Posted: 03 Jun 2010 05:26 AM PDT

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A gauge of online demand for labor in the United States rose in May for the fourth straight month to the highest level since November 2008, a private research group said on Thursday.

Monster Worldwide Inc, an online careers and recruiting firm, said its employment index rose to 134 points in May from 133 in April, indicating the demand for labor is strengthening.

The index for May marks the highest year-over-year growth rate since its peak in April 2007, Monster said. In May 2009, the index stood at 118.

The index peaked at 189 in May 2007 and dropped to 143 in November 2008.

"The sustained expansion of job opportunities, especially in some large industries, is encouraging," said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide.

"While some of this increase can be attributed to seasonality, the notable improvement in annual growth rate is the highest since April 2007 and reflects a better job market heading into the summer months compared to this time last year," he said.

The healthcare and social assistance industries saw the strongest rise in online job demand in May, while real estate, the accommodation industry and food services all fell in May, Monster said.

The Monster Employment Index is a monthly analysis based on a selection of corporate career sites and job boards. The margin of error is approximately plus or minus 1 percent.

(Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

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Shuttle workers get $15 million grant to find jobs - The Sun News

Posted: 02 Jun 2010 10:06 AM PDT

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Two remaining shuttle missions are scheduled for this fall, although NASA and some members of Congress are pushing for one more flight next June.

"By no means are we somehow turning off the spigot and saying we're going to close shop here," Solis said. "We're going to continue to push for more research, more technological breakthrough and continue to foster that growth that's occurred here over the last few decades."

The grant is in addition to $40 million in aid to retrain workers that President Barack Obama promised when he visited Kennedy Space Center in April. Solis said the grant announced Wednesday is the first step to help shuttle workers transition into other jobs as the federal government works to boost the economy around Florida's so-called Space Coast, which is bracing for a big hit.

Once the shuttles retire for good, Americans will keep hitching rides to the space station on Russian rockets until U.S. private enterprise is able to take over. That's part of the plan set forth earlier this year by Obama, who wants astronauts aiming for asteroids and Mars in the next few decades. The space station is expected to keep operating until 2020.

NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver said she remains confident that Kennedy Space Center will continue to be the nation's most important space launch facility. That sentiment was echoed by business leaders and space officials in attendance.

"We're more likely to emerge out of this now stronger and more diverse than we were going in," said Space Florida president Frank DiBello.

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Our View: Consider careers, jobs and markets - Mankato Free Press

Posted: 27 May 2010 09:26 PM PDT

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May 27, 2010

Our View: Consider careers, jobs and markets

The Free Press

— Workers of today face a higher risk of their industry suffering a downturn than probably any time since World War II, and that prospect should be reason for business, labor and government leaders to plan for change more than ever.

A recent series by Free Press partner Minnesota Public Radio has detailed the significant changes in Minnesota's job climate. Minnesota may never get back to the economy it had just two or three years ago.

The state has lost more than 40,000 manufacturing jobs in the current recession, according to state records, and 150,000 jobs overall. Those manufacturing jobs typically paid 18 percent more than the average job in the state, and has driven the state's economic growth.

Now, factory workers making $50,000 year have had to take trucking jobs where they sometimes lose 20 percent of their pay and their purchasing power, according to the MPR report.

Of course, manufacturing is an industry that loses jobs to the cheap labor overseas in a number of areas. That has been happening for decades, but the current recession put more pressure on companies to compete, and many must find cheaper labor. That's not to say we will lose all manufacturing. Minnesota has a history of manufacturing companies that are adopting new technology all the time. 3M and places like Medtronic come to mind.

Many of these firms adapt and are continually innovating. We may lose the lower skill jobs, but we have the competitive advantage in technology industries with an educated workforce. But we must nurture and grow that educated workforce.

There are many Minnesotans trying to make a transition from manufacturing jobs to other jobs. The state has long been the major player in workforce training, whether that is through its array of colleges and technical schools or through retraining programs through the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The state's dislocated worker program that offers retraining ran out of money earlier this year, according to the MPR series, but has recently acquired an $8 million grant to serve the long list of workers needing retraining.

Some workers find themselves in an industry that may be shrinking, yet they can't take time off to get retraining. Some state programs help workers who have had their hours cut back get retraining part-time. More of those programs are probably needed. They allow the worker to still have an income yet prepare for the future.

The state of Minnesota has lots of resources for job seekers looking for training and careers that will be in demand at the website iseek.org. There are tips for choosing careers as well as finding retraining should you lose your job or plan to shift jobs.

The only constant in the world of jobs is change. The better prepared we are, the sooner we'll be able to adapt to the changing world economy.

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