The Burgh Works

Pittsburgh Unemployment Down to 6.9% in December

2012-02-01T08:11:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG (JANUARY 31) – In December, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was down two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.9 percent. The local rate remained below Pennsylvania’s rate (7.6%), which fell three-tenths of a percentage point, and the United States’ rate (8.5%), which was down two-tenths of a percentage point.

Over the year, the Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was down a full percentage point, while Pennsylvania’s rate and the national rate were both down nine-tenths of a percentage point.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA was tied for the 5th lowest unemployment rate in December. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.4%) had the lowest rate while Fayette County (8.6%) had the highest rate.

Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.1 percent in Centre County to 11.5 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose 5,200 in December to 1,156,300, the highest level since April 2001. December marked the tenth increase in 2011. Pennsylvania’s nonfarm job count increased by 6,500 in December to 5,699,100, the highest level since January 2009. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 26,600 (2.4%) from December 2010, while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 59,200 (1.0%) from last year’s level.

Pittsburgh MSA service-providing jobs rose 4,200 in December, establishing a new record level of 1,016,900 jobs. Trade, transportation, & utilities (+5,200) accounted for a majority of the service-providing jobs increase as local retailers continued to add seasonal employment.

Leisure & hospitality and education & health services supersectors incurred the largest over-the-month declines, down 900 jobs each. Both declines were expected as leisure & hospitality generally shows a sizable decline in December, and education & health services typically experiences a reduction in employment due to the ending of the fall school semester.

Over the year, education & health services (+10,400) and trade, transportation, & utilities (+7,700) have provided the greatest job growth, while government (-1,000) and information (-200) have experienced the largest employment declines.

U.S. gains 200,000 jobs in December!

2012-01-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate fell for the fourth month in a row, the government said Friday, in a fresh sign the economy is picking up and businesses are more willing to hire.

The increase in jobs last month — the fourth biggest gain of 2011 — suggests the U.S. is entering the new year with renewed vigor. Faster hiring puts more money in the hands of consumers and usually leads to an increase in spending. That’s a big deal since consumer spending accounts for as much as 70% of economic growth.

The unemployment rate edged down to 8.5% from an upwardly revised 8.7% in November, the Labor Department said.

The U.S. was expected to add 150,000 jobs and the jobless rate was forecast to rise to 8.7% from an initially reported 8.6% in November, according to a MarketWatch survey of economists.

Read more: http://bit.ly/yKpXgw

PITTSBURGH MSA UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN TO 7.0%

2011-12-05T17:41:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG (DECEMBER 1) – In October, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) fell four-tenths of a percentage point to 7.0 percent, the second consecutive decline of four-tenths of a percentage point.

The local rate remained below Pennsylvania’s rate (8.1%) which fell two-tenths of a percentage point and the United States’ rate (9.0%) which was down one-tenth of a percentage point. Over the year, the Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was down nine-tenths of a percentage point, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down four-tenths of a percentage point, and the national rate fell seven-tenths of a percentage point over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA was ranked as the 5th lowest unemployment rate in October. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.4%) had the lowest rate while Fayette County (8.7%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.3 percent in Centre County to 11.2 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose 8,400 in October to 1,149,600. October tied for the third largest employment increase on record. Statewide jobs also showed growth, up 13,800 to 5,690,900. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 21,600 (1.9%) from October 2010, while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 54,500 (1.0%) from last year’s level.

Pittsburgh Region's Unemployment Rate Declines

2011-11-01T07:22:00.001-04:00

Unemployment in the Pittsburgh region fell in September, a sign the economy is improving as employers add more jobs, experts said.

The jobless rate in the seven-county region declined to 7.4 percent, down 0.4 of a percentage point from 7.8 percent in August, the first decline after four months of rate increases, the state said today.

"This is a good report. The economy is going upstream. We're still not at 2007 and 2008 (pre-recession) levels, but we're not that far from there," said Frank Gamrat, an economist and senior research associate for the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a Castle Shannon think tank.

The jobless rate fell mainly because schools reopened and rehired staff, adding 7,200 jobs, state and area economists said. Another big jump came in the transportation and warehousing sector, which added 3,400. On the negative side, wholesale and retail trades lost 3,400.

The region -- Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties -- continued a trend of year-over-year job increases. There were almost 13,000 more jobs in September than a year ago, increasing the total to 1.147 million, the state Center for Workforce Information and Analysis said in its report.

In September, Pennsylvania's jobless rate was 8.3 percent and the national rate was 9.1 percent.

Not all the region's economic news was good.

While the region's jobs picture is better off than a year ago, Harold Miller, president of Future Strategies LLC, a Downtown consulting firm, said the rate of regional growth slowed a bit from August to September, compared to pre-recession levels of September 2008.
Local schools experienced the job increases from August to September, but there were 2,700 fewer total local education jobs than a year ago, which is likely the results of cutbacks caused by the reduction in state funding, Miller said.

"We are slowly creeping back up," Miller said. "It was pretty much a typical September. It was pretty weak on the government side."

The manufacturing sector, where the region had lost 12,000 jobs in the recession, has added 3,300 jobs since the recession ended in July 2009, bring its total to 89,600 jobs in September, Miller said.

"We're adding jobs, but the jobs are not coming back where we lost them," Miller said, about the shrinking number of manufacturing jobs.

Read more: Region's unemployment rate declines - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_764828.html

Do Employers Screen Applicants Using Social Networks? You Bet!

2011-10-27T09:19:00.001-04:00

A recent survey conducted by Reppler asked 300 employers questions about if and how they have used social networks to screen candidates.
Reppler is a social media monitoring service designed to help users manage their online image across different social networks. It does so by showing users how they are perceived across social networks, by telling users the makeup of their social network connections, and by identifying any potential issues and risks. Reppler is a free service and supports various social networking services, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Here are the results:
Click on the image to enlarge

For more information visit the Reppler Website by clicking here

Pittsburgh MSA Unemployment Rate Ticks Up To 7.4% In July

2011-08-30T08:54:00.003-04:00

HARRISBURG(AUGUST 30) –In July, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county PittsburghMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.4percent. The local rate was below Pennsylvania’s rate (7.8%) and the UnitedStates’ rate (9.1%). The Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was downfive-tenths of a percentage point from July 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate wasdown eight-tenths of a percentage point and the national rate was downfour-tenths over the same period.

Amongthe commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA had the sixth lowestunemployment rate in July. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.9%) hadthe lowest rate and Fayette County (9.4%) had the highest rate. AmongPennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 6.1 percent inCentre County to 11.0 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonallyadjusted totalnonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose 2,900 in July to 1,143,100. July marked the sixthmonthly increase in seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the 2011 calendaryear. Statewide jobs also trended positively, adding 8,700 in July to5,693,200. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 14,600 (1.3%) from July 2010,while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 70,500 (1.3%) from the previous year’s level.

Goods-producingjobs in the Pittsburgh MSA fell by 100 in July to 152,900. July’sgoods-producing decline followed four consecutive months of increases of atleast 3,000. Construction continued to show growth (+600), and has now shownpositive movements for five consecutive months. Manufacturing accounted for theonly goods-producing decline, ending a four-month positive trend. Over theyear, goods producers have added 3,800 jobs, with manufacturing (+1,500),mining & logging (+1,200), and construction (+1,100) all showing increasesbeyond previous year’s levels.

Service-providingjobs fell 10,900 in July, returning below the one million job mark. Governmentprovided the steepest decline in July, carried by a seasonal job loss in publicschools. The local government decline of 11,900 was slightly larger than theprevious five-year average decline of 10,300. Trade, transportation, andutilities experienced the second largest over-the-month job decline, down1,800. This decline was associated with school bus transportation, and wasrelatively minor compared to the previous five-year average decline. Professional& business services provided the largest July increase, adding 1,700 jobsand matching the supersector record level of 163,200 set in July of 2008.Leisure & hospitality added 600 jobs in July, establishing a new all-timehigh level of 116,200.

Overthe year, five out of the eight service providing supersectors have showngrowth. Trade, transportation, & utilities (+4,800), professional &business services (+3,300), and education & health services (+3,000) haveprovided the greatest over-the-year increases. Conversely, government (-2,700),information (-300), and other services (-100) have experienced declines fromthe previous year’s levels.

Comcast Cable Introduces Low Cost Internet Service Plan For Disadvantaged Families In Pittsburgh

2011-08-16T12:51:00.003-04:00

As the nation’s largest Internetservice provider, Comcast is spearheading an ambitious and comprehensivebroadband adoption experiment called Internet Essentials.
The goal of Internet Essentials is tohelp close the digital divide and ensure more Americans benefit from all thatthe Internet as to offer. It is available to families with children who receivea free school lunch as part of their enrollment in the NationalSchool Lunch Program in more than 4,000 school districts in 39 states plus theDistrict of Columbia.

While participating in InternetEssentials, participants receive:

• Low-cost Internet for $9.95 a month(plus applicable taxes);

• No price increases, no activationfees, or equipment rental fees;

• A voucher redeemable to purchase alow-cost computer ($149.99 + tax) given at initial enrollment;

• Access to free digital literacytraining in print, online or in-person.

Internet Essentials customers alsoreceive Norton™ Security Suite ($160 value) for comprehensive online security,at no additional charge.

Essentials will become availableduring the 2011-2012 “Back to School” season. A household is eligible toparticipate in Internet Essentials if it meets all of the following criteria:

• Is located where Comcast offersInternet service;

• Has at least one child who receivesa free school lunch as part of his/her enrollment in the National School Lunch Program;

• Has not subscribed to ComcastInternet service within the last 90 days;

• Does not have an overdue Comcastbill or unreturned equipment.

Comcast will accept new programparticipants through the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

For general information about InternetEssentials, visit: www.InternetEssentials.com (for English) and www.InternetBasico.com (for Spanish). Foreducators or community-based program leaders, visit: www.InternetEssentials.com/partner.For parents looking to enroll in the program, call 1-855-846-8376 or forSpanish call 1-855-765-6995.

Monster Employment Index For Pittsburgh Reaches Record High Level For July!

2011-08-05T14:24:00.006-04:00

The Monster Employment Index, which measures the number ofjob postings across a broad spectrum of job boards and compares that number toa base year of 2003, reached a record level for Pittsburgh at 169 for July.

Some of the strongestPittsburgh employment categories include “Business and Financial Operations”, “Communityand Social Services”, “Healthcare Support”,“Food Preparation and Serving”, “Building, Grounds Cleaning, Maintenance” and “Transportationand Material Moving.

Nationwide the Labor Departmentreported that 117,000 jobs were created in July with the prior two monthsestimates increased by a combined 54,000 jobs.

For a complete breakdown of boththe local and national employment indexes please click here.

U.S. added 117,000 jobs in July. Not huge but FAR better than many feared! Previous 2 months revised higher as well!

2011-08-05T10:53:00.003-04:00

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. added 117,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 9.1%, the government said Friday, in a better-than-expected report that appeared to temporarily calm jittery financial markets.

The report will reduce fears that the U.S. is heading toward recession,” said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.
Yet while employers hired more workers than economists expected, the gain wasn’t big enough to put a dent in disappointing labor-market trends.

The jobless rate has stayed above 8% for 30 straight months, the longest stretch of high unemployment since the Great Depression in the 1930s. What’s more, the drop in the unemployment rate in July stemmed mainly from a decline in the labor force as discouraged job seekers stopped looking for work.

During times of rapid growth, the U.S. typically adds at least 200,000 jobs a month, but much larger increases would be required for months on end to yank the unemployment rate back down to pre-recession levels.

Read More Here

Pittsburgh Unemployment Rate Rises in June. How That Can Be A Positive!

2011-08-02T12:46:00.009-04:00

HARRISBURG (AUGUST 2)

Number of jobs offered during June enjoyed a healthy increase (8,800) which enticed more people to enter the job market. This was the cause of the unemployment rate going up. There were more jobseekers entering the job market than the number of jobs added.
– In June, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose three-tenths of a percentage point to 7.3%.
The local rate was below Pennsylvania’s rate (7.6%) and the United States’ rate (9.2%). The Pittsburgh’s MSA unemployment rate was down six-tenths of a percentage point from June 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down 1.1 percentage points and the national rate was down three-tenths of a percentage point over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA had the sixth lowest unemployment rate in June. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.9%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (9.0%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.7 percent in Centre County to 11.2 percent in Cameron County.
Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose 8,800 in June to 1,140,600. This month’s increase followed a May decline of 7,900. Statewide jobs were down 2,600 in June to 5,676,900. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 14,100 (1.3%) from June 2010, while Pennsylvania’s jobs rose 46,400 (0.8%) from the previous year’s level.

June Industry Detail (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose by 4,600 in June to 153,200For the fourth consecutive month, all three goods-producing supersectors showed over-the-month increases. Construction continued to show seasonal growth, up 3,200, while manufacturing added 1,200 jobs and mining & logging was up 200. Over the year, goods producers have added 5,800 jobs, with manufacturing (+2,700), construction (+1,700), and mining & logging (+1,400) all showing increases beyond previous year’s levels

Service-providing jobs rose 10,900 in June, pushing the job level past one million for the first time ever. Leisure & hospitality continued to see seasonal growth (up 3,500), carried by gains in accommodations & food services. Professional & business services showed the second largest supersector growth, up 1,700 over the month. Within education & health services, a large gain in health care & social assistance was countered by a seasonal decline in educational services. Over the year, trade, transportation, & utilities, education & health services, and professional & business services have shown the largest increases. Supersectors showing over-the-year declines were government, other services, and information.

Pittsburgh's Largest Job Fair of the Summer Coming July 20th at Consol Energy Center!

2011-07-19T09:38:00.002-04:00

The 10th annual Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Job Fair series will continue this year on July 20th at Consol Energy Center from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Back in March over 1,500 job seekers were in attendance to speak with 90 companies and schools that were on hand.

Produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com and co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh in association with AARP Foundation WorkSearch and the Allegheny County Department of Veteran's Affairs, featuring career opportunities from Callos Companies, an outplacement and recruiting company, this event is open to the general public and free for all job seekers.

Positions being offered will be in healthcare, nursing, oil/gas, manufacturing, banking/finance, Insurance, sales, customer service, retail, military, hospitality, drivers, social services and much more.

Job seekers can pre-register by going here and following the promps.

Over 60 Employers and Schools will be hiring at the job fair including:

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.

Aramark CONSOL Energy Center

Arc Human Services

Army National Guard

Art Institute Of Pittsburgh

Avis Budget Group

First Student

Dish Network

Brayman Construction Corp.

Callos Companies

Community College of Allegheny County

Charter Foods/Taco Bell

Cintas

Citizens Bank

City of Pittsburgh

Coldwell Banker Real Estate

Community Options

CONSOL Energy Inc.

Cornell-Abraxas Youth & Family Services

Coventry Management Services, Inc.

Dollar Bank

Duquesne University

Education Management / EDMC

E Z Energy Convenience Stores

Eighty-Four Lumber

Energy Contractors/ Nabors Well Service

ePeople Healthcare

Erie Insurance

Everest Institute

Face 2 Face Sales Solutions

Farmers Insurance Group

Fedex Ground

Follow Your Customer

Gallagher Home Health Services

Geneva College

Glade Run Lutheran Services

Goodwill

Home Healthcare Staffing

Lifesteps, Inc.

Mainstay Life Services

Mass Mutual

HCR Manorcare

NCR Corporation

New York Life

Northwood Realty

OK Grocery Co

Oncology Nursing Society

PA Mentor

Pennsylvania State Police

Pittsburgh Job Corp Center

Pittsburgh Technical Institute-PTI

Prudential Financial

Prudential Preferred Realty

Renewal, Inc.

Shaft Drillers International

South Hills Movers

Southwestern Pa Commission CommuteInfo

Southwood Psychiatric Hospital

State Farm Insurance

StoneMor/Mt Royal Cemetery

T H Hill Associates

Transitional Service Inc

US Navy

And more!

