Free Republic

President Obama can authorize billions to banks, put pressure on mortgage holders to cut deals and open the nation’s wallet wide for clunkers. He can even hold a farcical “Jobs Summit” to put a dent in that 10% unemployment rate. What he can’t do is get out of his own way. Why aren’t businesses hiring? Because they don’t know what’s next. The small shop owners, mid-size company budget planners and corporate strategists — they all look ahead and see nothing but questions and worries. What will the massive new health care bill cost? Will there be cap-and-trade taxes after the...

We have been here since 1952 and have been through literally thousands of hiring processes. We are asked about the biggest and most frequent mistakes that hiring authorities make in the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process. Here they are: 1. Not having a clear idea of what they are looking for - that everyone understands. Hiring authorities aren’t specific enough about the duties, skills, and competencies they need. They confuse amount of experience with competency: “8 to 10 years of experience” - does that mean that someone with six years of experience can’t do the job? Or what about the...

The worst of the financial crisis passed early this year, yet employment continues to decline with more than 2.6 million jobs lost since February. And continued job loss is leading to calls from various quarters for more short-term stimulus policies to expand employment. A recent stimulus proposal, gathering considerable attention is a "hiring tax credit," in which businesses that expand their employment receive a temporary tax credit for new hires. (The New York Times discusses the basic idea behind the tax credit.) Businesses, however, are somewhat divided about such policy, with some companies expressing reservations about whether this idea will...

Can someone tell me the source of Rush's monologue today

Employers appear to be in no rush to hire back the millions who lost their jobs in the recession, despite signs of improvement in the economy. The U.S. had a record low 2.4 million job openings in July, the Labor Department said Wednesday, the fewest since the department started tracking the figure in 2000, and half the peak of 4.8 million in mid-2007. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve's report on business conditions around the U.S., known as the Beige Book, said "labor market conditions remain weak," a significant hurdle for a strong recovery from the recession that began in December 2007....

Stable employment is increasingly hard to find these days. But there is one industry that, despite a sharp decrease in revenue, is on a hiring binge. This from bizjournals.com: Federal agencies will add more than 270,000 employees during the next three years, according to a report from the Partnership for Public Service. The total projected hiring for “mission-critical jobs” is expected to jump more than 40 percent during fiscal 2010 to 2012 from the previous three years. I’m always curious to know what federal bureaucrats consider “mission critical” (their own jobs top the list I suppose). The Cash for Clunkers...

The federal government needs to hire more than 270,000 workers for "mission-critical" jobs over the next three years, a surge prompted in part by the large number of baby-boomer federal workers reaching retirement age, according to the results of a government-wide survey being released Thursday. The numbers also reflect the Obama administration's intent to take on several enormous challenges, including the repair of the financial sector, fighting two wars, and addressing climate change. "It has to win the war for talent in order to win the multiple wars it's fighting for the American people," said Max Stier, president and chief...

People who have been out of work for months are lining up for jobs at places they once considered unthinkable: slaughterhouses, sewage plants, prisons. "I have to just shut my mouth because I can't do anything about it," said Nichole McRoberts of Sedalia, Mo., who pictured more for herself at age 30 than working in a poultry plant, cutting diseased or damaged flesh off chicken carcasses. Recessions and tight job marketsalways force some people to take less-desirable or lower-paying work than they are used to. But this recession has been the most punishing job destroyer in at least 60 years,...

OVER THE PAST 12 months, California has lost 759,000 private industry jobs — a 6.0 percent decline. Local governments lost 27,600 jobs, a drop of 1.5 percent over the same period. But it's a different story at the state level, where there has been an increase of 3.600 workers. While some state services have increasing needs during a recession, one has to wonder how the state can justify increasing the size of its overall workforce in the face of a severe and unsolved budget crisis. Economist Brian Wesbury with First Trust Advisors said it is amazing that California can hire...

You're hired—next year Apr 30th 2009 | NEW YORK From The Economist print edition The recession is changing the way American firms recruit people IT SOUNDS like something for a racing driver, rather than a company in a recession. But Allan McKisson of Manpower, an employment-services company, insists that companies should be adopting a “ramp-up plan” and hiring new talent now, to ensure that they are firing on all cylinders when the economy rebounds. According to a survey carried out by Watson Wyatt, a consulting firm, three-quarters of American companies have implemented a hiring freeze. But that means around a...

