MASSACHUSETTS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 6.4 PERCENT

Jobs down 1,400 in April, up 12,900 in 2013

BOSTON– May 16, 2013 – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that the Bureau of Labor Statistics' preliminary estimates show that Massachusetts' total unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent and the Commonwealth lost 1,400 jobs in April.

Professional, Scientific, and Business Services, Information, and the Education and Health Services sectors added jobs in April. In the first four months of 2013, Massachusetts added 12,900 jobs. Over the year, Massachusetts added 46,200 jobs, 43,600 of which were in the private sector.

Over the year, the unemployment rate was down 0.2 of a percentage point from the April 2012 rate of 6.6 percent. Revised numbers from the BLS estimate Massachusetts lost 3,800 jobs in March rather than 5,500 jobs as was reported last month.

April 2013 Employment Overview

Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 4,500 (+0.9%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 16,200 (+3.3%) jobs.

Information gained 900 (+1.0%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Information gained 2,700 (+3.1%) jobs.

Education and Health Services added 700 (+0.1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Education and Health Services gained 15,600 (+2.3%) jobs.

Other Services gained 200 (+0.2%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Other Services added 2,300 (+1.9%) jobs.

Leisure and Hospitality lost 1,900 (-0.6%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Leisure and Hospitality added 4,900 jobs (+1.5%).

Financial Activities lost 1,400 (-0.7%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Financial Activities shed 1,300 (-0.6%) jobs.

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities lost 1,400 (-0.3%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 3,500 (+0.6%) jobs.

Construction lost 600 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Construction added 2,700 (+2.4%) jobs.

Manufacturing lost 300 jobs (-0.1%) over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing lost 2,900 (-1.1%) jobs.

Government lost 2,000 (-0.5%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Government gained 2,600 (+0.6%) jobs.

Labor Force Overview

The April 2013 estimates show 3,250,300 Massachusetts residents were employed and 222,800 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,473,200. The April labor force increased by 2,500 from 3,470,700 in March 2013, as 2,900 more residents were employed and 500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force was an estimated 3,200 below the 3,476,400 April 2012 estimate, with 5,000 more residents employed and 8,300 fewer residents unemployed.

The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers. As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends.

NOTES: Beginning with the March 2011 estimates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has assumed responsibility for the production of the CES State and sub-state jobs estimates. BLS has also implemented methodological changes which may increase the month to month variability of the estimates. See Changes to procedures for producing Current Employment Statistics (CES) State estimates.

Local area unemployment statistics for April 2013 will be released on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The preliminary May 2013 and revised April 2013 unemployment rate, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Thursday, June 20, 2013. See Media Advisory for a complete list of release dates.

Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.

Confident, Assertive, In-Charge: Developing the Attributes of Leadership

Hello Everyone, 

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by speaker, Alex Bering. The facilitator for this week will be William Lam. We will devote the first hour to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. 

In the second hour, Alex will talk about "Confident, Assertive, In-Charge: Developing the Attributes of Leadership."

Confident, Assertive, In-Charge: Developing the Attributes of Leadership

Now you can learn to tap into your latent power, unleash your inner attitudes of confidence and enthusiasm and build your visibility in the organization at Confident, Assertive, In Charge: Developing the Attitudes of Leadership. 

About Alex Bering

Alex (The Y Guy) Bering is an Author, Speaker, Coach for the, Dale Carnegie Training Company. He's a Master Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP) & a Board Certified Hypnotherapist teaching people how to re-wire their thoughts and re-program their behaviors to create a more compelling future. He provides Consulting, Training & Coaching in 6-Key Areas: Leadership Development, Sales Effectiveness, Presentation Effectiveness, Team Member Engagement, and Eliminating Stress/Fear/Anxiety by mastering your thoughts and emotions. 

His background in the corporate and educational world includes 15 years - as a Sales Consultant who built a $2,000,000 book of business for Liberty Mutual in 2005, then created The Y Guy, LLC to teach college weekend workshops: How to Speed Read Human Behavior & How to Master your Emotions while working with Comcast, Cintas, and the Hospitality Industry as a Sales Manager/ Consultant/ Sales Representative. His experience includes management, marketing & sales, research and development while holding an MBA in Entrepreneurship.

