Looking back over half a century on my college years, I remember absolutely nothing about the courses I took–130 vacuous credit hours. I can’t say it was my college’s fault. I had no clear idea about what I wanted to do for a living. I changed majors twice and took courses almost at random. I … Read more
There are a lot of reactions to the now-expired additional unemployment benefits of $600 per week during the pandemic. The reactions range from the extra money was needed to try and hold lives and the economy together to opinions that the money stopped people from working. Howard Dvorkin, CPA and Chairman of Debt.com said, “There … Read more
The coronavirus pandemic has turned American employment upside down. While some may be proclaiming recent amazing job growth in our country, the overall numbers of people unemployed is still staggering. According to the federal government Bureau of Labor Statistics, numbers are huge. To help people suddenly unemployed, the government temporarily passed enhanced benefits that meant … Read more
The expiration of the $600 boost to unemployment benefits would leave millions of Americans without a vital source of income amid a global pandemic. As of this writing, nearly 32 million Americans are claiming unemployment insurance benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Some states — including Nevada and Hawaii — are more vulnerable … Read more
April has arrived. Americans, hunkered down while a pandemic rages, face what to do about their mortgage, their rent payment, their credit card bill and their other debts. Local, state and federal governments have announced a variety of aid programs to help debtors through this dark period. But like the response to the coronavirus itself, … Read more
One night in 2009, Madelaine Sattlefield lifted an 80-pound tray of letters carefully sorted by Missouri ZIP code. She had done this task thousands of times in nine years, but on this night, her arm seared with pain and went limp by her side. The tray crashed and sent envelopes cascading around her. She could … Read more
It’s no secret: seniors are working at historic rates. Almost a quarter of seniors are now in the job market, up 18% from 10 years ago, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this to increase over the next eight years. Relatedly, unemployment for seniors has dropped to an impressive 2.6%, below the national rate of 3.5%. At … Read more
As the Director of IT, it often took me less than that. Before retiring, I worked a wide variety of jobs in the tech sector. One of them included managing an information technology department for a healthcare not-for-profit, and hiring staff was a big responsibility. Hiring the right staff was crucial to our success. As the … Read more
Today’s business word of the day is “miscommunication.” According to the unabridged English language version of the Collins English Dictionary, the definition of miscommunication is, “a failure to communicate effectively.” Related words from the thesaurus include “misperception” and “flounder.” While there’s a strong chance you already knew that on a basic level, you might not have … Read more
Earnings for employees with only an associate’s degree are 28% — or $336 a week — less than what a typical bachelor’s degree holder makes, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Unemployment rates for those with an associate’s are also slightly higher. Still, you might consider skipping a four-year degree to avoid a large student … Read more
Rent prices have increased by 2% to 4% nationwide each year since 2011, according to CoreLogic. While gains in federal and state minimum wage rules have somewhat mitigated the bite for lower-wage earners in certain areas, it’s often not enough to compete with the rising cost of housing. Meanwhile, the population of renters has increased, … Read more
The United States lost 5.7 million manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2010, reducing the nation’s manufacturing employment base by nearly a third. These job losses and their causes have been well documented in the popular press and in academic circles. Less well recognized is the modest yet significant rebound in manufacturing jobs that has been … Read more
Student loan debt is crushing the dreams and futures of so many students. People are marching towards college with an expectation it will solve everything. The reality is Maybe You Should Not Go to College. Having a college degree can be a plus but keep in mind that about 75 percent of people with student … Read more
A few weeks ago, Verizon placed an ad on Facebook to recruit applicants for a unit focused on financial planning and analysis. The ad showed a smiling, millennial-aged woman seated at a computer and promised that new hires could look forward to a rewarding career in which they would be “more than just a number.” … Read more
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York just released the following article that I found fascinating. Its more support about how jobs are changing in America and why higher skilled workers, even in retail, are needed and better compensated. The big issue I often hear from people is one of victimization, and I get it. … Read more