000 jobs from entry to senior level in restaurants, resorts, hotels, retail companies, and executive search firms.

www.houstonemployment.com - 200 ads were recently posted from minimum wage to $85K annually in a wide range of fields.

www.AttorneyAssist.org - lists jobs, housing, and office space for law professionals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The site is from the Atlanta Bar Association and ads are free to post. Recently, 90 jobs were listed. Katrina survivors can post a brief profile about their employment, housing, or other needs.

www.BirminghamEmployment.com - about 100 jobs for Katrina survivors in fields such as sales, transportation, hospitality, information technology, engineering, and others are posted.

www.laworks.net/jobs - the Louisiana Department of Labor provides a list of employment opportunities with a search category near the bottom called "Hurricane Katrina." It includes about 200 jobs in a variety of industries. Narrow your results by searching for openings in a specific parish, district, or other specific area.

www.Memphistravel.com/ jobs - the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau has an alphabetical list of about 100 local employers offering jobs from Katrina survivors.

8/19/05

LARGE TURNOVER EXPECTED IN TEACHING RANKS

Forty percent of public school teachers plan to exit the profession within five years, the highest rate since at least 1990.

The rate is expected to be even greater among high school teachers, half of whom plan to be out of teaching by 2010, according to the National Center for Education Information.

Retirement is the dominant factor. In 1996, 24% of teachers were age 50 or older. By 2005, 42% of teachers are 50 or older.

The expected turnover rate will deprive school districts of an enormous amount of teaching experience just as the U.S. pushes to get a top instructor in every class.

The proportion of teachers with at least 25 years in the classroom has more than doubled in the last 15 years, from 12% to 27%. The teacher corps has grown older across the board because more people are moving into the field in their 30s and 40s.

School districts are expanding their recruitment beyond colleges of education to other career fields, where experts in math, science, and other subjects are being trained to teach. Broadening this pool of prospective teachers will help fill the void of retiring teachers.

Younger people remain a big force in public teaching, with one in three teachers 39 or younger. But many of those teachers no longer think of teaching as a 30-year career.

Overall, 83% of teachers say they are satisfied with their jobs, a level that has held steady over the last 15 years.

Reasons for considering leaving teaching include:

Retirement:
Concerns over pay
Dissatisfaction with school bureaucracy
Plans to work in another education job

8/18/05

JOBS LINKED TO DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISEASES

Research findings of a study of 2.6 million U.S. death records from 22 states from 1992 to 1998 and published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine suggest that a wide range of occupations, from farming to teaching, may be potential risk factors for degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, Presenile Dementia, and motor neuron diseases. Of all deaths for those years, just over 4% were attributed, at least in part, to neurodegenerative disease.

Many could be explained by on-the-job exposures to chemicals that farmers, welders, and hairdressers routinely use or inhale. Other findings, such as the elevated risks among teachers, clergy, and bank researchers, are not easily explained, according to the researchers, led by Robert M. Park of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

Highest risk for Alzheimer's disease were:

Bank Tellers
Clergy
Aircraft Mechanics
Hairdressers.

Highest risk for Parkinson's disease were:

Biological Scientists
Teachers
Clergy and other religious workers

Highest risk for Presenile Dementia, a form of dementia that arises before the age of 65 were:

Dentists
Graders and Sorters in industries other than agriculture
Clergy

Highest risk for motor neuron disease, the most common of which is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also know as Lou Gehrig's disease:

Veterinarians
Hairdressers
Graders and Sorters

These diseases are marked by progressive, irreversible damage to cells of the central nervous system. It is thought that genes influence susceptibility to the conditions, but growing evidence also points to environmental factors, including some on-the-job exposures:

Farmers exposed to pesticides have been shown in some studies to have a higher-than-average risk of Parkinson's disease, as have welders exposed to fumes containing the mineral manganese. Both of these occupations were assocuated with Parkinson's in the current study as well.
Hairdressers were at increased risk of death from Alzheimer's disease, presenile dementia, and motor neuron disease, suggesting a role for hair dyes, solvents, or other chemicals used in salons.
Dentists and dental assistants are exposed to mercury or synthetic substances used in dental work.
Veterinarians may be exposed to some yet-identified chemical or biological substance.

Higher risks among teachers and clergy "are difficult to interpret," according to Park. One possibility is that people in professional jobs have lower risks of common, lifestyle-related diseases like heart disease, which makes them more likely than others to die of a neurogenerative disorder.

6/23/05

GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE GLOBAL LABOR MARKET AND OFFSHORING

According to a recent article in Fortune, in theory more than 1/10th of the developed world's service jobs could be outsourced to low-wage countries like China and India. But in reality just 1% will be shipped out by 2008, predicts a new McKinsey Global Institute study. That adds up to 4.1 million jobs, which sounds like a lot until one considers that an average of 4.6 million people started a new job every month in the U.S. alone in the 12 months ending March 2005.

