Seattle Jobs Supported by Local Leaders

Seattle jobs are being supported by a multi-state effort along the Pacific Coast.

Gov. Chris Gregoire - along with leaders from California, Oregon and British Columbia - recently signed a series of joint actions that will help create jobs, strengthen the Pacific Coast economy, advance action on climate change and clean energy, and protect the marine environment.

The leaders met during the Leaders' Forum of the Pacific Coast Collaborative, which was established during 2008 by British Columbia's Premier and Pacific Coast Governors to forge a partnership for leadership, co-operative action and a common voice on issues affecting the Pacific Coast region.

"Those of us here today recognize the challenges of a changing climate and a changing economy," Gregoire said. "By acting together, we can show the world that it is possible, and necessary, to embrace solutions that address both."

The leaders signed two action plans, including the Action Plan on Innovation, the Environment and the Economy, and the Action Plan on Ocean Conservation and Coastal Climate Change Adaptation.

The first plan outlines a series of co-operative initiatives to promote renewable and low carbon energy and energy conservation, including developing Interstate 5 and Highway 99 as a green transportation corridor.

The plan also promotes development of high-speed rail from San Diego to Vancouver and the move to "Green Ports" through co-operation to reduce local air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

The second plan focuses on co-operation on invasive species, reductions in toxins and other pollutants, promoting sustainable fisheries management and research into impacts from climate change and adaptation options.

Leaders also released a "Vision 2030" paper to serve as a living document for the Pacific Coast Collaborative. The paper outlines a strategic vision for the future of Pacific North America and regional collaboration.

Finally, leaders unveiled a shared PCC Web site to facilitate regional sharing of information and best practices between governments and with citizens.

St. Louis Nursing Jobs Prep Snags Funding

A new round of funding will support out-of-work residents who want to train for St Louis nursing jobs.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently awarded more than $4.69 million to Maryville University from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will be used to provide nursing and other healthcare training for dislocated and unemployed workers.

Maryville University is a four-year, private university located in west St. Louis County. The school has many healthcare-related undergraduate programs, including: biomedical science, biomedical engineering, music therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pre-dentistry, pre-medicine, pre-optometry and rehabilitation services.

The school's healthcare-related graduate programs include: music therapy; nursing; nursing with a concentration in adult nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner or nursing education; rehabilitation counseling; occupational therapy; and doctor of physical therapy.

According to an article by the St. Louis Business Journal, the grant is part of more than $225 million in healthcare and high-growth training funding meant to allow community colleges, community-based organizations, state workforce agencies and other public entities to provide training that leads to employment in healthcare and other growing industries.

Each project supported by the funding - in its sixth and final round - will target regional populations, with $25 million reserved specifically for projects serving communities impacted by automotive industry restructuring.

Although the healthcare industry in St. Louis has remained strong throughout the economic recession, the local economy as a whole could use the additional jobs.

The city's education and health services industry employed 218,900 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the same as during November and a 1.3 percent increase from December 2008.

During December, St. Louis's unemployment rate remained steady at 9.8 percent, following an increase from 9.7 percent during November. The city's current rate was only slightly lower than the national unemployment rate at the time of 10 percent, although that number has now declined to 9.7 percent.

St. Louis had a total non-farm employment of 1,320,400 workers during December, which is down from 1,322,100 workers during November and a 2.5 percent decrease from the previous year.

Baltimore Jobs Saved by UMMC

Hundreds of people who were in danger of losing their Baltimore jobs have learned they will be saved by a local university medical center.

Aramark recently announced that it will lay off about 450 workers during April when the University of Maryland Medical Center plans to begin handling its own food services and housekeeping.

However, the hospital has now offered those employees a chance to keep their jobs. R. Keith Allen, senior vice president of human resources at UMMC, said the workers would not receive a cut in pay or benefits if hired by the hospital or its affiliate, University Specialty Hospital.

"We are in the process of interviewing all of those employees who would like to keep working here," he told The Baltimore Sun. "We are pleased that there will be no erosion of the job base."

Philadelphia-based Aramark provides services ranging from cafeteria management to landscaping. The company laid off 113 employees during December 2009 as a concessions contract with the Baltimore Convention Center ended and it lost the bid for a new contract to Centerplate.

Aramark also told the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation that it would have to fire another 609 people if the company's concessions contract with Oriole Park at Camden Yards is not renewed.

During December 2009, the Baltimore-Towson area's unemployment rate remained at 7.6 percent, following a decrease from 7.7 percent during November. The area's current rate was lower than the national unemployment rate at the time of 10 percent, although that rate has now dropped to 9.7 percent.

The Baltimore area had a total non-farm employment of 1,284,900 workers during December, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,287,800 workers during November and a 1.8 percent decrease from December 2008.

Jobs in Miami Ranked 45th

A new report from Forbes ranks the chances of getting jobs in Miami among the worst in the country.

