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More jobs in Oregon were lost during March as the state's unemployment rate increased.

During March, Oregon's unemployment rate increased from 10.5 percent to 10.6 percent, following a decrease from 10.7 percent during February. That increase keeps the state's rate higher than the national average of 9.7 percent.

Oregon had a total non-farm employment of 1,590,400 workers during March, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,590,800 workers during February and a 2.3 percent decrease from last year.

Five industries managed to see a monthly increase in employment during March, including: manufacturing by 1,100 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 400 jobs; professional and business services by 600 jobs; leisure and hospitality by 400 jobs; and government by 600 jobs.

Only one industry managed to see a yearly increase in employment. The education and health services industry employed 223,800 workers during March, down from 224,800 workers during February, but a .8 percent increase from March 2009.

The construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 63,700 workers during March, down from 64,000 workers during February and a 16.4 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• Mining and logging by 2.7 percent
• Manufacturing by 5.3 percent
• Trade, transportation and utilities by 1.1 percent
• Information by 2.4 percent
• Financial activities by 3.4 percent
• Professional and business services by 4 percent
• Leisure and hospitality by .4 percent
• Other services by 2.2 percent
• Government by .1 percent

Labels: Jobs in Oregon

As the state unemployment rate continued to inch upward and more jobs were lost, Nevada medical jobs and education jobs were the only industry to increase over the year during March.

During March, Nevada's unemployment rate increased from 13.2 percent to 13.4 percent, after remaining at 13 percent for two months in a row. That increase keeps the state's rate above the national average of 9.7 percent.

Nevada had a total non-farm employment of 1,115,600 workers during March, according to the U.S Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,122,700 workers during February and a 4.6 percent decrease from last year.

Four industries managed to see a monthly increase in employment, including: mining and logging by 100 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 200 jobs; leisure and hospitality by 1,100 jobs; and other services by 200 jobs.

Employment in the manufacturing industry remained even over the month with 38,700 jobs. Only one industry managed to see a yearly increase in employment.

The education and health services industry employed 99,900 workers during March, down from 100,200 workers during February, but a 4 percent increase from March 2009.

The construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 63,800 workers during March, down from 68,400 workers during February and a 30 30 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment during March include:

• Mining and logging by 2.6 percent
• Manufacturing by 7.9 percent
• Trade, transportation and utilities by 3.9 percent
• Information by 8.8 percent
• Financial activities by 5.1 percent
• Professional and business services by 1.6 percent
• Leisure and hospitality by 2.2 percent
• Other services by .6 percent
• Government by 3.2 percent

Labels: Nevada medical jobs

Austin medical jobs (Click here) saw the second-largest yearly increase in employment during March, behind only the leisure and hospitality industry.

Although the Austin area's March unemployment rate has not yet been released, the rate throughout Texas remained at 8.2 percent for the fifth month in a row, which is lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. Austin had an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent during February.

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area had a total non-farm employment of 760,300 workers during March, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 755,700 workers during February, but a .1 percent decrease from last year.

Seven industries managed to see a monthly increase in employment, including: manufacturing by 300 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 1,000 jobs; financial activities by 200 jobs; education and health services by 500 jobs; leisure and hospitality by 2,100 jobs; other services by 400 jobs; and government by 1,400 jobs.

Four industries managed to see a yearly increase in employment, with the leisure and hospitality industry growing the most. The industry employed 87,900 workers during March, up from 85,800 workers during February and a 7.3 percent increase from March 2009.

The education and health services industry saw the second-largest increase. The industry employed 85,200 workers during March, up from 84,700 workers during February and a 3.3 percent increase from last year.

The government industry employed 171,600 workers during March, up from 170,200 workers during March and a 1.7 percent increase from March 2009. The other services industry employed 33,600 workers during March, up from 33,200 workers during February and a .6 percent increase from last year.

Employment in the financial activities industry remained even over the year with 43,700 jobs.

The mining, logging and construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 38,400 workers during March, down from 39,000 workers during February and a 7.2 percent decrease from March 2009.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• Manufacturing by 2.7 percent
• Trade, transportation and utilities by 2.3 percent
• Information by 5.4 percent
• Professional and business services by 3.5 percent

Labels: Austin medical jobs

Hundreds of Houston teaching jobs (Click here) have been put on the chopping block.

School districts throughout Houston and Fort Bend are planning to cut more than 880 jobs for teachers and other employees. Although any displaced employees have the option of applying for other positions within the districts, there's no guarantee they'll be hired.

"We will work very hard to interview all of them as quickly as possible," Terry Grier, superintendent at Houston Independent School District, told the Houston Chronicle, adding that principals and department leaders won't be forced to hire those employees, but they will be considered before other applicants.