Additionally, the size of the available talent pool offshore isn't as large as you might think. Only a fraction of those dirt-cheap engineers, financiers, accountants, scientists, and other professionals churned out by universities in China, India, and elsewhere can be put to use effectively by multinational corporations anytime soon. The big problems include:

Inadequate foreign language proficiency
Lack of practical skills
Unwillingness to move for a job
Limited or no access to airports and other transportation networks

6/21/05

ENCOURAGING JOB MARKET FOR NEW COLLEGE GRADUATES

The job market for new graduates is up 13% over last year after 3 bad years because of an improvement in the economy and because the retirement of the leading edge of the baby boom generation.

The hottest job sectors, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers are:

Engineering
Accounting and Finance
Anything to do with computers
Nursing
Teaching

The job market is still very competitive and new grads will have to be able to back up their resumes and be able to talk about activities, projects, and leadership roles.

47% of those surveyed said they plan to pay more and 49% plan to maintain salaries at last year's levels.
Fewer employers are offering medical benefits.

6/21/05

MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES

An annual report released in London Monday ranked cities based on the comparative cost of 200 items including housing, public and private transport, food, clothing, and entertainment.

Surveys are conducted in 144 cities every March. All cities are compared to New York, which is automatically given a ranking of 100, Tokyo in comparison scored 135.

According to the survey, the cities with the highest cost of living include:

Tokyo, Japan
Osaka, Japan
London, England
Moscow, Russia
Seoul, South Korea
Geneva, Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland
Copenhagen, Denmark
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Oslo, Norway
Milan, Italy
Paris, France
New York, USA
Dublin, Ireland
St. Petersburg, Russia
Vienna, Austria
Rome, Italy
Stockholm. Sweden
Beijing, China
Sydney, Australia
Helsinki, Finland
Douala, Cameroon
Istanbul, Turkey
Amsterdam, Netherlands (tie), Budapest, Hungary (tie)

South America was home to the least expensive cities, with Asuncion, Paraguay the cheapest of all surveyed cities.

6/10/05

THE FIVE MOST DANGEROUS JOBS FOR TEENAGERS

The National Consumers League listed the five most dangerous jobs for teenagers:

Agricultural Work - accounted for 42% of work related fatalities of young workers between 1992 and 2000
Construction Work
Outdoor jobs in Landscaping, Groundskeeping, and Lawn Services
Work involving Tractors and All-Terrain Vehicles
Traveling Door-to-Door Selling of candy, magazine subscriptions, and other items - questionable crew transportation and crew leaders with criminal records

6/5/05

JOB GROWTH WEAKENS IN MAY

U.S. employers added the fewest jobs to payrolls in nearly 2 years in May, according to the Labor Department. Employers reportedly added only 78,000 jobs in May, down sharply from the 274,000 jobs added in April.

The generally lackluster report surprised economists. Before the report was released, they were predicting jobs to grow by around 175,000 and the jobless rate to hold steady at 5.2% in May.

The average time that the unemployed spent in their search for work in May was 18.8 weeks, an improvement from the 19.6 weeks registered in April.

Manufacturers cut 7,000 jobs in May, following a loss of 9,000 in April.
Leisure and hospitality companies eliminated 6,000 jobs in May, compared to adding 63,000 jobs in April.
Professional and business services cut 1,000 jobs in May, compared to an increase of 33,000 in April.
Retailers added more than 10,000 jobs in May, a deceleration from the nearly 27,000 added in April.
Construction companies added 20,000 in May, compared to 48,000 in April.

5/7/05

JOB GROWTH INCREASES IN APRIL

The government reported yesterday that the nation's employers generated an unexpectedly large number of jobs, 274,000, in April, and gave existing employees additional hours of work.

The employment report was the most positive news about the economy in weeks. Some analysts think these employment numbers are an indication that all the worry about the economy experiencing a significant soft patch has been exaggerated.

Employment rose across all sectors except manufacturing. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics also revised its estimates for February and March adding 93,000 jobs - enough to erase the impression that job growth had faltered, particularly in March.

The unemployment rate last month was 5.2%, unchanged from March but well below the 6.3% of nearly two years ago.

For the broad group of workers below management ranks, hourly wages were up 5 cents, to $16 an hour, and up 2.7% over the last year. That was not enough to keep up with a 3.1% annual inflation rate, but the average number of hours worked in a week rose for the first time this year, and the increase in pay that resulted brought average weekly pay to $542, a rise of 3.3% in the last 12 months.

