San Diego Government Jobs Pay Raises in Question

How much should those with San Diego government jobs be getting paid?

That's the question many officials are asking after a recent report by the San Diego Salary Setting Commission found that Mayor Jerry Sanders and the eight City Council members should all be making more than they currently are.

According to an article by The San Diego Union-Tribune, the city's charter requires the commission to make annual recommendations for the salaries of elected officials, which are then voted on by council members.

Specifically, this year's report found that Sanders should be making more than double his current pay, while each council member should receive a raise of almost $100,000. However, the commission is suggesting much smaller pay raises, because of the current political and economic climate.

Instead, the commission is recommending that Sanders and each council member receive a 15-percent raise. If that happens, Sanders' salary would increase from $100,464 to $115,534 per year, while council members' pay would increase from $75,386 to $86,694 per year.

According to commission President Mark McMahon, these elected officials have not received a pay raise since 2003, and 3,431 other city employees earn more than a council member.

However, Sanders himself issued a statement expressing his opposition to the commission's recommendation.

"While I appreciate the work of the commission, their recommendations are out of sync with the current economic and fiscal climate," he said. "Now is simply not the time to be awarding salary increases to anyone - especially when so many people are losing their jobs or taking pay cuts.

"It would not be fair to our hard-working city employees, who recently took a 6 percent compensation reduction, for anyone in city government to receive an increase in pay," he added.

Texas Healthcare Jobs Make Up 50 Percent of Fastest-Growing Occupations

Texas healthcare jobs make up half of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations in the state.

The education and health services industry in Texas employed 1,377,800 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,373,000 workers during November and a 4.6 percent increase from December 2008.

Five of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations in Texas are healthcare related, according to CareerOneStop. These positions are great for those who want to get into the healthcare industry but don't necessarily want to work as a doctor or nurse.

These include:

• Personal and home care aides - Ranked first, this occupation will increase by 56 percent to 207,850 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Medical assistants - Ranked third, this occupation will increase by 56 percent to 27,620 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Physical therapist assistants - Ranked fifth, this occupation will increase by 47 percent to 5,570 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Physician assistants - Ranked ninth, this occupation will increase by 45 percent to 5,540 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Pharmacy technicians - Ranked 10th, this occupation will increase by 44 percent to 35,050 employees between 2006 and 2016.

The entire list of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations include:

1. Personal and home care aides
2. Network systems and data communications analysts
3. Medical assistants
4. Special education teachers for preschool, kindergarten and elementary students
5. Physical therapist assistants
6. Computer software engineers, applications
7. Special education teachers for middle school students
8. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
9. Physician assistants
10. Pharmacy technicians

Jobs in Raleigh NC for Youth

Young people will soon have a chance to apply for jobs in Raleigh NC.

The City of Raleigh's Summer Youth Employment Program recently announced it will offer about 160 summer jobs to local youth. The program is administered by the city's Community Services Department.

The program - which is only available to those between the ages of 14 and 18 who live within the Raleigh city limits - is meant to develop good work habits and promote education and job experience as a prerequisite to a successful future.

Those chosen for the program will be expected to work between 20 and 35 hours per week. First and second-year participants can expect to earn $7.25 per hour. Personal and career development workshops also will be available during the summer.

Interested youth can complete an application at any one of the 10 designated city locations. Applicants must have a clear photocopy of their Social Security card and either a state-issued driver's license, state-issued learner's permit, military identification or state identification card.

Raleigh youth could certainly use the additional help when it comes to finding a job, as the city's unemployment rate held steady at 8.6 percent from September to November 2009. The city also has continued to lose jobs on a monthly and yearly basis as of late.

The Raleigh-Cary area had a total non-farm employment of 508,300 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 509,700 workers during November and a 1.6 percent decrease from December 2008.

Job Openings in Miami from More Graduates?

A higher graduation rate would create more job openings in Miami.

A recent report from the Alliance for Excellent Education found that a 50-percent reduction in the number of high school dropouts in South Florida would result in large increases in job creation, personal spending, and home and car sales.

The areas included in the report - Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach - account for 106 high schools. Of those schools, 52 are considered "dropout factories," or schools in which less than 60 percent of freshmen graduate on time.

About 33,600 students from the class of 2008 dropped out of school before graduation. If half of those students, or about 16,800, had gone on to graduate, they would earn a combined average of $212 million more than they will without a diploma.

In addition, those graduates would most likely purchase homes halfway through their careers, accounting for a total of $480 million more than what they will spend without a diploma. They also would spend an additional $19 million on car purchases each year.

