According to job search giant CareerBuilder.com, finding a new job after leaving the military isn’t easy for one out of every five veterans. The website recently conducted a survey and found that 17 percent of those leaving active duty service had to spend more than six months looking for work.

In order to figure out how the job market is for veterans, CareerBuilder asked more than 750 U.S prior military members between August 21st and September 9th of this year. The survey found that the biggest problem that nearly one-fifth of veterans face is the fact that civilian employers have no idea how military skills can transfer into their work setting.

Another problem that military members face when leaving their branch of service is that many of them do not possess a degree. Other issues they struggle with include inexperience with the process of interviewing for a civilian job and a lack of positions in their area.

Despite these problems, almost 20 percent of the employers polled said that they will be actively recruiting veterans at some point during the next 12 months. Organizations that participated reported that there are many important skills that prior service members bring to the civilian work place. The most enticing of these included the ability to be part of a team (74 percent), disciplined approach to work (73 percent), leadership skills (66 percent), respect and integrity (64 percent and the ability to preform under pressure (62 percent)

"Employers value the diverse skill set that veterans can bring to their workforce and how these workers can have a positive impact on their bottom lines," said CareerBuilder’s Vice President of Human Resources Rosemary Haefner in a recent statement. "In fact, 20 percent of employers said that they will be actively recruiting veterans over the next 12 months to fill specific roles in fields such as IT, sales, management and engineering."

Haefner went on to give veterans several tips when looking for a new job. For starters, she said that it is important to make employers understand how skills are transferable. Prior Service members should frame their resumes in a way that a civilian employer can understand. Online translators exist to assist with this problem.

She also said that it is important that veterans quantify their experience. This means that it is important to elaborate on their duties while is service so that the employer understands exactly what the individual did. Veterans should never assume that the hiring manager has any understanding of military work.

In addition to this, Haefner said that it is important that prior service members don’t limit their options. Many of these individuals only look for employment in industries such as law enforcement or military contracting, but many skill can be transferred into a variety of other fields. This alone can help to reduce the amount of time it takes to find a job.

Labels: Job Search

Citing the impact of the national economic crisis on Illinois’ revenues, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced a four-part plan to manage the state’s $2 billion fiscal year 2009 budget deficit, including plans to eliminate some Illinois jobs in the state government.

The Governor’s proposed plan includes passage of the Emergency Budget Act, which would give the Governor and other constitutional officers added authority to help them make additional cuts, a request to Congress for increased federal stimulus aid, and further administrative reductions in the agencies. In addition to these budget solutions, the Governor is also proposing short-term borrowing which will help manage the state’s cash flow and pay providers in a more timely matter.

“We have more difficult decisions to make. Illinois’ finances, like many other states across the nation, have felt consequences of the poor national economy. And like a family who has seen their income cut dramatically, we need to take fiscally responsible action to ensure the state can pay all of our bills and provide the core services that Illinoisans need,” said Governor Blagojevich.

Illinois is not alone in facing a FY09 budget shortfall due to lower than projected revenues. Yesterday, the New York Times reported that California faces an $11 billion shortfall and is concerned about paying bills this spring, New York has proposed $5.2 billion in “savings,” and Ohio may need a federal loan to cover unemployment costs. In total, 31 states and the District of Columbia are facing mid-year budget gaps, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The Governor’s plan includes the following components:
Continued Belt Tightening – The Governor has already taken fiscally responsible steps by reducing the FY09 budget passed by the General Assembly by $1.4 billion, ordering all agencies to reduce spending by 3%, reducing the cost of core services, and decreasing headcount.

Emergency Budget Act – The Governor will propose legislation to give him the authority to hold back in contingency reserve as much as 8 percent of total appropriation and distributions for all General Funds spending, including agencies under the Governor, the State Board of Education, higher education, state’s pension funds, and funding to local governments.

Increased Federal Stimulus – Today Governor Blagojevich will send a letter to the congressional leadership detailing the effects that the poor economic condition has had on Illinois. The letter focuses on the areas that the State has identified with the greatest impact and requests more than $1 billion annually over the next three years.

Short-Term Borrowing – While short-term borrowing will not solve the budget deficit, the state needs to pay vendors on time and manage the state’s uneven cash flow. The Governor, the Comptroller and the Treasurer are currently working together on the borrowing plan.

