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More of the top employers cut City of Orlando jobs (Click here) this year.

Orlando Sentinel's 2009 Top Employers survey found that, for the second year in a row, more companies in Central Florida cut jobs than added positions. From 2008 to 2009, those 100 companies eliminated 17,545 jobs, accounting for a 4.7 percent decrease in employment.

Of the companies included in the survey, 53 have fewer workers than they did last year, 38 have more workers and four have the same number of workers they did in 2008. The remaining five companies were not included in last year's survey.

This is a big hit to the economy, considering that more than one in every four workers in Central Florida is employed by one of the top companies. The survey includes employers and job seekers in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Volusia and Brevard counties.

Companies on the list employ a total of 361,052 workers, which is a 2.5 percent decrease from last year. Walt Disney World, which is the largest single-site employer in the nation, employs 16 percent of workers included on the list and about 4 percent of all workers in Central Florida.

The top 10 companies included in the survey are:

1. Walt Disney Co. - 58,400 workers during 2009 vs. 62,200 workers during 2008
2. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. - 24,598 workers during 2009 vs. 15,170 workers during 2008
3. Adventist Health System - 21,185 workers during 2009 vs. 25,876 workers during 2008
4. Publix Super Markets, Inc. - 16,876 workers during 2009 vs. 17,500 workers during 2008
5. General Electric Co. - 13,000 workers during 2008
6. Orlando Health - 12,073 workers during 2009 vs. 12,523 workers during 2008
7. McDonald's Corp. - 9,500 workers during 2009 vs. 8,550 workers during 2008
8. Marriott International Inc. - 8,674 workers during 2009 vs. 7,504 workers during 2008
9. Hilton Hotels Corp. - 7,738 workers during 2008 and 2009
10. Lockheed Martin Corp. - 7,360 workers during 2009 vs. 7,931 workers during 2008

Labels: City of Orlando jobs

Those with lower-paying Baltimore jobs have been most affected by the current economic recession. Visit http://baltimore.jobing.com to learn more.

"The State of Working Maryland 2009," a study from the Progressive Maryland Education Fund and the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute, found that low and moderate-income families in Maryland "represent the bulk of the job losses and foreclosures."

In particular, median wages have decreased for workers throughout the state without a bachelor's degree, and those with some college education saw an 8 percent median wage decline. Workers with less education typically experience higher levels of unemployment.

"These families are much more likely to be living paycheck-to-paycheck without any savings to cushion a downturn," the report notes. "For these families, a setback quickly becomes a crisis."

Workers at all levels have had to deal with job losses, income reductions and reduced hours. During July, the average workweek for an employee in Maryland was below 35 hours, a 9 percent decrease from early 2008.

Adding to the problem is the fact that as more residents need financial help, government agencies and nonprofits are falling victim to state budget cuts. In response, the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute has requested an increase in taxes in order to avoid cuts.

Joanna Smith-Ramani, director of the Baltimore CASH Campaign, said she has seen a lot of residents in "deep financial distress." The program offers tax preparation and financial education to lower-income workers.

"People have lost jobs, they've lost health insurance," she told The Baltimore Sun. "They didn't have the flexibility before or didn't make the choice to have an emergency savings account, so they literally have nothing to fall back on."

Smith-Ramani added that even some people who did manage to save up funds have already spent that money. She thinks the only way things will turn around is if businesses start increasing employment instead of cutting jobs.

"People are so anxious because they have no clue when it's going to end," she said. "There's definitely this sense that 'things aren't going to get better for me; I don't know what to do.'"

While Maryland has managed to add jobs on a monthly basis, the state's unemployment rate has increased and overall employment has decreased when compared to last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

During October, the state saw its unemployment rate increase from 7.2 percent to 7.3 percent, which was still lower than the national unemployment rate at the time of 10.2 percent. Maryland had a total non-farm employment of 2,536,600 workers, up from 2,535,100 workers during September, but a 2 percent decrease from last year.

The Baltimore-Towson area's unemployment rate increased from 7.5 percent to 7.7 percent during October. The area had a total non-farm employment of 1,289,200 workers, up from 1,279,700 workers during September, but a 2.2 percent decrease from last year.

Labels: Baltimore jobs

The future is bright for those with, or looking to find, Austin retail jobs.

Pitney Bowes Business Insight recently released its list of the 10 markets throughout the country that will be most promising for retailers during the next six quarters. Austin was ranked first for its "consistent healthy growth" in gross metropolitan product and personal disposable income.

"Austin tops our list in all of the retail sectors we examined for sustained retail sales growth," the report notes. "As we look forward to the next six quarters, Austin also places in the top five markets for all retail sectors we examined."

The retail industry contributes to Austin's stable economy. The Austin-Round Rock area's unemployment rate has remained at 7.2 percent since August, placing it well below the current national unemployment rate of 10 percent.

The area had a total non-farm employment of 780,700 workers during October, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 774,700 workers during September, but a .4 percent decrease from last year.