Those actions would cause local tax revenue to increase by up to $16 million per year, while new graduates would spend an additional $157 million and invest an additional $55 million during the average year.

That additional spending and investment would lead to the creation of about 1,950 new jobs, increasing the gross regional product by up to $295 million by the time the new graduates were halfway through their careers.

Atlanta Education Jobs

If you're looking for a teaching career, there are plenty of opportunities when it comes to Atlanta education jobs.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta area's education industry has continued to see a monthly and yearly increase in employment, despite the current economic recession.

The industry employed 270,900 workers during November 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 270,500 workers during October and a 2.8 percent increase from the previous year.

Atlanta Public Schools, which serves as the city's public elementary and secondary school system, is run by the Atlanta Board of Education. As of 2007, APS had an active enrollment of 49,773 students.

According to Wikipedia, APS operates a total of 106 schools, including 58 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, 20 high schools and seven charter schools. Three of the elementary schools operate on a year-round calendar.

APS also operates two alternative schools for middle and high school students, including two single-sex academies and an adult learning center. The system also owns and operates a radio station, National Public Radio affiliate and Public Broadcasting Service television station.

When it comes to higher education, Atlanta serves as home to one of the largest concentrations of colleges and universities in the nation. The city has more than 30 higher education institutions.

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a predominant engineering and research university located in Atlanta that has been ranked among the top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report for more than 10 years.

The city is home to the Atlanta University Center, which serves as the largest consortium of historically-black colleges and universities in the country. AUC schools include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College and the Interdenominational Theological Center. The Morehouse School of Medicine adjoins the other AUC schools, but is independent from them.

Georgia State University is located in Atlanta, along with a Savannah College of Art and Design campus in Midtown, the John Marshall Law School and the Reformed Theological Seminary.

Schools throughout outer Atlanta include Emory University, Oglethorpe University, Agnes Scott College and Reinhardt College.

The outer Atlanta area also has several state-run institutions, including: Clayton State University, Georgia Perimeter College, Kennesaw State University, Southern Polytechnic State University and the University of West Georgia.

Denver Colorado Jobs Ranked Among Best in Nation

Those looking for Denver Colorado jobs may be in luck.

The most recent Job Search Difficulty Index from Juju ranked Denver as the eighth-best city in the country for job seekers. The report is based on the ratio of jobless workers to the number of job openings advertised online.

The index found that Denver had 3.81 unemployed workers per advertised job during December. Colorado was ranked as the eighth-best state for job seekers, with 4.99 unemployed workers per advertised job.

Washington, D.C., was ranked as the best city for job seekers, with 1.87 unemployed workers per advertised job, while Detroit was ranked as the worst city, with 20.76 unemployed workers per available job.

The District of Columbia was ranked as the best state for job seekers, with 1.65 unemployed workers per job openings, while Michigan was ranked as the worst state, with 18.97 unemployed workers per advertised job.

The top 10 cities for job seekers are:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. San Jose, Calif.
3. Baltimore, Md.
4. Boston, Mass.
5. New York, N.Y.
6. Salt Lake City, Utah
7. Hartford, Conn.
8. Denver, Colo.
9. San Antonio, Texas
10. Austin, Texas

The 10 worst cities for job seekers include:

1. Orlando, Fla.
2. Providence, R.I.
3. Birmingham, Ala.
4. Los Angeles, Calif.
5. Sacramento, Calif.
6. Las Vegas, Nev.
7. Riverside, Calif.
8. Miami, Fla.
9. St. Louis, Mo.
10. Detroit, Mich.

The top 10 states for job seekers are: the District of Columbia; Virginia; North Dakota; Massachusetts; Maryland; Nebraska; Alaska; Colorado; Connecticut; and Utah.

The 10 worst states for job seekers include: California; Alabama; North Carolina; South Carolina; Kentucky; Rhode Island; Nevada; Idaho; Mississippi; and Michigan.

Nashville Marketing Jobs to Increase in 2010

More Nashville marketing jobs will be available next year.

A recent survey conducted by Prince Market Research and sponsored by the local chapter of the American Marketing Association found that one in five marketing firms in Nashville plan to add jobs during 2010 and another 19 percent are contemplating making new hires.

There is somewhat of a downside, as the survey found that compared to 2007, more marketing employees in Nashville are paying for part of their healthcare premium, fewer are receiving bonuses and more are working from home.

On the upside, however, the survey further found that those who enjoy working hard would enjoy working for a marketing firm in Nashville. The average working schedule for a marketing employee there consists of 50 hours per week, only slightly higher than the national average of 45 hours per week.

