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IDLE YOUTH

BY: Adam Gavriel

It sounds like a terrible band from the 90′s, unfortunately it’s a little more of an issue than a post-grunge band.

All across the globe there is a bleak outlook for the demographic of adults aged 25 through 34.

Since the year 2000, a major shift has taken place in the United States, that has put it’s youth in a precarious situation.

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According to an article from the New York Times, the United States has gone from one of the best non-employment rates for young adults, to the worst in just 12 years.

“The grim shift — “a historic turnaround,” says Robert A. Moffitt, a Johns Hopkins University economist — stems from two underappreciated aspects of our long economic slump. First, it has exacted the harshest toll on the young — even harsher than on people in their 50s and 60s, who have also suffered. And while the American economy has come back more robustly than some of its global rivals in terms of overall production, the recovery has been strangely light on new jobs, even after Friday’s better-than-expected unemployment report. American companies are doing more with less.”

Employees are working harder and longer hours. Entry-level positions that don’t require experience are essentially non-existent. College graduates and recent college graduates alike are finding it harder and harder to not only get, but also maintain a career in their field. Employment agencies and search firms alike can help find the jobs that you are looking for in your field. If you’re an idle youth searching for that entry-level position, make sure you tackle all your search firm bases.

Imagine the economy as a sports team that needs to be rebuilt. You want to instill youth into the lineup, get them working, get them to know the system that you play, and build a solid foundation. The economy is a similar aspect, yet the youth in the economy are unable to get the positions they desire, to increase the skills and experience they desperately need.

On the bright side, if you are already in a position, things are finally looking up for you. Unfortunately, for those on the outside looking in, the recession is as strong as ever.

“The net worth of households headed by people 44 and younger has dropped more over the past decade than the net worth of middle-aged and elderly households, according to the Federal Reserve. According to the Labor Department, workers 25 to 34 years old are the only age group with lower average wages in early 2013 than in 2000.”

Don’t let the numbers fool you. These Idle Americans are more positive than ever, as polls continue to show that many believe the future to be brighter than the present. True optimists, we can only hope.

As an Employment Agency that deals with every level from entry to management, Crossroads Consulting’s goal is to get Americans working again. But not only are we an employment agency, but a search firm as well. As true recruiters, even if you don’t find a position on our website that you believe you are a fit for, send us your resume anyway. We can help you find the position you are looking for through search firm practices, or boost your resumes appeal with our recommended resume service.

Remember, our mission as an employment agency is to get you working. We are here to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources.’

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Posted on May 22, 2013 in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume, Social Media

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CT…NOT OPEN FOR BUSINESS?

Posted on May 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

When you think about the government of the United States, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Democracy. George Washington. Founding Fathers. Leaders who would do anything to get the job done, by the people and for the people.

Is that what we get today?

According to a report from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the Connecticut government has come up with numerous workplace measures that will make it harder for the businessman in CT. Most importantly is the raise of mandatory wages, unemployment benefits, and steeper administrative hurdles.

First, workers compensation changes:

HB 6556 will allow employees to make new “sick building” illness claims, and make it harder for employers to challenge them.

SB 823 will allow employees to pursue workers’ compensation claims for psychological injuries.

SB 907 will create a paperwork nightmare for employers to challenge workers’ compensation claims, while SB 1074 will, with some modifications, stop medical claims and expenses from going through the roof for employers.

This all sounds great for employees, but if employer’s costs spike, hiring will plummet.

On to Unemployment Compensation:

The labor committee approved SB 188 which will allow teachers to collect benefits while pursuing further education, instead of being “available for work” or “actively looking for a new job” the two key features in being available for unemployment benefits.

SB 909 will penalize the false unemployment claims of individuals, but punish employers in a case where the Department of Labor paid out and the affected businesses did not participate in the claims procedure.

