The full report can be seen here: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm

According to the Labor Department, total U.S. private-sector employment grew by 67,000 positions in August, the eighth consecutive month of job growth. Total U.S. employment fell by 54,000 positions after factoring in government jobs, including 114,000 temporary census workers who were let go. The unemployment rate rose from 9.5 to 9.6 percent, driven mostly by an increase in people who completed temporary work—including census workers—and new entrants, people looking for their first job. In total, nearly three quarters of a million private-sector jobs have been added to the U.S. economy this year.

At last, meaningful improvement is being seen in the length of unemployment. The average length of unemployment has fallen since June from 35.2 to 33.6 weeks. The total number of people unemployed for 27 weeks or more has fallen from 6.8 million in May to 6.3 million in August.

Year-over-year, the management, professional and related occupations unemployment rate has fallen to 5.1 percent from 5.4 percent. The improvement, however, is tempered by a decline of a little over a million workers using the classification, about a 2 percent reduction. Conversely, production occupations have seen the most dramatic year-over-year improvement with unemployment falling from 15.1 to 11.6 percent. Total workers using the classification grew by about 300,000. A large part of this strength likely comes from the automotive industry, which while traditionally shutting down for a month in the summer to retool, did not do so this year because of high demand.

In an interesting, yet not immediately explainable turn of events, the participation rate of those with four-year college degrees over the last three months has dropped from 77.3 to 75.8 percent. This may be the clearest indication yet of the effect of baby boomer retirement and their exodus from the labor market. Such drops in participation have not been seen among workers with lower levels of academic achievement, whose retirements presumably will be delayed further than college graduates.

Brought to you each month by:

Angott Search Group

Online advertised vacancies dropped 57,100 in August to 4,236,200, following an increase of 139,200 in July, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine Data Series. The gap between the number of unemployed and advertised vacancies (supply/demand rate) stood at 3.40 unemployed for every advertised vacancy in July (the last available unemployment data) but is down from its peak of 4.73 in October 2009. “Labor demand continues to struggle to post gains month after month,” said June Shelp, VP at The Conference Board. “During the last few months, gains in online job demand one month have been partially offset by dips in the following month. But the good news is that overall job demand is still maintaining a modest upward trend for both the nation and most States.” Among the top 10 occupation groups with the largest numbers of online advertised vacancies, Management occupations posted the largest August increase, up 8,300 to 588,800 and followed a gain of 40,200 in July. The August rise was largely due to increases in demand for financial managers (branch or department), sales managers, marketing managers, postsecondary education administrators, and human resources managers. Labor demand for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations dropped for the second month in a row; demand was down 31,500 in August to 542,500. The drop was largely due to decreases in advertised vacancies for family and general practitioners, physicians and surgeons, general internists, and obstetricians and gynecologists.

With the sheer size of the U.S. labor market, there really isn’t an easy way to talk about it other than by the numbers. Four-hundred and seventy-three thousand unemployment claims last week, 14.6 million people unemployed in the United States, 46 million workers with bachelor’s degrees in the country. The use of these figures makes workers sound like commodities, easily comparable and easily interchangeable pieces.

Nearly one in ten people who want to work don’t have a job. It would seem that hiring a great candidate would take no more than putting up a help wanted shingle for an afternoon. You might even believe that, unless you’ve tried to hire someone in the last year.

“Regardless of the state of the economy, there is nothing easy about identifying great candidates,” says Mark Angott, president of Angott Search Group. “Trying to find that impact player who you begin every search looking for, is like trying to find a popular toy on Christmas Eve. You can go to a big toy store with a thousand different options, but that doesn’t make your search any easier.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics obviously can’t give figures about the quality of workers. They can, however, report on one of the most basic indicators of quality: education. Workers who have completed a bachelor’s degree have an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, less than half the national average and down .3 percent from just three months ago.

“Employers look at how many applicants there are for every job and assume they’ll be able to have their pick of quality people,” says Angott. “What once would have been interviews of a few highly qualified candidates can turn into cattle calls as employers cast wider nets. With so many candidates, more stages are added to the interview process. People who truly are the top candidates aren’t given the personalized attention that would encourage them to take a position. Employers don’t always know how to tango.”

With a 2.2 percent job-opening rate, there are currently nearly four unemployed people for every position. In 2006, when the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, the job opening rate was 3.3 percent, almost a one to one ratio.

“The truth is that the top candidate you want coming out of a recession is the person who has been battle tested, so by definition, these candidates are usually employed, and they are elusive,” notes Angott. “They are often risking the job they already have just by talking to you, and if they don’t feel like they are being personally sought out, their motivation to participate can evaporate and the candidates you are left with aren’t the best you could have had.”