Alex is the author of, "How Divorce Saved My Life," which is a personal story of hitting, "rock bottom" and losing everything he worked so hard for. Barnes & Noble purchased his story and it's now available in local stores. He's appeared on, "The Jordan Rich Show" on WBZ NewsRadio & "The Ron Van Dam Show" on USTREAM morning talk radio. 

He has also appeared in a major motion picture movie called, "Amistad," directed by Steven Spielberg. Working alongside Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins & Djimon Housou was a life changing experience.
General Information

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 9:00 to noon and will meet the first and third Friday's of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday's to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the days we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators: 
Elinor Kerr elinorkerr@yahoo.com 
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net 
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com 
Kathy McKenna kmurphmckenna@comcast.net 
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com 
Salpi Sarafian ssarafian@rcn.com 

Not all states of unemployment are equal

Bloomberg.com had an interesting article on Monday:

Being jobless is always tough. In some states, though, it's tougher than in others. Many provide barely enough unemployment income to let people scrape by. Where the unemployment rate is high, the competition for jobs is that much rougher. In states with a big gap between the richest and poorest, the psychological toll of joblessness can be greater, with high-paying jobs hard to get and low-paying jobs unequal to the bills. Across the board, nearly 11 percent in cuts in federally funded unemployment benefits went into effect on March 31, further shrinking resources.

For each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, we considered the unemployment insurance benefit, the unemployment rate as of March 2013 and the wealth disparity expressed as a ratio of rich households to poor ones; a ratio over 1 is high. The result is our list of the 10 worst states to be unemployed in, from No. 10 (bad) to No. 1 (worst of the worst.)

Check out the gallery of the Top 10 Worst States to be unemployed (and be thankful MA is not among them!)
http://www.bloomberg.com/money-gallery/2013-05-09/the-top-10-worst-states-to-be-unemployed.html


If you are anywhere near Hopkinton, MA, make your plans to travel there for the Job Search Jam Sessions to be held on June 14. The sessions will help you navigate the world of unemployment.
http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com/2013/04/job-search-jam-sessions-ready-to-return.html

Do you want to get a better LinkedIn photo?

William Lam will set up his camera and equipment in one of the rooms at the Job Search Jam Sessions June 14. Attendees who want their photo taken should wear professional attire, and a flash drive or some media that can accept images.

Most importantly, you'll need to bring your positive attitude with a glowing facial expression!

William will take about 4 to 6 photos and allow you to view them on his laptop. The file size will be around 2 meg, rather large but these files can be adjusted to fit LinkedIn and other social media sites if you choose.

For more information and to register for this event visit
http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com/p/tickets.html

What will you do after school gets out?

The Dean College Library blog writes:

Graduation is looming ever closer. Right behind it rises the ever larger life decisions of the working world. The process to get there can seem daunting-resumes, job boards, interviews and networking, among other things. Yet, with the help of key offices and resources on campus, it doesn’t have to be. 

Take Dean CareerLink, for example. Dean CareerLink is the Robbins Family Center for Advising and Career Planning’s new online career network. CareerLink gives access to job and internship postings, maintains information on employers, provides career planning resources, including a career exploration tool, and allows students to RSVP for events and workshops. In fact, one of the key features of this site is a Resume Builder. With this tool, one can create a resume by using one of the standard resume templates and customizing the content. Once completed, the resume can be uploaded to an individual’s profile and be made available for prospective employers to view. Talk about easy!

One area resource that college students should consider participating with is Job Search Jam Sessions. Scheduled for Jun 14, this one day event will bring together people and resources focused on the job search.

For additional information, visit the event website http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com/

Read the full Dean College Library article here

Job Search Jam Sessions ready to return June 14

The economic outlook still has no prediction on a return to ‘full employment’. Recent Dept of Labor statistics show more than 3 applicants for each posted job and hundreds more dropping off the unemployment count.

This Job Search Jam Sessions event will provide you with help for your job search and explore alternatives like entrepreneurship. Sessions will provide you with the tips and tricks to build your network and explore the use of social media tools.

