July 2012 Wisconsin Unemployment Rate Jumps 0.3%

The WI unemployment rate rose 0.3% in July to a 2012-high of 7.3%. This is the 4th straight month with an increase and is the highest rate in Wisconsin since October 2011. It's also the biggest monthly increase for the state since a 0.4% increase in April 2009. For the month there are around 8,000 more unemployed individuals than June 2012. Additionally, there are about 15,000 fewer workers employed in WI for the month. On a positive note, Wisconsin's July unemployment rate is still a full percentage point better than the national average of 8.3%.
Wisconsin's July 2012 unemployment rate is still better than a year ago when the rate was up to 7.6%. Compared to July 2011, there are around 9,400 less unemployed people in WI. During that time, the total civilian labor force has also increased by about 9,800. Also, the number of individuals employed in Wisconsin has increased by just over 19,000. The combination of these numbers is the 0.3% decrease in the unemployment rate in WI for the year.
Somewhat unexpectedly, the story is different when we look at the individual unemployment rates for many of Wisconsin's metro areas. Almost all of the metro areas reported on by the DOL showed improvements in their unemployment rates in July. The City of Appleton's rate fell for the month from 6.8% to 6.6%. The Eau Claire Area also fell to 6.9% in July from 7.0% in June. Green Bay was also improved, falling from 7.0% to 6.8%, as was the City of Janesville, dropping 0.5% to 8.9%. The City of Madison went from 5.6% to 5.4% (and remained a state-low rate). The major city of Milwaukee fell to 8.2% from 8.4% in June. Racine's rate remained unchanged for July at 8.2%.
We can also review the Wisconsin employment numbers by business sector. On the positive side for July were Information, Manufacturing, and Other Services. On the down-side in July were the industries of Leisure & Hospitality, Education & Health Services, Government, Construction, and Trade Transportation and Utilities.
Compared to other state in the Midwest, Wisconsin's July unemployment rate remains in the middle. States in the area with higher rates than Wisconsin include Illinois (8.9%), Indiana (8.2%), and Michigan (9.0%). Neighboring states with a lower rate were Minnesota (5.8%) and Iowa (5.3%). Note that all the states listed above had higher rates in July 2012.
The Department of Labor will publish the August 2012 employment statistics later this Summer. When they do we'll once again review the data for the State of WI, it's cities, and industries. Note that previously released employment statistics can be altered at a later date.

If you're unemployed in WI and looking for information please visit the Wisconsin Unemployment Headquarters.

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10 Ways to Survive Threats of Job Cuts in Your Workplace

It's a stressful time for many people at the moment, knowing that redundancies, job cuts and changes to working conditions are on the horizon. It's hitting people who never imagined they'd be unemployed, because work environments that were once considered completely secure are now being impacted by "economic necessities".
Are you living under a cloud at work, knowing that the loss of your job is a distinct possibility? Don't be prepared to just sit and wait. This is the time to be proactive, to take the opportunity to consider your future working life and to start making some decisions that may, or may not, be dependent on what happens with your job.
Don't live in the fear of what MIGHT happen! Instead try these ten tips and choose to make something positive come of this situation.

1. "Keep calm and carry on". Regardless of the outcome you need to be able to hold your head up high and know you can be proud of your actions.
2. Understand if your job is cut it isn't about you, it's about the job. Your self-esteem is very important in these circumstances.
3. Recognise that this as a turning point in your career. Things won't be the same, regardless of the outcome for your current job.
4. Consider what you really want to do. Seek help from a professional career coach to decide clearly on your career direction and the stepping stones to get there.
5. Don't apply for jobs until you are clear about what you want to do. A scatter-gun approach to job search rarely works.
6. Your resume must reflect the direction you want to take, and must be tailored to each individual job that you apply for.
7. Consider your network and its power to uncover the hidden job market. Let people know your situation and what you are hoping to do.
8. Be aware of what you are saying. You don't want things said in anger or upset to come back and bite you.
9. Know yourself very well. Ensure that, whatever jobs you apply for, the work will allow you to be true to yourself in some way.
10. Understand and use contemporary career search strategies such as the use of social media. Getting help from a professional career development practitioner can make all the difference.

Many people look back on the most tumultuous time in their working lives as being their turning point. Will you allow threats of job loss or redundancy to take over your life, or will you rise above the situation and make this your most significant turning point?

http://ClarityCareerManagement.com.au Jenni Proctor is a career strategist and coach. Clarity Career Management offers career management services to individuals, business and Educational Leaders. Visit us today to request our 7 day Refresh Your Career video series. http://achievecareerresults.com/

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Why the 5-Day Working Week Is Not That Bad

Anyone who regularly keeps up with current affairs globally has probably noticed a new story regarding the Greek economy. In an attempt to meet the incredibly stern requirements needed to successfully receive a second bailout, the governing body of the Mediterranean island have been pushed to do something so horrible, so downright terrifying, that any squeamish person should cease reading this article this very moment and go to their happy place.
They are considering introducing a six-day working week.
The very sound of the sentence above leaves a bitter taste on the lips of any who speak it. It's easy to complain about the five-day working week when it becomes draining and routine, but the contemporary masses seem to have forgotten that we should be grateful that it's only five. We need to dive back in time to where the working week has come from, and, more importantly, why today's system is a hell of a lot better than what it once was.
So who actually invented the five-day week? After all, does it not seem like something that has existed since the beginning of time, an unwritten rule so embedded within us that it almost stands as an axiom of the human race? Well, no actually. It's not even been going for a century yet. Until 1914, pretty much everyone had no choice but to subscribe to six-days a week - at nine hours a day. That means our standard forty-hour week bloats into a hideous sixty-three, over half-a-week extra of working time.
"Who was our mighty liberator?" you ask. Well, the answer may come as something as a surprise. Rather than coming as the decision of a governing body or a union of workers, it actually originated with Henry Ford, the man who also gave us the car. Ford was frustrated with losing good employees and, subsequently, losing money, so he made a radical move. He shaved an hour of work off each day, and gave his workers Saturday off too, with almost double pay.
Some people were awestruck by his generosity, others by his stupidity, and some genuinely concerned that he might have lost the plot. However, in the end, Ford's tactic paid off - employee loyalty skyrocketed, as did productivity, and eventually Ford's profits were outrageous. Other employers looked towards him as an innovator and, frankly, a really rich guy, and it made sense to adopt his technique.
And so slowly, the five-day week become a global phenomenon.
Can you imagine waking up every Saturday knowing that you had to get up and head back into the office again? The beauty of the five-day week is what is often called 'Hump Day', the cherry on the cake, the peak at midday every Wednesday when one can bask in the realization that half of the week is completed, that they are 'over the hump'. There's no hump in a six-day week. And that is why it is an abomination.
So remember, five days a week isn't actually that bad. In fact, it's good for our psychology. Work gets a lot harder when we never do any of it, because we can't develop a proper routine. Five days is the perfect point between over- and under-working. Let's take solace in that.
I mean, it could be worse. You could live in Greece.

If you thought your 5 day working week drags, spare a thought for those who are working a 6, or even 7 day week. This article was written in conjunction with Euroforce Ltd, who specialise in Sewing Machinist and Upholstery jobs (which both offer rather good working hours!)

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