As many big companies are announcing mass layoffs, these Fortune 100 employers have at least 150 openings as of mid-April. It's no secret that many big companies are announcing mass layoffs and pay cuts in the recession. With 5.1 million jobs lost nationwide since 2008, and the current unemployment rate at the 25-year high of 8.5%, it's easy to feel down about the battered labor market. But the job prospects aren't entirely bleak. We looked at the top 100 of this year's Fortune 500 list and found 28 with at least 150 job openings as of mid-April. Some, like Wal-Mart,...

CHICAGO – A federal jury convicted Chicago's former streets and sanitation commissioner Monday of using bogus documents and other fraudulent acts in a scheme to load the city payroll with political campaign workers. Al Sanchez, 61, looked on without expression as U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman read the guilty verdicts on four charges of mail fraud and acquittals on three others. Each count carries a maximum 20-year sentence. Afterward, Sanchez said the conviction was unfair. "We had a job to do and we did it and now I'm sitting up here convicted of crimes and I don't know what...

Senate approves restriction on foreign hires The Senate voted Friday to restrict the hiring of foreign workers by banks that are receiving government bailout funds while undergoing vast layoffs. The legislation by Sens. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, would require the banks to seek American workers before turning to foreign nationals when they're hiring. It aims to prevent replacement of Americans by foreigners working under the H-1B visa program, which allows employers to bring in workers for high-skilled and advanced-degree jobs. The measure has a two-year life and if signed into law would apply to the...

Check here every day for new additions http://geo.craigslist.org/ http://www.monster.com/ http://www.indeed.com/ http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/ http://www.careerbuilder.com/ http://www.dice.com/ http://www.jobbankusa.com/ http://www.vault.com/ http://www.job.com/

Since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, the FBI has been criticized for not having enough employees fluent in foreign languages and for not moving fast enough to upgrade its computer system. FBI Assistant Director John Raucci of the Human Resources division said the federal law enforcement agency is seeking to bring more people on board with skills in critical areas, especially language fluency and computer science. "We're also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies, and others who wish us harm," Raucci said. He said...

The opponents of immigration enforcement have stooped to a new low in Arizona with their latest attempt to undermine the state’s workplace verification laws. After exhausting their usual tactics, they are resorting to outright and intentional deception of the voters. This November, Arizonans will vote on Proposition 202, the "Stop Illegal Hiring" Act...Arizona does not need a new law against illegal hiring. It already has the toughest workplace enforcement law in the country. The Legal Arizona Workers Act (“LAWA”), which was enforced in the beginning 2008, is the first state law to require all employers to use the E-Verify worker...

Gov. Chris Gregoire did Monday what families and businesses have been doing for months: She ordered cuts in travel and buying gasoline, a hiring freeze and a lid on major purchases for most state agencies. The effort is expected to save $90 million, making up for an unexpected $60 million drop in revenue in June. The lost income came from a slowdown in the housing market and lower business taxes than expected. "I am asking each of you to step up your efforts to increase savings. I ask that you be creative and take action now," Gregoire said in a...

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2008 – Returning from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan with a disability certainly brings with it a number of challenges, but for one soldier, a great aid to his successful recovery was the easy transition he made into the civilian job market. Justin Callahan enlisted in the U.S Army as a combat engineer when he was 18. When he was 21, he deployed to Afghanistan, where he led a squad of 8 men squad leader. During a routine patrol, Justin was hit by an IED and suffered a left leg amputation below the knee. During his...

U.S. Border Patrol officials say they are on track to beef up their ranks from nearly 16,000 today to 18,319 agents by the end of the year. But some critics say the agency is cutting too many corners to meet the goal set by President Bush two years ago. Facing pressure to do more to curb illegal immigration, Bush announced in May 2006 that the federal government would hire 6,000 more Border Patrol agents. He also sent 6,000 National Guard troops to the border, an assignment scheduled to end in July. As of March 29, about 2,000 agents were deployed...

Hiring Practices Influenced By Beauty ScienceDaily (Jan. 3, 2008) — A new study finds that the attractiveness of interviewees can significantly bias outcome in hiring practices, showing a clear distinction between the attractive and average looking interviewees in terms of high and low status job packages offered. “When someone is viewed as attractive, they are often assumed to have a number of positive social traits and greater intelligence,” say Carl Senior and Michael J.R. Butler, authors of the study. “This is known as the ‘halo effect’ and it has previously been shown to affect the outcome of job interviews.” The...

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Problems in the U.S. real estate sector and worries about not being able to find the right people are making employers across the world more cautious, a survey by employment services group Manpower Inc. (MAN) showed Tuesday.

