Over the past 25 years, the total immigrant population has increased and spread across the country. In 1990, the foreign-born population was 19.7 million or 7.9 percent of the U.S. total, with nearly 3 out of 4 immigrants (73 percent) living in either California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, or Texas.2 By 2010, approximately … Continue reading
The skills gap is real and is a significant a problem, the CEOs of major U.S. corporations said today at an event in Washington hosted by Business Roundtable and Change the Equation. The finding is part of a survey of the memberships on U.S. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Skills, conducted earlier this year. … Continue reading
Oilfield services giant Schlumberger plans to cut 9,000 jobs as the global collapse in crude oil prices crimps production in 2015 and perhaps even longer. The cuts — nearly 8% of Schlumberger’s 120,000 workers, were announced Thursday “to better align with anticipated activity levels for 2015,” the company said. Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read … Continue reading
Sony Corp. has announced plans to close all 14 of its Canadian stores as it focuses on other areas of its business. The electronics giant said about 90 employees will be laid off as the stores shut down over the next six to eight weeks. Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Sony … Continue reading
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS ( seasonally adjusted) In the week ending January 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 316,000, an increase of 19,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 3,000 from 294,000 to 297,000. The 4-week moving average was 298,000, an increase of 6,750 … Continue reading
Target Canada is closing up shop. Target said Thursday that it will begin winding down its Canadian operations, which include 133 stores that employ 17,600 people. The Minneapolis-based company said it reviewed its Canadian subsidiary’s performance and concluded that it would not be profitable until 2021. “This was a very difficult decision, but it was … Continue reading
Why wages are not growing for the vast majority of workers in the United States and what it will take to get us there. First, the trend of stagnating U.S. wage growth is nothing new. The past three decades of wage growth — save for the late-1990s boom — have given the median U.S. wage … Continue reading
U.S. solar companies boosted their employee rolls by 22 percent last year, and now employ 86 percent more workers than they did in 2010, driven by rising demand in the world’s third-largest market. Almost 174,000 people are working in the U.S. solar industry, compared with 143,000 in 2013 and 93,500 in 2010, according to a … Continue reading
Bombardier says it’s going to cut about 1,000 employees from its Learjet business in 2015, affecting sites in Mexico and the United States. The Montreal-based aerospace company says the cuts are due to weak demand for the Learjet 85 business jet. Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Bombardier to cut 1,000 aerospace jobs … Continue reading
Energy giant BP said it was shedding 200 staff jobs and 100 contractors in its North Sea operations today following a sharp drop in oil prices. The company employs around 3,500 onshore and offshore workers in the North Sea operations, mainly in and around the oil hub city of Aberdeen in Scotland. Trevor Garlick, regional … Continue reading
Falling ill is so problematic for freelancers that most don’t allow it to happen: studies show that the self-employed take three times fewer days off work for illness than traditional employees. Broodfonds, where small groups set up their own mutual fund to support each other through sickness. Being sick means the loss of clients and … Continue reading
With 0il prices plunging almost 6o per cent and job cuts mounting within companies like Suncor Energy and Shell Canada, the spectre of recession has suddenly emerged in Alberta. After gushing about the “superstar” local economy at a speech in Calgary last November, the Conference Board of Canada’s chief economist, Glen Hodgson, ominously warned this week that “it’s going to be very … Continue reading
Job openings climbed in November to the highest level in almost 14 years as the strengthening U.S. economy fueled demand for labor. The number of positions waiting to be filled rose by 142,000 to 4.97 million in November, the most since January 2001, a report from the Labor Department showed today. The pace of hiring … Continue reading
Oilsands giant Suncor Energy says it will cut approximately 1,000 jobs and reduce its 2015 spending plans in response to lower oil prices. The job cuts will primarily affect contract workers, but will also involve a reduction in employee positions, according to Suncor’s announcement, made in a press release today. The Calgary-based company also said it will … Continue reading
As English professors and would-be English professors gather today in Vancouver for the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association, a new paper argues that the job market for English Ph.D.s may be even worse than people realize. MLA leaders make no claims that the job market is in good shape, and their recent survey … Continue reading