A slowdown in the growth of labor productivity contributed to the surge in hiring, economists said, as employers moved to keep up with demand for their goods and services by adding workers and hours.

But for all the surge in hiring, there was evidence in April that the number of people hunting for jobs was greater than the demand for their services.

The average time that the unemployed spent in their search rose from 19.5 weeks in March to 19.6 weeks in April.

It would be better to see even faster growth so that the labor market would tighten up more quickly. That is not likely to happen because the great majority of the unemployed are under the age of 45. They dropped out of the labor force when job rolls were shrinking in the early years of the recovery and are now returning. They have come back because they are young and must work but we have a a couple of years of strong hiring before we are back and full employment and the labor market becomes tight again.

Job creation in April including:

Construction	47,000 workers
Restaurants, Bars, Coffee Shops	35,000
Health Care	25,000
Telephone Companies	9,000
Movie and Television Production	7,000

Jobs lost included 6,000 in manufacturing.

The employment report was not the only news this week suggesting that the recent dip in the economy may be temporary. While Ford and General Motors continued to lose ground to their competitors, overall auto sales rose in April despite high gasoline prices.

Overall, the biggest short-term risk is that oil prices are up. But, according to one economist, job growth is brisk and that will feed into consumer spending.

4/6/05

BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOBS IN 2005

Those searching for jobs in 2005 who were hoping for better news than 2004 have not had much to celebrate so far. The unemployment rate at 5.2% is the lowest in more than three years but a big reason is the number of people who have simply given up looking is almost 20% higher than a year ago.

Corporate cutbacks continue as the latest merger boom does its downsizing thing. And the number of new jobs created has dropped in recent months.

The broader economic outlook includes big government deficits, high fuel prices, and brutal competition from low-wage locales like China and India, none of which is good for jobs in the U.S.

But for all that said, certain sectors of the job market are hot. Areas where help will be most wanted include:

Auditing - Thanks to the post-Enron Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which makes executives sign off on financial statements, more and more number crunchers are joining corporate payrolls. Few are more sought out than internal auditors whose starting salaries are up about 10% over a year ago.
Corporate Law - Sarbanes-Oxley and merger mania are fueling demand here too. Lawyers who specialize in securities and corporate transactions are getting signing bonuses for the first time since the dotcom days.
Construction - Continuing low interest and firing the home-building industry, but a commercial building boom is further igniting competition for architects, engineers, and contractors. Most of the action is in hospitals and health care facilities, colleges and universities, and high-end hotels both in the U.S. and overseas.
Health Care - As the nation's 76 million baby boomers age, the number of health care jobs grows. Nearly one million will be added in the next three years, predicts Global Insight. Most in demand are nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists.

4/2/05

JOB GROWTH WEAKER THAN EXPECTED IN MARCH

The unemployment rate dipped slightly in March, the government said on Friday, but job creation was weaker than most analysts had expected.

Only 110,00 new jobs were added last month, about half the number that Wall Street analysts had predicted, and the unemployment rate declined to 5.2% from 5.4% in February.

The pace of job creation was much slower in February, when the economy added 243,000 jobs, and it was the smallest increase in employment since last July.

Over all, the Labor Department report suggested a continuation of the unusually slow job recovery that has been under way over the last two years.

The United States lost about 2.7 million jobs during and after the recession of 2001, and employment had recovered in fits and starts in the last two years. About 3.1 million jobs have been added since May 2003, and the unemployment rate has declined from a high of 6.3%.

But wages have not kept up with inflation, suggesting that workers still have little bargaining power even as corporate profits have soared.

Hourly wages and average weekly earnings climbed 2.6% over the last year, while consumer prices climbed 3%.

New claims for unemployment insurance have climbed for the last three weeks, after trending downward for months, and hit 350,000 last week. Economists say fewer than 400,000 claims a week are an indicator of rising employment, but the recent uptick has raised doubts about the strength of job creation.

The biggest job losses were in:

- Retail - 10,000 jobs

- Manufacturing - 8,000 jobs
Factory employment, where most of the recent job losses have occurred, remains stagnant. Manufacturers have restored only a small fraction of the jobs they shed from 2001 through 2003.

The biggest job gains came in construction and service industries:

- Business and professional services - 27,000 jobs

- Education and healthcare - 23,000 jobs

The latest payroll figure was particularly disappointing after the robust growth in February, when employers added 243,000 jobs. In the economic expansion of the late 1990s, the economy regularly added 250,000 to 300,000 jobs a month and sometimes far more.

Rising gasoline prices weakened consumer spending last summer, though economic growth continued to be strong throughout 2004, and some forecasters worry about a slowdown this summer.

Robert J. Barbera, chief ec