“While I am dedicated to ending the year with a budget that works, I know I cannot do this alone. I am asking for support from state legislators and constitutional officers to help manage this budget in a way that continues to provide the services and programs that Illinois families need,” continued Governor Blagojevich.

Labels: Illinois Jobs

School bids and school contracting opportunities remain a strong source of business opportunity in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York (including NY City), Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida and Maryland jobs.

BTBbids.com reports that government bids and government contracting jobs (especially those issued by school bids departments) are keeping their New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York (including NY City), Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and Florida clients busy with new work opportunities throughout the holiday months.

Usually a slow-down period, the holiday months are proving busy for the many BTBbids.com clients that have contracted with the various schools in NJ, PA, DE, NY, CT, MA, MD and FL in the past. "Spending on educational supplies, products and services for the various school districts and boards of education (BOE's) translates directly into bid jobs and work opportunities for the millions of US businesses that contract with the school purchasing and procurement offices," says a company spokeswoman.

BTB plans to continue to fight the recent economic down-turn by continuing to provide up-to-date information about the school bids and school district contracting opportunities they compile and distribute every day. "Don't fear the recent economic news," suggests BTBbids.com CEO Kyle Yoder. "The United States is the greatest country in the world, and the ingenuity of the American entrepreneur will DEFINITELY get our economy back on track… in the meantime, the school districts contracting opportunities and government school bids arena is thriving and full of opportunities for businesses of all sizes and industries."

Labels: Maryland Jobs

According to Claymore Partners, an executive search firm specializing in senior level searches in the financial services and consulting arenas, the impact of the "credit crisis" is being felt strongly by executives. The company recently performed a 2009 Talent Market survey with over 200 financial services and consulting executive responses.

As a result of this market turmoil, over 76% of executives are seeking or are open to new jobs outside of their current organization. About one third of these executives are seeking new opportunities outside of their industry for 2009 as prospects in the financial services arena are dim. Only 24% of executives are focused on staying with their current employer.

"Financial service firms need to work hard on retaining their top talent and use this time period opportunistically to add top executives that are now more open to new, more stable situations," according to Mr. Landberg, Managing Director of Claymore Partners.

Over one third of financial services executives fear that the "credit crisis" could result in losing their own job in 2009. Another thirty percent indicated that the "credit crisis" will result in significant downsizing in their own organization next year as the impact of the "credit crisis" is anticipated to last until mid year or year end 2009.

Interestingly, most executives did not think that Mr. Obama's recent Presidential election will have a significant positive or negative impact on their employment outlook for 2009.

Labels: Job Search

Hollister, Inc. has been honored with a 2008 Stevie Award for Women in Business. The Boston recruiting firm was recognized for the "Community Involvement Program of the Year" for its support of Everybody Wins! Metro Boston, a literacy and mentoring nonprofit organization that increases children's opportunities for success in school and in life through one-to-one reading experiences with caring adults. Hollister, Inc. hosts the organization's Boston headquarters at their downtown Boston offices.

"It is an honored to be recognized by the Stevie Awards for our partnership with Everybody Wins! Metro Boston," said Hollister, Inc. Founder & CEO Kip Hollister. "Everybody Wins! Metro Boston is such a strong organization. Their literacy programs have a truly profound impact the future of the Greater Boston community."

The 2008 Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an international competition recognizing the accomplishments of outstanding women executives, business owners, and the organizations they run. The awards are produced by the creators of the prestigious American Business Awards.

In winning the Stevie, Hollister was chosen from a group of finalists including Dogtopia, Pioneer Services, Rochester Arts & Sciences Academy, Royal Neighbors of America, SAP Canada Inc., Tierney Communications, and Vertical Response in the Community Involvement Program of the Year category.

Stevie Awards were handed out in categories including Best Entrepreneur, Best Executive, Lifetime Achievement, and Women Helping Women at the gala event at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel on November 14. More than 1,200 entries from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.

"We have found that the leadership and community initiatives at Hollister make our employees feel like they have a true role in creating long-term results," said Hollister.

"As we step back, we are able to identify the true culture of our people and of our brand."
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are governed by a Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors that features many leading women entrepreneurs and luminaries in business. Members of the Awards' Board selected Stevie winners from among the finalists. Finalists were chosen by business professional worldwide during the preliminary judging period.

