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Job Seekers Newsletter
August 2008
Welcome Everyone!
As we enter the last five months of the year, the job market continues to indicate a slower growth period for jobs. We wish you the best of success for your job search! Our site and resources, plus the leadership of the job support groups, are here to help.
Comments About the U.S. Job Market
Comments From survey resources:
The Conference Board conducts studies and prepares reports on US employment trends. Employment Index:
- Employment trends index fell 0.9% in July to 112.1 from June's reading of 113.1. Compared to July 2007, the index is down more than 7.5%.
"This economy remains too weak to stem the monthly loss in jobs," said Gad Levanon, senior economist at The Conference Board. "Unless the labor market turns around soon, unemployment could pass 6% in early 2009." For a copy of the Press Release, click here.
Advertised Job Vacancies:
- In July 2008, there were 3,864,100 online advertised job vacancies, down 330,800 from June's level of 4,194,900 (revised), a decline that is larger than seasonally expected for this month.
In July, job ads continued to run below year ago levels (220,100 or 5.4 percent below the July 2007 level). This is the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year declines for the nation as whole. The monthly national decrease in advertised vacancies between June and July 2008 reflected declines in ads in all nine Census regions. Online advertised vacancies in six of the nine Census regions were below last year's July levels. The six regions with over-the-year declines were the New England, Middle Atlantic! , South Atlantic, East North Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions.
Watson Wyatt survey
A Watson Wyatt survey of employers found that 33 percent of respondents have not made any formal contingency plans for future economic downturns. Two out of three U.S. employers, however, have at least one formal contingency planning activity in place. Options are:
- Layoffs (52 percent),
- Restructuring the organization (46 percent),
- Hiring freeze of additional workers (39 percent),
- Granting smaller pay raises (27 percent) and
- Freezing salaries (13 percent).
Comment: Our favorite measure of the job market is Recruiters. Despite the up, down, sometimes sideways movement of monthly job data this year, the unemployment rate of Recruiters is close to zero percent. Recruiters are the first people to lose their jobs in a genuine, widespread economic slowdown. That is not happening. As we have noted in previous newsletters, 2008 is the so far, so good year for jobs!
Alliance Partners
We support the following resources in service to job seekers:
- HACEUSA, a professional Hispanic Association
- Career Concepts USA: Job Fair resource
Networking Tip Of The Month
Article on the Resume-Interview Connection...
In 2002, Careerbuilder.com published an article focused on the continuity of the job search process. The article highlights:
- Job specifications
- Resume design
- Phone Screen content
- Interview focus
To view the full article: The Resume-Interview Connection
Networking Group of the Month
Latter Day Saints Employment Resource Services
The LDS church has been conducting job support programs via Career Centers since the 1930s. At present, there are career centers operating in 36 states to serve the needs of job seekers. For more information, and to find a center near you, please go to www.ldsjobs.org
Important Information
Leaders: please review your Job Support Group web page and see if all information is accurate and up-to-date. Please send any corrections to work@workministry.com.
Remember networkers: once you have landed your job, complete our landings survey.
Quote of the Month
“Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart.”
—Alexander Solzhenitsyn RIP
A Prayer While You Are In Transition
The will of God for your life is simply that you submit yourself to Him each day and say, "Father, Your will for today is mine. Your pleasure for today is mine. Your work for today is mine. I trust You to be God. You lead me today and I will follow."
- Kay Arthur
We hope you have enjoyed this month's Newsletter!
The Work Ministry Team
Contact us at work@workministry.com
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