SACRAMENTO – During the 2003 recall that thrust him into office, Arnold Schwarzenegger accused then-Gov. Gray Davis of mismanagement and hinted that he was corrupt. But when his administration has needed expertise or become embroiled in political trouble, Schwarzenegger hasn't hesitated to hire top officials who worked for Davis, a Democrat. Last week the Republican governor selected Mary Nichols, a former chief environmental aide to Davis, as chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board to try to calm the controversy over his firing of the state's top air-quality regulator. Nichols is one of at least six key players in the...

WASHINGTON - The recent firing of eight U.S. attorneys has raised questions about how they are appointed and the circumstances under which they may be dismissed. Here are some questions and answers: Q: What do U.S. attorneys do and how many are there? A: U.S. attorneys are the federal government's equivalent of local district attorneys. They are charged with prosecuting federal crimes in the judicial district in which they serve. There are 93 U.S. attorneys, one for each U.S. district court (except that Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands share a federal prosecutor). Q: Who gets these positions? A: The...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2007 – Military members with a desire to mentor and shape young minds now may not have to face the anxiety of an uncertain future when retiring or separating from the military. In a new twist on Troops to Teachers, a program that has long been producing teachers out of the ranks of the military, qualified servicemembers can now be hired in advance to work as teachers in certain school districts. The Hire in Advance Program, which has launched in Las Vegas, Denver, and Newark, N.J., guarantees teaching jobs for eligible military up to three years...

More than a dozen University of Wisconsin students gathered on Bascom Hill Wednesday to protest the CIA recruitment and education event being held at North Hall. UW senior Nick Limback said the protest, which was organized by students of the Campus Antiwar Network and the Student Labor Action Coalition, was meant to inform and educate students about the CIA’s role in government policy as well as the organization’s “wrongs.” “We wanted to raise awareness about the human rights abuses that the CIA has committed and is currently committing,” Limback said. Limback said the CIA has acted violently to protect business...

The newly elected (convervative Republican) Mayor of Georgetown, Kentucky caused a rude awakening among Georgetown Democrats this week . . . they no longer rule the town. Mayor Tingle-Sames fired four VERY partisan Democrats who were on the city's payroll. These were "at-will" positions, so she had every legal right to do this. Despite that fact, the local Democrats are up in arms and trying to swing a poll the local newspaper is running in their direction. Please take the time to visit www.news-graphic.com, scroll to the bottom left corner and vote that you approve of Mayor Tingle-Sames' decision. Feel...

WASHINGTON -- Ending 2006 on a positive note, employers boosted hiring and fattened workers' paychecks in December, capping a year in which the country's unemployment rate averaged a six-year low of 4.6 percent. The latest snapshot of the nation's employment climate, released Friday by the Labor Department, suggested that most businesses held up pretty well as the real-estate bust caused the economy to lose momentum last year. Employers added 167,000 new jobs to their payrolls in December, and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.5 percent. That showing was "rock solid," said Nigel Gault, economist at Global Insight. But on...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats hoping to capture control of the U.S. Congress in this fall elections called on Tuesday for probes of the Bush administration's Iraq rebuilding effort, which they likened to the government's botched response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Senate Democrats urged congressional and Pentagon investigations into hiring and contracting practices in Iraq. The requests came after the Washington Post newspaper reported young novices with Republican political connections got high-level jobs rebuilding Iraq in 2003 and 2004. "Iraq, in one of the most critical moments in its history when the United States was there was being run by...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The hiring practices of the Illinois governor's office are the focus of a federal investigation into possible misconduct at several state agencies, a federal prosecutor said in a letter made public Friday. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in the letter he is looking into "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" by Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration. The allegations include violations of restrictions against using politics to award jobs. Investigators have "developed a number of credible witnesses," the letter states. The Democratic governor, who was elected on a promise to clean up government, has not been charged with...

USA Citizens Day - July 1st Immigration Control Rally Nationwide Rally on Saturday, July 1st, at noon, at your City HallMay 1st - Million of Illegal Aliens Marched in our StreetsTwelve million illegal aliens demonstrated their political power, and declared May 1st to be A Day Without Undocumented Workers ( illegal aliens ). They boycotted the USA, all US businesses and institutions. Millions of them marched in our streets, carried Mexican flags, shouted "Si se puede!", and demanded new laws from our Congress. July 1st - U.S. Citizens Nationwide Rally for Immigration ControlRally to stop our continuous invasion by...

a recent predawn roll call at the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Division was emblematic of the profound changes that the LAPD has undergone in recent years. As two dozen officers were briefed on crime in their area, they were aided by computerized maps showing hot spots in the division's neighborhoods. Most telling, however, were the people themselves. Of the morning patrol officers who took their places on wooden benches — some things don't change — fewer than half were white. There were at least as many Hispanic officers as whites, and in the parking lot outside, an Asian...