Here is a short video from the March Employment Expo:

Manpower Survey: Positive Hiring Intentions Persist Among U.S. Employers for Third Quarter

2011-06-14T07:09:00.001-04:00

Largest percentage of surveyed employers since Q4 2008 plan to add staff

MILWAUKEE (June 14, 2011) – Positive yet careful hiring intentions are expected to persist in the U.S. throughout the summer, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today by ManpowerGroup. According to the seasonally adjusted survey results, the Net Employment Outlook for Quarter 3 2011 is +8%, up from +6% during the same period last year and consistent with the +8% Outlook during Quarter 2 2011. Although positive, the Outlook of +8% is softer than the mostly double-digit Outlooks reported during previous decades.

This quarter’s survey indicates the following trends:

· 2011 Gains Holding Steady: Since the first quarter of 2011, when the Net Employment Outlook jumped to +8% from +5% the previous quarter, hiring expectations have remained consistent.

· Positive Hiring Intentions Across U.S.: Employers in all 50 states report positive hiring intentions and 42 out of 50 states anticipate considerable increases in the typically strong third quarter. Of the 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas surveyed, 99 percent report positive employment Outlooks.

· Seven Straight Quarters of Employment Growth: Since Quarter 1 2010, employers have reported a positive overall hiring Outlook in each survey, according to seasonally adjusted data.

· Many Sectors Gaining Momentum: Employers in nine of 13 industries surveyed nationally report the strongest overall Outlook within their sectors since Quarter 1 2009.

“Although employers are not signaling dramatic upswings in hiring plans, there does seem to be hiring energy developing based on sustained year-over-year growth,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. “This is also the eleventh consecutive quarter with a single-digit Net Employment Outlook, indicating a level of caution not seen among employers in the last 30 years of data. This fact, along with many clouds still on the economic horizon, may explain the tepid labor market growth we have seen so far.”

Of the more than 18,000 employers surveyed, 20 percent anticipate an increase in staff levels in their Quarter 3 2011 hiring plans, while 8 percent expect a decrease in payrolls, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of +12%. When seasonally adjusted, the Net Employment Outlook becomes +8%. Sixty-nine percent of employers expect no change in their hiring plans. The final 3 percent of employers indicate they are undecided about their hiring intentions.

“Our data shows that one in five employers plan to add staff in the next three months, the highest ratio we’ve seen since the recovery started,” said Prising. “As more employers shift to hiring mode, we are starting to see talented job seekers receive multiple employment offers, and also negotiate for higher salaries. As hiring momentum slowly builds, the talent supply and demand challenges of the Human Age will impact hiring trends. Employers may want to hire, but they will struggle to find the right person, in the right place, which will bring a level of urgency to developing new recruiting and training strategies.”

Hiring Outlooks for Industry Sectors and Regions
Employers in 11 of the 13 industry sectors surveyed have a positive Outlook for Quarter 3 2011:

Leisure & Hospitality (+27%), Mining (+25%), Wholesale & Retail Trade (+20%), Professional & Business Services (+19%), Durable Goods Manufacturing (+17%), Nondurable Goods Manufacturing (+16%), Transportation & Utilities (+14%), Construction (+11%), Information (+11), Financial Activities (+11%) and Other Services (+7%).

Employers in two industry sectors have a slightly negative Outlook: Government (-1%) and Education & Health Services (-2%).

Employers in 10 industry sectors expect prospects to increase quarter-over-quarter, with employers in Wholesale & Retail Trade anticipating the largest increase quarter-over-quarter, with a gain of eight percentage points. Employers in the Other Services industry sector look to keep staff levels stable compared to three months ago at this time, while Government employers expect the hiring pace to slightly decrease and Educational Health Services employers anticipate a moderate decrease.

Employers in all four U.S. geographic regions surveyed anticipate a positive seasonally adjusted Outlook. The third quarter 2011 hiring Outlook is brightest in the Northeast, where a slight increase in hiring plans is expected compared to the second quarter of 2011 and to one year ago at this time. Compared to one year ago, a slight increase in employment prospects is also expected in the Midwest, South and West, although the three regions are all relatively stable quarter-over-quarter.

Pennsylvania’s jobless rate falls to 7.5 percent for April!

2011-05-19T13:00:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent in April,as both employment among residents and the number of jobs added by employers increased, the state said today

The unemployment rate, adjusted for seasonal hiring factors, fell from 7.8 percent in March, and was 1.3 percent below the April 2010 jobless rate, the state said. It was the largest year-over-year decline since June 1987.

A separate survey of employers showed they added 23,700 more jobs, adjusted for seasonal factors, in April than in March, as the employer job count rose to 5.69 million. The number of jobs in the state was up 80,000 from a year ago

Read more: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_737948.html

Casting Call for "STILL I RISE", A Movie To Be Shot In Pittsburgh!

2011-05-10T12:39:00.001-04:00

We received a request from the casting company for those interested in being an "extra":

Hi, Burghworks;

I'm currently working as an extras casting director on STILL I RISE, a major motion picture starring Maggie Gyllenhaal that will be shot in the Pittsburgh area from May 23rd to July. This movie centers on two mothers who join forces to reform a failing public school in their neighborhood.

This movie is set in Pittsburgh, and will include several scenes shot in schools. I'm currently hiring kids grades K-6 to appear as extras in these scenes, many of which will include the leads and offer great screen time.

In addition to the children's roles, we have a ton of short term opportunities available for adults. All of these positions are paid.

I've included a flyer with the basic information, and I'm hoping you can help us get the word out. We need to get the kids on board as soon as we can because the PA Dept of Labor & Industry requires work permits for them; they're simple to get but it's a several step process. We want to get as many kids ready to go before shooting begins on May 23rd as possible.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. I'm happy to meet with groups of people for Q & A sessions, and answer e-mails 24 hours a day, fourthrivercasting@yahoo.com.

Thanks so much, and glad to be able to keep the film industry in Pittsburgh thriving.

Click on the above image to expand and print

U.S. Economy Adds 244,000 Jobs in April!

2011-05-06T11:05:00.000-04:00

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. economy gained 244,000 jobs in April, the biggest increase in almost a year, but the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 9.0%, according to government data.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had predicted a net gain of 175,000. Most had expected job gains to slow from March’s revised increase of 221,000 because of weaker growth in the first quarter and a slew of data that seemed to suggest a slowdown in hiring.

Payrolls for February and March were also revised up by a combined 46,000, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The payroll data are derived from a survey of about 400,000 business establishments.
“It’s a good report. The payroll numbers are solid,” said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities. “I think the economy is starting to gain traction.”

In recent trading, U.S. stocks soared. The Dow Jones industrial average (DOW:DJIA) jumped more than 130 points following Thursday’s selloff.

Private sector gains

Hiring in the private sector posted the largest increase in five years, with the biggest gain occurring in the retail sector. Retailers hired 57,000 workers last month.
Professional and business services created 51,000 jobs, the leisure and hospitality sector added 46,000 positions and health-care companies hired 37,000 employees. The surging manufacturing sector also increased employment by 29,000.

The biggest decline took place in government, continuing a recent trend, as public-sector jobs fell by 24,000.

Average hourly earnings, meanwhile rose a scant 0.1% to $22.95, while the average workweek was unchanged.

Meager increases in wages are a thorn in the side of the U.S. recovery, especially in light of soaring oil prices and higher food costs. Workers have to spend more on basic necessities, leaving less demand for other goods and services.

Growth in the U.S. economy is likely to be constrained unless wages rise or the price of fuel and food decline, economists say.

Read more here: http://www.marketwatch.com/Story/story/print?guid=4C0F5376-77D6-11E0-B3F3-00212804637C

Pittsburgh Metro Unemployment Rate Drops to 6.8% in March

2011-04-27T13:50:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG (APRIL 26) – In March, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) fell two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.8 percent, the lowest unemployment rate since March 2009.

The local rate was below the Pennsylvania rate (7.8%) and the United States rate (8.8%). The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was down 1.5 percentage points from March 2010, while Pennsylvania’s rate was down one percentage point and the national rate fell by nine-tenths of a percentage point over the same period.

Among the commonwealth’s 14 MSAs, the Pittsburgh MSA had the 5th lowest unemployment rate. Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.5%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (8.8%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.1 percent in Bradford County to 13.3 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA fell 300 in March to 1,133,900. March was the first month to show a decline since September 2010. Pennsylvania jobs were down 1,700 in March to 5,670,100. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 16,600 (1.5%) from March 2010, while Pennsylvania jobs rose 76,500 (1.4%) from the previous year’s level.

DEDICATION CEREMONY AND “OPEN HOUSE” SET FOR APRIL 20 AT GOODWILL’S NEW LAWRENCEVILLE FACILITY

2011-04-13T14:52:00.000-04:00

PITTSBURGH, Pa., April 13, 2011 – Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania will dedicate its new Workforce Development Center (WDC) in Lawrenceville on Wednesday, April 20, during a community open house at the facility located at 118 52^nd Street. The public is invited to tour the WDC between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and to attend the dedication ceremony at 11 a.m.

Goodwill moved virtually all of its employment, training, education, recycling, and social services programs to the new building in December. Over 200 people work at thetwo-floor WDC, including program managers, teachers, instructors and job coaches. They serve hundreds of Goodwill clients who visit the facility on weekdays to attend classes and participate in various training and employment programs.

“We invite our new Lawrenceville neighbors and everyone else to come and see why Goodwill is so much more than thrift stores,” said Michael J. Smith, Goodwill President/ CEO. “Goodwill staff will be on hand at nearly 20 stations throughout the building to explain our many services and programs, including employment training, job search assistance, adult education classes, computer recycling, our Good-to-Go Café, and many more.”

Goodwill officials and community representatives will participate in the dedication ceremony and officially name the WDC as the Robert S. Foltz Building in honor of the long-time President of Goodwill Pittsburgh who retired in 2002. Goodwill’s former headquarters building on the South Side also was named for Mr. Foltz.

Participating in the ceremony will be James C. Roddey, Honorary Co-Chairman of the Goodwill Renews! Capital Campaign; State Senator Jim Ferlo; State Representative Adam Ravenstahl; Gary R. Claus, Immediate Past Chairman of the Goodwill Board of Directors; and Mr. Smith.

As part of the re-dedication ceremony, James D. Scalo, President of Burns & Scalo Real Estate Services, Inc., will award the Goodwill WDC as the first-ever Class-G®certified project. Burns & Scalo, which constructed the WDC, founded the Class-G® program and have since spun-off this certification program into a stand-alone organization (Class-G.org). The WDC plaque presentation marks the official national launch of this new green building certification, which recognizes property owners and their occupants for their “green” and sustainable practices.

Mr. Scalo said the Goodwill WDC earned the Class-G® designation because of its re-use and upgrading of an existing building, formerly a warehouse; its innovative water-use and lighting features; several ADA-compliant design features that exceed code requirements; and its contribution to revitalizing the historic Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Reservations are not required to attend the open house. The Goodwill WDC is located between Butler Street and the Allegheny River at 118 52^nd Street.

Pittsburgh Area Unemployment Rate Dips To 7% In February

2011-04-05T08:46:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG (APRIL 5) – In February, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was down two-tenths of a percentage point to 7.0 percent.

This was the third consecutive monthly decline. The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was below the Pennsylvania rate (8.0%) and the United States rate (8.9%). February marked the 37th straight month that the Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate has been below both the Pennsylvania and national rates. The Pittsburgh MSA unemployment rate was down 1.5 percentage points from February 2010, while the Pennsylvania and national rates were both down 0.8 percentage points over the same period.

Within the Pittsburgh MSA, Butler County (6.6%) had the lowest rate and Fayette County (9.3%) had the highest rate. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 5.1 percent in Bradford County to 12.9 percent in Cameron County.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA rose for the fifth consecutive month, up 1,700 in February to 1,134,000. Pennsylvania jobs were up 23,700 in February to 5,674,100. Jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were up 23,300 (2.1%) from February 2010, and Pennsylvania jobs were up 106,800 (1.9%) from February 2010.

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA were down 2,500 to 136,100 in February. Declines were split between construction (-1,100) and manufacturing (-1,400), while mining and logging remained unchanged. Pittsburgh MSA goods-producing jobs were up 4,200 over the year, with all three goods-producing supersectors showing increases of at least 900 jobs since February 2010.

Service-providing jobs rose 3,400 in February to 976,000. Trade, transportation and utilities showed a decline of 2,900 jobs with retail trade down 2,400 as stores continued to eliminate seasonal retail jobs. Education and health services rose 2,300 in February as educational institutions returned from semester break. Similarly, state and local government also showed education-related increases, up 2,000, and 1,400 respectively.

In the Pittsburgh MSA, seven out of eight service-providing supersectors have shown over-the-year gains. Education and health services (+5,800), leisure and hospitality (+4,500) and professional and business services (+4,200) have shown the greatest over-the-year increases. Information was the only supersector in the Pittsburgh MSA which showed an over-the-year decline, down 700 jobs since February 2010.

Pennsylvania Jobless Rate Falls To 8% In February

2011-03-18T13:12:00.001-04:00

Friday, March 18, 2011

By Ann Belser, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The state unemployment rate dropped to 8 percent in February from January's 8.3 percent rate, the state Department of Labor and Industry reported Thursday.

Pennsylvania also reported there were 30,000 more people working statewide in February than there were in January.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is now nearly a full percentage point below the rest of the nation, which logged 8.9 percent unemployment for the month.

Still, the news is actually not good for the long-term unemployed. This week the state announced that unemployment benefits would be reduced from 99 weeks to 93 weeks because, in January, the unemployment rate fell below 8.4 percent and that automatically triggered a reduction in the number of weeks that benefits would be paid.

The January unemployment rate was originally reported at 8.2 percent, but later revised to 8.3 percent. It was the average for November, December and January that triggered the reduction in federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11077/1132749-407.stm

Job Fair Success!

2011-03-16T12:02:00.000-04:00

90 Pittsburgh area companies and 1,400 job seekers attended the 10th annual Spring Pittsburgh Diversity employment Expo. A special thanks to all who attended and helped make this event so successful! A special thanks to the staff at Consol Energy Center!

Spring 2011 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Coming March 15th, 90 Companies Will Be On Hand!

2011-03-09T08:23:00.008-05:00

The 10th annual Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Job Fair series will begin this year on March 15th at Consol Energy Center from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Interest is already high among local Pittsburgh employers and 90 companies are expected to be on hand.

Produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com and co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh in association with AARP Foundation WorkSearch and the Allegheny County Department of Veteran's Affairs, featuring career opportunities from Consol Energy, Inc, this event is open to the general public and free for all job seekers.

Positions being offered will be in healthcare, nursing, oil/gas, manufacturing, banking/finance, sales, customer service, retail, military, hospitality, drivers, social services and much more.

Pre-registration for job seekers is not required but doing so will allow faster entrance at the door by-passing the registration table! Job Seekers may pre-register by clicking here.

Pittsburgh area employers are invited to find out more about how they can attend by emailing pittsburghjobs@gmail.com.