Employee confidence in the job market continues to teeter with shifting news. The recent bounce back of the quit rate from 1.3 to 1.5 percent seems to be remaining stable, though well below its rate from a few years ago. After a .1 percent fall in consumer spending in June helped fuel talk of potential deflation, spending rose .4 percent in July, beating expectations.

“Estimates now say unemployment won’t significantly decrease until mid-2011, but before that happens employers are obviously going to have to ramp-up hiring,” says Angott. “The attitude employers take when approaching candidates after such a long downturn is going to be as important as any other factor in the recruiting cycle.”

Unemployment Rate of Bachelor’s Degree Holders

Source: Labor Department

The second quarter of 2010 revealed the highest quarterly rise in executive search industry revenues since the low point in the recession 15 months ago, according to a report released by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). Building upon already strong quarters in the second half of 2009 and early 2010, the study shows a quarter-on-quarter 12 percent growth rate in net headhunting revenue worldwide and substantial year over year growth in the number of search mandates started across most industries and regions. Highlights include a 42 percent rise in industry-wide revenues and a 38 percent increase in the number of new executive searches started globally. Executive searches within the financial services industry witnessed the greatest growth in Q2 2010, rising 50 percent from Q2 2009. This growth was closely followed by increased search activity within the technology industry, up 43.5 percent, and then industrial (+39 percent) and consumer (+37 percent). “The critical issue now is whether the next two quarters will hold up in the face of continuing uncertainty about a double dip recession,” said Peter Felix, AESC president.

The full report can be seen here: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm.

Total employment in the United State fell by 131,000 positions in July as the unemployment rate remained at 9.5 percent, according to new figures released from the Labor Department. The most significant losses were seen in the government as 202,000 jobs were shed. The end of 143,000 temporary census jobs made up the bulk of losses, however, cash strapped state and local governments also trimmed 48,000 positions. Total private sector employment increased for the seventh month in a row, adding 71,000 positions.

Helped by many automakers and part suppliers skipping their normal summer slowdown, manufacturing added 36,000 positions during the month. Manufacturing has added 183,000 jobs since December 2009. The professional, management and related occupation unemployment rate in July was 5 percent, down from 5.5 percent a year ago. The unemployment rate for college educated workers, those with a bachelor’s degree or higher stood at 4.5 percent, down from 4.7 percent a year ago.

The average duration of unemployment in July fell from 35.2 to 34.2 weeks, marking its most substantial decrease since November 2008, when average unemployment was 18.7 weeks. The percent of unemployed people out of work for over 27 weeks decreased for the second month in a row falling to 44.9 percent from 46 percent in May. However, there is little indication if long-term unemployed people finding work are causing this, or if they have simply taken themselves out of the job market.

The presence of temporary census jobs in the employment figures over the past few months first exaggerated the recovery by showing large gains yet now are hiding its stability by indicating losses. The slow, but relatively stable growth of private sector jobs over the last seven months are reminiscent of what would be expected in a post-bubble-era of any market and indicates U.S. businesses regaining their footing.

NewsRelease

Contact:

Mark Angott

248.650.4800

August 17, 2010
(Rochester, Michigan) – Angott Search Group is pleased to announce the addition of Chad Darnell as a Director who will focus on the continued growth of the firm’s Insurance Division. “The addition of Chad to our organization will help ASG continue to develop lasting and productive relationships with our clients and candidates within our Insurance industry specialization,” said Mark Angott, President. “His strong client relationships and close ties within the industry position him well to generate further growth and momentum for Angott Search Group.”

With thirteen plus years of increased responsibility in the insurance industry, Mr. Darnell brings an impressive track record of success at both large and regional insurance carriers. “We are extremely excited to have someone of Chad’s caliber join our team,” remarked Angott. “His real world experience with Employee Group Benefits and Personal/Commercial Property and Casualty markets will assist both our customers and clients.”

Darnell graduated from Central Michigan University with a BA in Organizational Communications and was Co-Captain of the Central Michigan Football team earning 1^st Team All-MAC honors as a quarterback. He is also a Licensed Resident Agent for Life, Accident, Health, Property and Casualty lines of insurance.

For more information, contact:

Mark Angott

Angott Search Group

(248) 650-4800

mangott@asgteam.com

About Angott Search Group

Angott Search Group (ASG), (www.asgteam.com) located in Rochester, Michigan has been identifying, qualifying and delivering top talent to our clients since 1981. Our team of recruiters has decades of hands-on experience and specializes in several different industry niches. Our goal is to positively impact companies and enhance careers with a business approach that embodies the principles of honesty, integrity, and professionalism. It is this belief coupled with our mission that has made Angott Search Group one of the leading executive search firms in the nation.