Labels: Recruiting

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a $3,877,672 grant to assist approximately 386 workers affected by layoffs in the Wilmington Air Park area in Wilmington, Ohio. The layoffs occurred at DHL Express, ABX Air Inc. and ACS Business Process Solutions.

"This $3.9 million grant will provide re-employment services including career counseling, education and skills training to help these Ohio workers in their job search," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

The grant, awarded to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, will provide workers with the full array of dislocated worker services that may include skills assessment, individual career counseling, education and occupational skills training. Training will be offered through Individual Training Accounts to help affected workers secure new jobs.

On May 28, Deutsche Post World Net, the German parent company of DHL Express, announced downsizing at rural locations across the United States, including Wilmington Air Park. Layoffs affecting workers at ABX Air Inc. were announced in August and September. On Sept. 11, ACS Business Process Solutions announced layoffs.

Labels: Job Search

Sabra Dipping Company, a producer of authentic Mediterranean style refrigerated dips and spreads, has announced plans to open a Virginia manufacturing facility in 2010, bringing approximately 260 Virginia jobs to Chesterfield County.

Founded in 1986, the Queens, New York-based company manufactures kosher and vegetarian products such as hummus, babaganoush spreads, eggplant dips, and Mediterranean salsa. In 2005, international food company, Strauss-Elite purchased a majority share of the company. While in 2008, PepsiCo and Strauss-Elite formed a joint-venture partnership, operating under the name Sabra Dipping Company, LLC. Products can be found in leading supermarket chains and wholesale stores.

In a quote from Virginia Business News, Sabra CEO Ronen Zohar noted, “We are projecting growth and planning exciting innovation. We are very optimistic about our company’s plans for Chesterfield County and look forward to breaking ground and settling into the community.”

Gov. Tim Kaine said Virginia competed against two other states for the Sabra Dipping Company project. Kaine approved a $350,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund for the project.

Chesterfield is a growing community southwest of Richmond with a population hovering under 300,000.

Labels: Virginia Jobs

A local machine shop is expanding, creating some entry level jobs. Visit http://www.experience.com to learn more.

M&M Manufacturing, located in Tulsa, Okla., recently announced its plans to add mroe than 80 jobs at its new location in northeast Tulsa. Many of the new manufacturing jobs in Tulsa will be entry-level positions.

The expansion will triple the company's work force to about 120 employees within one year, according to an article by Tulsa World. M&M, which has been around for eight years, also hopes the expansion will position the company as a major aerospace supplier to the area.

Entry-level jobs at the factory will start at a salary of about $13 per hour, while some of the new jobs will have top salaries of up to $60,000 per year. All full-time jobs at the company will include medical benefits and retirement plans.

"We're trying to make a significant economic impact and be one of the bigger machine shops in Tulsa," Ken Statton, M&M president and founder, said in the article.

The company recently signed a lease for a new 45,000-square-foot building on East Admiral Place to replace its old headquarters near 51st Street and Mingo Road. The new headquarters and shop is about six times larger than the old one. The move is costing the company about $145,000.

M&M primarily makes parts for aerospace suppliers such as Nordam Group and GE Aviation. It also makes some parts for the automotive, medical and oil industries. The company was started by Statton in 2000 and has operated as a small machining shop in Tulsa for years, while doing work for larger suppliers.

The company hopes the new capacity and an upgradted certification will make it a major player in the local manufacturing sector. The certification gives M&M the ability to sell parts directly to major manufacturers such as Boeing Co. and Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

"We're a small company that is trying really hard to bridge the gap and be a bigger player in Tulsa," Statton added.

Labels: Entry Level Jobs

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $527,465 grant to assist workers affected by layoffs at Katahdin Paper Co. in Millinocket, Maine.

"While the mill's future is being worked out, today's grant will provide eligible workers with a fallback of intensive training for new occupations as well as supportive services for smoothing re-employment transitions," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell.

This grant, awarded to the Maine Department of Labor, will provide all affected workers with access to the full array of dislocated worker services. TAA-eligible workers will have access to services not covered under the TAA program, including skills assessment, counseling, case management, job search assistance, job placement and follow-up.

On May 28, Katahdin Paper Co. issued a public notice announcing the closure of its Millinocket paper manufacturing plant. The mill shut down Sept. 2, and layoffs began shortly afterward.