Here is the current company list which will be added to as we get closer to the event:

ADP Business Services
All-State Career School
Alorica (customer service and sales)
Aramark CONSOL Energy Center
Arc Human Services
Ariba/Freemarkets
Army National Guard
AVI Food Systems
Bank of America
Bethany Hospice
BNY/Mellon
Callos Companies (office/clerical, manufacturing and more)
Center For Family Planning Research (Magee Hospital)
Institute For Transfusion Medicine (Central Blood Bank)
Citizen Care, Inc
City of Pittsburgh
Combined Insurance
Comcast
Community College of Allegheny County
Community Options
Commute Info
Consol Energy, Inc (engineering and more)
Dish Network
Dollar Bank
Duncan Land + Energy (marcellus shale jobs)
Eaton Corp
ePeople Healthcare
Face 2 Face Sales Solutions
Family Behavioral Recources
Farmers Insurance Group
FedEx SmartPost
First Commonwealth Bank
First National Bank of PA
First Niagara
Five Star Quality Care
G4S Secure Solutions (security guards)
Gallagher Home Health Services
Garfield Jubilee Association
Gateway Health Plan
Geneva College
Glade Run Lutheran Services
GMS Mine Repair and Maintenance
Golden Living Centers
Goodwill
HCR/Manorcare
HHGregg Appliances and Electronics (new retail)
Home Depot
Jim Shorkey Family Auto Group (sales)
Kaplan Career Institute
Kellermeyer Building Services (janitorial)
Life Pittsburgh
Life's Work
Lifesteps, Inc.
Lowe's
Mainstay Life Services
Maxim Healthcare
Monumental Life Insurance
Moriarty Consultants, Inc (Home Healthcare)
NCO (call center)
Northwood Realty
Pittsburgh Job Corp Center
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Tech. Institute-PTI
Premier Pan Company (manufacturing)
Prospector's Group (sales)
Prudential Financial
Prudential Preferred Realty
Quest Diagnostics
Rent a Center (sales, delivery drivers)
Sanford Brown
Sears Stores
South Hills Movers (drivers, helpers)
Southwood Psychiatric Hospital
Steel Town Promotions
StoneMor Partners (sales)
Strayer University
Taco Bell
Transitional Services
U.S. Army R.O.T.C.
U.S. Home Systems (remodeling sales and marketing)
U.S. Navy
United Health Group (Claims Representative Associates)
United Insurance
UPMC
Valvoline Oil Change Centers
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Verizon
Wyotech
YWCA

Hiring In The Hill District: The New Arena and Hotel Are Meeting Goals

2011-02-20T12:23:00.006-05:00

Sunday, February 20, 2011

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It was born out of the deal to build a new arena and took more than 12 months of protests, demonstrations and "pretty fierce" negotiations. But more than two years later, a community benefits agreement tied to the construction of the Consol Energy Center is producing dividends for Hill residents.

Of the 522 full and part-time jobs created at the new arena and the Cambria Suites Pittsburgh hotel next door, 203 have gone to people who live in Hill District ZIP codes or who used a Hill jobs center created as part of the agreement, according to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That's nearly 40 percent of all the new jobs. At the hotel, 27 of the 37 new jobs, or nearly 73 percent, have gone to people with Hill ZIP codes or who used the First Source Center. "I think we're very pleased with the results of what really is a partnership with the Penguins," said Victor Roque, president and CEO of the Hill House Association. "They have been very supportive in opening doors and making sure people in the Hill District and African-Americans in general were given a fair shot at these jobs."

The agreement between the Penguins, Hill leaders, the city and the county was considered the first of its kind in Pittsburgh and was aimed specifically at the neighborhood that abuts the arena.
As part of the community benefits agreement, the Penguins committed to giving qualified Hill residents first consideration for jobs at the Consol Energy Center before opening the positions to other applicants.

The agreement also provided for the creation of the First Source Center, which handles job applications, pre-screens people for work, helps prepare applicants for interviews, offers career counseling and other services, and maintains a database of qualified applicants for various positions.
Of the new hires, 107 came through the First Source Center, which is managed by the Hill House Association.

Many of those hired from the Hill or through the First Source Center are minorities. Overall, 244 of the 522 new hires, or 47 percent, are minorities, according to the numbers complied by the Penguins. At the hotel, 57 percent of the people hired have been minorities.

One Hill resident hired was Melissa Klobuchar, an administrative assistant to human resources for Aramark at Consol Energy Center, which opened in August. A single mom, Ms. Klobuchar got her job in September after going through the First Source Center. She had previously worked as a waitress and at other administrative jobs.

She said she was drawn to First Source because she had heard "great things" about it being successful in placing people. She said she probably wouldn't have learned about the Aramark job had she not gone to the center.

Once there, she was interviewed, got help in fine-tuning her resume, and was asked about her interests and goals. After being interviewed by Aramark, she got the job.

"I love it. I love my job," she said. "The people are great. I feel comfortable here. What I don't know, I'm able to learn. I'm able to use my skills."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11051/1126442-28.stm

Petland In Robinson Twp. Looking For Animal Lovers

2011-02-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

Do you love animals? Are you looking for career opportunity in an environment that allows you to succeed while helping families find their next family member and offer expert advice on care?

"Our pet counselors are dedicated to matching the right pet with the right customer and meeting the needs of both. To our customers who already have pets, we are dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond" says store owner Jeff Koury.

Petland Robinson is looking for Pet Councilors full time to help meet the demand of their growth. With pay potential of $10 to $20 per hour, you will enjoy full training and an exciting environment where everyone works together.

If you are driven with a strong work ethic, love animals and are a quick learner with strong communication skills then this may be a great opportunity for you, Petland and their customers!

Due to their growth, opportunities for advancement to regional and national positions are available including equity opportunities.

About Petland:

Petland Robinson (located across from IKEA) is a Full-Service Specialty Retail Store.

It is our desire at Petland to make a difference in the communities we serve. For more than 43 years, Petland has been the retail pet industry leader in the area of animal care with ongoing staff training programs, in-store animal husbandry systems and community service programs aimed at placing homeless pets and curbing pet overpopulation in the community. Petland is a global leader in the pet retail industry with more than 200 locations worldwide.

To find out more or to apply, click on this link!

Pittsburgh-Area Jobless Rate Dips Below 8 Percent

2011-02-02T12:20:00.000-05:00

By Joyce Gannon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Holiday hiring in the retail sector helped boost the jobs report for December in the Pittsburgh area as the unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent.

That's down from a jobless rate of 8.1 percent in November 2010, and 8.2 percent in December 2009. The local rate remained lower than both the state and federal unemployment rates in December, which stood at 8.5 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.

Compared with December 2009, there were 9,000 more jobs in the Pittsburgh region -- the largest yearly jump since August 2007, according to the state Department of Labor & Industry, which released the numbers today.

"The Pittsburgh region continues to do a bit better than the rest of the state," said Mark Price, a labor economist with the Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg. "If you look at averages, for the past three months the region was adding around 900 jobs a month. That's a fairly healthy number."

Despite the overall improvement, seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh region fell for the first time in three months, the state Department of Labor & Industry reported. The number of nonfarm jobs fell by 200 to a total 1.1 million.

Mr. Price called that a "blip" in the ongoing recovery. "We are in a recovery, and the expectation is we'll continue to add jobs in the months ahead," he said.

Among the data not seasonally adjusted, goods-producing jobs in the region dropped by 4,400 to 143,200. The state attributed most of that decline to a loss of 4,200 construction jobs. Manufacturing jobs fell by 200 to 85,700, marking the first time since July that manufacturing jobs declined. Although seasonal retail hiring grew, it was the smallest December increase in retail hiring since 1992, the report said.

Another sector that showed a significant drop from November to December was professional and business services, which lost a total of 900 jobs. The big declines came in administrative and support services.

The Pittsburgh metropolitan area, which has 1.2 million people in its civilian labor force, includes Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Armstrong, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Of those, Fayette had the highest unemployment rate in December at 10.2 percent; and Butler had the lowest at 7.3 percent.

In both Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh, the jobless rate stood at 7.5 percent for the month. Among major labor markets statewide, Scranton-Wilkes Barre had the highest unemployment rate at 9.5 percent and State College had the lowest at 5.8 percent.

The Pittsburgh region has lost a total of 27,000 jobs since before the recession started in 2007, said Mr. Price. "So it's still a healthy wait" to get those jobs back, he noted. "The recession was so deep, it will take longer than normal."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11032/1121981-407.stm

Where the Jobs Are: The Right Spots in the Recovery

2011-01-12T09:26:00.004-05:00

From Time.com
By Bill Saporito

Kent Niederhofer can't find enough mechanical engineers to work for him — in southeastern Michigan. You know, where Detroit is, with its 13.3% unemployment rate. Niederhofer is president of the American branch of Ricardo, an engineering consultancy that designs the power trains of some of the coolest stuff around: Bugatti sports cars, huge wind turbines and unmanned aerial vehicles. "We are doing rocket science every day," says Niederhofer. "It's just not on rockets." So Ricardo got a little desperate, renting a billboard to place a help-wanted ad that featured a picture of a sexy-looking sports car, the tagline "Why you became an engineer" and a Web address for job seekers. He calls it engineer porn.

General Electric is also trying to poach some Motown engineers to staff its expansion at Appliance Park, in Louisville, Ky., and three other locations where it is establishing "centers of excellence" in refrigeration technologies. The company is in the middle of a $1 billion investment in its appliance sector that will create 1,300 jobs at all levels over the next four years. GE has repatriated — insourced, if you will — a refrigerator-manufacturing line from South Korea (thanks in part to a new union deal and a weaker dollar that makes U.S. labor more competitive) even as it waits for the housing market to rebound enough to restore demand for fridges. "We think it's going to be a slow crawl back over the next several years, which, for us, is why we are investing now," says James Campbell, CEO of GE Appliances & Lighting.

A Turning Point, Maybe

Flexible, outwardly focused companies such as Ricardo, GE and Deloitte are the main force behind an optimistic and underplayed fact: last September, the U.S. economy finally stopped bleeding jobs. And now job creation may be at a crucial turning point. The ADP National Employment Report recorded a surprising 297,000-job jump in private-sector employment in December. Manufacturing activity is up, retail sales are strong, and overall GDP growth is on track to be a healthy 3% this year. Inflation is still muted, and stocks are on a roll. It all bodes well for the Obama Administration's efforts to mitigate the 9%-to-10% unemployment rate that has hung for 19 months like a deadweight around the neck of the economy, not to mention the national psyche.

The Great Recession didn't merely cause cyclical job losses. It created an unemployment chasm. More jobs were lost in the 2007-09 recession, which officially ended in June 2009, than in the previous four recessions combined, says Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for IHS Global Insight. "It's a very deep hole that we are climbing out of. We lost something close to 8 million jobs. That's why it's going to take a long time — 2015 — to get to [an unemployment rate of] 6%." Indeed, the rate could even rise again, as people who left the labor pool — and thus don't count as unemployed — start to look for work again.

That 6% figure refers to what economists call full employment, meaning that people who want to work can find it (give or take time lost to layoffs or telling the boss to shove it). Knocking any kind of dent in the current jobless rate is going to require the net addition of at least 135,000 jobs month after month.

That's not happening — yet. But economists are revising their GDP growth projections upward, and if the conventional wisdom holds, that has to result in stronger job creation at some point quite soon. (Employment growth tends to follow GDP growth with a lag.) Companies are already sitting on mountains of cash because they increased productivity through layoffs and other efficiencies. They have the money to hire, but they need to see increasing sales to justify it. There's some evidence that consumers are finally opening their wallets. Christmas sales were strong. Given the stimulus coursing through the economy from the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing, the tax-cut extension and a 2-percentage-point reduction in the payroll tax, the retail therapy should continue into the new year.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2040964-1,00.html

US December Unemployment Rate Drops To 9.4%

2011-01-07T09:24:00.001-05:00

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. economy added 103,000 jobs in the final month of 2010 while the nation’s unemployment rate fell to 9.4%, the lowest level since May 2009, the Labor Department reported Friday.

Payrolls for November and October were also revised higher by 70,000 jobs, the government said. Read the full report.

The December gain in jobs, however, fell short of expectations. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had predicted a net 175,000 increase, with many raising their forecasts earlier this week after another key report indicated a pickup in hiring. See MarketWatch calendar of key economic indicators.

The slow U.S. recovery since the end of the recession in mid-2009 is partly the result of high unemployment, which depresses consumer spending, the single largest source of the nation’s economic growth. Increased hiring by businesses more confident in a U.S. recovery is seen as the key to nursing the economy back to good health.

The unemployment rate, meanwhile, dropped to 9.4% in December from 9.8% in November, according to a separate survey of 60,000 households. It’s the biggest one-month decline since April 1998.

In December, the ranks of unemployed fell to 14.5 million from 15 million, while the number of employed people increased by 300,000 to 139 million. Economists had been expecting the unemployment rate to remain flat. The jobless rate spiked to as high as 10.1% in October 2009, compared to under 5% before the 2007-2009 recession began.

The latest increase in job growth is one of many signs that the U.S. economy is gradually emerging from its malaise following the official end of the recession in the summer of 2009.

Earlier this week, for example, the giant payroll-processing firm ADP reported a surprisingly large 297,000 gain in private-sector employment last month. ADP data and the government’s payroll report track each other very closely over time, though some months can show large gaps between the two. That appeared to be the case in December.

Read more here.

U.S. December ADP Employment Up 297,000

2011-01-05T08:50:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Private-sector employment gained 297,000 in December, according to Automatic Data Processing Inc.'s employment report released Wednesday. Employment in the service-producing sector rose 270,000, the largest monthly increase on record. Employment in the goods-producing sector rose 27,000, the largest gain since February of 2006. On Friday, the government will report on December's nonfarm payrolls, which also include government workers, and economists polled by MarketWatch are looking for a gain of 143,000, and for the unemployment rate to remain at 9.8%.

Whatever happened to casual days at work?

2010-12-20T10:18:00.000-05:00

By Eve Tahmincioglu

msnbc.com

Last week, a 43-page dress and grooming code at Swiss bank UBS was leaked to the media, and the rules included everything from touching up hair dye jobs to the quality of an employee’s underwear.

While there was outrage over the draconian nature of the guidelines, such appearance mandates are becoming more prevalent in the workplace.

Restrictions on the way workers dress and groom themselves have long been a contentious issue in the nation’s workplaces, but in most cases such guidelines have been found to be legal. And the rules governing employee appearance are only getting tougher thanks to the weaker economy.

“Dress codes are tightening up,” said Dick Lerner, author of “Dress Like The Big Fish.” “The takeaway from this recession is the reality most firms are doing more with less. For survival, there has been a lot of belt-tightening and companies look at every aspect of their business, and that includes who will keep their job and who won’t,” he said.

As a result, Lerner added, “Sloppy dress in the workplace is gone. Businesses can’t afford sloppy dress, sloppy work, sloppy attitude.”

Indeed, some firms are ratcheting up the fashion police.

UBS got a lot of negative publicity when its 43-page dress-and-grooming edict got out. The over-the-top rules included restrictions on the length of male employees’ nails; when female employees are supposed to put on perfume and how much; and they even mandated the color of worker underwear and said the undergarments should be “of superior quality textiles,” according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor last week. (UBS officials declined to comment for this column.)

Lindsey Sparks’ last job with a staffing firm in Oklahoma City had a restrictive dress code policy that required female employees to wear skirt suits and pantyhose at all times, even if they worked on weekends. And there was even a manager at the company that chastised workers for not wearing lipstick.

“Their dress code was so sexist I’m not sure why I put up with it as long as I did,” said Sparks, who left Express Employment Professionals in June after eight years with the company.

“Although I left the company amicably,” Sparks said. “I’m still appalled by the dress code.”

Read more here...

Are You Unemployed And Having trouble Finding A Job?

2010-12-03T13:56:00.000-05:00

Join a Carnegie Mellon University research study testing the effects of a 3-day mindfulness meditation or relaxation retreat on reducing your stress levels.

To be eligible you must be:

- 24 to 52 years of age

- right-handed

- in good mental and physical health

- available for a 3-day residential retreat

You will be compensated for participating in this study.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL (412) 268 – 8761OR EMAIL cmuhealthyliving@gmail.com

CareersInGear.com Now The Largest Driver/Mechanic Job Board in North America

2010-11-17T11:12:00.001-05:00

With over 300,000 unique visitors per month, CareersInGear.com has become the main resource for the truckiing industry to recruit drivers and mechanics.

As the stringent safety requirements of the federal government's CSA 2010 take effect this January 1st, companies will be held accountable for the safety records of their drivers, possibly resulting in thousands of current drivers losing their jobs due to safety or health reasons.

This, along with the current shortage of drivers nationwide now estimated at over 150,000, will make recruiting and hiring drivers more difficult.