NEW ORLEANS - Hurricane-ravaged St. Bernard Parish is considering hiring former FEMA chief Michael Brown to advise its hurricane recovery effort, a move drawing sharp complaints from a state lawmaker. "Do we hire an individual to assist in our recovery efforts who as FEMA director resigned two weeks after Katrina made landfall?" asked Republican state Sen. Walter Boasso. "We were in the middle of the worst natural disaster in our nation's history." Parish officials have called the talks preliminary, and spokesman Steve Cannizaro said Wednesday that they had not yet decided whether to hire Brown. Brown's understanding of the system's...

4/7/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Airmen now have increased eligibility for veterans’ preference when released or discharged from active duty, Office of Personnel Management officials here wrote in a recently released memo. More servicemembers are now eligible for veterans’ preference when applying for government civilian jobs. Pres. George W. Bush signed into law the Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2006, which contained two provisions that broadened the definition of a “veteran” and clarified eligibility for those released or discharged from active duty, said the statement. The first provision gives preference to those who have served on active duty for a...

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2006 – Servicemembers seriously injured by improvised explosive devices during duty in the global war on terror are getting a unique opportunity to use their experience to combat and prevent future IED attacks. The Joint IED Defeat Organization here has entered into full partnership with the Operation Warfighter program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in an initiative to target, recruit and hire servicemembers, including many who have suffered serious injuries from IED attacks. Operation Warfighter is a nationwide program that places wounded servicemembers in positions within the federal government. Thanks to this partnership, these servicemembers can...

In the aftermath of the Dubai ports dispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo passing through the Bahamas to the United States and elsewhere. The administration acknowledges the no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a sophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present. Freeport in the Bahamas is 65 miles from the U.S. coast, where cargo would be likely to be inspected again. The contract is currently being finalized.

U.S. Hiring Chinese Co. to Scan Nukes By TED BRIDIS and JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writers 27 minutes ago WASHINGTON - In the aftermath of the Dubai ports dispute, the Bush administration is hiring a Hong Kong conglomerate to help detect nuclear materials inside cargo passing through the Bahamas to the United States and elsewhere. ADVERTISEMENT The administration acknowledges the no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. represents the first time a foreign company will be involved in running a sophisticated U.S. radiation detector at an overseas port without American customs agents present. Freeport in the Bahamas is 65 miles from...

VISTA – The San Diego Minutemen's first public attempt to stop employers from hiring migrant workers drew about 200 people to downtown yesterday, but it did not prevent day laborers from being hired at the site. Project founder Jim Gilchrist of Aliso Viejo said the event was meant to encourage city councils countywide to endorse rules punishing day laborers for soliciting jobs curbside. Two San Diego Minutemen organizers said more protest sites will be considered in the coming weeks, and that Encinitas was “on the radar.” “Entire city councils will fall,” Gilchrist said. “It's just a matter of time.” Yet...

Travel Weekly Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) The bubble will burst this year for travel companies outsourcing call centres to India, recruitment chiefs have predicted. Problems with language, customer service and call handling are forcing companies to think again about using cheap labour for activities such as sales calls. AA Appointments managing director John Tolmie said: "It makes sense to have back office and ticketing in India if you want low skills and the numbers, but the British public are put off by people trying to sell them something from overseas. You do not get the levels of service you expect....

The World Health Organisation yesterday became the largest international employer to ban the hiring of smokers in an effort to promote its public health campaign against tobacco use. In a memo circulated to its 8,000 staff this week, the WHO stressed that it had "a responsibility to ensure that this [its campaign] is reflected in all its work, including recruitment practices". The move is an escalation of action taken against smokers. Several countries have introduced legislation banning smoking in pubs, restaurants and public places, while some employers ban smoking on their premises. Its job advertisements now carry the statement "WHO...

NEW DELHI: America's loss is turning out to be India's gain. Within days of announcing 30,000 job-cuts in the US, automobile giant General Motors Corp will this week unveil plans to increase its workforce in India by nearly 30%. The carmaker has decided to add 450 jobs at its existing plant in Halol (Gujarat) as part of plans to expand presence in India - the emerging low-cost automobile hub in the east. "GM is going on a hiring spree in India, and it's add jobs both on the factory shop-floor as well in the executive cadre. GM will this week...

S PRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich defended the state's hiring practices Wednesday as a federal inquiry into the matter widened, and said he had nothing to hide. Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed the governor's office and the Department of Children and Family Services. State officials confirmed Wednesday that the Department of Transportation also was subpoenaed. "This kind of examination isn't a bad thing if you're confident that your systems are working and that you know that you try to do things honestly and ethically and responsibly," the first-term Democrat said after cutting the ribbon for the state's new emergency...

WASHINGTON - The House voted Thursday to let Head Start centers consider religion when hiring workers, overshadowing its moves to strengthen the preschool program's academics and finances. The Republican-led House approved a bill that lets churches and other faith-based preschool centers hire only people who share their religion, yet still receive federal tax dollars. Democrats blasted that idea as discriminatory. Launched in the 1960s, the nearly $7 billion Head Start program provides comprehensive education to more than 900,000 poor children. Though credited for getting kids ready for school, Head Start has drawn scrutiny as cases of financial waste and questions...

Fletcher sacks administration members over personnel problems MARK R. CHELLGREN Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. - Gov. Ernie Fletcher Wednesday sacked nine members of his administration, including one of his closest advisers, for what he said he now believes were violations of state merit system personnel laws. Among those to be sacked are Richard Murgatroyd, Fletcher's deputy chief of staff and close friend. Fletcher said he would also ask the state Republican Party to oust Darrell Brock as its chairman. Brock used to be head of Fletcher's local development office. In a prepared statement, Fletcher apologized to people hurt by hiring...

Photo by: JIM REED Michael Kalupa, owner of Kalupa's Bakery, looks over pastery being prepared by Peter Gonzalez. Kalupa says he'd like to add three or four more employees but can't find them.TAMPA "Help Wanted": For many businesses in the Tampa Bay area, it's not just a sign. It's a desperate plea. With the local economy growing and unemployment rates shrinking, local firms are finding it harder to fill positions and locate prospective workers. And while business owners worry about how to sustain their growth in a tight labor market, economists express concern about what low unemployment could mean in...

Carlsbad, Calif. — Nothing disturbs working women more than the statistics often mentioned on Labor Day showing that they are paid only 76 cents to men's dollar for the same work. If that were the whole story, it should disturb all of us; like many men, I have two daughters and a wife in the work force. When I was on the board of the National Organization for Women in New York City, I blamed discrimination for that gap. Then I asked myself, "If an employer has to pay a man one dollar for the same work a woman would...

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Gov. Ernie Fletcher has been subpoenaed to appear before a special grand jury investigating his administration's hiring practices, the attorney general's office confirmed Friday. Nine current or former members of Fletcher's administration have been indicted on misdemeanor charges alleging violations of the state's Merit System personnel law. The indictments allege that they routinely plotted to circumvent the law requiring that state personnel decisions, including who gets hired for state jobs, fired or promoted, be made on the candidates' merits rather than on their political influence or support. Fletcher's name has appeared in e-mails presented to the grand...

As more comes to light about Diane Griego Erwin, the former Sacramento Bee columnist, the more revealing and instructive the story becomes. It is a story we mentioned in a recent Media Monitor, but much more has come to light. In one sense, it is another validation for the New Media, specifically the blogs; and for another, it shines a light on problems related to diversity in the newsrooms, when diversity strictly refers to skin color. It also spells potential big trouble for the Sacramento Bee editor, Rick Rodriguez, the new president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE)....

Vanity--blog

The work ethic is alive and well among America's retirees, or at least the ones who bombarded me with letters after I suggested raising the retirement age for Social Security. They said they would be glad to keep working if I could find them a job. In theory, this shouldn't be a problem because employers ought to be clamoring for workers as baby boomers hit retirement age and the pool of younger workers shrinks. In reality, though, older workers face discrimination. While some companies are recruiting them, many employers are still leery, partly because of irrational prejudice against the old,...

WASHINGTON - Research into a State Department nominee's hiring record has not revealed evidence of systematic discrimination since racial comments led her to resign from Wellesley College's board of trustees in 1987, Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday. Henrietta Holsman Fore, currently director of the U.S. Mint, is President Bush's pick for a top State Department human resources job, under secretary of state for management. In 1987, The New York Times and others reported that Fore had stepped down from the board of trustees at Wellesley after an emotional debate sparked by her comments that in her own Los Angeles manufacturing...