When looking for a new job online one of the most important decisions one is faced with is which search engine to use. For those with their sights on executive jobs, this becomes even more crucial. Most of these sites are geared toward the general public, meaning that six figure jobs seem to be in short supply.
With a new career search page seeming to pop up everyday, the internet is filled with enough options to drive an indecisive person crazy. For executives hoping to locate new employment, time to analyze all the options maybe in short supply.
Frequently voted "Best of the Web" by Forbes magazine, 6FigureJobs.com is one of the best options available to those who are searching for executive positions. Although the site is free to job seekers, it is more selective about who it allows to be a member. Instead of simply allowing anyone to sign up and post a resume, 6FigureJobs double checks users' credentials and only allows those who have six years of business experience and have previous held a job that earned them at least $100,000 a year. The screening process takes approximately 24 hours.
Executive level job seekers aren't the only ones who have their information verified; all positions posted with 6FigureJobs have been double checked and guarantee salaries no less than $100K a year. This selectivity has helped to make the site the industry's leading page for Executive job seekers and career resources.
Offering one of the largest databases of executive level jobs, 6FigureJobs has hundreds of new posts every month. The search engine can be tailored to yield results for particular locations, fields, and positions. Employers using the site range from Fortune 1000 companies to smaller organizations and include executive recruiting firms.
According to Forbes, the websites only downfall are the "resources" entitled Be Your Own Boss and Profit from the Internet because these sections are actually little more than advertisements masquerading as valuable information. Nevertheless, the fact that the site verifies credentials and allows access to users within 24 hours makes up for its shortcomings. Another great aspect of 6FigureJobs is the fact that users have access to free resume critiques.
Texas's unemployment rate rose slightly in the month of November, going from 4.1 percent to 4.2. As is often the case, jobs growth slowed due to coming holiday season. Despite this Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Chairperson Diane Rath says that "job growth in Texas continues to outpace the nation." She went on to say that "the solid economic foundation laid in Texas over recent years is serving employers and workers well."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' data supports Rath's statement, showing that the 12,300 Texas jobs created was the largest monthly gain in employment throughout the nation. During 2007, the state added 204,4000 jobs, making it first place in the country for job growth. Florida came in at second place with 90,200 jobs added for the year.
Houston had the largest job growth statewide for the month of November, according to the TWC. During the month 12,300 nonagricultural Houston jobs were created. The industries that experienced the largest gains included trade, transportation, utilities, government, education, and health services.
Although the city posted the highest job gains in the state, Houston's unemployment rate also rose in November, from 3.8 percent to 4 percent. According to TWC figures, the current jobless rate shows some improvement when compared to the 4.3 percent of November 2006.
When analyzed, Novembers data showed that there were a smaller number of Houston jobs created in retail than is normal for the city. Joel Wagher, labor market analyst for The WorkSource, says that it's possible that retailers hired fewer new employees due to the increase of individuals using the internet to make holiday purchases. Between October and November, retailers added only 6,500 Houston jobs, which is the least created for the holiday shopping season since 2000.
The convenience of online shopping is not the only factor that effected Houston job growth in November, Wagher said. He also believes that the popularity of gift cards, an easy sell item, has decreased the need of extra staff for the holiday season. He went on to say that high gas prices and the increased minimum wage could also have contributed to retailers decision to keep hiring modest.
Another industry that failed to create Houston jobs in November was manufacturing. Wagher blamed the housing crisis, which has lowed the need of Houston-made wood products along with other building materials, for the industries zero percent job growth over the past year. According to him, this is the first year, since 2004, that the city hasn't had over-the-year job growth in this industry.
A post-hurricane Katrina New Orleans finally seems to be starting the long road to economic recovery. Although the city continues to experience many complications, such as an elevated crime rate, people are beginning to return to the city in hopes of resuming their lives. Over the last year, the state of Louisiana gained approximately 50,000 residents, according to new Census Bureau state population estimates released on December 27th.
The majority of this increase occurred in New Orleans. Despite the recent burst in the population, the state is still far from its pre-Katrina population level of 4.5 million. The Census Bureau estimated that the combination of Katrina and Rita caused the state to lose 250,000 residents. Nevertheless, an increase in the population of this size is a step in the right direction.
The return of life to the city, also marks the return of jobs in New Orleans. Overall, Louisiana added 5,600 nonagricultural jobs in the month of November. There largest portion of these new positions were jobs in New Orleans. The city had the biggest monthly gain, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, adding 1,600 jobs. During the course of the last year, there have been 6,700 new jobs created in Louisiana. There are now 1.9 million nonfarm jobs in the state.
