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Welcome to the ILostMyJob.com video podcast providing information
and resources for your job transition
1st Outlook News with Scot Combs
Things seem to be looking up for Iowans. An index used to track Iowa's economy rose
for the 12th month in a row
with 6 of 8 components showing improvement.
The State Department of Labor is reporting the Iowa Leading Indicators Index rose to
101 in September from 100.4 in August.
Contributing positively to the index in September
were a farm futures profits index, diesel fuel consumption, unemployment insurance claims,
average weekly manufacturing hours, demand for manufactured goods,
and an Iowa stock market index. The negative contributors were new residential building
permits
and a national yield spread.
Since June of 2009 foreign-born workers gained 656,000
jobs
while native-born workers lost 1.2 million, according to a new analysis
of U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Labor data by the Pew Hispanic Center.
As a result,
the unemployment rate for immigrant workers fell 0.6 percentage points during this
period (from 9.3% to 8.7%)
while for native-born workers it rose 0.5 percentage points
(from 9.2% to 9.7%).
The unemployment rate for immigrants is still more than double the rate prior to the recession
when it stood at 4.0% in the second quarter of 2007.
If you've ever wondered what the 5 fastest growing industries are. You're in luck. I have that list
right here.
They are: 5. Computer Systems Design; 4. Employment Services;
3. Education; 2. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services;
and 1. Healthcare.
According to the Labor Department,
claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly dropped last week to a three-month low. Initial jobless
claims decreased by 21,000
to 434,000 in the week ending October 23, the lowest
since early July.
The total number of people receiving unemployment insurance dropped to a two-year low,
while those getting extended payments also fell.
In the meantime, consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy, is
beginning to stir
and may give employers a reason to add workers ahead of the holiday shopping season.