WHere the Jobs Are 2013

e h t e r e h W

S B O J E R A

nt y Albre nd Emil a y e f if untain S Tom G hom Fo T d n a WRITER iffey S Tom G EDITOR Bryan Kaitlyn N IG S E D

Finding the perfect job can be like learning to ride a bike. It’s a challenge at first. You need to learn the right skills, find your balance, work hard, and keep you eyes open for traffic. It doesn’t always work out the first time, and falling off can be painful and discouraging. But don’t despair: Volume One’s special jobs section is here to give you the resources, statistics, and advice you need to take the training wheels off, shift into the right gear, and cruise down the road of success.

LING! A D E P T E SO G

Clearing up the job picture Is the Chippewa Valley’s unemployment rate good or bad? Some of both.

By Tom Giffey

T

here’s an old joke that a recession is when my neighbor loses his job and a depression is when I lose my job. By that measure, things were pretty depressing for a lot of us in the Chippewa Valley – and nationwide – about four years ago. And they’ve gotten less depressing in the intervening years as the Great Recession has receded along with the unemployment rate.

But anyone who’s spent time tuned into financial news knows that economic information is as voluminous as it is contradictory. As in the old adage, our assessment of the economy has as much to be with reality as it does with our impression of reality – or at least the slice of reality we manage to digest via the overwhelming buffet of data we get from the news.

So what does the job picture look like, really?

The short answer – here in the Chippewa Valley, circa the summer of 2013 – is not bad. Not amazingly good, either, but not bad. More specifically, the latest unemployment rate for the Eau Claire metropolitan area (Eau Claire and Chippewa counties) was 5.9 percent.

The “not bad” part: The Valley’s May rate (that’s the latest state available) is

better than the metro area’s figure for April (6.6 percent). It’s better than the statewide rate of 6.7 percent. It’s better than the national rate of 7.6 percent.

And it’s way better than the rate during the worst part of the recession’s aftershock, when 9.1 percent of the Chippewa Valley workforce was unemployed in February 2010. The bottom line: If you’re interested in exchanging your time and talent for a paycheck, you’ve got a better chance than you did a few years ago and a better chance today than you do in the state and nation as a whole.

Why does the Chippewa Valley unemployment rate always beat the state

recent years manufacturing – another major local industry – has been on an upward swing.

Now, the “not good” part about the local jobs scene: The unemployment rate is actually a bit higher than it was a year ago (5.8 percent in May 2012).

And it’s still quite a bit higher than it was before the Great Recession began – which, according to economists, was December 2007. That month, the jobless rate in the Valley was just 4 percent (although, to be fair, the numbers aren’t adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, and a lot of people get temporary jobs around the holidays). Furthermore, the current rate is higher than the rate

“Even though the unemployment rate may have ticked up slightly, it’s more encouraging to me to see the labor force rebounding.”

– Scott Hodek, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

and national averages? “It’s a tough question,” acknowledges Scott Hodek, an Eau Claire-based economist with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Part of it has to do with the more diverse mix of employers you find in a metro area like Eau Claire.

(It’s no surprise that rural counties – Menominee, Iron, Sawyer, Rusk – have far higher jobless rates than more populous ones.) Part of it also has to do with the particular industry mix we have in the Valley. “We’ve got a lot of education and health care, and those tend to be fairly stable,” Hodek said. Likewise, in

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in almost every single month in the five years before the recession, when unemployment was typically between 4 and 5 percent (and sometimes lower).

In other words, all the pundits are right when they say the recovery has been lackluster.

Of course, the unemployment rate only tells part of the story. Hodek, the economist, points out that the number of people in the labor force is actually growing. “Even though the unemployment rate may have ticked up slightly, it’s more encouraging to me to see the labor force rebounding,” Hodek said.

Specifically, 768 more people either had jobs or were looking for them in the Eau Claire metro area in May than were doing so the year before. The same figure grew between 2011 and 2012, too.

But, you ask, how can unemployment be higher if the labor force is growing? That question strikes to the heart of what unemployment numbers tell – and don’t tell – us. When dispir-

ited job-seekers stop looking for jobs, they fall out of the labor force and no longer count when unemployment rates are calculated. If enough people do this, the unemployment rate actually can go down – even though fewer people are bringing home the proverbial bacon. In short, what seems like a good thing (a lower unemployment rate) actually can be a bad thing. On the flip side, if more

people get out of the house (or, more often, get out of the school and into the workforce) and start looking for work, the labor force grows and the unemployment rate can actually rise. In fact, this happens each June as college grads pack away their mortarboards and start mailing out résumés. For these newly minted degree holders, prospects are brighter than they were a few years ago.

