Unemployment report, job opportunities, the economy, and hiring slowing?

The Labor Department on Friday said the unemployment rate fell to 4.6% in November, reaching its lowest level since August 2007. The closely watched U-6 rate—a broad measure of underemployment that includes part-time workers looking for full employment and people who say they would enter the job market if better opportunities were available—dropped to a nearly nine-year low of 9.3%.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/little-slack-but-not-much-heat-in-labor-market-1480694166

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...a broadly upbeat performance that could mask underlying soft spots in the labor market.

...those gains have been uneven across the nation and across business sectors, pushing swaths of people to the sidelines and by many measures leaving the economy short of prerecession norms.

...declining participation in the labor force is one of the nation’s more worrisome economic trends, highlighting crosscurrents that have lifted the prospects of many Americans while creating new challenges for others.

...Among traditionally blue-collar professions, construction has been perhaps the strongest with 155,000 new jobs in the last 12 months.

...“companies that have good benefits...attract some better people...”

...labor market getting tighter for service workers...

“It’s a solid report that has a couple of weak spots...”

A slowdown in hiring, meanwhile, wouldn’t be unexpected for a labor market nearing full employment...

Mr. Trump is set to take office amid the longest uninterrupted stretch of hiring on record. It also appears he will inherit one of the lowest jobless rates of any incoming administration since World War II. By comparison, the headline rate was 3.9% when George W. Bush was elected in 2000 and 6.8% when Barack Obama won office in 2008.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-nonfarm-payrolls-rose-178-000-in-november-unemployment-rate-4-6-1480685541

Two phones, one computer (for work)

Some thoughts after reading:

People for Whom One Cellphone Isn't Enough
Many use a second mobile device to keep photos and text messages private

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I've always been able to have a "buffer" between work and my personal life...

Sometimes, I never had a home phone (landline)...didn't feel as if I needed one.  When I did have a landline, I had an answering machine.  Then, an answering service...no phone.  Next, a pager...no phone.  After, (for emergencies) I had a voice pager...no phone.

At one radio station broadcasting company, we had great remote pickup units (RPUs) at the studios and in the vehicles.  I had a portable scanner that monitored the frequencies, and used that as a voice pager.

When a company felt they needed to be able to contact me "at any time", they provided a pager or phone (with service) for me.  One company purchased a vehicle for me to use while I was employed.

Because they wanted to promote their companies as much as possible, others purchased clothing with their logos on it for me to wear.  There was a time when my wardrobe was mostly comprised of shirts and coats from radio stations on them...and it was a very rare occasion when I wasn't wearing them.  I know one guy who, because his company provides his, can always be seen in his uniforms from a public transportation company.  I know a woman I remember regularly seeing in her United States Postal Service uniforms.

I have always had one computer designated for my professional activities.  There are a lot of great reasons to do that.  One is, if you are unable to use your "personal" computer, the odds are in your favor that the one designated for business might not have been exposed to things that may  have compromised the computer you use for personal activities (malware, software and hardware instability, etcetera).

I don't own any phones now...I don't need one:  all of my communications are done via various internet services.

hiring test drivers in Yuma

I read three stories about "Yuma Test Driver positions" being available (http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=14420142&utm_medium=twitter, http://www.yumasun.com/news/west-69085-vehicles-test.html, http://www.kpho.com/automotive/27500831/detail.html)...

The General Motors "desert proving ground in Yuma is looking to add nearly two dozen drivers..."

On ketteng.com, I did not find the application available for download.  I contacted the company, and a Human Resource Coordinator responded with the following link for the "Yuma Test Driver position":  http://www.ketteng.com/downloads/KettApp.pdf 

And:  "Please fax your completed application, forms, and a current copy of your MVR to (888)488-0322."

"do it all now" job

I had noticed that a major radio broadcasting company had posted on their website that they were accepting applications for a personality for the evening shift at one of their radio stations in a major market. After seeing all of the duties they expected the person in this position to perform, I decided I would not apply for it. Then, I saw it was listed at a part-time position: it was as if I never saw the punchline coming. Though I found it funny, I was too shocked to laugh.