Despite Baltimore, which ranked second, the remaining top five cities in the report also are located in Texas, including: Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. The report states that markets in Texas have remained resilient throughout the recession, in part because they never faced the same housing collapse or decrease in unemployment as cities in other states.

The top 10 retail markets include:

1. Austin, Texas
2. Baltimore, Md.
3. Houston, Texas
4. Dallas, Texas
5. San Antonio, Texas
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Seattle, Wash.
8. Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.
9. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, R.I.-Mass.
10. Columbus, Ohio
    

Pitney Bowes Business Insight used MarketPulse software to compile the report, which analyzed current and predicted macroeconomic and demographic data and sales history. The firm looked at sales results for the past six quarters and estimated sales growth for the next six quarters.

Labels: Austin retail jobs

The number of jobs Denver (Click here) and Colorado have is expected to increase next year.

According to a recent report from the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business, economists predict that although the state will lose 3,200 jobs next year, Colorado will begin to add jobs during the second half of 2010. Many think this prediction is a sign the state's economy will improve next year after losing about 100,000 jobs so far this year.

"We still have some serious kinks to work through, but we see 2010 as a stabilizing year that will put the state economy in a position for more sustained growth in 2011 and 2012," Economist Richard Wobbekind said.

Economists estimate that Colorado's unemployment rate will increase from 7.3 percent at the end of this year to 8.1 percent during the beginning of 2010. The Governor's Budget Office previously predicted that there will be an 8 percent unemployment rate next year.

State legislative economists are expected to release their projections by the end of this month. During September, they predicted the unemployment rate will rise to 8.6 percent during 2010, as frustrated job seekers who have stopped looking for work will rejoin the job market.

During 2007, Colorado had an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent, but the last 10 years have been slow in terms of job growth. To put things in perspective, the state has added about 870,000 residents since 2000, but only 117,900 jobs.

During October, Colorado saw its unemployment rate decrease from 7 percent to 6.9 percent, following a decrease from 7.3 percent during September. The state's current rate was well below the national unemployment rate at the time of 10.2 percent.

Colorado had a total non-farm employment of 2,241,100 workers during October, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 2,240,100 workers during September, but a 4.3 percent decrease from last year.

The Denver-Aurora-Broomfield area saw its unemployment rate decrease from 7.1 percent to 6.8 percent during October. During that month, the area had a total non-farm employment of 1,202,000 workers, up from 1,201,900 workers during September, but a 3.9 percent decrease from last year.

Labels: Jobs Denver

Tens of thousands of State of Texas jobs (Click here) were added during October.

The Texas Workforce Commission recently reported that the state added 41,700 jobs during October, with the most significant increases occurring in the professional and business services and education and health services industry.

Although several jobs were added, the unemployment rate in Texas slightly increased from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent during October. However, that rate is almost two full percentage points lower than the national unemployment rate, which now sits at 10.2 percent.

"In October, the Texas job market regained some lost ground experienced over the past several months, although it is too soon to indicate a trend," Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, said. "The Texas unemployment rate continued to edge upward as our state continues to feel the effects of the national economic downturn."

During October, employment in the education and health services industry increased by 14,900 jobs, while employment in the professional and business services industry increased by 10,800 jobs and employment in the financial activities industry increased by 4,500 jobs.

Employment int he leisure and hospitality industry increased by 2,600 jobs, while employment in the trade, transportation and utilities industry increased by 2,500 jobs during October.

The construction industry, which has been one of the industries most negatively impacted by the recession, lost 9,400 jobs during October.

"Reports of job gains in October are good news, and certainly better than the alternative, but we remain concerned about the many Texans who still cannot find work," Ronny Congleton, the Texas Workforce Commissioner representing labor. "We want to encourage those seeking work to take advantage of the job-search and training services available at our workforce centers across Texas."

Labels: State of Texas jobs

Despite the fact that Missouri's unemployment rate declined, St Louis medical jobs and education jobs were the only positions to increase when compared to last year.

Although the October unemployment rate for the St. Louis area has yet to be released, Missouri as a whole saw its unemployment rate decrease from 9.5 percent to 9.3 percent last month. That decrease places the state's current rate below the national unemployment rate of 10.2 percent.

The St. Louis area had a total non-farm employment of 1,319,800 workers during October, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,317,100 workers during September, but a 3.2 percent decrease from last year.

Five industries saw a monthly increase in employment, including: manufacturing by 200 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 800 jobs; professional and business services by 800 jobs; education and health services by 2,000 jobs; and government by 2,000 jobs. Employment in the financial activities industry remained steady at 78,000 jobs.

The education and health services industry was the only one to add jobs on a yearly basis. The industry employed 217,600 workers during October, up from 215,600 workers during September and a 1.3 percent increase from last year.

The mining, logging and construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 70,900 workers during October, down from 72,100 workers during September and an 11.3 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in jobs include:

• manufacturing by 9.7 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 3.2 percent
• information by 2.3 percent
• financial activities by 1.8 percent
• professional and business services by 3.2 percent
• leisure and hospitality by 2.7 percent
• other services by 7.3 percent
• government by .4 percent

Labels: St Louis medical jobs