The grant will be operated by the Eastern Maine Development Corp. The Katahdin Community Transition Team, formed in June 2008, has developed training strategies that will be implemented for workers seeking to take advantage of them.

National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor's discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state's ability to meet specific guidelines. For more information, visit www.doleta.gov/NEG.

Labels: Job Search

Nowadays, everybody can be a suspect to a crime – relatives, family friends, and even significant others. In fact, scenarios like this are starting to become a mainstay in our society. We can not just trust anyone anymore, because trust in the modernized world is passé. It is now more about securing one’s welfare and interest. True enough, security needs outweigh our instincts to put and give our faith to anybody. You have to be cautious when dealing with people especially the strange ones.

With crimes which principals are just blood related or socially affiliated to their victims, availing background checks have become practical. In effect, demands for this kind of services have significantly increased.

Among the usual records which are always checked and included in background checks are the police records. Of course, you would want to have these records with the least charge possible. Better if you can have it free of any charge. Now, how do you do that?

You can find the public records by making use of a search engine online, say Google. All you have to do is input in the search bar the name of the person you are looking for. You can also employ ways in the use of words you type in the search bar. You can shift arrangement of words or make use of quotation marks. Then, a listing of search results will appear before you. Now, what you have to do is check if any of the results is the one you really are looking for.

When someone commits an offense, he or she automatically makes a record about that certain offense in the house of court. This becomes a public record and can be accessed by anyone. You just have to pay a visit to the jurisdiction where the person you are looking out for has lived. You will be asked to fill out an application. From there, you will have to wait from twenty four to seventy two hours to find out if your request for those records is denied or approved. If it is approved, then you can no access the database of the courthouse. However, you must remember that the records you want may not come to you that easily. They may not be organized the way you think they are. Sometimes, people who are successful with this are those with the luxury of time.

If the above mentioned method has not provided you with what you are looking for, then, there is another alternative. You can always check out sites which offer provider services. What’s good about these sites is that results are instant. No more waiting periods.

Labels: Background Checks

Simply Hired, a comprehensive search engine for jobs based in Mountain View, California, has announced a new job search offering to help in the recruitment of veterans. According to a company press release, the filter provides results from DirectEmployers Association’s list of over 400 federal contractors and "vet-friendly" employers, who take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment veterans in accordance with Affirmative Action Programs, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), and the Jobs for Veterans Act.

With military returning to the U.S. from Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a growing need for veteran employment. The United States currently is home to over 23 million veterans who have served active duty in the U.S. armed forces, according to the Office of Veteran Affairs. This large subset of the population has highly transferable military skills such as the capacity to learn new skills quickly, a strong sense of teamwork, and leadership abilities. The active security clearances that returning veterans have are also in high demand by employers. This new filter will provide a venue for veterans to perform job searches from select companies who are dedicated to hiring veterans and advancing their careers.

The company been lauded as one of the "50 Coolest Websites" by Time Magazine and declared "Best of the Web" by Business Week. Simply Hired has raised $17.7M in funding from News Corporation's Fox Interactive Media, Foundation Capital, Garage Technology Ventures and individual investors.

Labels: Recruiting

While job losses in our country continue to rise, opportunities – including Maryland jobs – do still exist. According to a recent news release, the Maryland State Board of Education declared teacher shortages in 20 key subject areas, ranging from special education to secondary school math and science.

The State Board found teacher shortages cropping up in all of the state’s 24 school systems, and noted a lack of teachers who are male and teachers who are members of minority groups.

When classes began in Maryland school systems earlier this fall, teacher shortages were less pronounced than they had been in previous years. The positions that remained open were primarily in the hard-to-fill areas cited in the report.

“Special education, upper level math, physics—these positions have been difficult to fill since we began tracking this nearly 25 years ago,” noted Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools. “But our school systems are doing a much better job of recruiting qualified teachers, and such innovations as our first statewide teacher job fair held last year have paid big dividends.”

There are needs that go well beyond the classroom. The State Board also declared a shortage of principals, library/media specialists, and speech/language pathologists for schools in the state. Maryland’s biennial Teacher Staffing Report, presented to the State Board this week, found that 7,249 new teachers were hired last year, down slightly from two years earlier.