While many runners train for a long time to start the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, the Job Search Jam Sessions is an event to help you prepare to deal with your job search. “This is an ‘unconference’ for the unemployed and underemployed,” says Steve Sherlock, lead organizer. “The event’s organizers and session facilitators all have experience dealing with the challenges of layoffs and unemployment, and they are enthusiastic about sharing what they’ve learned to help your job search.”

In coordination with the Hopkinton Networking Group, Job Search Jam Session 4 will offer networking opportunities and motivational support for unemployed and under-unemployed workers.  New and recent college graduates are welcome to participate to learn and share the tips and tricks of the job search.

Job Search Jam Session 4 is scheduled for Friday, June 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The location: St. John the Evangelist Parish Center, 20 Church Street, Hopkinton, Mass. The event has the capacity to serve up to two hundred job seekers from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and anyone willing to get to Hopkinton.

Persons interested in attending should register at http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com. 

The cost is – $8 per person.  You can pay via credit card or cash at the door. 

Attendees will be asked to check in at the Parish Center on Jun 14, between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.  Coffee, refreshments and snacks will be available for the morning and afternoon break. Lunch will also be served during the conference.  

Proceeds from ticket sales will help defray expenses. Any ‘profit’ will be donated to the Church in return for the use of their facility.

Directions to the St. John the Evangelist Parish Center can be found on the church’s website (http://www.stjohnhopkinton.com).

“Job Search Jam Session participants will be able to acquire dozens of new LinkedIn connections. More importantly, they will share experiences from the job search with their peers, learn what has worked for others, and at the end of the day they’ll return home more informed, more confident and motivated to pursue new opportunities.”

Job Search Jam Sessions Agenda

The event will feature both seminar-like sessions and informal opportunities to network in small groups. Speakers are still being lined up. The agenda will be adapted to reflect the needs and interests of participants. There will be sessions devoted to job interviews, your elevator pitch, and the use of social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Information on specific sessions will be posted to http://jobsearchjamsessions.blogspot.com as the schedule is filled in.

What sessions would you like to see?

If you have a suggestion for a session that you would either like to participate in or offer to lead, or a question that you would like to see addressed during the event, please use this form to submit your idea.

"Building a Job Search Toolbox"

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by a speaker, Randall Warniers. The facilitator for this week will be Salpi Sarafian. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Randall will talk about "Building a Job Search Toolbox."

 

 

Building a Job Search Toolbox

 

A clean suit, a good resume, shined shoes, and a smile are no longer enough to compete in a wired world and a rapidly changing marketplace. Today's new world of work demands an expanded set of job-search skills. This presentation will describe the necessary skills a modern job seeker needs to compete effectively and be employable. Some of these skills are traditional (interpersonal networking), some are new (social media), and some are radical (are you on YouTube?). Knowing the tools you need to bring your job search up to date is an essential step in finding your next position.

 

 

About Randall Warniers

Randall Warniers is an editor, writer, book designer, publisher, and photographer. He wrote computer graphics software for many years, and then spent nearly two decades in the world of publishing as managing editor of a research journal at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Currently he is working as an editor and designer on six book projects. He is also an instructor in photography at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, where he currently teaches "Mastering Digital Photography" and other classes, and at the MIT Media Lab, where he teaches "Camera Clinic" and "Workflow Clinic." In 2009 and 2010 he was a facilitator and member of the leadership team at Acton Networkers.

 

Recap of HNG Meeting of April 5, 2013:

 

Our 97th meeting of HNG had 40 people, this is 20 more than the previous meeting 12 signed the New Member list. Elinor Kerr was our facilitator. There were 6 introduction speeches.

 

There was one landing:

Jill Mann Starting at Quintiles, a healthcare company in Cambridge, in sales.

 

We had a speaker, Elinor Kerr, who talked about "Job Search from the Perspective of HR."

 

Her topic discussed job searches from both sides of the desk, in order to clarify for candidates what’s involved from the HR perspective and how they can differentiate themselves from the pack. She discussed how jobs are found; information on helpful websites; steps HR uses in the hiring process; what candidates can do to combat a lull in activity; how to prep References; how improved communications between HR and the Hiring Manager will benefit you; and what a candidate can do to improve his/her chance of receiving an offer.

 

 

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

 

April 19, 2013 Randall Warniers "Building a Job Search Toolbox"

 

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.