As we know, if you keep up with the blog, that Small Businesses drive the economy, well, here’s one from Connecticut… HB 6451 will penalize employers if they fail to register with the Department of Labor with unemployment compensation within 30 days of starting or acquiring a business. The committee would also approve a 10% to 15% penalty for employers if they willfully fail to declare wage payments on quarterly reports.

Again, more and more costs for managers and employers.

How about Wages and Benefits? 

With a minimum wage hike in SB 387, many economists believe this will reduce entry-level jobs, and a standard wage bill (HB 5756) that will discourage companies from doing business with the state.

SB 906 will make the process for direct deposit for employees have to go through loopholes, requiring more training and or the hiring of another employee.

What most of these new bills have in common is that they will severely raise costs for Connecticut employers. Though the minds of politicians seems to be in the correct place, the practices are not following suit. It is understandable that politicians would want to increase the wages of their workers, but it is the employers who will suffer immediately, and then in turn the employees who will take the ultimate hit.

This is specifically the case with SB 387, which many believe will ultimately destroy the entry-level opportunities that are needed for college and high school graduates. A recent report from Yahoo! News cited that 40% of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, having difficulties finding the correct entry-level job that can provide the training necessary to build a career. If managers have to pay higher wages for entry-level workers than they already have to, they’re going to be very picky about the talent that they choose. This of course will call for a huge increase in underemployed and unemployed college graduates.

As a small business directly affected by these measures, at Crossroads Consulting we will continue to make sure that we do what ever it takes to get you into one of our over 50 open positions.

As we try to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources,’ we hope the government remembers that they operate ‘for the people.’

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume, Social Media

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CREATING JOBS? NOT IN CT THEY AREN’T

Posted on May 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

While the American economy continues to recover slowly, the Connecticut economy has had trouble falling suit. As numbers from the beginning of the year begin to be broken down more fully, Connecticut has fallen off the National pace.

According to a report from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the Connecticut department of labor announced that CT had lost 5,700 jobs in February. This news is even more heartbreaking considering Connecticut had ADDED 6400 jobs in January.

This would cause the CT Unemployment rate to rise to 8% off the national average which now stands at 7.6%

Economist Pete Giola called the report “disappointing.”

“It’s very disappointing – we really have a very negative report here,” Giola said. “It points to the real need for policymakers to do everything they can to help businesses grow jobs here.” 

Over the past 12 months, Connecticut has added just 2400 jobs, while recovering only 40% of the 121,000 jobs lost during the peak years of this recession.

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Only government positions (900) and manufacturing (400) added jobs in CT in February. Professional and business services dropped 2400 jobs, Education and health lost 2300, financial activities (700), leisure and hospitality (500), trade, transportation, and utilities (300), information (100), and construction (100), all lost jobs.

So where are the jobs in CT you might ask? Danbury and Norwich-New London were the only locations to add jobs, adding 300 and 100 jobs respectively.

Hartford took the biggest hit losing 2500 positions, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, 2400,  New Haven lost 1700 and Waterbury would lose 300.

As the nation recovers at a tortoise’s pace, it is time for CT to follow suit.

If you’re looking for jobs in the CT area, look no further than to us at Crossroads Consulting. As a small business based in CT, we are appalled at what is happening in our own backyards and neighborhoods. Since it is our job to get YOU working again, please come to our website today and browse our job openings. If you’re not confident in your resume, we can help you there too with our recommended resume service.

If you’re in Connecticut and struggling, we want to hear from you TODAY. Remember, Crossroads Consulting is here to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources.’

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HOPE ON THE HORIZON?

Posted on May 10, 2013 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

Perhaps there is hope on the horizon.

According to an article released this morning from Bloomberg.com, the number of Americans filing for jobless claims dropped to a 5-year low this past week. This may signal a bit of optimism from employers, who are becoming more willing to hold on to their workers.

“Applications for unemployment insurance payments decreased by 4,000 to 323,000 in the week ended May 4, the least since January 2008, Labor Department figures showed today. Economists forecast 335,000 claims, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey. For the first time, the average over the past month was the lowest since before the last recession began.” 