Another survey from the American Marketing Association and Aquent found that marketers who work in small offices earn a median salary between $70,000 and $80,000 per year, which is higher than the national average of $65,000 per year.

Marketers working for larger companies can expect to earn even more, as that survey found marketers working in companies with at least 500 employees earn an average salary between $80,000 and $90,000 per year, which is close to the national average of $89,000 per year.

The additional marketing jobs could play a role in helping the Nashville area's overall economy to recover. Unfortunately, as of late, the area has continued to lose jobs when compared to last year.

Although Nashville's November unemployment rate has yet to be released, Tennessee's unemployment rate decreased from 10.5 percent to 10.3 percent. Despite that decrease, the state's current rate is still higher than the national unemployment rate of 10 percent.

The Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin area had a total non-farm employment of 731,700 workers during November, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 728,000 workers during October, but a 3.4 percent decrease from last year.

Oregon State Jobs in Manufacturing Decline

Tens of thousands of Oregon state jobs in the manufacturing industry were lost during the last year.

The Oregon Manufacturers Directory from Manufacturers' News, Inc. found that manufacturing employment in the state declined by 7.5 percent from October 2008 to October 2009. The state lost 18,087 industrial jobs and 375 manufacturing companies during that time.

Oregon is now home to 5,975 manufacturers that employ 222,661 workers. The lumber and wood sector is the largest in the manufacturing industry, employing 36,118 workers, a 10 percent decrease from last year.

That is followed by electronics manufacturing, accounting for 29,042 jobs, a 9.5 percent decrease from last year, and food products manufacturing, employing 28,543 workers, about the same as last year.

The transportation sector saw the biggest decrease in jobs, with employment falling by 24.8 percent during the 12-month period. That is followed by paper products, which declined by 11.4 percent, and industrial machinery and equipment, which dropped by 9.8 percent.

Other sectors that declined include: furniture and fixtures by 7.9 percent; primary metals by 6.4 percent; stone, clay and glass by 5.6 percent; textiles and apparel by 5.4 percent; fabricated metals by 5 percent; printing and publishing by 3.9 percent; rubber and plastics by 1.9 percent; and chemicals by 1.7 percent.

Northeast Oregon saw the biggest decrease in manufacturing employment, losing 16.4 percent of jobs in the area. Southeast Oregon lost 12.7 percent of its manufacturing jobs, while Southwest Oregon saw a 10 percent decrease. Northwest Oregon, which accounts for most of the state's manufacturing jobs, saw a 6 percent decrease in employment.

Portland is home to the most manufacturing jobs, decreasing 6.5 percent during the year to 47,289 employees. Hillsboro has 22,574 manufacturing jobs, a 7.9 percent decrease; Beaverton has 15,930 jobs, a 2.2 percent decrease; Eugene has 12,313 jobs, a 4.8 percent decrease; and Salem has 7,650 jobs, a 4.3 percent decrease.

"As with the entire nation, the recession continues to affect Oregon's industrial sectors," Tom Dubin, president of Manufacturers' News, Inc. said. "However, the state's investments in green technologies has led to bright spots such as the opening of solar cell manufacturer Solar World in Hillsboro, and should help lay the groundwork for recovery."

Tampa Bay Jobs for Veterans

Many veterans throughout the country are looking for employment and several recently made it known that they are searching for Tampa Bay jobs.

Cincinnati-based RecruitMilitary has hosted more than 60 job fairs throughout the country targeted toward helping those with military experience find employment. The organization's most recent job fair in Tampa Bay attracted about 350 people searching for jobs for veterans, according to an article by the St. Petersburg Times.

Fewer veterans have been able to find work during the current economic recession, with the veteran unemployment rate during December coming in one point higher than the national unemployment rate at the time of 10.2 percent.

Younger veterans have been hit the hardest, as about 185,000 people who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq are now unemployed. The federal government is taking notice of the problem as President Barack Obama recently created the Council on Veterans employment to encourage federal agencies to hire more veterans.

RecruitMilitary, however, is hoping to complement the government's efforts. Company officials say many employers want to hire veterans, but the challenge is convincing them that a veteran's leadership and perseverance offset their lack of civilian work experience.

All types of veterans attended the Tampa Bay job fair, from long-time civilians to those newly unemployed to those planning on attending college. Unfortunately, some job seekers complained that there were not enough explicit opportunities advertised, while some of the most popular employers, such as the Transportation Security Administration, was simply telling job seekers to apply for positions online.

The Bank of America was among the few employers actually accepting resumes, although the company still requires job seekers to apply for positions online. Company representatives said anywhere from 50 to 500 people were applying for any single position with the bank.