Knowing the numbers TOTAL LABOR FORCE (Eau Claire metro area)

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (Eau Claire metro area)

UNEMPLOYMENT rate (Wisconsin)

UNEMPLOYMENT rate (United States):

92,619

5.9%

6.7%

7.6%

91,851

5.8%

6.7%

8.2%

May 2012

May 2012

May 2012

May 2012

May 2013

May 2013

May 2013

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May 2013

When the right skills are hard to find The good news: Jobs are out there.

The bad news: Many workers don’t have the right skills.

By Emily Albrent

I

f finding a job was a piece of cake, we would all be in a pretty good place. In a perfect world, jobs would be available for everyone – and everyone would be ready for a job. However, this is not the case. And just as some people might struggle to find job, some employers around the world and in the Chippewa Valley struggle to find qualified candidates. According ManpowerGroup’s 2013 Talent Shortage Survey – which polled nearly 40,000 employers across 42 countries and territories – 35 percent of employers are experiencing difficulty filling jobs due to a lack of available talent. ManpowerGroup, which was founded in Milwaukee in 1948, is an employment services firm that works with companies to help them find and hire qualified candidates.

The survey shows the top 10 hardest to fill jobs in the U.S. are: skilled trades, sales representatives, drivers, IT staff, accounting and finance staff, engineers, technicians, management/executives, mechanics and teachers.

According to the global survey, there are several noteworthy reasons why businesses are having a hard time finding qualified staffers: 34 percent said potential candidates lack technical competencies/hard skills, 32 percent said

WHO TO CONTACT UW-Eau Claire Non-trad website: UWEC.edu/nss Call 836-3259 to set up an appointment with Bonnie Isaacson UW-Stout Website: uwstout.edu To request info: 1-800-447-8688 Email: admissions@uwstout.edu Chippewa Valley Technical College Website: CVTC.edu Get started checklist: CVTC.edu/ pages/1206.asp Phone: 833-6200 Email: InfoCenter@cvtc.edu Globe University (Eau Claire) Website: EauClaireGlobeUniversity.edu Phone: 855-6600 To have a rep contact you by email: eauclaire.globeuniversity. edu/request-information/

it was because of the lack of available applicants, and 24 percent said a lack of experience was a problem.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel here in Wisconsin – for those who are qualified, that is. According to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, 24 percent of Wisconsin employers are looking to hire additional people during the third quarter of 2013.

For the upcoming quarter, job prospects seem to be the best in construction, durable good manufacturing, nondurable good manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail trade, information, financial activities, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and other services and government.

This is great. People can start finding jobs. The economy can get better, but there is a major roadblock.

Bethany Mathison, the Manpower’s director of business development in west-central Wisconsin, said job-seekers often make the mistake of thinking they are qualified for a job when they actually lack the skills it requires.

For example, employers in Wisconsin – including the Chippewa Valley – are struggling to fill customer-service jobs.

Mathison said this is because there are many openings but not enough qualified candidates. There are additional skills people need now that they did not necessarily need before. “Now you need to have good math skills, you need to have good reading comprehension skills, you need to know how to measure things very accurately, because those types of mistakes in the manufacturing environment can be very costly to employers,” Mathison said.

Not being able to fill these jobs is hurting the local community. Mathison said society has become more demanding, and instant gratification is something people have become accustomed to. “It has a strong impact because some businesses will lose opportunity to work with other businesses if they can’t meet the demands or requests of their customers fast enough,” Mathison said.

Mathison said many businesses would love to train employees but they do not have the time.

“We have a little bit of disconnect with candidates that don’t have all of those skills, maybe they could learn those skills, but employers need people now,” Mathison said.

Being able to take one of these high-

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED. Driving is one of the hardest jobs to fill in the United States right now. demand jobs often means the opportunity for a greater pay rate, said Mathison.

These jobs need to be filled and are wide open for those who are skilled enough to apply.