Dismissals and firings have dropped off in recent days, as employers are confident in their current workers to handle the load. Unfortunately, hiring is not following suit as the American unemployment rate remains high at 7.5%

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“There is only so much companies can cut layoffs before they have to start thinking about adding to headcounts,” said Guy Berger, an economist at RBS Securities Inc. in Stamford,Connecticut, who projected claims would drop to 325,000, the lowest forecast in the Bloomberg survey. “The longer this continues, the more likely companies will have to add to headcounts.”

These numbers bode well for those already employed, but what about Americans who are still looking for work? 1.76 million Americans have already used up traditional benefits, and are currently collecting emergency and extended payments. On top of that figure, 3.01 million Americans are still collecting jobless benefits and a reported 11.7 million Americans remain unemployed.

There remains a bit of pessimism on the horizon, as the government sequester and spending cuts loom, small businesses are holding their money a little bit closer to their wallets

As a small business ourselves, our job at Crossroads Consulting is to get YOU working again. Every time we see the United States unemployment rate as high as it is (because let’s be real, 7.5% is still way too high!) we take it to heart. With services to get you employed from start to finish with our recommended resume service, and our nationwide job postings we are looking to fill TODAY, we want to hear from you.

We can promise you that the job hunt with Crossroads Consulting is a different, and overall rewarding experience. Remember, we’re here to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources.’

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REAL UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS

Posted on May 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

In the case of the American economy, slow and steady is NOT winning the race.

Disappointing numbers from April are starting to leak out, and a report from CNBC.com from Wednesday reports that private companies created just 119,000 jobs last month, well below expectations.

Economists had expected 150,000 jobs to be created in April (a prediction down from March), and the economy under-performed to the lowered standards.

“”Nearly every industry has seen slower growth since the beginning of the year,” Moody’s economist Mark Zandi said on CNBC. “Smaller businesses are experiencing much weaker growth.””

Without the support of strong small businesses, the American economy will have difficulty creating jobs. Small businesses would account for just 50,000 of the added 119,000 jobs. Zandi believes that this may be due to the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare). Zandi went on to say in an interview that, “The data seems to be suggesting healthcare is having an impact.”

Continuing reports from CNBC.com suggest that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is in the middle of its longest sub-3% growth rate since 1929!

Unemployment, that also includes the jobless, and the underemployed (often referred to as the “real” unemployment rate) remains at 13.8%.  Nevada has been hit the hardest with a real unemployment rate of a staggering 19.6, nearly one-in-five Nevadans are out of work. Only six states have real unemployment rates of less than 10%. They are North Dakota at 6.2%, South Dakota at 8.1%, Nebraska at 8.6%, Wyoming at 9.5% and Oklahoma and Iowa at 9.8%. (See the actual numbers of all 50 states HERE).

Although the national reported unemployment average has actually decreased as of late, the real unemployment rate has risen in six states, and stayed the same in three (including Connecticut).

Michael Pento, founder of Pento Portfolio Strategies, had this to say about the economy:

“The fact is that the U.S. economy isn’t growing fast enough to significantly increase the revenue to the government, but our debt is still soaring. It’s a shame they won’t just implement real measures to grow the economy like reduce regulations, simplify the tax code and balance the budget.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the April numbers officially Friday.

While the economy remains at a standstill, we at Crossroads Consulting are trying desperately to help, but we need you to fulfill our goal of finding rewarding work for as many people as we possibly can.

With over fifty job openings, Crossroads Consulting is looking, not only for people with good resumes, but just good people to fill openings we’re working on all around the nation.

Send us your resume NOW. If you’re not confident in how it looks, we are available to help you there too with our recommended resume service. 

Human resources is a human game, and human capital is what makes it work. Our attitude is right there for everyone to see in our motto, “We’re putting the ‘Human’ back into ‘Human Resources.’”