Angott Search Group is committed to providing quality service. We strive to become a partner with our client’s management team. This dedication has resulted in a strong track record of success. We have been privileged to serve many of our clients for over two decades. As a result, over 75% of our business is generated from existing clients.

###

When monthly total employment job losses began to jump 18 months ago, the total number of “job separations,” as economists refer to people quitting, being fired and being laid off, didn’t increase. In fact, unlike the last recession, the monthly job separations rate reached its lowest rate on record, 3.1 percent since January.

So why did total employment drop so rapidly? Hiring was falling at an even faster rate. In April of 2009, when the separations rate was at 3.5 percent, the hires rate had already fallen to 3.0 percent. In an economy with a civilian workforce of more than 150 million workers, half a percentage point is a massive difference. After factoring in both new entrants and those who had actually left the job market, that .5 percent turned into a net loss of 528,000 jobs for the month, which was still an improvement over the previous six months of losses.

All of this leads us to the uptick in the hires rate from 3.1 to 3.3 percent in March of this year, which was then sustained in April. The hires rate for the first time since late 2007 now exceeds the separations rate by .2 percent. And this all happened before the main thrust of Census hiring, which didn’t occur until May. Even the quit rate, the percentage of people leaving their jobs voluntarily, and an indication of their expectation of being able to get another job, has risen to 1.5 percent after being as low as 1.3 percent in September of last year.

“While we have been seeing a great number of economic indicators turn upward over the last six months, job market liquidity hasn’t been one of them, until now,” says Mark Angott, president of Angott Search Group. “This is one of the most trailing of the trailing indicators, but it’s also one of the most important to HR professionals. Job market liquidity makes it easier for companies to lure candidates away from other firms, but it also means that their employees may be tempted away as well.”

Neither the separations nor the hires rates are anywhere near their high 3 percent levels of early 2007. In addition, the job openings rate—2.3 percent—hasn’t returned to its highs in the mid 3 percent range either. These are slow moving, yet decisive indicators, and every tenth of a point represents the jobs and welfare of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

“After such a prolonged recession, with so many companies having to go through morale eroding actions like layoffs, furloughs and benefit cuts, employees with the chance to change jobs, especially for a promotion, won’t need to think too hard,” notes Angott “That will lead to not only a brain drain for employers, but possibly a reduction in capacity for some firms, especially those running lean in the first place.”

Temporary contract workers make for an especially important part of workforce planning in this situation. They allow employers to get impact players onboard almost immediately, but minimize the commitment if the extra workforce becomes unnecessary.

“Average turnover in the U.S. is still well over 30 percent a year, and even professional firms with low levels of turnover, still approach 10 percent,” says Angott. “That means any employer with more than five or ten employees should know, almost for a fact, that they will lose at least one person in the next year, if not many more. That requires more than contract staff planning, but permanent hire planning as well.

“Things are moving again. And before we know it, they’ll be moving fast.”

PressRelease

For immediate release

July 7, 2010

Contact:

Beth Grossman, Director                    248-650-4800
Angott Search Group                        bgrossman@asgteam.com
101 South Main Street                        www.ASGteam.com
Rochester, MI 48307

Professionals Seeking Work can Network, Volunteer at Lighthouse of Oakland County

Angott Search Group Volunteers Recruiting Expertise

(Pontiac, MI) – In this challenging job market, making professional and personal connections is often a strategy that successfully allows candidates to find job opportunities.

This type of approach will be the focus of Lighthouse of Oakland County’s Professional Networking Breakfast held Wednesday, July 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Lighthouse’s Campus of Caring in Pontiac. Lighthouse is partnering with Walsh College in Troy and Angott Search Group in Rochester to create a monthly topics breakfast free of charge to attendees that will include business networking and job search training.

At these breakfasts attendees will learn more about how social media can aid in their efforts to find a job. Professional recruiters from Angott Search Group will also be on hand to help attendees update their resume. Walsh College representatives will show attendees how to use social media to aid in their job search. Those representatives will also provide job search advice and can help individuals determine possible educational goals.

Lighthouse representatives will also be available to discuss how volunteering with Lighthouse can expand a person’s professional and personal network in a way that can also lead to job opportunities, just like volunteering did for Waterford resident Tom Freshour, a controller for an HVAC company.

“Volunteering at the Oakland Lighthouse allowed me to display my skills in accounting while helping a very worthy cause. It allowed me to network with new individuals while providing a new level of visibility of my skills,” Freshour said. “By volunteering I was able to showcase my skills in a real world environment. I was able to meet new professionals in my field that translated to first hand references for new opportunities; otherwise I would have just been another name in a stack of resumes.

“It is a great way to increase/keep your current skill set or if you are entering a new field to provide you real world expertise.”

Volunteering helped Freshour to feel a part of the workforce again, providing him with a newfound satisfaction during his time spent unemployed.