“I think people have a lot of good potential,” Mathison said. “Many of these jobs – I would say all of them on

“The decision becomes something that you would need to make an investment in, in terms of additional education, trying to determine how do you balance that, are you going to continue work and pursue additional educational opportunities or are you going to go to school full-time,” Mathison said. A lot of

“We have a little bit of disconnect with candidates that don’t have all of those skills, maybe they could learn those skills, but employers need people now.”

– Bethany Mathison, ManpowerGroup the list – have a very good outlook and excellent wages also associated with them.”

It might be a bummer to find out that you are not skilled enough for a job that you really want, but with some extra time and work, you can change that.

“One of the things we like to recommend is for people to talk with somebody in that industry,” Mathison said.

“Networking is the first step, and you can do that by trying to reach out to people on LinkedIn or talking with your friends to see if they know anybody.”

Mathison also recommended seeking further information on jobs from UW-Stout or UW-Eau Claire.

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schools offer financial assistance, and this is something people can take advantage of in the Chippewa Valley.

So at the end of the day, don’t get discouraged if you feel like you are not qualified enough or that you may have to get further education to achieve your goals; you are not alone, Wisconsin.

Alyce Coyle, Eau Claire branch manager for ManpowerGroup, said the market that the Chippewa Valley is in is not unusual.

“The people that are looking for jobs and the employers, they all know that these positions are hard to fill,” she said. “Whether it’s local or globally, it’s the same pretty much all over.”

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MOVIN’ ON UP tips to help you move up the company ladder Cliché alert: dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

Most companies encourage continued education within their field, whether it be a seminar, college courses, or a full-on masters degree (some companies will even pay for you to do so).

Businesses looking for long-term employees like to know you have ties to the area (family, a house, friends, etc.) and aren’t just looking to jump to the next big city.

Exhibiting a leadership role is huge, whether it be helping train new employees or taking the reins on a new project.

Always be willing to take on something new.

Showing you’re not afraid to leave the comfort zone of your skill set proves you’re ready for more responsibility.

Work well with others. It’s just a given.

Do your job better than anyone else in the company can. If your superiors believe that, you’re golden.

Create good relationships with all of your coworkers, not just superiors. When everyone is in your corner, you’ve got a team-oriented workplace environment.

Being thought of as social is good, so long as it doesn’t cross the line into distraction. It’s far more important to be thought of as hard working.

Take performance reviews seriously. Even if you disagree with something, really try to make an extra effort in the areas of improvement.

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RESOURCES & TIPS FOR JOB HUNTERS “Less than 20 percent of people get jobs from the web.

The best way to get a job is to network: make connections, go to events, call companies. Your network is your best job resource.”

– Jessica Witte, UWEC Career Services “When writing a résumé, don’t use a template. Know what the company is looking for and change your résumé to fit it. There is no standard, so personalize it.”

– Jessica Witte, UWEC Career Services “Don’t limit yourself. Look for nontraditional ways to use your degree.”

– Scott Hodek, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development “One of the biggest mistakes people make is making career choices out of desperation. Don’t lower your standards. Try something new. Look long term.”

– Jessica Witte, UWEC Career Services “One of the best things you can do is intern. Internships offer you experience that you just can’t get anywhere else. They may not pay at first, but they definitely pay off in the long run.”

– Scott Hodek, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Career Services at UWEC offers career counseling for community members, alumni, and students.

Career counseling is an opportunity to work individually with a counselor on all aspects of the career search process. A counselor can provide you with an assessment of your skills, interests, values, and personality, as well as help people adapting to fit new technologies. Career counselors can be used by students trying to figure out what they want to do when they graduate, graduates looking to maximize their potential, people hoping to make career switches later in life, or for those recently laid off and looking to become more valuable or to reassess their skills to apply them to a new industry.

Jump-Start Downtown Jump-Start is a competition for entrepreneurs looking to open a business or relocate an existing business to downtown Eau Claire. Though open to any type of business, participants must be 18 years or older to compete. Grand prize winners have received start-up capital funds, a DECI membership, entrepreneurial classes, and advertising space in TV, print, and radio. Applications must include a business plan of the proposed business to Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. This year’s competition closed in June, but start planning for next year! The award ceremony is usually held in August. Past winners include Smiling Moose Deli, Dessert First, Willow Creek Women’s Clinic, Body Focus, Just Local Food Cooperative, and Café 420.

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