We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup


For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address


If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.


Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.


Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748


Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators: 
Elinor Kerr               elinorkerr@...

Gil Krispien             g.krispien@...
William Lam            wmlam508@...
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@...
Salpi Sarafian         ssarafian@... 

Job Search Jam Sessions returns Jun 14

Hold the date Jun 14, 2013

Why hold the date?
Job Search Jam Sessions will return!

Yes, the event that let's you get great information and network is returning Friday, Jun 14 to the St John the Evangelist Parish Center. The same location where the Hopkinton Networking Group meets is a great location for this type of event.

What will it be like?
Dig into the archives here to see prior schedules and recaps of what happened in 2010 and 2011.


If you are interested in speaking at this event, contact Gil Krispien or Steve Sherlock

If you are interested in participating in this event, mark the date on your calendar and stay tuned here for additional information. You can subscribe to this page to get a daily update if and when something is published here.  Subscribe here

"How to Identify and Address What the Hiring Manager is REALLY Looking for"

Hello Everyone,

Now that we are in the winter months, if the Hopkinton schools are cancelled on the day of our meeting then we do not meet; however, if there is a delay, then we do meet.  Even if the schools are not closed, if the weather is bad, it is best to stay home then risk an accident.

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by a speaker, Mick Verran.  The facilitator for this week will be Vincent Rocheleau. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Mick will talk about "How to Identify and Address What the Hiring Manager is REALLY Looking for."

 

 

To get the most benefit from this session;
Please bring along;
* A job advertisement you’re interested in, to dissect during our session, and
* A couple of copies of your résumé, to see how you do in the 6 Second Résumé Test.

 

 

"How to Identify and Address What the Hiring Manager is REALLY Looking for."

 

Overview

Although the position you’re interested in may look like many others, the hiring manager will have a unique picture of the ideal candidate in mind. In this session, we’ll review practical tips on how to:

* Pick out the key requirements of a particular position

* Identify how the hiring manager will differentiate between candidates

* Understand what each person involved in the recruitment process is looking for, and

* Present our candidacy in a way that makes us stand out from the crowd.

Topics

* What HR is telling the hiring manager

* What Monster.com is telling the recruiter

* Uncovering the hiring manager's tie-breaker

* Deciding which 'you' to bring to THIS table

* Passing the 6 Second Resume Test

* Acing each step in the recruitment process

* Getting everyone involved on your side

About Mick Verran

At Digital Equipment Corporation and Avery Dennison, and as a consultant in many industries, he helped leaders improve their organizations and their personal effectiveness, management and leadership skills. He aligns organizations; improves talent management processes; coaches executives; and runs leadership development programs.
Of particular relevance to this session, he has considerable experience …
•       Identifying the skills, knowledge and experience required for success in a particular job,
•       Teaching managers how to assess candidates, and
•       Evaluating the ‘fit’ of individual executives with specific jobs and organizations.
And then there’s what he is learning from his own job search!

You can check out his résumé at www.MickVerran.com, from where you’ll also be able to download Friday’s handout – he will give you the password at the session. 

   

•  •  

Recap of HNG Meeting of March 1, 2013:

Our 95th meeting of HNG had 45 people, this is 20 more than the previous meeting and three signed the New Member list. Diane Elhilow was our facilitator. There were no introduction speeches to allow more time for the panel discussion.

 

We had a panel of diverse recruiters whose topic was "How Working with Agencies/Recruiters Can Help you Find a Job."  They represented the following companies:

The Davis Companies (www.daviscos.com):       Matt Lyons, Ashley Wright, and Cailin Fitzpatrick

SaleStart   (www.salestartnow.com):                 Michelle Cataldo

Suburban Group  (www.suburbangroup.com):    Mark Carlson

 

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

March 15, 2013         Mick Verran    "How to Identify and Address What the Hiring Manager is REALLY Looking for."

 

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.


We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup


For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address


If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.


Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.


Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748


Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Elinor Kerr              elinorkerr@...

Gil Krispien             g.krispien@...
William Lam            wmlam508@...
Barbara McKee        barb6635@...
Vincent Rocheleau   vrocheleau@...
Salpi Sarafian          ssarafian@...