For job seekers who haven't before considered getting a commercial drivers license (CDL) this is an opportunity to find employment that pays well ($40,000 to $75,000 per year) and offers great benefits like healthcare and retirement plans.

Job seekers can go to www.CareersInGear.com to search current openings while recruiters can call 412-257-7801 for more information on recruitment programs.

Payrolls grow by 151,000 in October. Jobless Rate remaines at 9.6%

2010-11-05T08:57:00.005-04:00

U.S. added jobs for first time since May
August and September revised up a combined 110,000 jobs

More than doubling predictions, Economists had predicted 70,000 to 100,000 jobs added. Strength was primarily in the service sector, as manufacturing lost 7,000 jobs although manufacturing work weeks and pay both increased.

While positive news, many more jobs will have to be added per month to start reducing the unemployment rate. See more details here.

Pittsburgh Unemployment Rate Drops To 7.9% in September

2010-11-04T09:01:00.000-04:00

First time since 2007 no year over year increase

HARRISBURG (NOVEMBER 2) – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was down three-tenths of a percentage point in September to 7.9 percent. The MSA’s rate was 1.1 percentage points below Pennsylvania’s rate (9.0%). The last time the Pittsburgh MSA rate was that far below the state rate was June 1978. The area rate was also lower than the national rate of 9.6 percent. The Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate matched last September’s rate. This was the first time since November 2007 that the area rate did not show an over-the-year increase.

Unemployment rates decreased from August in six of the seven counties in the Pittsburgh MSA. Butler County posted the lowest rate in the MSA at 7.4 percent while Fayette County held the area’s highest rate at 9.6 perent. Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, unemployment rates ranged from 6.1 percent in Centre County to 14.3 percent in Cameron County.

In September, seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA declined 800 to 1,118,100. Jobs fell in nine of Pennsylvania’s 14 MSAs. Over the year, Pittsburgh MSA jobs increased by 4,800 (0.4%) and the state added 34,500 jobs (0.6%).

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA declined 500 in September to 147,600. Manufacturing was down 200, the smallest September decrease for the supersector since 1999.

Goods producers added 800 jobs from last September. Mining & logging was up 500 jobs over the year (9.1%). Manufacturing continued to show an over-the-year decline, but it has been consistently shrinking since last September.

Service-providing jobs were up 9,300 from August. The majority of this increase was due to seasonal education-related gains. Education & health services, state government, and local government all added jobs as the new academic year began. Seasonal declines occurred in retail trade, professional & business services, leisure & hospitality, and other services. The federal government decline of 500 was due mainly to the census nearing completion.

Service providers had 6,200 more jobs than in September 2009. Education & health services and professional & business services experienced the largest over-the-year gains in the area.

Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Attacts over 1,300 Jobseekers

2010-10-28T08:50:00.003-04:00

With over 70 companies offering jobs ranging from entry level to advanced degree over 1,300 job seekers flooded CONSOL Energy Center on October 26th. The largest public job fair in over four years in Pittsburgh was produced by Pittsburgh's office of EmploymentGuide.com in partnership with The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Dept. of Veteran's Affairs and AARP Foundation WorkSearch.

Marsellus Shale Jobs And Much More Come To CONSOL Energy Center In Pittsburgh

2010-10-22T11:07:00.001-04:00

Atlas Energy, Range Resources, EnergyForce, Express Energy Services and Duncan Land + Energy have signed up for the Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo on October 26th at CONSOL Energy Center bringing Marcellus Shale jobs to the Pittsburgh region. With positions such as land technicians, drilling engineers, geologists, roustabouts and many more available this is a great opportunity for Pittsburgh area residents to investigate job requirements and training opportunities as well as application processes and to make that first great impression. The job fair is free for all job seekers and open from 10:00AM to 3:00PM

Over 70 companies and schools areattending offering 100's of jobs in a wide variety of experience levels and industries. Pittsburgh's largest public job fair in over 4 years will also offer jobs in Banking/Finance, Customer Service, Retail, Sales, Healthcare, Nursing, Social Services, Manufacturing, Drivers and much more. Job seekers can pre-register here (pre- registration is not required but offers faster job fair entry). Sorry, no backpacks or strollers allowed.

Other companies and schools attending include:

84 Lumber (management trainees, IT and more)
Achieva (nursing, allied health)
Aerotek/Allegis Group (IT and more)
Aldi's (retail, supervisors)
All-State Career School
Aramark CONSOL Energy Center (hospitality)
Arc Human Services (social services)
Army National Guard
Atlas Energy (landmen, geologists and more)
Bank of America
Baptist Homes (nursing, allied health)
Bradford Child Care / Tender Care Learning Centers (childcare, instructors)
CBCInnovis (sales, customer service)
CBCS (sales, customer service)
Cardworks Servicing (customer service, collections)
Community College of Allegheny County
Cintas (sales, production)
Citizen Care, Inc (social services)
City of Pittsburgh (various)
Colonial Life (sales)
Concordia of the South Hills (nursing, allied health)
Dollar Bank (tellers, supervisors, financial services)
Duncan Land + Energy (leasing agents and more)
EnergyForce (Training programs for gas/oil industry, landmen)
Everest Institute
Express Employment Professionals (various, office/clerical)
Express Energy Services/ EES (gas/oil)
Face 2 Face Sales Solutions (sales)
First National Bank of PA (tellers, supervisors, financial services)
Gallagher Home Health Services (hone healthcare, various)
Geneva College
Glade Run Lutheran Services (nursing, therapists, allied health)
Goodwill
Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
HVL Douglas, LLC (manufacturing, production workers)
Institute for Transfusion Med./Central Blood Bank (phlebotomists, more)
Kaplan Career Institute
Life Pittsburgh (nursing, allied health)
Lifesteps, Inc. (support staff)
Mainstay Life Services (social services, support staff)
Medix Staffing Solutions (all healthcare)
Mercy Behavioral Health (social services, therapists, more)
StoneMor Partners/Mt. Lebanon Cemetery (sales)
New Horizons Computer Learning Center
Parkvale Bank (tellers, supervisors, financial services)
Pennsylvania CareerLink (various)
People's Natural Gas (various)
Pittsburgh Job Corp Center
Pittsburgh Tech. Institute-PTI
PRC Corporation (sales, customer service)
Primerica (financial services, sales)
Prudential Financial (financial services, sales)
Quest Diagnostics (various)
Range Resources - Appalachia (gas/oil)
RAS Delivery Services (drivers)
Reliance First Capital LLC ((financial services, sales)
Renewal, Inc
Sanford Brown School
SMG Management (ushers, more)
South Hills / North Hills Beauty Academy
Southwestern Pa Commission CommuteInfo
Southwood Psychiatric Hospital (social services, nursing, more)
The Academy (teachers, more)
Three Rivers Center for Independent Living (TRCL) (nursing, allied healthcare)
Transitional Service Inc (social services)
TRG Customer Solutions (customer service, sales)
US Army
U.S. Liner (manufacturing, production workers)
US Navy
VA Pittsburgh Health system (all healthcare and support)
Vector Marketing (sales)
Waste Management, Inc (drivers, mechanics)
Westin Convention Center (hospitality, hotel workers)

Companies who want more information on attending the job fair please email pittsburghjobs@gmail.com

Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Moves to CONSOL Energy Center October 26th

2010-09-24T11:29:00.003-04:00

After dozens of successful job fairs over the past 10 years at Mellon Arena, Heinz field and PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo is moving to CONSOL Energy Center with the next event slated for Tuesday, October 26th, 2010.

Produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com, in association with The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, Over 30,000 job seekers have attended the events with more than 10% getting job offers! Other partners include the Veteran's Affairs borough of Allegheny County and AARP Foundation WorkSearch.

The job fair is free for all job seekers and will be open from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Entry is through the Trib Total Media gate then up the escalators to the right.

More than 50 companies and schools are expected to attend and include sales, customer service, hospitality, Healthcare and Nursing, social services, manufacturing, banking/finance and more.

A list of companies and schools attending will be published here about two weeks out from the event. Companies who want more information on attending the job fair please email pittsburghjobs@gmail.com

Pittsburgh Loses Jobs In July (but fewer than in "typical" July)

2010-08-24T10:09:00.001-04:00

The July unemployment figures just released show that Pittsburgh lost just over 15,000 jobs in July. On the surface this is bad news. However, when looking at historical numbers, Pittsburgh ALWAYS loses jobs in July as teachers and other government workers are laid off for the summer (with census workers adding even more to this number than usual). Pittsburgh lost fewer jobs this July than the past five year July average.

The good news is that this is the first month in over two years that Pittsburgh had more jobs (4,400 more) than the year ago period. Particular strength was seen in Education and Healthcare (+2,300), retail (+1,700) and Leisure and Hospitality (+1,400).

For more detail visit http://bit.ly/bwnvBS

Pittsburgh Metro Sees Unemployment Rate Drop and Jobs Increase in June

2010-07-27T12:14:00.001-04:00

For the long term unemployed in the Pittsburgh Metro area the June unemployment report is bittersweet. For our area, the unemployment rate dropped from 8.6% in May to 8.3%, while adding 7,700 jobs. The good news is this represents almost 4,000 more jobs than one year ago.

While good news for area economists, who see the Pittsburgh Metro getting better through the rest of the year, it is little help to the more than 100,000 residents who couldn't find work. Our sense here at EmploymentGuide.com is that employers are beginning to increase their recruitment activities.

While summer is normally a slow recruitment period in good times, this summer has seen a steadily (albeit slowly) increasing number of job postings as well as inquiries toward near term recruitment plans. Our job fair held recently at Mellon Arena attracted 40 local employers which was the most in two years.

For more details on the job numbers go to the Post Gazette and the Tribune-Review.

2010 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo Video Recap

2010-07-19T13:32:00.001-04:00

The last public event at Mellon Arena

Our Favorite Moments At Mellon Arena

2010-07-08T14:56:00.003-04:00

The last event at Mellon arena can also be one of the most helpful. On July 13th, The EmploymentGuide.com and the The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh will host a job fair that aims to help the local community get back to an exciting time in their own lives, much like the Mellon Arena has enriched lives over its history.

As we look towards the future of Pittsburgh, today I wanted to take a look back at some of the moments that shaped our lives at Mellon Arena. To do that I asked some of our sales professionals inside the EmploymentGuide.com their favorite moments at the historical arena. Here's what they had to say!

Ed Miles started the conversation by saying his favorite moment was the...

Summer of 1975 - Almond Brothers Concert and they opened the roof to The Civic Arena for the entire concert.....WOW!!

Jack Dibrell says...

...there have been so many. I remember watching Stevie Nicks backstage just seconds before climbing the steps to go onstage for her concert, clutching and holding on for dear life the hands of her backup singers. She was petrified and paralyzed with fear, stage fright, or whatever, but of course once she started her set, she KICKED BUTT!!

Then there were the times I met ZZ Top backstage for 'meet and greets' after their concerts, trying to avoid the temptation of pulling on those long, flowing beards!

Watching summer concerts with the Arena roof FULLY OPENED, and feeling like I was in a completely different venue!

And the few times I announced the halftime entertainment at Arena truck pulls.

Watching my son between periods at a Penguins game goal tend during a 'shootout' against another area amateur hockey team.

Being at Game 7 during the 1993 playoffs against the NY Islanders and LOSING, being eliminated after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups the previous two years!

Judy Hodges chimed in:

This is sad, I have only been to the arena three times in my life , besides all the job fair's we've held there. The first time I went there to see the Barnum Bailey Circus when my children were 5 and 7. That same winter we went to see the ice capades. Both times were very special because of my children (1978!!)

I would have loved to go to the oldies etc. but haven't yet to date. Maybe one of these days. My biggest regret is not seeing it open.

What About You?

What is your favorite moment at Mellon Area? Was it a concert, a Penguins game, a family trip or one of our Pittsburgh job fairs?!

Whatever your favorite moment, we can all say the arena holds special times for all of us and that is why we are so excited to host one last job fair at Mellon. If you want to change your own future and find a new job or career that you can tell your kids, family or future generations about, you can also say you did it at Mellon Arena.

Pre-register for the Pittsburgh Job Fair here and tell us your favorite Mellon Arena moment in the comments below.

-Greg and the Pittsburgh Team

Top image by Talke Photography

July 13th, the Last Public Event at Mellon Arena – Ever!

2010-07-08T12:53:00.001-04:00

EmploymentGuide.com® and The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh partner to
sponsor the “2010 Pittsburgh Employment and Career Education Expo”

We all know what the first events at the new Consol Energy Center will be. We now know what the very last event at Mellon Arena will be. Appropriately hundreds of Pittsburgh area job seekers will benefit!

As the local economy begins to recover from the worst local downturn since the collapse of the steel mills, EmploymentGuide.com and The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and have combined efforts for the sixth consecutive year to bring jobseekers together with companies who seek their talents.

On Tuesday, July 13th, from 10:00AM to 3:00PM at Mellon Arena more than 35 Pittsburgh area employers and schools, featuring career opportunities from HCR Manorcare and the all new Fairmont Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, will meet and interview hundreds of job seekers at the 2010 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo.

Attendance is expected to exceed 1,000 Pittsburgh area residents seeking a new career. Last years 3 events attracted over 4,000 total job seekers and resulted in more than 450 job offers. Job Seekers will enter through gate 10. Attendance for job seekers is free. Pre-registration is not required but if you do pre-register you will enjoy faster access at the start of the event. Go to this link to pre-register: http://bit.ly/9iPC2I

Companies include:

Allied Waste Services - Drivers and Mechanics
TSA Airport Security
Aramark Consol Energy Center
Army National Guard
Callos Companies - Manufacturing, Office/Clerical
CCAC North Campus
Cintas - Sales, Customer Service
City of Pittsburgh
Colonial Life Insurance
Combined Insurance
Fairmont Pittsburgh - Hospitality, Restaurant
Family Resources - Healthcare
First Commonwealth Bank - Tellers and more
Geneva College
Glade Run Lutherin Services - Healthcare, Social Services
Golden Living / Mt. Lebanon - RN's, LPN's, CNA's and more
Kaplan Career Institute
Life Pittsburgh - Allied healthcare
Lifesteps, Inc. - Social Services
Mainstay Life Services - Social Services
Medco Pharmacy Services - Customer Service, Pharmacy Techs and more
HCR/Manorcare - RN's, LPN's, CNA's and more
OK Grocery Co (a division of Giant Eagle) - Warehouse workers
NCO Collection Services - Customer Service
Pennsylvania State Police
Waste Management - Drivers, Mechanics
Pittsburgh Job Corp (Center)
Pittsburgh Tech. Institute-PTI
Prudential Financial - Sales and more
Roomful Express Furniture - Retail, Warehouse, Delivery drivers
SMG Management - Customer service, Ushers, Concessions and more
Southwestern Pa CommuteInfo
Transitional Service Inc -Social Services
Universal Electric Corporation
US Army Recruiting
US Navy
Valvoline - Lube technicians and more
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Wright Automotive Group - Sales, Lot attendents and more

AND MORE!

Pittsburgh Metro Sees More Jobs But Higher Unemployment In April

2010-06-07T11:24:00.000-04:00

The Pittsburgh Metro gained 7,300 jobs (seasonally Adjusted) in April; the highest month to month gain since 2001. At the same time, the unemployment rate increased from 8.4 to 8.5% as more job seekers entered/re-entered the job market in the improving economy.

Within the Pittsburgh MSA (metro survey area), five of the counties’ unemployment rates decreased, but the two that increased were enough to make the overall rate edge up. Unemployment rates in the MSA ranged from 7.8 percent in Butler County to 10.2 percent in Fayette County.

Goods producers in the Pittsburgh MSA totaled 143,000 jobs in April, up 5,800 from March. This was the second largest monthly increase for goods-producing industries on record, eclipsed only by a gain of 6,300 in April 1998. All three goods-producing supersectors increased, but the majority of jobs were added in construction due to warmer weather.