The July 21 Professional Networking Breakfast will be the first such event hosted by Lighthouse. Additional breakfasts will be held the third Wednesday of each month at Lighthouse in Pontiac. Each breakfast will be capped at 30 people and RSVPs are required in advance.

By volunteering at Lighthouse, individuals can expand their network contacts through meeting board members, volunteers, corporate sponsors and more.

“We have found that individuals who may be looking for work and donate a few hours a month to volunteer for Lighthouse find it to be a very rewarding and enriching personal experience,” said Lighthouse President and CEO John Ziraldo, “The great thing is that as you are helping your neighbors who may be in even more stressful personal situations, you meet other volunteers and community leaders who will recognize your skills and will be willing to help you as well.”

-END-

Angott Search Group (ASG),
located in Rochester, Michigan has been identifying, qualifying and delivering top talent to our clients since 1981. Our team of recruiters has decades of hands-on experience and specializes in several different industry niches. Our goal is to positively impact companies and enhance careers with a business approach that embodies the principles of honesty, integrity, and professionalism. It is this belief coupled with our mission that has made Angott Search Group one of the leading executive search firms in the nation.

Angott Search Group is committed to providing quality service. We strive to become a partner with our client’s management team. This dedication has resulted in a strong track record of success. We have been privileged to serve many of our clients for over two decades. As a result, over 75% of our business is generated from existing clients.

The full report can be seen here: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.htm.

In May, the U.S. employment market added 431,000 positions; up from the 290,000 added in April, while the unemployment rate fell from 9.9 to 9.7 percent. Included in the positions added, however, are 411,000 temporary census jobs. The private sector in total gained 41,000 positions, down from 218,000 added in April.

Across the spectrum, seasonally adjusted changes were minimal, without significant movements in any of the industries reported aside from a loss of 35,000 construction jobs and a gain of 31,000 temporary help services positions. Manufacturing also added 29,000 jobs, a small increase for the sector as a whole. Yet, after being pummeled since before the recession began, it is an impressive show of strength.

The unemployment rate for management, professional and related occupations remained unchanged at 4.5 percent in May. Unemployment in the sector has, for as long as records have been kept, always risen between April and May. In large part this is due to college graduates, without jobs, being added to the unemployment rolls. The lack of movement in May could indicate that the professional sector is beginning to absorb the unemployed at a greater rate.

May’s numbers are generally being received unfavorably today, considering that the increases in private sector employment did not meet expectations. Yet, there is reason to view these numbers as not being so grim. While the rate of jobs added to the private sector decreased in May, it’s only one month after nearly a year of decreased job losses and is the fifth straight month of job gains. Many economic indicators continue to improve including consumer confidence, consumer spending, productivity, GDP growth and others. Though May’s weak growth is somewhat worrisome, it runs contrary to both the trends and underlying economic indicators.

Discontent may be brewing as workers become increasingly frustrated by what they perceive as employer indifference, according to Angott Search Group, one of the Midwest’s most successful search and recruitment organizations. Good communication – the kind that keeps employees focused and committed – may be a casualty of the recession, and employers who want to keep their best people need to get back on track.

“Many companies have let communication with employees take a back seat during the tough times of the past few years,” says Mark Angott, president of Angott Search Group. “Fortunately it isn’t that difficult to communicate better, but it does require recognizing that emotion, not logic, is the driving force, and it requires starting now. If you wait until people are leaving, it’s too late.”

Angott offers practical suggestions for communicating with employees in ways that encourage retention:

• Take the opportunity to praise your employees in public. “This does not mean comparing them to others on the team, which creates resentment and embarrassment for all concerned,” warns Angott. “Talk about the importance of the effort they’ve put in, and find small ways of rewarding that effort. Honest appreciation goes a long way, especially in a time of tight budgets.”
  
• Make sure that the contributions of your employees are not just recognized, but are also important. Visible contributions that are not valued by the company are not very compelling. Likewise, contributions that someone does not perceive as important will not serve to keep them at the company.
  
• Highlight how their work fits into the long-term vision of the company. Help them see that their work matters to the team and the company. Build a sense of partnership and status.
  
• Create an environment where people can see their own competence and measure their own success toward creating something larger than themselves. “Providing opportunities for growth also helps build that feeling of competence and further increases the attractiveness of staying with the company,” says Angott. “An additional benefit is that the more competent people feel, the more secure they feel. The more secure they feel, the harder it is for the competition to pry them away.”
  

“It’s critical to make sure that you are sending the right messages to your employees,” says Angott. “They need to understand the goals of the company and how they play a role in bringing those goals to life. They need access to the information that allows them to work and grow most effectively. If your communication addresses these needs, the odds are you’ll keep your top people as the economy improves.”