Unemployment numbers for December 2011 and the year were released today to much applause.

Over 1.64 million new jobs were created in 2011; the biggest number since 2006.  However it is only partially good news since over 8 million jobs were lost during the recession.

And in December 2011 200,000 jobs were created bringing the unemployment rate down to 8.5%.

The breakdown of ‘where the jobs are’ is interesting and not all of the 200,000 December jobs were retail related.  In fact,  manufacturing added 23,000 jobs and also healthcare.  Construction added 17,000 and retail was high with 28,000 new jobs.

There does appear to be an uptick in consumer confidence and a definite increase in auto sales.  With this good news, we hope employers will continue to hire into 2012 and the unemployment number will fall.

We are seeing a demand across the country for Digital Managers as well as Media Planners and other levels of media professionals.

Good news for recent college graduates.  An article posted on WSJ online indicates large/private companies are planning to increase hiring for recent college graduates in the coming year.  And we have seen a number of individuals in media/advertising secure positions with advertising agencies and media companies in the last few months.

Companies with over 4,000 employees are expected to increase entry level hiring 6% or more however at the same time, schools, educational organizations, etc are cutting back on hiring of new teachers.  And at a time we need teachers more than ever, schools don’t have the resources to hire.

Some of the best opportunities for entry level/college graduates are with technology and engineering companies and in media, digital continues to have the need for individuals who are interested in research and analytics.

The  job market is picking up and more people are finding new jobs.  In fact, In September 2011 more people willingly changed positions.  “Total quits rose in September 2011″ -highest number since 2008  (New York Times 11/9/2011).  This is a good indication that potential job candidates and employees feel confident they will find new positions or a better one.

And job openings in September 2011 were at the highest level since August 2008 – up 22% from the same time last year.

As we approach the end of 2011 many people stop looking for new positions.  However we believe this is one of the best times of year to network.  Many companies begin planning for 2012 and anticipate openings.  Interview, schedule informational meetings and update resumes as 2012 should be a good year for hiring.

Good news, in advance of the October 2011 Unemployment Figures, released today from ADP. Employers added 110,000 jobs in October – better than expected or anticipated.

Private companies vs Federal/State Jobs are important because over 70% of all jobs created in the US are with private companies.

Some of the companies surveyed included FedEX which added staff and intends to add more to handle the holiday rush. And the automotive companies have just released numbers showing sales were also up in October.

All of these are positive signs that we are moving in the right direction. However no one believes the unemployment rate is going to drop dramatically soon. It remains over 9% and will hopefully drop over time.

Positive news in retail today.  The New York Times reported stores are beginning to hire for the holidays and the numbers are better than last year.  And in spite of a flat or weak economy, consumers keep shopping. 

Some of the numbers aren’t that significant but Macy’s is expecting to hire almost 78,000 seasonal employees and Target might add more than 92,000 more people!

Stores are already beginning to establish a holiday presence and last night I saw a pop-up “Toys R Us” store in a mall.  Every time a new store opens and employees are hired, this is good news for our economy.

We all know this or at least have read about the laws but it never hurts to be reminded.

Emails written on your work emails are consider the property of your employer.  Never look for work, respond to requests for interviews etc using your work email! 

You would think employees of the Civil Rights Commission would be savvy enough to know the laws but apparently three people in Iowa were terminated after using work emails for personal correspondence and writing catty comments about co-workers.  And as a reminder – “personal emails should be kept on your personal account and not your work one.”  “An email can be used as evidence.”

The fired employees were denied unemployment benefits due to the nature of the termination.  Most of us have personal accounts and i-phones or other devices and best to respond to emails this way.

Good news at last this week;  it is hard to think positive thoughts when the TV pundits are declaring the end of the world due to the financial crisis.  I get it – things are bad and we are in uncertain times.  But the last time I looked, the stores are packed.  And the Sidewalks on Michigan Ave are filled with shoppers carrying bags.

Today we got some good news: “the number of people seeking unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in 4 months.”  This was an unexpected drop and helped the Stock Market come back after yesterday’s heavy losses.

We are continuing to see a demand for digital media professionals across the country and the most active markets are Seattle, Boston & New York.  Hopefully this will continue as we approach 4th Quarter 2011.