Houston Construction Jobs Will Decline as Overall Economy Prospers

One organization is predicting the local economy will improve by the end of next year as international trade picks up, although Houston construction jobs and upstream energy jobs will continue to decline.

The Greater Houston Partnership recently released its employment forecast for 2010, which predicts the Houston area will end next year with a net gain of 1,900 jobs after losing 93,000 jobs this year. The city should stop losing jobs by mid-2010 and begin seeing an increase in employment by Q3.

The report focuses on what the organization considers to be the three largest and most important industries in Houston, including construction, upstream energy and international trade. Those three industries represent more than two-thirds of job losses expected this year and are likely to dominate the city's employment picture during 2010.

It is expected the construction industry in Houston will have lost 23,300 jobs by the end of this year, accounting for about 25 percent of the area's total job loss. Unfortunately, there is little other than the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create new construction jobs next year.

Although it is expected most of the construction job losses occurred this year, the organization predicts that the industry will see another 3.1 percent decrease in employment with the elimination of 5,500 jobs.

Houston's upstream energy industry, also known as mining and logging, consists mainly of oil and gas. The industry boasts an average annual salary of more than $100,000 and is the only one to pay more than six figures.

The industry is broken down into two parts: oil and gas extraction, which will end this year with a gain of 2,100 jobs, and support activities for mining, which will have lost 5,100 jobs this year. Together these two sectors will end the year with a 3.3 percent decrease in employment. If national gas and oil price predictions are accurate, Houston's mining and logging industry will see a decrease of 2.6 percent, or 2,300 jobs, during 2010.

Among international trade, wholesale trade employment declined by 16,400 jobs, or 11.7 percent, from December 2008 to December of this year, while transportation declined by 10,000 jobs, or 17.9 percent. Next year, wholesale trade should regain 5,200 jobs and transportation should add 2,900 positions.

Among next year's predictions for other large industries in Houston:

• Manufacturing will decrease by 4,800 jobs or 2.1 percent
• Retail trade will almost break even, losing only 400 jobs
• Administrative and support services will increase by 5,400 jobs
• Healthcare and social assistance will increase by 1.6 percent
• Accommodation and food services will grow by .5 percent
• Government will increase by 4,100 jobs or 1.1 percent
• Professional, scientific and technical services will almost break even with a 4 percent increase in computer systems design, a 2.1 percent increase in legal services and a 1.9 percent decrease in engineering services

Colorado State Jobs Paying Living Wage Hard to Find

Due to the high competition among the employment marketplace, finding Colorado state jobs that provide a living wage is extremely difficult.

The 2009 Job Gap study from the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations found that, because Colorado has lost 110,600 jobs during the past year, more people are currently looking for work, making it harder to find a living wage job.

"The findings of this report show that for people looking for living wage jobs, the prospects are dim," the report notes. "The recession has forced many individuals and families onto the job market, where they're joined by an ever-increasing number of other people also out of work.

"This increases competition for the few living wage jobs available, leaving many unemployed, or in work that doesn’t meet a basic standard of living," the report continues. "Families and individuals unable to access living wage jobs must make impossible decisions between paying for healthy food, healthcare, and paying the bills."

Statewide average living wages in Colorado are:

• $13.34 an hour, or $27,746 a year, for a single adult
• $22.89, or $47,617 a year, for a single adult with one child
• $29.71 an hour, or $61,600 a year, for a single adult with two children
• $27.59 an hour, or $57,385 a year, for two adults, one of whom is working, with two children
• $37.60 an hour, or $78,199 a year, for two adults, both of whom are working, with two children

However, 40 percent of the available jobs in Colorado pay less than the average living wage for a single person, while 82 percent of available jobs pay less than the average wage for a single adult with two children.

The study examined the gap between the number of living-wage jobs and the number of people applying for them and reported what the living wages should be for people in various situations.

A living wage is defined as "a wage that allows families to meet their basic needs, without public assistance, and that provides them some ability to deal with emergencies and plan ahead. It is not a poverty wage." Living wages are often found to be two to three times the federal poverty level.

The report examined living wage amounts by county and statewide averages for Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, based on each county and state's living expenses. Expenses include such things as food, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare, childcare, clothing, other personal items, savings and state and federal taxes.

San Antonio Jobs Outlook is Second-Best

The outlook for the future of San Antonio jobs is a positive one. Visit http://sanantonio.jobing.com to learn more.

Manpower Inc.'s recent first-quarter employment-outlook survey ranked San Antonio as having the second-best hiring outlook in the country. The city is second only to Columbus, Ga., which was ranked first among 201 metropolitan statistical areas throughout the nation.