Of the teachers hired in 2007, 4,003 were new teachers who had recently completed teacher training programs. Only 1,234 of them came from Maryland colleges and universities, down from a high of 1,769 in 2002-2003.

The percentage of minority new hires fell slightly from 30.5 percent in 2006 to 29.3 percent last year. At the same time, the percentage of teacher candidates at Maryland colleges and universities who are members of minority groups has been increasing steadily since 2002-2003, and now stands at 19.5 percent.

There is no sign that shortages will end anytime soon. There are currently only three teacher education candidates in physics scheduled to graduate from Maryland colleges next spring, down from 14 in 2006-2007. There are no candidates in computer science education or technology education.

The Maryland Teacher Staffing Report, which MSDE began publishing 24 years ago as the Maryland Teacher Supply and Demand Study, uses information from local school systems and Maryland higher education institutions with teacher preparation programs.

Labels: Maryland Jobs

Medical jobs recently got a boost when the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Jackson Healthcare (JH) one of "Atlanta's Best Places to Work" for 2008, based on responses to an independent employee satisfaction survey. The healthcare staffing and technology company ranked seventh among 20 medium-size companies (101-500 employees), according to the weekly newspaper's September 26-October 2, 2008 issue.

The employee surveys were conducted for Atlanta Business Chronicle during the months of July and August by Quantum Market Research (QMR) of Wichita, Kansas. Ten large companies (501+ employees) and 20 small companies (10-100 employees) also made the list from among more than 300 companies applying.

"We are in the people business, and I recognize that our greatest assets walk out the door every evening," Jackson Healthcare Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Jackson said. "We try to recruit the best people and then create an environment that encourages associates to be the best that they can be, and so far that has worked well for us. In fact a significant number of our associates have been referred by other Jackson associates."

Atlanta Business Chronicle honored A+ Employer representatives with a breakfast in the Oceans Ballroom of the Georgia Aquarium on Friday, September 26, 2008.

Employees of nominated companies answered an online opinion survey conducted b QMR of Wichita, Kansas. To reach a 95-percent confidence level with a margin of error of plus or minus five percent, participating company employees had to respond in numbers proportional to their local employee base--from 85% of employees in companies of 50 employees or fewer to five percent of employees in companies with 5,000 or more employees. Fifty percent of employees in companies with 151 to 500 employees, including JH with approximately 400 Atlanta-based associates, had to log on and complete the survey for their employers to make the list.

Respondents answered questions covering 10 categories on a six-point scale from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." JH scored highest in the areas of "Trust in Senior Leaders" (94%), "Trust in Co-Workers" (94%) and "Retention Risk" (93%).

Founded by healthcare pioneer Richard L. Jackson, Jackson Healthcare addresses the two biggest challenges facing healthcare today: finding the right people and delivering the right information at the right time. The JH family of companies provides clinician staffing, anesthesia management and healthcare information technology solutions proven to improve clinical and financial outcomes and increase operational efficiency.

Labels: Healthcare Jobs

The First Marblehead Corporation announced it has reduced its full-time employee population by approximately 24% in a continued effort to reduce costs. According to a company press release, this represents another phase in the cost reduction plan and it will eliminate Boston jobs, where it is headquartered, as well as a processing center in Medford, Massachusetts.

First Marblehead is in the student loan business, helping “meet the growing demand for private education loans by offering national and regional financial institutions and educational institutions an integrated suite of design, implementation and capital markets services for student loan programs,” notes the company website.

The announcement is the third hit the company has taken this year. According to the Boston Globe, the company eliminated 500 positions – more than half of its workforce – in May. While in August, the company replaced its Chief Executive Officer with its original founder, who had years earlier resigned over questions of excessive spending.

First Marblehead Corporation announced that its total revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 were $84.9 million, down from $380.0 million for the same period last year. The net loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 was $92.9 million, a decrease from net income of $168.8 million for the same period last year.

In August 2008, the company received $132.7 million in gross proceeds from the sale of shares of preferred stock to affiliates of GS Capital Partners.

Daniel Meyers, First Marblehead's Chief Executive Officer and President, said, "The illiquidity of the capital markets continues to negatively impact our financial results. We have scaled back expenditures significantly to reduce our operating costs. We are focusing our efforts on our core businesses -- the design, origination, financing and risk management of private student loan products and services. The completion of the GS Capital Partners investment adds to our financial strength and flexibility as the company closed the quarter with $222 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments on the balance sheet."