A few days later I thought about it, and decided to take another look at the posting. It was now listed as a full-time position...but appeared to be a worse job than before. (I have corrected their misspellings...)

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Job Description:
...The leading candidate will know how to entertain, connect, and win...You'll need to create a one to one bond through the air and online experience. You must have strong digital production skills, be great on phones, and be able to work in a strong team environment. You'll work with the APD/PD and Online Content Director to create compelling daily content that will air both on-air and online, which includes HD and Stream.

Employment Status: Full-Time

Job Requirements:
Your responsibilities will be to adhere to all company policies and procedures regarding indecency and obscenity; maintain a website personality page; must be current with relevant daily material; search out and share all possible web content with the Program Director and OCD; participate in required station Programming, Promotions, and Sales staff meetings and events; make regular approved appearances at paid and non-paid station events; execute only Program Director approved interviews and events on air during the regularly assigned shift; be on call for possible disasters, breaking news, or acts of nature; assist with the voice over and production of paid and non-paid spots required to run on the station; be an ambassador for the radio station when out in public; maintain a positive and approachable attitude when around listeners and clients. This position is a Weekend Air-Shift position.

Education Requirements:
...you need to be creative, energized, funny, able to relate to the adult audience and have a strong desire to be part of the future of radio...

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Any radio personality with enough experience can see that they are asking for someone to do too much, with not enough time to comfortably get it done. I've had those gigs before...

My first professional radio job was in Rantoul, Illinois. It was part-time, and I did "everything" but was never asked to do more than that which could have been considered reasonable. (It was there I was snowed-in at the radio stations alone for a few days, and stayed on-air live so I could broadcast weather and news information to the community that needed it.)

Later in my career I had jobs where they wanted me to: do a "great" morning show, produce "great" commercials, attend lots of promotional events and many meetings, have on-air content cleared prior to putting it on the show, do weekend shifts...all with no (full-time) assistant(s).

For all their expectations, it was a better position when it was part-time: they must pay you for your work by the hour. As a full-time employee they can expect that you will work more than you are paid for. I can't imagine many desire this position...though they may apply for it out of need for employment.

No wonder radio stations are just slapping on Ryan Seacrest.

comfy workspace/place

Inside Tucson Business had this picture of corporate offices for University Physicians Healthcare...that reminded me of how the building and work areas when I worked for Microsoft (in Tucson). It brought back some fond memories...the look of this work area makes me want to apply to UPH...

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78% Are Burned Out at Work

Downsized staffs paired with increased workloads may be causing a rise in stress levels around the workplace. According to a CareerBuilder.com survey of more than 7,600 workers nationwide, 78 percent reported feeling burned out at work...

read more | digg story

(I've been seeking employment, but found nothing that I've wanted to rush to...lots of reasons: low pay, unreasonable expectations, etcetera. I have been more passionate about past jobs where I washed dishes than what seems to be available.)

Promotion? No Thanks

"...if men and women spent more than 75 per cent of each day on the job using their strongest skills and engaged on their favorite tasks, basically doing exactly what they wanted to do...They’d produce great results..."

This hit home for me, big time. The last job I had I never applied for...after reading the posting, I decided I was not the best candidate, and it was not enticing: I did not own a car, and I felt they were asking too much from one person for the amount of duties that were expected to be performed . I was asked if I would consider the position, and I said "yes"...but, explained why I did not apply for it. I had interviews, which I expected would take me out of consideration. I was offered the job, and took it...and found that it was a mismatch. I suspect I was offered the position because they had no one else to fill the hole...

read more | digg story

Technology: It's Where the Jobs Are (MAYBE!!!...)

(Be sure to read the comments in this story, and the ones at http://www.betanews.com/article/Students_now_avoiding_IT_degrees_despite_good_job_prospects/1214245739)

"A new survey shows growth across the country, with higher-than-average pay. And...the number of tech grads falling..."

read more | digg story

300,000 Skilled workers needed in Australia

Australian Government plans to help grow the economy - gather help from overseas...

("Roadtrip"?...)

read more | digg story