Realtime live data isn't available from the United states Department of Labor, so the statistics lag two months. Today, the January 2012 notification arrived at my inbox and depending on who you are, Ihavesome startling if not sobering details to share about last year.
Brace yourself...
Over the 12 months ending in January 2012, hires totaled 50.2 million and separations totaled 48.3 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.0 million. These figures include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.
You may be wondering why you were not one of the lucky 50.2m to be hired and why you are still unemployed - how did those jobs pass you by?
The average number of open jobs across the US each month is 3.5m. Divide that by the362 metropolitan statistical areas across the country and it means that most likely there are an average of somewhere around 9,700 job openings around your area each month...
You are able to work but aren't having success finding a job? There are a variety of variables involved in "why" that is to include:
- Unwilling/unable to relocate to where your skills/experience are needed
- Your job search could benefit from more breadth and depth for you to discover openings that are a good match
- Your total compensation expectations are unrealistic and you opt out, holding out for something better
- Your subjective opinion of what you are qualified for is not realistic or competitive with other candidates
- What you submit (phone screen, rsum, interview/presentation skills) needs enhancement to truly reveal what you bring to the table
- Your reputation precedes you - in a negative way
- Criminal/credit/reference background checks and/or drug screens are not your friends
- You have a high supply skill set where there is a low or rare demand and you aren't willing or prepared to do something else
- You have not worked (includes significant volunteer work) in so long, your employment gap makes you less competitive than peer candidates
- You are not willing to take a job for less money or a less impressive title than the last one you had
Call me a meany but I'm pretty certain that if you have been unemployed for a few months or longer that one or more of these 10 reasons is why and you are not able or willing to own up to it and move past it to get back in the saddle. There are usually solutions for all of the above but they require flexibility, and some even require what you may feel would be a sacrifice.
You know what? Do it anyway.... You'll earn more than on unemployment compensation, boost your self-esteem, be in a position to network as an employed individual in a professional setting, stop the growing gap on your rsum, and reap the reward of a day's pay for a day's work rather than collecting on an insurance policy - even if it's not in the amount you are accustomed to.
If you want to read the whole report you can find it here.
Have I missed an 11th reason?
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