Meyers added, "Challenging economic times such as these create opportunities that well positioned firms can take advantage of through knowledge, hard work and industry expertise. The strategic realignment and management changes we have undertaken are positioning the company to lead the next product cycle and compete in the newly emerging private student loan marketplace."

Labels: Boston Jobs

What will a new president mean for Atlanta jobs?

Today is election day, and with 760,000 Americans losing their jobs so far this year, job creation is a top priority for many voters. Georgia is no exception. The state had the second-highest number of job losses during September and an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent. According to an article by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, about 317,500 people in Georgia are looking for work.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement firm, recently released a report analyzing both presidential candidates platforms and policies, including those dealing with job creation. The election of either candidate could help certain industries in the Atlanta area.

Under Republican candidate John McCain, the following industries would most likely grow:

• aerospace and defense. McCain supports missile defense, increasing military size and upgrading military technology. This could create thousands of manufacturing and engineering jobs nationally and boos armed forces recruitment. Atlanta's manufacturing and engineering industry currently employs 166,700 workers, down 4.7 percent from last year.
• automotive. McCain would provide incentives to automakers to develop new technology, give tax incentives for fuel-efficient cars, and has proposed $300 million for hybrid and electric car batteries. This could create new jobs for auto engineers and auto companies. Atlanta's transportation-equipment industry currently employs 14,500 workers, down 8.2 percent from last year.
• construction. McCain would focus on building environmentally-friendly buildings for commercial and residential use. This could create thousands of jobs nationally, including 700,000 to build nuclear power plants. Atlanta's construction industry employs 128,100, a decrease of 8 percent from last year.
• health insurance. McCain plans to reform the tax code and give workers a choice of health insurance outside from their employers, increasing competition. This could mean jobs for salespeople, claims adjusters, underwriters, examiners, investigators, management analysts and administrators. Atlanta's finance and insurance industries employ 111,500 workers, down 3.1 percent from last year.
• nuclear science and engineering. McCain plans to construct 45 nuclear power plants by 2030, a project costing $315 billion. This would create 700,000 jobs for entry-level workers, plant operators, power distributors and dispatchers. Atlanta's architectural, engineering and related industries employ 30,400 workers, a decrease of 2.6 percent from last year.
• oil and gas. McCain plans to drill for domestic oil and natural gas supplies. This could create jobs for petroleum technicians, equipment makers, engineers and laborers. Atlanta's natural resources industry employs 2,400 workers, down 4 percent from last year.

Under Democratic candidate Barack Obama, the following industries would most likely add workers:

• alternative energy. Obama plans to invest $150 billion during the next 10 years in renewable energy, including biofuel, hybrid and electric cars, low-emission coal plants, a digital electricity grid and solar and wind initiatives. This would create jobs for engineers, environmental scientists, equipment manufacturers, as well as those in the automotive, transportation, chemical and technology industries. Atlanta's professional, scientific and technical industry employs 168,400, down .4 percent from last year.
• civil engineering. Obama plans to invest money in infrastructure projects and designs for cities and towns, which would create many civil engineer jobs. Atlanta's architectural, engineering and related industries employ 30,400, down 2.6 percent from last year.
• construction. Obama will use $60 billion during the next 10 years to build and maintain buildings, bridges and national infrastructure. This could create up to 2 million direct and indirect jobs each year. Atlanta's construction industry employs 128,100 workers, a decrease of 8 percent from last year.
• education and teachers. Obama wants to pay teachers more and use teaching teams, parent programs and academic plans to help students. This could create opportunities for early childhood education teachers, counselors and mentors. The Atlanta area employs more than 62,000 full- and part-time teachers.
• manufacturing. Obama plans to give tax brakes to companies that produce American-made products, enticing companies to remain in the United States and creating many jobs. Atlanta's manufacturing industry employs 166,700 workers, down 4.7 percent from last year.
• telecommunications. Obama plans to provide broadband networks to every community, a plan that includes tax and loan incentives. This could create many telecommunications and technology jobs. Atlanta's telecommunications industry employs 37,400 workers, down .5 percent from last year.

Labels: Atlanta jobs