Archive for Unemployment
Hawaii’s Unemployment Rate Steady at 7.4%
The numbers are out and Hawaii’s unemployment rate is holding steady at 7.4%. The US Department of Labor reported that Hawaii has 645,528 in the labor force with 597,783 employed, and 47,745 unemployed. Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization (UHERO) is forecasting that Hawaii’s jobless rate will continue to rise until it peaks over 8 percent in the middle of next year. They also expect that our jobless rate will average 7.5 percent in 2011. These are not encouraging numbers but as I have mentioned in the past people are going to start moving away to find work or go back to school as this goes on. Hawaii is an island so unlike the mainland where you can drive further and more opportunities exist options are limited. It is going to be a slow road ahead but we will pull through this. If you have questions or concerns you can contact us a Help Wanted Hawaii by posting in the forum or emailing us at support@helpwantedhawaii.info
Aloha, Mike Nale, Founder, www.helpwantedhawaii.info
The Fight to get a Job!
Feeling the squeeze yet?
It is every man or woman for themselves right now, or at least it seems that way. The competition for a job in Hawaii has went up dramatically since this time last year. I can remember getting at least one or two calls a month from recruiters before and now my phone is silent, sound familiar? One thing you have to remember is that we have over 40,000 (documented) unemployed professionals in the state. If you are feeling the squeeze right now it might be time to start looking at other types of employment, I am. As I type this post I am reminded of what one of my friends, a recruiter told me, ” I am getting at least 20-30 resumes a day, I can’t keep up”. If your looking for a job in your industry or occupation then consider some alternate industries or skillsets as possible solution. It is a fight to get a job right now. I just interviewed for a position last week and I was certain I was going to get the job. I walked away feeling great and my interviewer gave me the impression that I was going to get hired. I found out they offered the job to someone else, sound familiar again? It is very competitive right now so as I always say, be persistent, be patient, and be understanding. Things will happen, eventually.
The fight though is not just here in Hawaii it is nationwide. This is an employers market and they can be picky. Alot of employers have started implementing testing over the years in order to measure competency and skill level of the candidates they are interested in so if your facing a skills test, be prepared. The recession has affected salaries as well just last week the State proposed salary reductions in order to save jobs. If the range being offered seems low it is probably due to cutbacks. Employers can get top talent for a bargain right now. The fight for jobs right now is real so you need to be prepared.
Aloha
Aloha, Mike Nale, Founder, Helpwantedhawaii.info
The Unemployment Trap, Watch your Step!
Advice to Keep the Unemployed Healthy & Happy
As the economy gets worse and unemployment goes up a rash of other problems are on the rise. I know because I have experienced some of those problems already. It is 3:56 pm and after 5 hours on the internet searching for jobs, 1 trip to Taco Bell, 2 cups of coffee, and 1 catnap, I woke up thinking about writing this post. I ran a google search and came across a really good article from CV Tips.com called Bad Habits When Unemployed, the article discusses some really bad habits or problems that arise from being unemployed. In Hawaii with an even smaller search area for jobs and little hope for paid relocation to the mainland some of these problems may already seem familar to you. In today’s post I would like to point out some of these potential problem areas and how you can identify them now and take action, before it becomes a big problem.
1. Health, it is easy to get lazy and sit at home and this can be damaging to your health, even your mental health. Go out and exercise, swim, jog, or something that will keep you physically fit, and keep your wits about you.
2. Watch your Finances, Lifestyle is important to all of us but you may have to cut back on things that you indulged in before you were unemployed. It is going to take awhile to find work so dont listen to that little voice telling you “Go Ahead” you may be unemployed for some time.
3. Relationships, Yes, relationships can suffer from unemployment. If you or your significant other are unemployed than it can become very stressful on your relationship, communicate, plan, and prepare for the worst.
4. Demoralizing, unemployment can throw your whole lifestyle into disarray it is important to remain focused and not get depressed. I have often found myself second guessing or asking the question, what is wrong with me? It is not you, we have record unemployment in Hawaii as well as the nation. I have talked to recruiters and hiring managers all over the nation and they are getting hundreds if not thousands of applicants, be persistant, be patient, and be understanding.
5. Rountine, Did you get up at 6am before? Set your alarm for 6am tomorow. Look for a job as if it was your full time job. When you break from your routine because your unemployed it is easy to develop bad habits. If unemployment was not on your schedule then why change your routine? Finding a job is your job, at least for now.
Finally remember to be honest with yourself. It is not going to be easy but with patience and a positive attitude you will find a job. I tell myself that everyday and I also try to follow the steps above. Sure I may not give up my coffee or a trip to Taco Bell now and then, but I have to keep busy, keep fit, and stay focused. Give it a try.
Aloha
Mike Nale, Founder, www.helpwantedhawaii.info
( To view a recent story on KITV4 Island Television News about Mike and Helpwantedhawaii.info go to the link below)
http://www.kitv.com/video/18912258/index.html
Hawaii’s Unemployment Jumps to 6.1%
Well you knew it was going to go up and with the national unemployment rate at 8.1% the future may seem alot dimmer in Hawaii right now. The Oahu unemployment rate is at 5.2% and the state lost 17,000 jobs. The biggest danger here is that with close to 40,000 people unemployed in our state we stand to lose alot of our local talent to mainland jobs, our workforce will shrink in other words. It is tough to find certain jobs in Hawaii right now but we are going to post an article next week which will show where the jobs are right now in Hawaii, stay tuned! Mike Nale
8.1% or 12.5 Million Unemployed in the U.S.
A grim jobs report was released by the U.S. Department of Labor today announcing the unemployment rate at 8.1%. The total number of unemployed over the last six months is over 3.3 million the highest level in 25 years. The unemployment rate is expected to rise to 9% over the next few months can anyone say “double digits”?
Hawaii will most certainly see some more job losses to raise the last total released in December which was at 5.1%. All we can say here at helpwantedhawaii.info is buckle up it is going to be a bumpy 2009. Our suggestion is to consider career changes, industry moves, and two part time positions if a full time job is hard to find. We are committed here at helpwantedhawaii.info to helping in any way we can. If you are having trouble finding a job or need help with a resume or even some advice let us know. We are all in this together. Aloha
Mike Nale
support@helpwantedhawaii.info
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