Month to month strength was seen across the board, but in particular, in construction, hospitality and business services. A major job index has named Pittsburgh one of the top five stable markets in the country based on the diversity of job makeup that is not relying on only one or two industries to supply a large portion of the metro’s jobs. For more details click here: http://bit.ly/b2l1G2

Over 500 Summer Jobs Available For Pittsburgh City Youths Age 14 to 21

2010-05-12T10:04:00.000-04:00

From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette;

Applications for around 555 summer youth jobs available through the city of Pittsburgh will be accepted starting today, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office announced Tuesday.

City residents ages 14 to 21 may apply to the Pittsburgh Summer Youth Employment Program. Paid for with federal funds, the program places young people in outdoor work improving parks or vacant lots, or indoor internships with area businesses.

The jobs pay $7.25 an hour for as much as 30 hours per week, from July 6 through Aug. 13.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10132/1057425-53.stm

Forbes Magazine Names Pittsburgh America’s most Livable City For 2010

2010-05-03T12:02:00.000-04:00

Pittsburgh has once again been named America’s Most Livable City, this time by Forbes magazine. Using 5 criteria to rank the top 200 metros, Pittsburgh came in number one on the strength of relatively low unemployment and low crime rates. For the rest of the story go to http://bit.ly/aObeLY

Goodwill Seeks Volunteer Mentors to Help Teens Find and Better Future

2010-04-05T10:45:00.001-04:00

Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania is looking for adult volunteers who want to help young people overcome disadvantages and avoid delinquency. The effort is part of a new national mentoring program known as Goodwill GoodGuides(tm), designed to help teens finish school and transition into productive careers through the guidance of trusted adults. Currently, over 50 at-risk youth throughout the area have been identified and are waiting on support from the GoodGuidesTM program. Because of this, there is an urgent need for volunteers to offer help for these young people.

"Goodwill has a long history of helping people find work," said Michael J. Smith, Goodwill SWPA President / CEO. "A crucial part of that history is making sure that families are strong. Adults who become Goodwill GoodGuides(tm) will help keep youth who are at-risk get on the right path, stay away from trouble and prepare for a better future."

The program targets youths between the ages of 12 and 17 who are at risk for dropping out of school, facing legal troubles, or at risk for delinquency due to issues such as abuse, disability or drug or alcohol dependence. Its overall goal is to help potentially troubled young people build career plans and skills by providing structured and supportive relationships with trusted adult mentors. Specific goals are improved school attendance and academic scores, high school graduation, career exploration, job shadowing, service learning and financial literacy.

"Goodwill can readily identify many young people who can benefit from this program because of our extensive work with individuals and families with various disadvantages," Mr. Smith said. "Our challenge is to find enough qualified adults who are willing to make a commitment to serve as mentors and to engage at-risk youths in promoting their career development and life skills."

GoodGuides(tm) volunteer mentors must be 21 or older, submit to a background check, and agree to a one-year commitment. They will receive mentor training and be required to communicate weekly with the youths, spend six to eight hours a month with them, and communicate monthly with the Goodwill mentoring specialist.

Mentors from the business community will be asked to share insights into the working world and to help youths explore career challenges and opportunities.

For more information about becoming a volunteer mentor or to suggest a youth who might benefit from this program, please contact Jackie Abel-Stavropoulos, Program Manager with Goodwill SWPA, at 412-390-2308 or Jackie.stavropoulos@goodwillswpa.org.

EmploymentGuide.com and The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Help Pittsburgh’s Job Seekers For Sixth Year in a Row

2010-03-22T11:38:00.000-04:00

Pittsburgh, PA, 3/12/2010– As the local economy begins to recover from the worst downturn since the collapse of the steel mills, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com have combined efforts for the sixth consecutive year to bring together jobseekers with companies who seek their talents.

On Tuesday, March 23rd, from 9:30AM to 2:00PM at Mellon Arena more than 30 Pittsburgh area employers and schools, featuring career opportunities from Bettis Labs, and 100's of employment opportunities from the U.S. Census Bureau, will meet and interview hundreds of job seekers at the 2010 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo. Attendance is expected to exceed 1,000 Pittsburgh area residents seeking a new career. Last years 3 events attracted over 4,000 total job seekers and resulted in more than 450 job offers. Job Seekers will enter through gate 10. Attendance for job seekers is free and no pre-registration is required.

Co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com, the 2010 Pittsburgh Employment and Career Education Expo is part of the “Hire Commitment” Job Fair Series, taking place in more than 50 cities across the country throughout 2010. The job fair series allows jobseekers to have personal contact with perspective employers.

Participating employers will seek to fill entry-level to management level positions and represent industries such as health care, engineering, IT, customer service, hospitality, retail, office/clerical, sales, skilled trades, and more.

Adding to the success of this new job fair series is support from associations interested in supporting their members including: the AARP Foundation WorkSearch and the Allegheny County Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

A Partial list of current employers and schools includes:

Bettis Labs
U.S. Census Bureau
All-State Truck Driving School
Aramark Mellon Arena
Army National Guard
Barber National Institute
Callos Companies
CCAC North Campus
CCAC/MOST
CitiGroup Financial Services
City of Pittsburgh
Cintas
Colonial Life Insurance Company
Everest Institute
Geneva College
Goodwill
H & R Block
Kaplan Career Institute
Life Pittsburgh
Lifesteps, Inc.
Mainstay Life Services
Pittsburgh Job Corp
Pittsburgh Multicultural Cosmetology Academy
Sanford Brown Career School
SMG Management, Mellon Arena
Southwestern Pa Commission, CommuteInfo
Transitional Services, Inc
UPMC
US Army Reserves
US Navy
Valvolene Instant Oil Change Centers
Wright Automotive Group

This list will be updated weekly untill the event.

Pittsburgh Metro Unemployment Rate Levels off In December. Is the Worst Now Behind Us?

2010-02-02T16:09:00.002-05:00

Unemployment figures released today by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry show December came in at 7.9%, the same as November. The source of strength for the report was manufacturing which lost no jobs from the month earlier.

This is consistent with ISM indexes released recently that show manufacturing nationwide is picking up as businesses strive to begin restocking shelves depleted by a year of inventory reductions.

Pittsburgh unemployment appears to have peaked in October when it hit 8.2%. For more details visit a summary from the Tribune Review and the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis Department of Labor and Industry of Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh YWCA Hosting Microenterprise Symposium 2010 at Carnegie Mellon University

2010-01-20T17:20:00.003-05:00

The YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh's 2nd Annual Microenterprise Symposium is the premier gathering for small businesses in the Pittsburgh tri-state area. For a second year, entrepreneurs and business professionals from this area will come together at conference to participate in in-depth workshops, educational sessions, panel discussions and networking activities. The symposium provides a way for small business owners and budding entrepreneurs to meet and explore strategies for providing support and mentoring opportunities. Connections are made by sharing experiences and real life stories about their common challenges; techniques and creative tips will be shared to help participants continue to grow their businesses.

A Micro-enterprise by definition is a business with five or fewer employees, small enough to require initial capital of $35,000 or less. According to the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, one out of six U.S. private sector employees’ works for a microenterprise.

This year’s symposium will take place on February 20, 2010, at the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University. The symposium will have more than 15 concurrent sessions in which experienced professionals will make presentations and lead discussions about technology, marketing, finance, and other related topics for small business development. Join them on February 20, 2010 and look ahead to the future of growing micro enterprises to million dollar businesses.

Pittsburgh Unemployment Rate Drops in November

2010-01-05T13:22:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh metro unemployment rate dropped to 7.9% in November from 8.3% in October, more than 2% below the national November rate of 10.2%. However In November 2008 the Pittsburgh rate was only 5.8%. This was the first month to month decline in two years and the largest month to month decline since 1998.

The 7.9% November 2009 rate represents 95,100 unemployed workers out of a labor force of 1,205,200. One year ago the labor force was listed at 1,221,800 with 70,300 unemployed workers.

The lowest county rate was Butler at 7.1% while Fayette County was highest at 10.2%. For more details go to: http://www.paworkstats.state.pa.us or http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09364/1024498-455.stm

Manufacturing jobs, though still down from October, are stabilizing at fewer than 90,000 for the region. Service related jobs, powered mostly by healthcare and education, showed growth.

These numbers are consistent with what we saw in November with help wanted job counts showing slight gains (followed in December by further gains).

TURNING A CORNER. National Jobs Report Much Better than Expected for November

2009-12-04T09:27:00.006-05:00

The November jobs report was released this morning with expectations of another 120,000 to 130,000 jobs lost (the fewest since March 2008). The report is creating a major buzz in the recruitment industry as only 11,000 jobs were lost and the unemployment rate, expected to remain at 10.2% or tick up to 10.3%, actually dropped to 10%.

September and October figures were revised lower by a combined 159,000 jobs. Temporary jobs, considered a leading indicator of future hiring activity, rose by 59,000. Manufacturing shed another 69,000 jobs while service industries expanded by 58,000, seasonally adjusted.

How this affects our local Pittsburgh market has yet to be seen, with Pittsburgh’s October report showing an uptick to 8.3% from 8.1% in September. While certainly not a “mission accomplished” moment, this portends and much faster healing of the worst jobs market in a generation. It will be interesting to see how this affects consumer attitudes in the coming months and if it is sustainable.

More details: http://bit.ly/8K2KmO

EmploymentGuide.com

Pittsburgh Metro Unemployment Rate Rises to 8.3% for October 2009

2009-12-03T11:19:00.002-05:00

At almost 2% below the national figure of 10.2%, Pittsburgh’s area unemployment rate rose to 8.3% from 8.1% in September. While the metro labor force decreased by a seasonally adjusted 21,000 job seekers over October 2008, there are over 57,000 fewer jobs.

Month to month seasonally adjusted comparisons show 900 fewer job seekers from September to October with 3,000 fewer total jobs. Fayette County faired the worst with unemployment at 10.6% while Allegheny County came in at 7.7%.

For more details follow these links:

http://www.paworkstats.state.pa.us/clf/clf.pdf

http://www.paworkstats.state.pa.us/newsrel/county_unemployment_map.pdf

Pennsylvania Adds Over 10,000 Jobs In October

2009-11-20T15:24:00.003-05:00

While the October unemployment rate in Pennsylvania remained flat at 8.8% from September, the state managed to add over 10,000 jobs month to month. This is only the second time since 2007 that Pennsylvania has seen job counts rise.

The big gainers were Healthcare/Education and Hospitality, while manufacturing and construction continue to shed the most jobs, though at a reduced level from prior months.

This puts Pennsylvania 1.4% better than the national unemployment rate of 10.2%.

More: http://bit.ly/4ukKIH

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Rocky Bleier to Speak at Veteran's Job Fair November 12th

2009-11-03T11:40:00.007-05:00

If you or someone you know is a veteran of the U.S. Military Service and are in search of employment make plans on attending this special job fair hosted by the Allegheny County Department of Veteran's Affairs.

About 70 employers will be represented at the event to be held at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland from 9:00AM to 3:30PM November 12th (the day after Veteran's Day).

Employer booth space is already sold out so bring plenty of resumes and dress for success. Click on the image to the right and save it to your computer for more information.

HealthCareerWeb.com is Redesigned to Integrate Healthcare Job Board With Medical Professional Network

2009-11-02T12:05:00.003-05:00

Healthcare recruiters and job seekers can now more easily interact with blogs, groups, forums, photos and videos

NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 2, 2009 – HealthCareerWeb.com, a full service healthcare job site and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has been redesigned to seamlessly integrate its online job board with its medical professional network.

“We’ve redesigned HealthCareerWeb.com with the user in mind. Healthcare recruiters and job seekers can now more easily engage with one another through our professional networking environment. And the best part is—it’s all free!” said Denise Tanner, business development manager of HealthCareerWeb.com.

The redesigned site encourages visitors to create a user profile. Similar to other professional networking sites, once a user profile is created, the visitor can then add friends, create or join groups, post blogs, participate in forum discussions and post photos and videos. HealthCareerWeb.com’s forums offer an informal place where medical professionals can post questions and articles about careers in healthcare and work-related issues.

The new HealthCareerWeb.com also allows job seekers to apply for positions directly from their profile and to save jobs in one central location. The next time the user logins in, he or she can view uncompleted job applications. This new streamlined application process makes applying for a medical job even easier.

For healthcare companies, HealthCareerWeb.com provides the perfect setting to showcase the organization’s offerings. Free of charge, healthcare organizations may create their own user profiles to post videos and other useful information to the healthcare Web site. Companies may also apply to become a Certified Healthcare Recruiter which allows the organization to post a special emblem to its profile page.

The new HealthCareerWeb.com will be showcased at the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) 45th Annual Conference and Exposition, Nov. 1 – 3, in Chicago. Show attendees should visit Booth #129 for a live demonstration of the professional networking healthcare Web site and to register to win a Wii Fit.

“The ASHHRA conference is a great opportunity for HealthCareerWeb.com to unveil our new features and products. The 2008 event in Austin was pivotal in our conceptual redesign and we are now prepared to unveil the new site to our customers and to the industry,” said Chris Baker, director of business development.

EmploymentGuide.com and The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh To Hold Final Big Job Fair of the Year at Mellon Arena October 27th

2009-10-15T16:18:00.007-04:00

The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com partner again to sponsor “Putting America Back to Work” Job Fair Series in Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA, 10/15/2009– In response to the current economic crisis and a tightening labor market, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com have combined efforts for the third time this year to bring together jobseekers with companies who seek their talents. On Tuesday, October 27th from 10:00AM to 3:00PM at Mellon Arena more than 30 Pittsburgh area employers and schools will meet and interview hundreds of job seekers at the 2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo.

Attendance is expected to exceed 1,000 Pittsburgh area residents seeking a new career. The March and August events attracted 1,500 job seekers each and have resulted in over 300 job offers combined, giving those job seekers a 1 in 10 chance of finding employment or retraining. Job Seekers will enter through gate 10. Attendance for job seekers is free and no pre-registration is required.

Co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com, the 2009 Pittsburgh Employment and Career Education Expo is part of the “Putting Americans Back to Work” Job Fair Series, taking place in more than 50 cities across the country throughout 2009. The job fair series allows jobseekers to have personal contact with perspective employers.

Participating employers will seek to fill hourly up to mid-level skilled positions ranging from and they represent industries such as health care, customer service, hospitality, banking/finance, sales and more.

Adding to the success of this job fair series is support from associations interested in supporting their members including: the AARP Foundation WorkSearch, the National Urban League, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

A partial List of employers includes:

Academy of Court Reporting

Adecco
American Eagle
Aramark Mellon Arena
Army National Guard
CardWorks Servicing
CCAC North Campus
CCAC/MOST
Cintas

City of Pittsburgh
CVS Caremark
First Niagara Financial Group
Geneva College

Giant Eagle Market District
H & R Block
Kaplan Career Institute
Liberty USA Inc
Life Pittsburgh
Lifesteps, Inc.
Mainstay Life Services
HCR Manorcare
OK Grocery Co
Pittsburgh Job Corp
Pittsburgh Tech. Institute-PTI
Quest Diagnostics
SMG Management
Southwestern Pa Commission CommuteInfo
Transitional Service Inc

UPMC
Verizon Wireless
Waddell & Reed

National Employment Situation Worsens More Than Expected in September

2009-10-02T12:41:00.000-04:00

From the U.S Burough of Labor Statistics:

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- SEPTEMBER 2009

Nonfarm payroll employment continued to decline in September (-263,000), and the unemployment rate (9.8 percent) continued to trend up, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The largest job losses were in construction,manufacturing, retail trade, and government.

Household Survey Data

Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 7.6 million to 15.1 million and the unemployment rate has doubled to 9.8 percent.

Unemployment rates for the major worker groups--

adult men (10.3 percent)

adult women (7.8 percent)

teenagers (25.9 percent)

whites (9.0 percent)

blacks (15.4 percent)

Hispanics (12.7 percent)--showed little change in September.

