Although the economic recession hasn't hit our state as hard as the rest of the country, Louisiana has still felt the effects. Unemployment is up (6.8%), consumer spending is down, and confidence is low. While layoffs may have slowed, hiring is still sluggish. Because labor is the biggest expense for most companies, many are reluctant to begin hiring again.

There are some bright spots though! According to statistics from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, "Louisiana experienced the second smallest decline in nonfarm jobs over the year among the states in the South region. Industry sectors adding jobs over the year in Louisiana were: construction, up 5,400 jobs; government, which includes public education, up 4,700 jobs; education and health services, up 2,800 jobs; leisure and hospitality, up 1,600; and other services, up 1,300 jobs." And a study just released by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ranks Louisiana's s economic outlook 18th out of 50 states.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's, in his 64 parish "Louisiana Working Tour," has been quick to point his administrations progress in job creation over the past year and a half. These "wins," some of which are recent, include:

• Dynamic Fuels, Ascension Parish - 45 new direct jobs and 366 indirect jobs
• Pan American Capitol Group (old Tembec mill), St. Francisville – 200 new direct jobs and 800 indirect jobs
• Shaw Modular Solutions, Lake Charles – 1400 jobs
• Performance Energy Services, Houma – 350 jobs
• SNF Chemical Plant, Iberville Parish 500 jobs
• Zagis USA, Lacassine – 500 new jobs

According to research from the American Staffing Association, "one of the key indicators that a recession is over is a sustained upturn in staffing industry employment," So, "stay tuned" to the job listings page on the Frazee website. When you begin to see both an increase in and a wider variety of job postings, you will know our Louisiana economy has taken another step on the road to recovery.

Sources:
msnbc.msn.com
wwwprd.doa.louisiana.gov
gov.louisiana.gov
gov.la.gov
ledlouisiana.com
americanstaffing.net

Frazee Recruiting sponsored Greater BR Society of Human Resource Managers' Focus on Abilities Workshop, July 14 at Drusilla Place. Titled "Ability Works: from 'A to V,' " the workshop featured information on the use of assistive technology in the workplace. Presenter Sue Drecktrah, owner of Ergonomics First in Metairie, discussed aids, devices, and technology that can be used to assist people with disabilities. "As our workforce ages, musculoskeletal, vision and hearing issues that decrease worker productivity and efficiency are becoming more common. Assistive technology, consisting of ergonomic devices, vision and hearing devices and software can alleviate these issues," according to Ms. Drecktrah.

Specialized keyboards and mouse options, wrist/arm rests, gripping or pointing aids, and computer software are all examples of AT that may be used to assist both older workers and the disabled. Other devices include screen reading software, voice recognition systems, and smart pens which can record everything you write and hear.

As evidenced by the rise in ADD and ADHD, Ms. Drecktrah believes there "will be many more individuals in the future entering the workforce with mild learning disabilities. These individuals can be more productive and efficient by utilizing assistive technology software and devices. There are many learning, cognitive and development AT's available now and new products are continually being developed.

If you would like to learn more about assistive technology, these links provide an excellent resource:

• JAN (Job Accommodation Network) jan.wvu.edu
• RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America) resna.org
• LATAN (Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network) latan.org

As we all deal with the impact of the current recession, who hasn't thought... "is my position safe, could I be laid off, how can I keep my job, what can I do?" The Labor Department reports that over the last two years almost seven million jobs have been lost including 1.4 million professional positions. The short answer is that NO ONE IS GUARANTEED EMPLOYMENT!

What can any of us do to become more valuable to our companies and thereby improve our stability? Simple actions will keep you in a favorable position with your employer during these trying times and when the economy is good. Try these five simple actions to stay employable:

• Be positive. Avoid slandering your coworkers or gossiping about your supervisors. Be slow to criticize your clients, employees, or couriers - whether it's to their faces or behind their backs.
• Keep your skills polished. If your biggest qualification for your job is that you've been doing it for ten years, consider taking a refresher job training course. Adult education classes or night school is a great way to expand your job skills and broaden your horizons.
• Take care of yourself. Get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious food, and exercise regularly. Deal with mental, emotional, or spiritual issues; don't ignore your problems.
• Dress professionally. Take pride in your appearance; if you're not into the current fashion, ask your partner or a salesperson to make sure you're well dressed. Even if you're in an entry level job in the service industry, make sure your hair, face and hands are neat and clean.Leave the nose rings, lip rings and eyebrow rings at home.
• Practice the basics. Get to work, meetings, and workshops on time. Do your job well. If you can't meet deadlines, get support. Be reliable, consistent, and trustworthy.

Have you asked yourself how can I help my company the most? If not you should, all companies, especially now need fresh ideas, money saving changes, process improvements. You know your piece of the business better than anyone else; use your expertise to help develop a better company. Your superiors will take notice and you will become more valuable to the company.

Everyone should consider developing their own strategy for staying employed.  A recent survey on About.com reported the following results for items to consider for your 'Stay Employed' strategy:

• Make your contributions measurable and visible to the right people. - 36%
• Be the go-to person who has significant, needed organization knowledge. - 29%
• Be a low maintenance employee: no complaining, whining or monopolizing the boss's time. - 9%
• Be a serious revenue generator for the company or move to a job that is. - 7%
• Ask for more work and more challenging  assignments. - 6%

A vital key to keeping your job in these times is visibility – but only positive visibility and especially positive visibility that has measurable results.

Sources:
psychology.suite101.com

Department of Labor
About.com