Texas Sales Jobs Supported by Exports

The amount of money brought in by exported goods not only supports numerous Texas sales jobs (Click here), but has kept the state ahead of the rest of the nation for many years.

A new report from the U.S. Department of Commerce found that Texas was the number one exporting state in the nation last year, a designation the state has earned for nine years in a row. The state's exports bring in hundreds of billions of dollars and support countless jobs, from sales employment opportunities (Click here) to manufacturing positions.

"Texas' ranking as the nation's top exporter for nine years running is a testament to our strong economy and the importance of upholding low taxes, reasonable regulations, a fair legal system and an equipped workforce," Gov. Rick Perry said.

"Although Texas has not been immune to the global recession, our commitment to these priorities has helped make us the best place to live, work and raise a family, and businesses looking to escape over-taxation and over-regulation know they can come to Texas for a better chance at success," he added.

During 2010, exports from Texas brought in more than $206.6 billion, a 26.7 percent increase from the $162.9 billion worth of exports during 2009. Computers and electronics, chemicals, petroleum and coal, machinery, and transportation equipment were the state's top exports last year.

Mexico was the biggest recipient of exports from Texas, importing $72.3 billion worth of goods. That was followed by Canada at $18.6 billion, China at $10.2 billion, Brazil at $7.1 billion, and South Korea at $6.4 billion.

Gilbert Arizona Jobs Saved by Shorter Workweek

Instituting a shorter workweek could help to save some Gilbert Arizona jobs.

Throughout the economic downturn, many government entities have been looking for new ways to save money and cut down on costs, and one of the most popular solutions is to allow employees to work fewer days during the week.

The Town of Gilbert is the latest to jump on board. At a recent meeting, the Town Council unanimously approved a plan that will allow employees to work four days per week, with most government offices being open longer Monday through Thursday and closed on Friday.

According to an article by The Arizona Republic, the plan is expected to save taxpayer money and boost employee morale. In fact, about 61 percent of town employees say they support the change, while 22 percent oppose it and 16 percent are neutral.

About 600 of the town's 1,100 employees are already operating under the four-day workweek, while the remainder will make the switch by July. Some departments affected by the change have already reported cost savings.

Several other cities in the metro Phoenix area already offer a four-day workweek, including Mesa, Queen Creek, Peoria, Avondale, Fountain Hills, Buckeye, and Surprise.

Casino Jobs in India Created by MGM

A popular company is creating more casino jobs abroad.

MGM Hospitality recently announced its plans to open the MGM Grand and Skylofts New Delhi - the company's first hotel in India. The project will create many new temporary construction jobs and many more permanent full-time positions.

MGM will work with Silver Resort Hotel India Private Limited to operate the multi-hotel development, which will feature 480 rooms, as well as some suites and apartments. The hotel is currently slated to open in the beginning of 2014.

"This announcement is of particular significance as it marks our company's entry into the burgeoning India marketplace," Gamal Aziz, president and CEO of MGM Hospitality, told the Las Vegas Sun. "Our brands are known the world over, but being welcomed into a new nation is always exciting, especially one with a hospitality market as dynamic as India's."

While the new casino is good news for MGM and India, it's bad news for Las Vegas, where the company is headquartered. The local economy has continued to suffer the long-lasting effects of the economic recession and would have benefited if the new casino were built in Las Vegas instead of India.

During December, the Las Vegas area's unemployment rate grew from 14.3 percent to 14.9 percent, which was well above the national average at the time of 9.4 percent. The city continues to have one of the worst unemployment rates in the nation.

The Las Vegas-Paradise area employed 797,600 workers during December, which is up from 795,700 workers during November, but a 1.6 percent decrease from the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

MGM formed what is now known as MGM Hospitality in 2007 in an effort to explore business opportunities in international markets. The group expects to acquire the management of 42 hotels throughout the world during the next decade.

The company opened the MGM Grand Macau at the end of 2007 and is working on acquiring the management of hotels in Vietnam, Dubai, and Egypt during the near future.

Jobs in Dallas TX are Major Focus Through 2015

Creating more jobs in Dallas TX (Click here) will be a major focus during the next five years.

At its annual meeting last week, the Dallas Regional Chamber announced the organization's top priority for the next five years will be economic development, including a focus on important issues like job creation and education.

"This region is in better shape than the rest of the country," DRC Chairman Mike Baggett said. "We've had more success than just about any other area. We're going to take that and build on it and make it better."

According to an article by the Dallas Business Journal, the DRC plans to:

• Add more jobs in Dallas than any other region in the United States by 2015
• Become a top five region for new technology jobs
• Make Dallas a top 10 region for Fortune Global 500 headquarters
• Make the area a top three region for major public and private American headquarters
• Improve the high school graduation rate throughout the Dallas Independent School District from 67 percent to 80 percent
• Increase the number of Dallas residents who hold advanced degrees from 10 percent to 15 percent

All of these measures should benefit the Dallas area's economy, which has continued to fare better than most of the rest of the country, especially since the economic downturn has ended.

During December, the Dallas area's unemployment rate dropped from 8.3 percent to 8 percent, which is well below the national average of 9.4 percent.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Dallas-Plano-Irving area employed a total of 2,050,700 workers during December, which is up from 2,045,900 workers during November and a 1.4 percent increase from the previous year.

How to Get Radiology Jobs Treating Children

There are a ton of radiology jobs available, but students more interested in working with children may want to pursue a career in pediatric radiology.

Pediatric radiology is a specialty in the broader radiology field, in which medical professionals use a variety of radiation technology to look inside the human body. The practice is essential to many types of medicine and is particularly useful for diagnosing such diseases as cancer.

Those studying pediatric radiology will learn how radiation technology can be used to diagnose and treat diseases in children. According to an article by Education-Portal.com, the easiest path to a career in this field is to participate in a pediatric radiology fellowship program.

However, before that can happen, students must obtain a bachelor's degree and graduate from medical school. Those two programs together typically take about eight years to complete. After graduation, most students complete a medical residency, and then go on to participate in a fellowship.

Unlike a typical degree program, fellowships are meant to offer hands-on training in the student's area of expertise. Aside from attending some classes, students in a pediatric radiology fellowship will learn how to use state-of-the-art equipment, as well as attend seminars and conferences.

Students can expect to learn about and gain first-hand experience in:

• Ultrasound
• Nuclear medicine
• Interventional radiology
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Computed tomography
• Fluoroscopy
• Body imaging
• Cardiac imaging
• Fetal imaging
• Neuroimaging

Once the fellowship is complete, students can become licensed and begin working as a pediatric radiologist. If you're still interested in working with children, but don't want a career in this field, consider looking into family therapy jobs (Click here) as well.