The unemployment rate for Asians was 7.4 percent, not season-ally adjusted.

The rates for all major worker groups are much higher than at the start of the recession. Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs rose by 603,000 to 10.4 million in September. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) rose by 450,000 to 5.4 million. In September, 35.6 percent of unemployed persons were job-less for 27 weeks or more.

The civilian labor force participation rate declined by 0.3 percentage points in September to 65.2 percent. The employment-population ratio, at 58.8 per-cent, also declined over the month and has decreased by 3.9 percentage points since the recession began in December 2007.

In September, the number of persons working part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was little changed at 9.2 million. The number of such workers rose sharply throughout most of the fall and winter but has been little changed since March.

About 2.2 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in September, an increase of 615,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched forwork in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.

Among the marginally attached, there were 706,000 discouraged workers in September, up by 239,000 from a year earlier. Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The other 1.5 million persons marginally attached to the labor force in September had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

Establishment Survey Data

Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 263,000 in September. From May through September, job losses averaged 307,000 per month, compared with losses averaging 645,000 per month from November 2008 to April. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, payroll employment has fallen by 7.2 million.

In September, construction employment declined by 64,000. Monthly job losses averaged 66,000 from May through September, compared with an average of117,000 per month from November to April. September job cuts were concentrated in the industry's nonresidential components (-39,000) and in heavy construction (-12,000). Since December 2007, employment in construction has fallen by 1.5 million.

Employment in manufacturing fell by 51,000 in September. Over the past 3 months, job losses have averaged 53,000 per month, compared with an average monthly loss of 161,000 from October to June. Employment in manufacturing has contracted by 2.1 million since the onset of the recession.

In the service-providing sector, the number of jobs in retail trade fell by 39,000 in September. From April through September, retail employment has fallen by an average of 29,000 per month, compared with an average monthly loss of 68,000 for the prior 6-month period.

Government employment was down by 53,000 in September, with the largest decline occurring in the non-education component of local government (-24,000).

Employment in health care continued to increase in September (19,000), with the largest gain occurring in ambulatory health care services (15,000).Health care has added 559,000 jobs since the beginning of the recession, although the average monthly job gain thus far in 2009 (22,000) is down from the average monthly gain during 2008 (30,000).

Employment in transportation and warehousing continued to trend down in September. The number of jobs in financial activities, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and information showed little or no change over the month. In September, the average work week for production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls edged down by 0.1 hour to 33.0 hours. Both the manufacturing work week and factory overtime decreased by 0.1 hour over the month, to 39.8 and 2.8 hours, respectively.

In September, average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 1 cent, or 0.1 percent, to $18.67. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.5 percent, while average weekly earnings have risen by only 0.7 percent due to declines in the average workweek.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for July was revised from-276,000 to -304,000, and the change for August was revised from -216,000to -201,000.

The Employment Situation for October is scheduled to be released on Friday, November 6, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. (EST).

Jobs in Pittsburgh Show Slight Decline From July to August

2009-09-30T13:59:00.003-04:00

Experts say year over year job losses have stabilized. The August Pittsburgh Metro unemployment rate moved up to 7.8% from 7.7% which is 2 percentage points below the national rate. The City of Pittsburgh came in at 7.7% while Allegheny County was 7.2%. See the details here from the Post Gazette and here from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

AARP Names 50 Top Employers for Those Over 50. University of Pittsburgh and S&T Bank Make the List.

2009-09-09T11:41:00.004-04:00

Other employers with a Pittsburgh presence that also made the list include The Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs, Adecco Group (temp staffing), GlaxoSmithKline, Avis Budget Car Rental, Corinthian Colleges (Everest Institute in Pittsburgh) and Express Employment Professionals (temp staffing). Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/XEsw8
For a job board that caters to jobseekers over 40 go to www.WiserWorker.com.

Pittsburgh Job Market in August Still Flat From Spring

2009-08-27T09:01:00.003-04:00

Having been directly involved with the recruitment industry in Pittsburgh for the past dozen years or so, speaking with literally thousands of human resource professionals, business owners and department heads across the region, we are seeing this year shaping up to be the most unusual in trending that we have encountered.

After having maintained a relatively healthy level of recruitment activity through most of 2008 (until 4th quarter) we, along with the rest of the country, plummeted in ad count during first quarter of 2009. Beginning just after our job fair at Mellon Arena in late March, however, the precipitous drop in activity leveled out in April giving hope that May and June might see a reversal and show some improvement.

Seasonally, spring and fall are the biggest hiring periods (and thus, highest ad counts) of the year. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) recruitment activity remained flat through April. May came and went and then June and July. Mid summer and mid winter have always trended as the weakest recruitment periods in the past but recruitment activity this summer did not rise or fall to any significant amount. August is now about over and levels still remain flat from July. Hiring managers appear to be holding their collective breaths waiting to see what the near term economy will bring.

As has been widely publicized over the past year, healthcare and education related fields show the greatest strengths in terms of activity in the Pittsburgh region. Other areas that have shown some strength are food prep/hospitality, social services, protective services and technician/maintenance (including automotive technicians).

Nationally the job market is projected to remain in decline through at least mid 2010. While Pittsburgh has enjoyed one of the strongest job markets in the country through the past year and a half, the best we can hope for going into September is that we are “less worse” than August. If seasonal hiring trends once again begin to approach typical form, we could see a fall hiring season that shows some job growth in our region. That is a big “if”.

Putting America Back To Work Job Fair Series Returns To Pittsburgh August 4th at Mellon Arena

2009-08-03T11:40:00.001-04:00

The “Putting America Back to Work” job fair series, with over 50 events scheduled to be held across the country, returns to Pittsburgh on August 4th at Mellon Arena (home of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins!) from 10AM to 3PM.

The March event, which was also held at Mellon Arena, featured 45 companies and schools and was attended by approximately 1,500 job seekers. One aspect of this series across the country is the post event tracking of how many job offers are made to the job seekers who attended each event. The goal was 10,000 jobs by 2010. As of the end of June that goal was already achieved! The new goal has now been put at 15,000 job offers nationwide. The Pittsburgh event in March has resulted so far in over 150 job offers made giving those in attendance a better than 1 in 10 chance of landing a job.

The upcoming August event is expected to be somewhat smaller in size due to the seasonal aspect of an early August job market. About 35 employers and schools are expected to attend. The doors will open to the public at 10:00AM with free admission for all job seekers and no pre-registration required.

This event, the 2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo, is produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, AARP Foundation WorkSearch and Allegheny Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Representatives from each of those organizations will be on hand to speak with job seekers about programs offered to help with job searches in this difficult economy.

As of this writing 36 employers and schools have signed on to attend. The list includes:

Giant Eagle Corporate
TSA, Transportation Safety Admin
HCR Manorcare
US Navy
Sheet Metal Workers
Transitional Services
Waddell & Reed
Life Pittsburgh
Giant Eagle Get Go
Army National Guard
CCAC, Community College of Allegheny County
Mainstay Life Services
Aramark
SMG/Mellon Arena
H & R Block
Goodwill
Kaplan School
Family Foundations - Early Head Start
CVS Pharmacy
Dish Network
Academy of Court Reporting and Technology
EDMC Online
Giant Eagle Market District
Pittsburgh Job Corp
Giant Eagle Xpress
Quest Diagnostics
Vanguard Cleaning Systems
Lifesteps
United Insurance
Everest Institute
Barber National Institute
Pittsburgh Multicultural Beauty Academy
Pittsburgh Renaissance Hotel
Allegheny County Modern Office Systems Training
Verizon Wireless (Sales and Customer Service)
Pittsburgh Technical Institute

April Unemployment Rate for Pittsburgh Metro Rises to 7.3%, Up 1/10th Point

2009-06-02T09:30:00.004-04:00

HARRISBURG (JUNE 2) – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose one-tenth of a percentage point in April to 7.3 percent.

The rate was below those of Pennsylvania (7.8 percent) and the United States (8.9 percent). The civilian labor force decreased for the third consecutive month due to a drop in resident employment. The unemployment count has been increasing for a full year, and has reached its highest point since October 1986 at 88,900. This has been the longest run of increases in resident unemployment on record (current data set back to 1970). The Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was 2.6 percentage points above the April 2008 rate.

Among Pennsylvania’s 14 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the Pittsburgh MSA held the sixth lowest unemployment rate. Rates in the Pittsburgh MSA ranged from 6.5 percent in Allegheny County to 9.8 percent in Armstrong County. Allegheny and Beaver counties experienced unemployment rate declines, the first drops in the MSA since September 2008.

In April, the Pittsburgh MSA’s seasonally adjusted jobs count declined 3,200 to 1,123,500. This was the eighth consecutive monthly loss. Over the year, jobs were down 2.4 percent in the Pittsburgh MSA, a smaller percentage drop than Pennsylvania, down 2.8 percent from April 2008.

Industry Detail (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA increased 2,500 in April due mostly to a seasonal construction gain. Manufacturers inched down to a record low of 90,900 jobs with both durable and nondurable goods manufacturers at their lowest levels on record (current data set back to 1990). Over the year, goods producers shed 11,600 jobs with losses in construction and manufacturing.

Service-providing jobs increased 5,200, the smallest April gain since 2002. The majority of increases were within leisure & hospitality and professional & business services, both of which showed less April gain than usual. Information dipped 300 to a record low of 19,900 jobs.

Service-providing companies dropped 16,000 jobs from April 2008. This was the largest over-the-year decline on record (current data set back to 1990). Aside from education & health services, all supersectors posted declines from last April.

See the full report from the PA State Department of Labor and Industry here.

Point Park University Presents Free Series for Unemployed Adults In June

2009-05-29T09:16:00.005-04:00

Here is a press release we received from Point Park College on a free series of workshops to help recently unemployed workers put their job search on track:

Point Park University Presents Free Series for Unemployed Adults
“Bridging the Career Gap – from Panic to Planning”

Workshops Offered Five Evenings in June

Pittsburgh - A job loss can feel overwhelming. How do you market yourself in the digital age? What is the most effective way to uncover job prospects in today’s market? How do you handle finances? Should you consider switching careers? Point Park University is offering a free program for recently unemployed adults to help answer these questions and create a strategy to bridge the career gap.

“Whether a job loss is expected or not, people need a plan to move successfully through the change,” says Mary Smith Peters, associate dean of students, business school adjunct faculty member and instructor for the series. “As part of its service to the community, Point Park is offering this series free to residents who now find themselves unemployed. Even those who have been without a job will find tools to help them move to the next step in employment.”

“Bridging the Career Gap – from Panic to Planning” will be held Tuesday evenings in June, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Point Park University’s Academic Hall, Room 309. Smith Peters suggests that participants plan to attend all sessions for maximum benefit. Registration is required. Register online or by e-mail dbateman@pointpark.edu or by calling 412-392-3433.

June 2 “Where You Fit in Today’s Job Market”
6-8 p.m. Learn what job types are prevalent now in this region, what the market will be for the future, and how your skills can be applied.

June 9 “Managing Debt and Finances Without a Paycheck”
6-8 p.m. Hear from a panel of experts about available resources and effective ways to manage finances and debt.

June 16 “Is it Time for a New Career Path?”
6-8 p.m. Find out if the best next step is changing your career.

June 23 “Updating Your Self-Marketing for the New Economy”
6-8 p.m. Facebook? Twitter? Create a “digital age” resume that will work for you.

June 30 “Your Custom Career Plan”
6-8 p.m. Build a winning strategy tailored just for you.

“The last class will help individuals with their personalized plans,” says Mary Smith Peters. She will be joined in the final session by Debbie Bateman, director of transfer and articulation and enrollment management, and Sandy Cronin, Point Park University’s director of financial aid, both of whom will also answer questions about University programs for participants who want to pursue further education opportunities.

Smith Peters teaches career planning and decision making courses in the School of Business. In her role as associate dean of students, she also works to ensure an intellectually stimulating and supportive learning environment for non-traditional students.

Point Park University, founded in 1960, is an independent, four-year coeducational institution located in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Point Park enrolls approximately 3,800 full- and part-time students in 67 undergraduate programs and eight graduate programs offered through its School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Communication and Conservatory of Performing Arts.
The University is transforming its campus and Downtown Pittsburgh with the Academic Village at Point Park University, a $244 million campus and public enhancement space plan. For more information about Point Park, visit www.pointpark.edu.

Manpower's Annual 10 Hardest Jobs To Fill Survey Finds Four Years of Similar Data Points to Gaps in the U.S. Workforce

2009-05-28T13:03:00.004-04:00

Even in the midst of the biggest "buyer's market" in decades, these are the posiitons found to be most difficult to fill nationwide, according to Manpower:

MILWAUKEE, May 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Engineers, Nurses and Skilled/Manual Trades are among the nation's most challenging positions to fill, according to survey findings released today by Manpower Inc.

"In the four years we have performed this research, the same positions appear on the list again and again," said Jonas Prising, President of the Americas. "Despite the current economic instability and high unemployment, there are still skills that the U.S. workforce seems to lack."

The 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill, as reported by U.S. employers for 2009, are:

Engineers
Nurses
Skilled/Manual Trades
Teachers
Sales Representatives
Technicians
Drivers
IT Staff
Laborers
Machinist/Machine Operators

Each of the 10 job categories on the 2009 list has appeared on the Hardest Jobs to Fill list in the past. Technicians, Machinist/Machine Operators and Sales Representatives have been present all four years. Engineers, Drivers and Laborers have appeared three out of four years; and Nurses, Teachers, Skilled/Manual Trades and IT Staff have been present in two of the four years Manpower has performed the survey.

Even with unemployment at or near record levels in many communities, Manpower's research highlights the problem many employers are having finding individuals with the right combination of job-specific skills, experience, training and soft skills.

"While talk has slowed in the U.S. about the pending talent shortage, it is becoming more clear that there is a talent disconnect," said Melanie Holmes, vice president, world of work solutions for Manpower North America. "Our workforce needs to be more open to retraining and upskilling for jobs that are in demand. And, our government, business leaders and educational facilities need to take action together to ensure students are being enticed to enter these fields."

The U.S. findings are part of a Manpower global study that surveyed more than 39,000 employers across 33 countries and territories in January 2009. Positions in the skilled trades, sales, technical work and engineering remain the most difficult for employers to fill globally. Manpower surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. employers in the fourth annual survey to determine which positions employers are having difficulty filling this year.

Duquesne University Student Featured in CBS News Story on Job Hunting for College Grads

2009-05-28T11:37:00.005-04:00

We found an interesting blog post on Katey Couric's blog "Couric & Co." on the CBS News website. A local Duquesne University graduate is featured as well as other interesting aspects of the most difficult job market for graduates in 30 years. Follow the link here: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/05/27/couricandco/entry5044062.shtml

Tourism Rally Announced For June 10th in Harrisburg

2009-05-22T10:04:00.004-04:00

We just recieved this by email from the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association. The main intent of this rally is to protect JOBS right here in Pennsylvania. Use this link to go to their website:

http://www.patourism.org/iMails/090522rally/

Click on the picture to enlarge

Have Pittsburgh Job Seekers and Recruiters Jumped on the Social Media Band Wagon?

2009-05-06T09:17:00.006-04:00

Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. These and literally hundreds of other networking sites on the Internet, with new ones popping up everyday, have seen dramatic increases this year in both traffic and news headlines. Pittsburgh area jobseekers and recruiters are just now realizing the advantage of using these newer tools in their recruitment and search mix (along with the rest of the country).

LinkedIn, considered to be populated by a more professional networking audience, allows users to build out an online resume showing career history, awards, group memberships and education background. Users can communicate both publically and in private. Due to the popularity of employment networking on LinkedIn the site has been actively pursuing this as a revenue stream.

Facebook is more family and friends oriented. Once you create a profile on Facebook the site helps you locate people you might know by looking for similar school histories, hometowns and more. You can allow the site access to your email contact list and it will tell you if any of those emails are registered with the site. The biggest advantage Facebook offers jobseekers and recruiters are “Groups” established on the site specifically set up to help them find one another. These are usually uncovered by doing searches on the site or from “Friends” passing along information (called viral).