The report found that 19 percent of responding companies plan to hire new employees between January and March 2010, while only 7 percent of employers plan to reduce their workforce, representing a net gain of about 12 percent. In comparison, Columbus, Ga., saw a net gain of 18 percent.

San Antonio is one of five areas in Texas to rank among the top 11 markets in the survey. The other areas include Amarillo, with a net gain of 11 percent; McAllen-Edinburg-Mission at 10 percent; Laredo at 10 percent; and Dallas-Fort Worth at 9 percent.

The net gain in San Antonio is an improvement from the city's results during Q1 and Q4 2009, during which time the city saw net gains of 5 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

"It's a good, positive indicator," Steve Nivin, a professor at St. Mary's University who also oversees an economic group between the university and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said. "I still think we're going to see a soft market for a while."

Overall, 28,000 companies responded to the survey, and 12 percent of those anticipate to increase staffing levels during Q1 2010, while 12 percent expect to cut payrolls. However, a net gain of 6 percent is shown once the results are seasonally adjusted.

That's a slight increase from Q4 of this year, when Manpower reported that 12 percent of companies were planning to hire, while 14 percent of companies were planning to eliminate jobs, accounting for a 3 percent decrease.

The most recent survey found that a record high 73 percent of companies expect no change in their staffing plans. In San Antonio, 70 percent of companies surveyed do not plan to make any changes.

The survey found hiring prospects in San Antonio are highest in the construction; transportation; wholesale and retail trade; professional and business services; education and health services; and leisure and hospitality industries.

City of Phoenix Jobs Won't Recover for Years, Economists Say

Some economists are predicting it could take many years for City of Phoenix jobs to recover to a pre-recession state.

Despite indications that the recession may be coming to an end and some economists saying the labor market could rebound by 2011, others are claiming it will take a lot longer for jobs to recover, possibly not until between 2014 and 2016.

Since the recession began at the end of 2007, the Phoenix area has lost 210,000 jobs, ranking it among the worst in the nation. The area's unemployment rate increased from 3.6 percent during November 2007 to 8.7 percent during October of this year. In comparison, the national unemployment rate increased from 4.7 percent to 10.2 percent during the same time.

"I believe we will begin to see an improvement in the second or third quarter, but it will be slow and gradual and could take seven years before we reach the unemployment rate before all this began in 2007," John Mathis, an economist and international finance expert with the Thunderbird School of Global Management, told the Phoenix Business Journal.

He said he expects consumer spending to improve during Q1 2010 and business spending to rebound during Q2 2010. A slew of first-time home-buyer federal tax credits and low interest rates could help create real estate and construction opportunities, which the Phoenix area has lost 59,600 of since the recession began.

Dennis Hoffman, an economist with Arizona State University, predicts that Arizona's economy as a whole may not improve until 2014 or 2015. He said the state ranks along the lines of Michigan for unemployment, decreased personal income and spending.

Even though Arizona has a lower unemployment rate than Michigan, experts say that is only because many of the local unemployed workers have left the state. That means a lack of population growth will hinder Arizona's economy until more people more to the area.

Las Vegas Hotel Jobs with Binion's Cut

About 100 people with Las Vegas hotel jobs will soon be losing those positions.

Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel recently announced its plans to shut down the property's 365 hotel rooms indefinitely, a move that will result in the loss of about 100 of the company's 800 workers.

In addition to the hotel rooms, Binion's Original Coffee Shop also will be closed and the casino will get rid of keno. However, the casino, sports book, poker room, casino-floor cafes and other amenities will remain open.

"This is a result of this brutal economy that has affected Las Vegas," Spokeswoman Lisa Robinson told the Las Vegas Review Journal. "We looked at every aspect of our operations, and the hotel rooms are no longer competitive in this market."

Company officials said that occupancy and average daily room rates at the hotel - which will range from $23 per night on weeknights to $54 per night on the weekend until closure - were too low to justify continuing operations.

During the first nine months of this year, average daily room rates in Las Vegas decreased by 24.7 percent and hotel occupancy declined by 5.6 percent, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Binion's is currently owned by TLC Casino Enterprises, which purchased the casino in 2008 for $32 million. However, this is not the first problem the facility has faced since that time. Regulators closed Binion's in 2004 to ensure a former owner could pay off his debts.

In addition, TLC has been fighting lawsuits from owners of the land under the casino who are seeking payment for their leases or an increase in rent. At least four of nine parcels under Binion's are owned by other people who charge rent.