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One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the Spring.
Aldo Leopold Categories
Tag Archives: jobs
Study finds many workloads increased since 2007
If it seems like you’re working harder than you used to, it’s probably not your imagination.
Many companies have increased employees’ workloads and put a higher priority on productivity since the recession began, according to a MetLife Inc. study released Monday.
The study found that employers have mostly held the line on core benefits, such as life insurance . . . read more Read More
33 states saw jobs rise in March, 17 had losses
Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania recorded sizable gains in employment in March and were among 33 states posting increases.
In its monthly look at state job trends, the Labor Department said Friday that Maryland led the country with a gain of 35,800 payroll jobs last month. Virginia and Pennsylvania also posted increases that topped 20,000 in the month.
By contrast, Michigan continued to have the nation’s highest unemployment rate . . . read more Read More
Texas jobless rate remains steady at 8.2 percent
Texas’ unemployment rate remained steady at 8.2 percent in March for the fifth consecutive month.
Figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission on Friday show that the state’s latest jobless rate continues to stay well below the U.S. unemployment rate of 9.7 percent.
Commission Chairman Tom Pauken says Texas has begun to experience job growth in recent months . . . read more Read More
Fed survey: Recovery is spreading; jobs still weak
The economic recovery is spreading to most parts of the country. Merchants are seeing better sales and factories are boosting production, but many companies are still wary of ramping up hiring, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.
The Fed’s new survey is consistent with chairman Ben Bernanke’s view that a modest recovery is unfolding, although it won’t be strong enough to quickly drive down unemployment now at 9.7 percent.
All of the Fed’s 12 regions — except for St. Louis — said “economic activity increased somewhat.” That was an improvement from the last Fed survey . . . read more Read More
Retailers report 4th consecutive month of gains
Warmer weather and an earlier Easter enticed shoppers into stores for spring merchandise in March, helping retailers post strong sales gains for the month.
Discounter Target Corp., department store Macy’s Inc., clothier Gap Inc. and Victoria’s Secret parent Limited Brands Inc. posted double-digit increases that beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations. . . . read more Read More
Consumer spending up, sign of decent recovery
Consumers spent modestly last month, a sign that the economic recovery is proceeding at a decent — but not spectacular — pace.
The Commerce Department reported Monday that consumers boosted their spending by 0.3 percent in February. That was a tad slower than the 0.4 percent increase registered in January and marked the smallest increase since September. Still, the increase in spending was considered a respectable showing, especially given the snowstorms that slammed the East Coast and kept some people away from the malls. . . . read more Read More
Unemployment rises in 30 states in January
Unemployment rose in 30 states in January, the Labor Department said Wednesday, evidence that jobs remain scarce in most regions of the country.
The data is somewhat better than December, when 43 states reported higher unemployment rates, but worse than November, when rates fell in most states.
Still, five states reported record-high joblessness in January: California, at 12.5 percent; South Carolina, 12.6 percent; Florida, 11.9 percent; North Carolina, 11.1 percent; and Georgia, 10.4 percent.
Michigan’s unemployment rate is still the nation’s highest, at 14.3 percent, followed by Nevada, with 13 percent and Rhode Island at 12.7 percent. South Carolina and California round out the top five.
There were some signs of job creation . . . read more Read More
Your Career: What to do when your boss gives up
Your boss shows up late, sneaks out early, ignores e-mails and winces at work-related questions.
Sound familiar? Many managers are burned out from trying to get more work done with fewer staffers and resources. Some have even stopped caring.
That can frustrate employees who can’t get questions answered, are waiting in vain for decisions to be made and feel like the workplace is in limbo.
Here are some tips for those trying to cope with a boss who’s given up . . . read more Read More
Consumer confidence falls sharply
A monthly poll showed consumers’ confidence took a surprisingly sharp fall in February amid rising job worries. The decline ends three straight months of improvement and raises concerns about the economic recovery.
The Conference Board said February 23 its Consumer Confidence Index fell almost 11 points to 46 in February, down from a revised 56.5 in January. Analysts were expecting only a slight decrease to 55 . . . read more Read More
Drop in jobless rate points to modest improvement
The job market is lurching toward improvement. It just has a long way to go.
The outlook for jobs became a bit less bleak Friday the 5th when the government released January’s unemployment rate . . . read more Read More
Formula shows why it’s so hard to cut jobless rate
The economy’s 5.7 percent growth last quarter — the fastest pace since 2003 — was a step toward shrinking the nation’s 10 percent unemployment rate.
There’s just one problem: Growth would have to equal 5 percent for all of 2010 just to lower . . . read more Read More
Senate Democrats unveil jobs package
Senate Democrats circulated a jobs bill Tuesday that’s light on new initiatives on boosting hiring and heavy with provisions sought by lobbyists for business groups, doctors and the satellite broadcasting industry. . . . read more Read More
Volunteerism up among Americans in 2009
A million and a half more Americans volunteered to help with such activities as raising money, collecting food and tutoring children during the span of a year ending in September 2009, a period marked by job losses and a lousy economy. . . . read more Read More