Then there is Twitter. Everyone it seems is still trying to figure out what to do with Twitter. How to use it and NOT use it has become the topic of hundreds of news articles, blog posts and even “Tweets” (postings on Twitter). Twitter is a “micro blogging” site that lets you tell, in 140 characters or less, what you are doing. Pick any topic, hobby, political view, or quest and you will find “Tweeps” (people who use twitter) that specialize in what you are looking for. This allows you to “Follow” any and all whom you find interesting and eventually build a list of hundreds or even thousands of “Tweeples” (also people who use Twitter). If you are so inclined, you also have the ability to build your own following depending on how public you wish to be. As a job seeker or recruiter this gives you the ability to find one another, or those with similar interests, and communicate on regular, even daily, bases.

How the social networking phenomena will change the recruitisphere is so far unknown. Some consider most of it a fad that will fade over time. Many believe it is only in its infancy and will eventually transform how jobs are filled even more than the advent of the big job board. If any of you who are reading this are not at least putting your toe in the water, you are missing out on a very important tool for your toolbox. Pittsburgh, it seems, is embracing this new way of communicating as well as most areas of the country. Local communities of people who otherwise have never met are forming bonds and taking advantage of this new ability to “get their story out”.

If you have read this with familiarity because you use these resources then you can feel good that you are ahead of the curve. If you have resisted taking the social networking plunge we ask “what are you waiting for”? Since it can take a few months to get up and running on these sites, and build a network that can be of value, starting now can mean the difference between a three month job search and a six month job search! But remember, these are additional tools in your toolbox. No successful carpenter uses only one tool!

The “Pittsburgh Promise” will bring young families back to the City of Pittsburgh

2009-04-16T10:27:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday night of this week four Pittsburgh television stations simulcast a story on a relatively new program in the City of Pittsburgh called “The Pittsburgh Promise”. In short, the Pittsburgh Promise guarantees any student in the Pittsburgh Public School System tuition dollars to go to any approved college or technical school in the state of Pennsylvania if they maintain a certain minimum grade point level both in High School and in college.

We are not talking about small change here. Beginning in 2012 each student could earn as much as $10,000 per year for 4 years. That’s $40,000 for the mathematically challenged! For any family with children deciding on where to buy a house, this eliminates completely all reasons not to live in the city that involve finances like higher taxes.

This opportunity is real and it is right now. We all have the ability to donate money into this fund. A very large portion of the funding for this program comes from a challenge grant from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. $85 million dollars in contributions over the next 10 years are dependent on raising an additional $15 million dollars by June 30th, 2009. At this writing there is $3 million dollars to go.

We feel this is an amazing opportunity to help revitalize the city. As quoted often during last Tuesday’s broadcast, “The vitality of a region depends on the prosperity of the city at its core”. This program will revitalize the city by bringing families back thereby increasing population and property values while helping to improve the quality of education offered to all students in the public school system. Improving educational oppportunities will guarantee a better workforce in the future making our area even more attractive to companies with jobs.

Sites, Sites, Everywhere are sites. Blocking Out the Scenery, Breaking My Mind…

2009-04-09T09:09:00.003-04:00

By Pete Denio, General Manager, EmploymentGuide.com, Pittsburgh, PA

Whether you are a jobseeker or a recruiter there have never been more choices to make when deciding which tools to use in either finding your dream job or finding a million dollar candidate. According to Weddle’s (a “guide to resources for employment, personal development and career success”) who publishes an annual User’s Choice award for job boards (Top 30 sites), there are over 40,000 recruitment sites on the Internet today! Add in print, broadcast, billboards and even social networks (on and offline) and the choices become dizzying.

With so many choices how can a job seeker most efficiently use his or her time and how can a recruiter most efficiently spend precious recruiting dollars while still finding qualified candidates?

The answer lies with what any Marketing Director would advise an advertiser:

1) Do not Put All Your Eggs in One Basket, Diversify

Utilizing only one media outlet, say, the pop music radio station in your city, to launch an advertising campaign misses a large part of a products potential audience. Using a media mix that includes broadcast, print and Internet is going to greatly increase both the number of people reached as well as the number of times each person hears the message (frequency).

The same goes with a job search. Our best advice is to find one or two “mass audience” job boards you are most comfortable with but then include two or three “niche” job boards or specialty job boards that cater to the specific industry you are pursuing (Sales, Healthcare, truck driving, etc).

2) Don’t be afraid to try new things

The world of communication, branding and reaching consumers is constantly changing faster than at any time in history. The same goes for job seeking and recruitment. Although a consistent campaign is well advised (that is, the message you are trying to convey) never be happy with what you are getting for your return on investment (R.O.I.), whether your investment is your time or your company’s money. The very latest buzzword (which may be already passé by years end!) is social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Many job boards are incorporating social networking aspects into their websites.

3) Your Message Will Be the Single Largest Influence on Success

If you are a job seeker, being unhappy with results from a job board can easily be due to a poorly written resume. If you are a recruiter, poor results can be due to an ineffective or poorly written job posting. Seek advice from experts. Paying a resume service can mean the difference between getting the job you want sooner rather than later. For recruiters, carefully writing out job descriptions and reading them from a job seeker’s standpoint, or consulting with media professionals, will improve the quality of candidate regardless of which media is used. A media’s potential effectiveness is not only determined by how it reaches its target audience (or yours), but also in how well put together the message is.

4) BE PATIENT

No effective marketing campaign can be implemented in one or two weeks. Nor can a campaign’s results, or potential results, be determined in one or two weeks. Both job hunting and recruiting are processes, not events.

Using the advice presented here will help improve your results, whether you are the buyer or the seller. Develop your message, pick a mixture of media, always be looking for new opportunities in media choice and be patient. Good things will come!

TRG Customer Solutions to Add Over 80 Jobs in Pittsburgh

2009-04-08T14:53:00.003-04:00

TRG Customer Solutions announced today that it is expanding staff on two separate business-to-business sales programs in its Pittsburgh operations center. In total, the Company expects to add over 80 new employees over the next several months.

TRG Customer Solutions provides customer care, technical support and telesales services to Fortune 500 companies in the telecommunications, financial services, technology, healthcare, and utility industries. The programs to be expanded in Pittsburgh are on behalf of a nationally known telecommunications company. One of the programs in particular involves selling a variety of products including data services, technical support, wireless devices and other telephone access services to small to medium sized businesses.

"We are expanding these programs to service our client's desired growth since launching the programs in late 2008," said Frank Kelly, CEO, TRG Customer Solutions. "TRG is seeking candidates with strong selling skills that have at least 1 - 2 years business-to-business sales experience."

Work hours for both programs are Monday through Friday with one program operating from 8AM until 5 PM and the other from 11AM until 7:30PM. All positions are expected to be filled with local personnel, who will be required to complete a 2 or 3 week training program, during which time they will be paid. Interested persons should contact TRG Customer Solutions by calling Valene Schlichtkrull, TRG's Recruiter, at 412-645-6001. In addition, the company will be holding a job fair in its offices at 200 Industry Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275 on Tuesday, April 14 from 11:00AM until 1:00PM and from 6:00PM until 8:00PM. Candidates are requested to bring a resume and contact information for their references.

Lionsgate Studios Looking for Extras for Filming April 22nd and 23rd

2009-04-08T07:37:00.003-04:00

We received this email from the Producers of “WARRIOR”:

Warrior Extras Casting is looking to book people for 4/22 and 4/23. Please respond if you are over 21 and available to work.

WARRIOR, a Lionsgate Studios feature film shooting in Pittsburgh, is seeking extras to participate in the filming of a staged "smoker" - an unlicensed mixed martial arts fight- as fans. Background actors age 21 and up of all types are needed.

There is a special need for bikers- as in Harleys, not Ducatis- both male and female for this location. Shooting will take place in Clairton on Wednesday, April 22nd, and Thursday, April 23rd, beginning in late afternoon. Background will be required to stay for the entire day of shooting, usually around twelve hours but often going longer.

Pay is $100/12 hours, with overtime as needed. Actors will be required to provide their own wardrobe and transportation, and may be asked to use their vehicles in the film for an additional $25. If available for this date, please send an e-mail to warriorextras@gmail.com with "SMOKER" in the subject line to be considered.

Include your name, e-mail address, phone number, photo of yourself, and photo of your vehicle. Please only respond if available for the specified dates and location. The shoot day may start late and end late. www.warriorextras.com

As Expected, Pittsburgh Region Continues to Shed Jobs in February

2009-03-31T08:41:00.003-04:00

With about 1,500 job seekers coming to our job fair at Mellon Arena on March 24th, the 45 companies and schools in attendance are reporting one of the best qualified groups of job seekers seen in years. We knew this was the largest attendance we have had since 2003. This also coincides with the last time Pittsburgh had seen year over year job losses that approach the levels reported for February. The Pittsburgh Metro unemployment rate rose to 6.9%, up from 6.5% in January. The last time Pittsburgh had a rate this high was 1994. The state unemployment rate was 7.5 % in February and the national rate was 8.1%.

With a diversified economy, the Pittsburgh region has been better off than in past decades when steel and manufacturing accounted for a much higher percentage of jobs. Healthcare and education in particular have helped mitigate the effects of this recession buffering our area from the brunt of job losses like those seen in southern and western states. Also contributing to the relative strength of our economy is a housing industry that, because it was never part of the national housing bubble, has not seen the kinds of declines in housing values seen elsewhere.

Pittsburgh area recruiters that we speak with, though not as pessimistic as over the past three to six months, are still showing extreme caution in their hiring plans going into spring. Until they see a sustained improvement in economic news, job losses in our area will continue to mount. On the plus side, we are starting to see a slight uptick in the search for sales people in various industries.

For more details on the February Pittsburgh job market see the Pittsburgh Tribune Review article here. For more insight into what the numbers mean visit Harold Miller's Pittsburgh's Future blog.

EmploymentGuide.com, HealthCareerWeb.com and the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Help Pittsburgh’s Unemployed Workers

2009-03-23T11:24:00.001-04:00

2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo at Mellon Arena
The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com® partner to sponsor “Putting America Back to Work” Job Fair Series in Pittsburgh, PA

This job fair is open to all job seekers and admission is free. Please enter Gate 10 at Mellon Arena from 10AM to 2PM.

Pittsburgh, PA, 3/23/2009– In response to the current economic crisis and a tightening labor market, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com have combined efforts to bring together jobseekers with companies who seek their talents.

On Tuesday, March 24th, from 10:00AM to 2:00PM at Mellon Arena more than 40 Pittsburgh area employers and schools will meet and interview hundreds of job seekers.

Companies and schools attending include:

Aramark
Army National Guard
Burns & Scalo Roofing
Community College of Allegheny County
H&R Block

CCAC/ Modern Office Systems Training
Life Pittsburgh
Mainstay Life Services
New Century Careers
SMG
Transitional Services
Waddell & Reed Financial Services
Echostar
Haemonetics
HCR/Manorcare
All-State Career School
Greenery Care Center
Cardworks Servicing
YWCA
PIA Truck Driving School
Rent-A-Center
U.S. Navy
Parkvale Bank
Giant Eagle

Market District

Getgo

Giant Eagle Express
Labor-Management Clearinghouse (building trades)

Brightside Academy

City of Pittsburgh

CEP / Clayton Academy

CVS Pharmacy

Cintas

Academy of Court Reporting

Verizon Wireless

Allegheny Answering Service

Reliance First Capital

Kaplan School

Gallagher Home Healthcare

Baptist Homes

Futurity First Insurance Company

CynaMed Healthcare

Lionsgate Studios, Movie Extras, "WARRIOR"

Scott Medical Center

And more

Co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com, the 2009 Pittsburgh Employment and Career Education Expo is part of the “Putting America Back to Work” Job Fair Series, taking place in more than 50 cities across the country throughout 2009. The job fair series allows jobseekers to have personal contact with perspective employers.
Participating employers will seek to fill hourly to mid level positions ranging from entry-level to management and they represent industries such as health care, customer service, hospitality, finance, sales, insurance, skilled trades, transportation, security and more.

Adding to the success of this new job fair series is support from associations interested in helping their members including: the AARP Foundation, the National Urban League, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

In an era when so many are feeling depressed here’s a story about a father and a son that will help put our problems in perspective.

2009-03-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

Read the story first…then watch the video

Rick Reilly for Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated Issue date: June 20, 2005, p. 88

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I’m lousy.

Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars — all in the same day.
Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much — except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
“He’ll be a vegetable the rest of his life,” Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.”
But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. “No way,” Dick says he was told. “There’s nothing going on in his brain.”

“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.
Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? “Go Bruins!” And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, “Dad, I want to do that.” Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described “porker” who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. “Then it was me who was handicapped,” Dick says. “I was sore for two weeks.”

That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!” And that sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. “No way,” Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren’t quite a single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, “Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?” How’s a guy who never learned to swim and hadn’t ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don’t you think? Hey, Dick, why not see how you’d do on your own? “No way,” he says. Dick does it purely for “the awesome feeling” he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 — only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don’t keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. “No question about it,” Rick types. “My dad is the Father of the Century.”

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. “If you hadn’t been in such great shape,” one doctor told him, “you probably would’ve died 15 years ago.” So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father’s Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. “The thing I’d most like,” Rick types, “is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.”

Pink Slip Party Tuesday March 24th from 2:00PM to 5:00PM!

2009-03-12T10:43:00.003-04:00

What is a Pink Slip Party?

A Pink Slip Party is a grass-roots phenomenon that took off during the dot com crash many years ago. They have become popular once again due to the economic conditions we all find ourselves in again. Pink Slip Parties bring together job seekers, recruiters and followers with a renewed sense of purpose and hope for the future. These gatherings offer great networking opportunities, connecting those who have been, or are about to be, pink slipped with Human Resource and recruiting professionals from companies looking for new talent.

Attending a Pink Slip Party is a smart move. If you are a job seeker, you can learn about new job opportunities and you’ll be able to showcase your talents in a relaxed, friendly environment. If you are a recruiter, you can meet with potential candidates to fill positions within your company and make a one-on-one connection that you may not get from a “typical” job interview.

This event will be downtown on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 from 2 – 5 p.m. at Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle on 2329 Penn Ave. in the Strip District right after our Diversity Employment Expo at the Mellon Arena. The event will benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Team In Training” (TNT) program and will provide a unique opportunity for job seekers to network with local recruiters and their peers, as well as learning about the TNT endurance sports training program. A $10 donation to LLS will be collected at the door, all going to a great cause. Recruiters from throughout the Western PA area are invited to attend and are welcomed. Those interested in attending and/or sponsoring should contact Megan Nemecek at 412-697-2863, or email her at megan.nemecek@lls.org.

What Should You Expect From a Job Fair?

2009-03-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

Having put on job fairs in the Pittsburgh region for almost ten years now, we have seen the events evolve over time from both an employer and job seeker standpoint. With the maturation (and use) of the Internet as used for recruiting purposes more employers use job fairs today as a way to get face time with some of those resumes they get from their websites. Some employers consider a job fair to be informational as much as a direct interview-hire event. Many companies will actually interview at the event but still ask that you “apply online”.

Job seekers who have been to multiple job fairs over the years have a better understanding of this and therefore come better prepared. Quite often we hear job seekers complain that the particular employer they came to see was not actually interviewing at the event. Because of this they were disappointed and considered the event a waste of their time.

Although many employers do still interview at job fairs it is important for job seekers to understand what to expect from the company they most want to see. This can be done by researching the company website, looking for whether they accept applications on their website (look for a tab that says “Careers”). If you see a company is going to be at an event and want to know what to expect by going to speak with them CALL the company ahead of time and ask (do not rely on email as this has become too impersonal – you want to make an impression). Often representatives will be able to tell you what their policies are. If they will be interviewing at the event, you’ll be sure of this beforehand and can prepare accordingly. If they are there for informational purposes, that also is great! The people you speak with will usually be from the human resources department and will be a great source of information on work environment, benefits, pay structure and who an “ideal” candidate would be. This gives you an opportunity to customize your resume before you submit it on the company website and increase your chances of getting an interview. You also may find out the job isn’t really what you were looking for and allows you to focus your job searching efforts in a better direction.