In its "America's Best and Worst Job Markets" report, Forbes assessed each metro area's overall labor market health by combining the current Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment rate with the Juju.com ratios for each area.

Every month, Juju.com determines the ratio of job seekers to job openings in each metro area by compiling a list of job openings and dividing them into the number of unemployed people in that area.

Miami was ranked 45th for its job market, making it one of the worst in the nation. The city currently has an unemployment rate of 10.9 percent and 13.8 job seekers per open position. Why is what once was one of the hottest cities in the country in this position?

"Overbuilt real estate and a slump in tourism and hospitality have taken a toll on this Sun Belt destination," Forbes states. "This year's Super Bowl has hotels and restaurants filled for a few days, but it all goes poof after Sunday."

The 10 worst job markets in the nation include:
41. Tampa, Fla.
42. Portland, Ore.
43. Orlando, Fla.
44. Los Angeles, Calif.
45. Miami, Fla.
46. Providence, R.I.
47. Sacramento, Calif.
48. Riverside, Calif.
49. Las Vegas, Nev.
50. Detroit, Mich.

On the flip side, the top 10 job markets are:
1. Washington, D.C.
2. Salt Lake City, Utah
3. Oklahoma City, Okla.
4. Baltimore, Md.
5. San Antonio, Texas
6. Austin, Texas
7. Denver, Colo.
8. Boston, Mass.
9. Pittsburgh, Pa.
10. Hartford, Conn.

Sarasota Jobs See Biggest Increase in Online Ads

As Southwest Florida and the state as a whole saw an impressive jump in the number of job openings posted online last month, there were more Sarasota jobs available than positions in any other county in the area.

A recent report from The Conference Board found that there were 5,574 online job advertisements during January in Sarasota County. While that may not seem like a large number, it is almost a 102 percent increase from last year.

The positions in Sarasota County that saw the biggest increase in ads were: Web developers, executive secretaries and administrative assistants, medical secretaries, telemarketers, and waiters and waitresses.

During December 2009, the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice area's unemployment rate decreased from 12.6 percent to 12.5 percent, following an increase from 12.3 percent during November. That increase keeps the area's unemployment rate higher than the national rate of 10 percent.

The area had a total non-farm employment of 250,900 workers during December, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 250,100 workers during November, but a 5 percent decrease from December 2008.

The Conference Board report further found there were 3,304 advertised openings in Manatee County, a 58 percent increase from the previous year, and 1,202 positions available in Charlotte County, a 50 percent increase from January 2009.

Throughout Florida as a whole, there were 212,500 advertised online job openings during January, accounting for a 35.5 percent increase from last year and a 14 percent increase from December 2009. That month-over-month jump was the largest increase for any state except California and the biggest monthly gain since the Conference Board began keeping track of data in 2005.

Unfortunately, the competition for those available jobs is still fierce, as there are 5.81 unemployed Floridians for every job opening, second only to Michigan, with 9.07 unemployed people for every available job.

Personal Assistant Training in the Celebrity World

There are many opportunities when it comes to personal assistant training, but being a celebrity personal assistant is perhaps one of the more lucrative and popular choices.

Many of the tasks performed by a celebrity personal assistant are the same as those performed by any other personal assistant, therefore many of the steps you should take while preparing for your career are the same.

Here are 10 steps you can take to become a celebrity personal assistant, as compiled by FabJob.com:

1. Choose a type of celebrity - There are a variety of people who need to hire personal assistants, including: actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, directors, authors and motivational speakers. It helps to work for someone in a field that interests you, because you will have more to offer and be more appealing to your employer.
2. Develop pertinent skills - You need to know a little bit abut everything, including how to use the Internet and technology, how to organize, proper etiquette, how to plan a party and how to purchase gifts.
3. Take training - Although there are no formal education programs for celebrity personal assistants, you can take courses in related programs, such as computers, household management and event planning. There also are some companies that offer training courses.
4. Gain experience - You can get a lot of experience by working as a regular personal assistant.
5. Find a job opening - Use your networking skills to let everyone know you're searching for a job. You can often find potential opportunities by volunteering, working as a production assistant on a movie set or simply searching through job listings.
6. Contact a celebrity - It's often hard to get in contact with a celebrity, but you can usually reach a publicist, agent or current personal assistant. You can ask these people if the celebrity they represent has any openings or if they know anyone who does.
7. Avoid common mistakes - Having a script, or outline of what you want to say, during the networking process can help you sound like a professional and avoid disclosing too much information or sounding too eager. It will help you focus on what you have to offer.
8. Join an agency - Once you find an agency that suits you, e-mail someone within the agency to ask how you can become a personal assistant for someone they represent.
9. Ace the interview - The final decision usually comes down to whether or not your personality will match with the celebrity you would be assisting.
10. Join professional organizations - There are some professional organizations that assist celebrity personal assistants with their careers. You can join one of these organizations after becoming an assistant.