HISD voted April 8 to fire Principal Mable Caleb, five other administrators and teachers who were involved in a scheme to cover up dropouts by tagging them as transfers, and 170 other employees to save $4.8 million. The district is looking to cut about $7 million from its overall budget.

This last group of employers includes teachers, counselors, nurses, curriculum specialists and teacher-training staff. These layoffs come after HISD already cut about 240 other positions in regional offices and federally-funded posts.

The personnel cuts are mainly the result of a reorganization of the district's administration and several departments, including professional development, alternative certification and services for hospitalized, institutionalized and sick students at home.

The Fort Bend Independent School District - which, facing a $20 million deficit, has declared a financial emergency - is planning to cut 470 jobs, including 100 positions for special education teachers.

"The district's goal is to be able to offer the opportunity to as many teachers as possible to return to work in the district," FBISD Spokeswoman Mary Ann Simpson said in a statement.

Labels: Houston teaching jobs

Many business groups are asking employers to pay more for Arizona unemployment benefits.

Along with several other states, Arizona began borrowing money in March, when the state's trust fund that pays for the benefits was used up. That fund is provided by taxes that employers pay.

There are currently about 170,000 Arizona residents who collect unemployment benefits, which is an increase from the 25,000 residents who did so during December 2008, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

As of March, 33 states had borrowed a total of $38.2 billion from the federal government to help pay for unemployment benefits, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Arizona House of Representatives Commerce Committee is now looking at new legislation that would require employers to pay a $42 per-employee assessment in 2011 and 2012. That fee would be above the state tax employers already owe for unemployment benefits.

According to The Associated Press, the assessment fee would help pay for future borrowing from the federal government and save employers money over time. At the same time, automatic adjustments from the program's increasing costs will raise the current unemployment tax from $146 per employee per year to $158 in 2011 and $161 in 2012.

Unfortunately, those increases won't provide enough money to begin repaying the federal government in time to avoid a large tax increase that could be imposed in 2012. Other options being considered include a permanent tax increase and earlier implementation of the assessment.

Labels: Arizona unemployment

A new round of funding will help to support San Antonio construction jobs (Click here).



The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that it will award $480,669 in stimulus funding for three Texas companies to perform work at the San Marcos National Fish Hatchery & Technology Center. The funding is from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.



According to the San Antonio Business Journal, San Antonio-based SK Quality Custom Builders will receive $335,208 of that funding to build new office space, storage space and research bays at NFHTC's current greenhouse. The greenhouse will then be used to cultivate and conduct research on the endangered Texas wild rice.



SK Quality Custom Builders also will install a new chain link fence along the driveways that lead to the holding house, which will prevent anyone from accidentally falling off the steep embankments. The company will further repair a waste water drain line that is currently blocked.



Kempner-based Seneca Construction Management LLC will receive $130,000 of the funding to replace the air-sourced heating and cooling system in the NFHTC's office and laboratory building. The company also will install new energy-efficient lighting fixtures and rehabilitate the shop building's electrical system.



Houston-based Kimrick Performance Group LLC will receive $15,461 of the funding to increase security at NFHTC's McCarty well pump house. As part of this effort, the company will install more secure doors and take other security measures.



These new projects will surely be welcome news to San Antonio's construction industry. The construction industry has suffered both locally and nationally as a result of the economic downturn, but appears to be picking up in various spots throughout the country.



The San Antonio-New Braunfels area's construction industry employed 44,700 workers during February, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 44,600 workers during January, but an 8.8 percent decrease from last year.

Labels: San Antonio construction jobs

The average pay for the jobs St Louis MO has to offer declined last year.

During 2009, the average pay for employees in the St. Louis area declined by 7 cents from 2008, according to the National Compensation Survey from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As of July 2009, employees in St. Louis earned an average salary of $21.33 per hour, which is down from $21.40 during July 2008. As of February, the national average salary for workers in all businesses and industries came in at $22.46 per hour.

In St. Louis, engineering managers were among the highest paid employees last year, earning an average $51.83 per hour. All management employees earned an average salary of $43.08 per hour, while healthcare employees earned an average of $27.13 per hour.

On the other end of the scale, retail employees earned one of the lowest salaries, bringing in only $11.62 per hour. The average wage for a cashier, one of the most popular retail occupations, in the St. Louis area was $9.91 per hour.

During February, the unemployment rate in St. Louis increased from 10.7 percent to 11 percent, following an increase from 9.8 percent during January. The latest increase keeps the city's unemployment rate above the national average of 9.7 percent.

St. Louis had a total non-farm employment of 1,265,500 workers during February, according to the BLS. This is up from 1,262,800 workers during January, but a 2.5 percent decrease from last year.

Labels: Jobs St Louis MO