Whether you are a job seeker or a recruiter those that get the most from any job fair are those who best sell themselves and either their skill-set or the company they represent. Company representatives should never just sit behind their tables frowning at job seekers as they walk by. Stand in front of your table and greet people. Job seekers should always smile and be prepared to ask lots of questions about the company and what it is like to work there.

Having a the best possible idea of what you will get at a job fair ahead of time, whether you are doing the hiring or looking for employment, will help make any job fair better and more productive for you.

Free Job Training From the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh for Direct Support Professionals Who Work w/ Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (MH/MR)

2009-03-02T15:32:00.002-05:00

We received this notice from Facebook…

Do you know someone who is looking for a new, more rewarding career or is currently unemployed? Please help us pass on the information below!

On March 30, the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh, in conjunction with CCAC and other providers, will be commencing the second session of it's FREE 8-week training program, the Direct Support Professional Education Program.

As unemployment in our region climbs, the need for direct support professionals who work with persons with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) in community residential settings (i.e., group homes) remains high! If you or someone you know is interested in exploring a new career helping others, please contact us for more information or for an application by calling 412-381-0277.

The class runs 8 weeks and is held at the CCAC-Northside campus. Participants receive training on the history and current state of the MR system and the job responsibilities of a direct support professional, as well as a hands-on practicum with a local provider and all of the certifications required for hire in the field (including CPR/First Aid and medication administration).

This is a FANTASTIC opportunity to get involved in a highly rewarding line of work. The course is provided FREE of charge, thanks to a generous grant from FISA Foundation. All graduates receive a Certificate from CCAC and are qualified to work as direct support professionals with potential for advancement in the field.For more info, please call Emmaus at 412-381-0277.

Pittsburgh YWCA Hosting MICROENTERPRISE SYMPOSIUM 2009 at CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

2009-02-20T13:47:00.003-05:00

A Micro-enterprise by definition is a business with five or fewer employees, small enough to require initial capital of $35,000 or less.

According to the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, one out of six U.S. private sector employees’ works for a microenterprise.

The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh supports Micro-enterprise through our Enterprising Women Program.

Cost is $35.00 that includes lunch.

Agenda:

February 28th, 2009 —- 8:30 AM—4:-00 PM
Carnegie Mellon University —- University Center,
5000 forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Opening Keynote Address by Dr. Carl Knoblock,
District Director of Small Business Administration
Pittsburgh District Office

Technology: Inexpensive Impact of the Internet
The Power of Blogging, Donna Baxter will present the impact and affordability of blogging to market the small business. She is the webmaster of The Soul Pitt.com

Face book – Twitter – MySpace Internet Advertising, Google Analytics
How does a small business market to the masses on the internet social networks? Work shop presenters are Students in Free Enterprise from Carnegie Mellon University

Marketing: Generate “Buzz” About Your Company
Smart Reader
Chris Engler, Pittsburgh Business Times
Branding a Business for the Marketplace, Dr. Evelyn Pierce
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University
Sharpening the Elevator Pitch,
Vernard Alexander, Marketing-Networking Exchange
Social Entrepreneurship, Dr. Milton Cofield,
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University
Entrepreneurship in the Current Economy, Lyzona Marshall, ABD
Assistant Professor of Business, Seton Hill University;
OnaMar Associates, LLC

Regulations: Legal is Beneficial
IRS Laws and Regulations for the Microenterprise, Jim Merante
Why Register as a Business-Becoming Certified, Elizabeth Bowers, Western Region of the State of Pennsylvania, Department of General Services
Finance: Creatively Financing the Microenterprise
Financing the Smallest Business, Carl Knoblock, SBA and Bridgeway Capital
Raising Venture Capital, Dr. Thomas J. Hajduk, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

For more information, please contact Alice Williams, Business Support Specialist, YWCA
412-255-6743 • awilliams@ywcapgh.org

A Super Bowl Time Out from Job News

2009-01-30T09:37:00.003-05:00

Brian O’Neill of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has written what we consider to be the ultimate definition of the relationship between southwestern Pennsylvania its team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How this relationship transcends geography, social and even our work lives is described in a way that any non-citizen of Steelers Nation may finally understand.

To quote a small portion:
“The real Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh of the mind, extends beyond our city's freakishly small 56 square miles and into the suburbs of neighboring counties. You could even say, as E.J. Montini suggests, that Pittsburgh extends into all those Steelers bars dotting the country, the legacy of the great Diaspora caused by the implosion of the steel industry in the 1970s and '80s”.

“There is almost no social situation where a Steelers jersey is frowned upon. Work. Church. School. Prom. The local desire to wear the names of other people on their black-and-gold backs can confuse newcomers. One reader called me earlier this month to say she'd just moved to Pittsburgh last summer and was working in a day care center where "every baby in the zero-to-3 group" wore Steelers paraphernalia on Fridays”.

Read Brian O’Neill’s full article here.

Pittsburgh Job Market on a Slippery Slope

2009-01-28T11:49:00.003-05:00

As the recession begins to deepen in the Pittsburgh region we are seeing an inability of local employers to make decisions about their recruitment plans. We continue to speak with hundreds of Pittsburgh area recruiters each week and are hearing from many of them that they have open positions they need to fill but either are not allowed, at least for the short term, to spend money in the effort, or are fearful of filling a position only to be told within weeks or months that they have to lay the new employee off.

Pittsburgh recruiters are currently just holding their breath. Many of our postings have communicated how we in Pittsburgh are fairing better than most areas around the country. The next month or two should really set the tone of how hard we are ultimately hit for all of 2009.

Most of the layoff announcements that have been publically made over the past month or two that affect Pittsburgh workers have been primarily companies with a national presence (Target, Ericsson, Home Depot, Circuit City) or large financial institutions (PNC Bank, BNY Mellon).

Healthcare and education continue to be the strength of our current job market condition. By keeping, and even continuing to increase, overall jobs in these areas of strength, other area support industries (retail, hospitality and other service industries) have been able to maintain more strength (jobs) than they would otherwise. This is different than in 2001-2002 when we lost 10,000 jobs from US Air.

The most optimistic forecasts predict the recession will continue to deepen until at least June. We will continue to report on strengths and weaknesses for our local job market as we see them.

To try and leave with at least one piece of good news, Single Source Roofing will be adding 50 jobs soon as they move into their new corporate headquarters in the Southpoint Business Park (see announcement from the Pittsburgh Business Times) and Yellow cab will be expanding as they add new service to the south hills area (see Pittsburgh Post gazette article).

When is Hot Cold?

2009-01-19T11:50:00.003-05:00

Over the past two weeks both Forbes magazine and the Monster Employment Index showed Pittsburgh to be one of the best job markets in the country. As good as that sounds it does not mean the job market in Pittsburgh is currently great. It is just better than most other areas of the U.S. The Monster Employment Index names Pittsburgh a top 5 market while the Forbes article includes Pittsburgh as one of the 10 Best job markets as of December.

The Monster index at the same time showed a dramatic decline for Pittsburgh during December and based on what we are seeing currently this trend will continue into January. Without question the best job categories continue to be Healthcare and Education. We are also seeing some strength in Protective Services and Drivers.

By far, here in Pittsburgh as with most of the country, the weakest demand is in Retail and Sales. We continue to monitor closely the local environment and will report changes as we se them.

You Have to Keep Laughing in Times Like This...

2008-12-22T15:33:00.002-05:00

The Experts Back up What We’ve Been Saying All Year about the Pittsburgh Job Market

2008-12-15T12:40:00.001-05:00

Whether you are currently unemployed or fearful you may be soon, Pittsburgh is one of the better places in the country to be living right now. We have certainly seen a decline in opportunities compared to last year but the decline is not as severe as many other areas around United States. Here are some of the recent reports on the Pittsburgh job market:

Harold Miller, Pittsburgh’s Future Blog

Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Pittsburgh Business Times

Channel 4, WTAE

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Pittsburgh Tribune Review 2

The first quarter of 2009 will continue to show deterioration in Pittsburgh’s job market. We’ll keep on watch to give reports as we see them and report ourselves on what we are seeing directly from Pittsburgh are employers.

Pittsburgh's Hottest and Weakest Job Categories

2008-11-14T10:35:00.004-05:00

It’s mid November and with the national economic news enough to scare even the sanest of us into a catatonic state what is a job seeker to do? Regardless of your current employment status; safely employed, under employed, barely employed or unemployed be grateful if you live in the Pittsburgh region, still considered one of the better job markets in the country.

With that said we are unquestioningly seeing a softening in demand in a number of job categories while a few are surprisingly maintaining and even increasing demand. Most positions in healthcare and education are the top in demand. Weakest job categories in Pittsburgh include retail and automotive (not surprisingly), although mechanics and body shop technicians are still in high demand. What is a bit surprising is the current strength of hospitality, banking, customer service and maintenance technicians. Construction (mostly commercial/industrial) worker demand also remains strong factoring in seasonality.

What next month or next year will bring is literally anybodies guess. We have read projections as optimistic as a rebound as early as next fall and as pessimistic as late 2010 (again, national figures). We here tend to be optimists. The new administration will at the very least offer new hope to the majority of the country. With new hope comes improved optimism. With improved optimism (and lower gas prices!) dollars will begin flowing again from consumers, even if it starts as just a trickle.

September 2008 Sees Improved Job Count For Pittsburgh Region

2008-10-28T13:08:00.002-04:00

Although the data was taken just prior to the burgeoning financial crises, the Pittsburgh Metro in September saw an increase of over 7,000 jobs from September of 2007. How the job picture will look over the next two months in our area is anybody’s guess, but multiple points of interest have been expressed by area economists. Articles in the Post Gazette and the Tribune-Review show different levels of optimism. We at the Employment Guide saw a relatively strong September but experienced a softening in October compared to a year ago. Remember, we are solely dependent on the placement of help-wanted ads or help-wanted Internet text postings. Our prediction, based on our direct business experience, is that we will see a moderate drop on total jobs in the Pittsburgh Metro when the October numbers are released in another month. As noted in all of the area economist quotes, our strength in healthcare will be the main mitigating factor of how many jobs are lost. Retail is one area being negatively affected in Pittsburgh, although with the opening of Nordstrom and LL Bean the amount of weakness will be diminished at least in the near term.

Fall Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo Coming October 1st

2008-09-22T11:26:00.006-04:00

The autumn edition of the Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo is set for October 1st from 10:00AM to 3:00PM at Mellon Arena. A company list is posted below.
As part of the National Employ the Older Worker Job Fair Series in conjunction with AARP Foundation WorkSearch, this event will also be held in conjunction with the Allegheny County Department of Veteran’s Affairs and The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh.

All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. No pre-registration is required and admission is free to all job seekers. We only ask that you come dressed for success and bring plenty of resumes. Parking at the arena, if you drive, costs from $5.95 to $7.95 for all day depending on which lot you use. Of course, Mellon Arena is serviced very well by public transportation, making this event easy to get to.

All job seekers who attend will be eligible to win one of 4 $50.00 gas cards to be given away at the top of each hour -11:00AM, 12:00 noon, 1:00PM and 2:00PM. As you come into the job fair (enter gate 10) you will be given a ticket to be used for the drawings.

Companies will primarily be looking for hourly, entry level up to mid-level skilled positions in Healthcare, Nursing, Sales, Customer Service, Social Services, Retail, Hospitality, Finance / Banking, the Building Trades and more.

Some of the companies and schools attending include:
Coventry Healthcare / Health America, PA Mentor, Advance Auto Parts, Mainstay Life Services, U.S. Navy, SMG, Aramark, PA Army National Guard, H&R Block, Aldi, Community College of Allegheny County, New Century Careers, CVS/Caremark, City of Pittsburgh Diversity 365, Giant Eagle Market District, CCAC Most, All-State Career, The Empyrean Group, Liberty USA, Builders Guild of Western PA, Everest Institute, Giant Eagle Getgo, Transitional Services, Life Pittsburgh, Verizon Wireless, Carnegie Mellon Facilities Management, CEP/Clayton Academy, Kaplan Career Institute, Leed's and more.

Preparing for Tomorrow’s Workplace In Pittsburgh

2008-09-11T15:11:00.005-04:00

Thank you to Karrie Valauri of AARP Foundation WorkSearch for submitting this very timely information for our blog. The Pittsburgh "Hire the Older Worker" Job Fair, part of the national series of job fairs in partnership between The Employment Guide, WiserWorker.com and the AARP Foundation WorkSearch, is coming October 1st at the Mellon Arena.

Interested in Changing Careers?
Interested in Remaining Marketable in the Workforce?
Are you Unemployed or Underemployed?

By 2010, one in three workers will be over the age of 50. As the relative proportion of younger workers declines, attracting and retaining experienced and reliable workers will be as important as ensuring that experienced workers are prepared to meet the skills in demand of the 21st century workplace.

AARP Foundation is dedicated to creating new opportunities for individuals to re-enter the workforce or to remain in the workforce. To assist individuals with obtaining and maintaining the needed skill sets for employability today and in the future, AARP Foundation has developed WorkSearch Programs.

AARP WorkSearch Assessment is an on-line instrument that helps the experienced, mature worker remain in or re-enter the workforce. It identifies work interests, personal characteristics and transferable skills. It offers quick tests to determine if one has the right skills for a job, online training programs to fill skill gaps, and job opportunities by zip code.

The WorkSearch Assessment System encompasses over 1200 job specific on-line courses, eighty of which are certified, and 75% of all job titles in the Bureau of Labor Statistics job bank are represented. It is available at no cost to experience job seekers of all ages and income levels.

“WorkSearch is an excellent tool to help you to focus in on the type of job you want, to evaluate your skills and to recognize skill gaps,” said to Roberta Davis, Employment Specialist for WorkSearch.

New job opportunities, however, often require additional skills, time and money. The right education and training can sometimes be out-of-reach, especially if you have limited financial resources.

Through the Foundation’s Training Assistance Program – the AARP Foundation is providing financial support for training to adult workers (40+) who have incomes that are at or below the median income for their community, and who are interested in training to remain in or re-enter the workforce. Because not everyone has the same interests or learns the same way, the AARP Foundation has established a number of different options, including on-line learning, classroom, and employer-based training to help people gain the skills they need to be competitive for today’s jobs.

Mature workers are being certified in many disciplines through the on-line certifications, including medical coding and billing, project management and technical writing. Classroom training has encompasses nationally recognized Customer Service certification, Quickbooks, and much more. Special on-line opportunities to obtain teaching certifications and bachelor’s degree in the accounting field are also available.

The third program offered locally through WorkSearch is the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). This service provides paid training opportunities for unemployed residents of Allegheny County who are 55 years of age or older, who meet income guidelines and are currently seeking employment. Individuals train at non-profit organizations to obtain the experience and skill sets needed to become more marketable.

Past participant, Geraldine McCorkle, is now employed and refers to SCSEP as an “excellent program for seniors to get going and keep going. Thank you.”

AARP is committed to assisting the mature workers with making informed choices regarding employment interests and options, and meeting employment goals. It recognizes that what we do today, we may not be interested in doing or physically capable of doing five, ten years from now. Our skill sets may not correspond to the needs of tomorrow’s employers.

AARP Foundation also supports a National Employer Team for those employers who are interested in securing and maintaining a mature, skilled workforce.

So whether you are an employer interested is retaining a mature workforce, or an individual interested in changing careers, remaining marketable, or re-entering the job market, learn more about how AARP Foundation WorkSearch can help you achieve your goals.

Prepare today for tomorrow’s workforce…let AARP Foundation WorkSearch help you. Contact the local AARP Foundation WorkSearch office at 412-271-1580, or visit aarpworksearch.org.