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UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS…

Posted on April 25, 2013 | 1 Comment
English: Representatives to the Conference on ...

They couldn’t fix things in 1921 during that recession…in 1929, the Great Depression nearly sinks America. Nothing dramatically has changed since 2008. Could history be repeating itself? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BY: Adam Gavriel

A report released by the Washington Post Thursday, April 25th states that United States claims for Unemployment Benefits fell 16,000 to 339,000 last week. This is the second lowest number recorded in the past five years, a positive sign for the April employment numbers.

Unfortunately, not every state is feeling the positive upturn of these numbers.

California (24,303), Texas (3,050), Florida (2,623), Indiana (2,372), and Arizona (1,296) saw the biggest increases in applications of unemployment benefits.

New York (14,113), Michigan (5,998), New Jersey (4,204), Ohio (3,036), and Illinois (2,455) saw the biggest reduction of applications for unemployment benefits.

As the United States economy continues to tread slowly in a positive direction, many analysts still fear with the impending government spending cuts, due to the Government Sequester, will have on the American economy and hiring.

On top of this, a report on Wednesday April 24th from Fox Business News suggests that only 40% of small business owners have an optimistic view point of the future of America’s economy. If you’ve been following along here at Out Of Our Mind, you know that Small Business is the engine that turns the hiring in America. Knowing this, it is incredibly worrisome to read that nearly 60% of small business are not planning on hiring full or part-time workers.

So while the numbers trend positive, the future outlook remains somewhat bleak.

This “Great Recession” has hit the American economy very hard. As America works to turn it around and become an economic power once again, the workers grow restless and worried.

As we always say though, the jobs are out there, and it’s getting harder and harder to get a job on your own these days. Fortunately, at Crossroads Consulting, we can help you with every facet of your job search. From finding the right position that you can turn into a career with our over 50 job postings that we are looking to fill today; to a resume service that will make sure your information gets put on the top of the pile, we’re here to help.

At Crossroads Consulting, we want to get Americans working again and we’re doing our part by, “Putting the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources’”

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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FOLLOW UP OR STAY DOWN

Posted on April 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

So you’re one of the lucky ones who has been able to get an interview these days. You went into the office, had a sit down with the hiring manager and you feel like you did a good job. Congratulations…but you’re not done yet. Now what, the waiting game?

Of course not!

When it comes to seeking employment, there is no waiting.

You’re next step in the process isn’t to wait for a phone call or an e-mail, but to follow up and be proactive. Sending a follow up e-mail after an interview is a great way to continue to show the employer your interest in the position and your desire to obtain the job.

What you’ll want to do in a follow up e-mail is as follow:

Thank the interviewer, by name, for their time. It’s important to let the interviewer know, in a personable way, how grateful you were that the time was taken out of their day to meet you about the open position.

Reaffirm why you’re a good candidate for the position.  Quickly mention again the skills you currently possess and how they’ll be a positive factor towards the open position. Make sure the interviewer knows why you’re the best person for the job.

If you forgot to mention something important during the interview, do it now. You don’t want to look back on an interview and think that because you forgot to say one important thing, all is lost. Here is your second chance; we all know those don’t come around very often.

Mention something unique about the interview. This lets the interviewer know that you were really paying attention to not only your thoughts on what to say during you’re time talking, but that you were keenly listening to the interviewer when they were talking as well.

Of course, the best part of the follow up e-mail is how unique you can mold it to fit your experience with the interviewer. You want to make this follow up e-mail as personable as you can, while also maintaining a level of respect, integrity, and professionalism.

If you’re looking for more interviewing or resume tips, check out our recommended service. Having trouble getting to the interview stages? We can help you there as well. With over 50 job postings from around the nation (and a few international ones mixed in as well) we’re here to help you get the job you’re looking for.

Remember at Crossroads Consulting, “We’re putting the ‘Human’ back into ‘Human Resources!’”

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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