Jobs : Innovation + Job News

Job hunters take heart, a new survey from CareerBuilder and Robert Half shows businesses are looking forward and making plans for the time when the recovery begins - including the need to make sure they're prepared for the upturn. The survey shows where employers are headed with post recession hiring. According to the survey, managers are planning to hire a combination of workers to support both thier long- and short-term projects. Fifty-three percent of employers expect to hire full-time employees over the next 12 months, while 40 percent will hire contract, temporary or project professionals and 39 percent will add part-time employees.

Other key survey findings include:

• In the next 12 months, more than half of employers polled plan to hire full-time employees, four in 10 will hire contract, temporary or project workers, and four in 10 will hire part-time employees.
  
• Technology, customer service and sales are the top three areas in which employers expect to add jobs first once the economy rebounds.
  
• The average time to fill open positions, depending on the job level, is 4.5 to 14.4 weeks, the same time range as last year.
  
• Despite an abundant labor pool, six in 10 employers are willing to negotiate with qualified candidates for higher compensation.
  
• Four in 10 employers expect the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create jobs in their organizations over the next two years.
  
• More than half of employees polled plan to make a career change or go back to school when the economy recovers.
  
• Forty percent of hiring managers said that when the economy improves, giving pay raises will be their primary method for retaining top performers.

Gov. Martin O'Malley  has relaunched the once defunct Maryland Economic Development Commission (MEDC). The official swearing in of commission members occurred in August and reopens the MEDC at a time when private economic investment is vitally needed.

The MEDC, first created in 1995 has been inactive since 2006. It's25 member panel will help shape Maryland's business policy, regulation and legislation. As part of its mission, the Commission also will develop a 10-year strategic plan for the state's economy, solicit input from businesses from each region of the state and provide recommendations to the Gov. on issues that currently or could potentially impact Maryland's businesses.

"The Maryland Economic Development Commission will play a vital role in charting a course for Maryland's economic future," says Governor O'Malley. "We are fortunate to have brought together some of Maryland's greatest visionaries in science, education and business from every region of the State to undertake this important mission and I look forward to learning their recommendations for how we can best support Maryland's business community."

Commission members serve staggered three-year terms. Chairing the Commission will be Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who is currently Senior Advisor for Johns Hopkins Medicine and Senior Fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. From 2002 to 2008, Dr. Zerhouni was the Director of the National Institutes of Health, where he successfully led a series of reforms that were adopted by Congress in the NIH Reform Act of 2006.

"It's an honor for me to lead this Commission of my fellow Marylanders dedicated to strengthening Maryland's economy," said Dr. Zerhouni. "I look forward to working with Governor O'Malley and my Commission members to develop a long-range strategic plan to build on Maryland's unparalleled assets."

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Dr. Elias Zerhouni, MEDC

While hiring from private companies has hit a low, Federal agencies are expected to hire more than 273,000 employees to fill mission-critical jobs over the next three years. According to new projections released by the Partnership for Public Service (PPS), attorneys, paralegals, investigators, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, police officers, airport screeners, customs and border patrol agents and intelligence analysts top the Fed's list of "Most Wanted" employees.

The hiring bonanza, a 41 percent increase, will extend through the fall of 2012, says the PPS who based its findings on a survey of 35 federal agencies representing nearly 99 percent of the 1.9 million member federal workforce.

The surge in hiring is in part the result of the large number of baby-boomer federal workers who are reaching retirement age and also reflects the Obama administration's undertakings to repair the financial sector, fight two wars and do something about climate change.

"It has to win the war for talent in order to win the multiple wars it's fighting for the American people," says Max Stier, president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service

The Feds will need to fill 54, 114 positions in the medical and public health realm including, workers in dietician/nutrition, occupational and rehabilitation therapy, radiology, industrial hygiene and consumer safety fields.

Security and protection will need 52,077 workers in areas such as international relations, foreign affairs, security administration; and to fill positions including, transportation security officer, park ranger and correctional officer.

Another 31,276 jobs will come from the compliance and enforcement arena. These areas and positions include, inspectors, investigators (including criminal), customs and border patrol and protection, import specialist and customs inspection.

Jobs within the legal field will bring opportunity to another 23, 596 workers in positions such as contact representative, passport/visa examiners, and claims examiners and assistants. 17,287 jobs will be filled in the human resources, equal employment opportunity, management/program analysis, and telecommunications fields including a variety of clerical support jobs.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Partnership for Public Service

Maryland employers added 10,000 jobs, an increase of 4.8 percent, in July. According to the Labor Department estimates, number of jobs created in July was the largest increase in Maryland in the past four years.

Nevertheless, Maryland's unemployment rate grew, rising from 7.2 percent in June to 7.3 percent in July, a high not seen for more than a quarter century. That, however, is still well below the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent.

Based on Labor Bureau job category definitions, Other Services and Government, two principal sectors that held back job growth in June led the employment increases in July, adding 6,000 jobs, while Government added 4,600 jobs. In addition, Accommodation and Food Services added 4,400 jobs. The state's manufacturing sector employment broke a sustained period of losses to adding 900 jobs during July, its greatest increase in ten years. However, this increase was limited to the durable goods manufacturing sector.

Manufacturing also posted strong gains in other parts of the country including Michigan, Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky. These gains suggest a rebound in automobile manufacturing.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: DBED

The upcoming 2010 Census will create approximately 11,350 jobs throughout Maryland, according to the Maryland State Department of Business & Economic Development.

The Census Bureau will open nine local census offices across the state by October. Three offices located in Baltimore, Frederick and Largo have already opened, with six more expected to open during the fall in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Maryland's Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland, and one additional office Baltimore City.

Hundreds of census takers and other administrative staff will be hired in the Baltimore City area for work that will begin in March 2010, says Sylvia Ballinger, a U.S. Census spokesperson.

"Recruiting will begin in November and training will start in 2010," she says.

The Baltimore County Data Capture Center, one of only three national data collection centers in the country, will continue to accept applications. Data capture centers will process the 2010 census questionnaires as households across the U.S. return them. The 236,500 sq. ft facility will bring some 2500 jobs to Baltimore County and will process about 40 percent of the census forms returned by respondents.

Anyone interested in applying for a seasonal position should call 866-861-2010 to submit an application.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Sylvia Ballinger, U.S. Census Bureau