Job market improves for those seeking work in 2011
It may be hard to tell, but the job market did improve slightly in 2010. While the outlook is generally positive for 2011, those who made a New Year's resolution to find a new job in 2011 will face a challenging employment market, according to global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
Hiring is expected to continue to ramp up in 2011, but this will not necessarily make finding a position any easier. In fact, the job market could be even more competitive, as improving job prospects entice people who abandoned their job searches out of frustration to re-enter the labor pool. Competition will also come from an increasing number of job seekers who are employed but looking for greener pastures.
For those resolving to find a new job in 2011, the barrage of negative employment news can make it seem like an impossible goal. It is not. The key to success is to take an active approach and make your own opportunities. A passive strategy of surfing Internet job boards and e-mailing resumes will be ineffective in this market.
There are several positive market indicators heading into 2011. Planned job cuts are down about 60 percent from a year ago, with employers announcing 497,969 layoffs through November, compared to 1,242,936 at the same point in 2009. Over the past six months, job cuts averaged about 39,900 per month -- levels not seen since 2000.
Additionally, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that, as of November, private-sector employers have experienced 11 consecutive months of net employment gains.
Unfortunately, hiring is still not robust enough to make a noticeable dent in unemployment. But this does not mean that hiring is nonexistent. In fact, government surveys of companies show that employers are hiring about 4 million new workers every month.
It is important to understand that those who find jobs are not going to do it by simply responding to Internet job ads. Likewise, those who want to keep their positions in the new year are not going to do so by flying under the radar. It will take a more aggressive approach that goes beyond most people's comfort zones.
The other key to succeeding in your New Year's job-related resolutions is to set specific objectives and reasonable deadlines for achieving them. Instead of making it your goal to find a new job, focus on the smaller steps needed to get that job. For instance, resolve to join a professional association or find other ways to meet 10 new people in your field.
