Unemployed or Looking to Change Jobs? Some Hopeful Job Market News and Interview Tips

Looking over my latest e-clippings, I found I had saved a number of items about signs of a job market healthier in many respects than some may fear, and also some with practical tips useful to job seekers.

Some hopeful stories for jobseekers

Business Week says there is good reason to expect a decent year for jobs, because companies can no longer meet demand with existing forces.

The consensus of analysts is that 2006 employment will grow at a pace similar to 2005’s 168,000 jobs per month; wages are likely to grow a bit faster than last year’s 3.1%; and unemployment will remain steady or a bit lower.

Business Week also says:

DON’T BE TOO QUICK TO DISMISS the idea that the job markets could end up stronger than expected. The most important reason is one not broadly recognized: The yearly growth rates in payrolls and in business investment for new plants and equipment are highly correlated. And 2006 is shaping up to be a very good year for capital spending, given exceptionally strong corporate finances and the growing incentives to expand.

Some are finding spot labor shortages. HR.BLR.com reports: “Many HR Pros Find Shortage of Skilled Workers”:

More than 25 percent of human resources professionals say that they are seeing a shortage of qualified candidates in positions that require degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

CNNMoney.com says even blue collar hiring is “not so blue.”

Several experts say that the steep decline in the nation’s manufacturing base in earlier decades is probably behind us, that the remaining jobs are more competitive and productive, and thus more secure.

“We might still be seeing some small declines in manufacturing overall, but even that’s a mix,” said Ken Goldstein, labor economist at the Conference Board, a business research group. “This year you’ll see more hiring in nondurable manufacturing sectors such as in chemicals, in rubber, in plastics, in paper.”

Similarly, despite all the troubles of GM and Ford, Monster.com is somewhat bullish on “The Future of American Auto Jobs.”

[B]ig trouble at the Big Three is only half the story of the US auto industry. “The jobs aren’t lost, they’re just moved — from Detroit to Nashville.” . . . There are still about a million jobs in the US auto industry, roughly the same level of employment as in 1990. What Michigan has lost, other states, mainly in the South, have gained. Foreign-based automakers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan have created hundreds of thousands of US jobs.

Worried about “offshoring”? New Mexico Business Weekly reports on a study that “disputes job exportation assumptions.”

[T]he study, titled ‘Globalization and Offshoring of Software,’ received media attention . . . for its conclusion that the relocation of information technology jobs from developed countries like America to developing countries like India is not necessarily bad. The movement is actually a symptom of growth in the industry worldwide, and does not mean there are fewer jobs in the U.S. . . . [J]ob growth in information technology sectors has steadily increased, both here and worldwide.

Finally, a job market item with an unnecessarily negative headline spin. HR.BLR.com says, “Little Change in Staffing Plans.” Here are the facts:

Thirty percent of employers predict an increase in hiring activity during the second quarter of 2006, according to a survey of 16,000 employers by Manpower, Inc.

In the survey, 6 percent of respondents said they expect a reduction in payrolls during the second quarter. Fifty-eight percent reported no change in hiring plans for second quarter.”