The seasonal unemployment rate for November was higher than that of October, possibly due to seasonal layoffs. Currently 3.5 percent of the population is unable to find work, compared to 3.3 percent in October. The national average is over a percent higher at 4.7 percent. In 2006, the unemployment rate in the area was 4.3 percent, which shows some signs of improvement.
According to Patty Lopez, a labor market analyst for the Louisiana state Labor Department, the conditions for those searching for jobs in New Orleans is good, despite the fact that many areas are still trying to recover from hurricane damage. Lopez referred to the current employment situation as a "job-seeker's market," saying that "anyone who really wants to find a job, can."
She believes that the state is "starting 2008 strong," despite the fact that New Orleans is the only metro region tracked by the department that has not yet surpassed its August 2005 nonagricultural employment numbers. Overall, the current situation seems to be encouraging to the creation jobs in New Orleans.
California's unemployment rate for the month of November was above that of the National average. Elsewhere in the country, only 4.5 percent of people were out of work, while 5.6 percent of California residents went without jobs.
Although Silicon Valley's unemployment rate wasn't as high as the rest of the state, it also experience a rise in November. Data shows that 5 percent of residents went without work, up 0.1 percent from the previous month. During November of 2006, only 4.4 percent of those in the area were unable to find jobs. A population increase of 3,500 people may be partially to blame.
Despite the increase in the unemployment rate, Silicon Valley jobs - specifically job opportunities in San Francisco - were created for the second consecutive month. The local economy continues to remain comparatively healthy regardless of large spread concerns such as the housing crisis and consumer spending.
Nevertheless, the latest labor report put out by the California Employment Development Department shows there maybe reason for some concern. According to the report, 2,300 Silicon Valley jobs were created by retailers bulking up staff numbers in preparation for holiday shoppers. This may sound like good news, but this number is actually lower than the 3,000 jobs they usually add for the season state labor analyst, Janice Shriver, says.
The smaller than average increase in Silicon Valley retail jobs was made worse by the loss of a larger than normal number of construction jobs. On average, November sees a decrease in this sector of about 400 positions. This year approximately 1,000 construction jobs were done away with. Shriver says that this was, at least in part, due to the housing crisis.
Private colleges, universities, and other professional schools added about 700 jobs, which is average for the area. Manufacturing saw an increase of 600 jobs. Professional business services, which includes everything engineering and research to temp agencies, did little to no hiring. Financial activities, which includes real estate and insurance sales, also remained flat.
Many are concerned that, with the likelihood of the crisis situation of the housing market continuing, that the Silicon Valley job market may continue to look bleak in the new year.
To dedicated animal owners their pets are more than possessions; they are important members of their family. After work these individuals rush home to be greeted by four paws and a friendly face.
What may only be an eight hour work day can seem like forever when worrying about Fido, whether the concern be his happiness and health or the damage he has done to the house or yard during the course of the day.
For a myriad of reason, many employers are beginning to see the benefits of allowing pets in the workplace, thus making the daily separation of loyal friends unnecessary.
Long used as a method of stress reduction for nursing home residents, the presence of loved pets in the workplace has a similar effect. Aside from the comfort of knowing that their pets are well, employees are encouraged to take "play" breaks throughout the day.
Although these may only last for five to fifteen minutes at a time, many workers find that the time away from the cubicle resets their mind. This often results in employees having a fresh perspective on a previously perplexing problem.
Without these breaks an employee might continue to puzzle of the same issue for several hours. Because of this, many companies have found that allowing pets in the workplace ensures that more actual work gets done. A survey done of pet-friendly businesses conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that 73 percent of companies who participated said pets created a more productive work environment.
When paired with a better moral throughout the office, it's easy to see why many employers find it beneficial to allow pets in the workplace. Almost all of the businesses that took part in the survey, 96 percent, said that they saw an increase in positive work relations. After all, it's hard to be grouchy when a fuzzy face is peering upward with "love me" eyes.
With 58 percent of the workplace's surveyed saying that employees were more likely to stay late if animals were present, the benefits of allowing pets in the office is may be most obvious in companies that require longer hours than most.
Often job seekers rush home to feed or otherwise see to the need of their pets and are therefore unable to stay very late. Since, in these offices survey, the pets commuted with their owners these individuals are more likely to be free to devote time to seeing a project finished before the end of their day.
