Spokane Jobs Due For A Downturn, Work Survey Says
Job hunting could get a little tougher in Spokane during the first quarter of the new year.
A survey by Manpower Inc. found that only 10 percent of Spokane businesses plan to add to their work force in January, February or March. More than twice as many — 23 percent — are planning cutbacks, while 64 percent plan no adjustments. The rest are unsure of their plans.
Job opportunities locally won’t be nearly as robust as statewide, according to Manpower’s survey. Spokane is one of only two metropolitan areas in the state expecting a net decrease in hiring. The other is the Everett/Lynnwood area, hit hard by Boeing cutbacks.
Best prospects for local job-seekers: transportation/public utilities and education. Worst prospects: construction, durable goods manufacturing, finance/insurance/real estate and services. The outlook is mixed for wholesale/retail trade.
No place like home
Lured by incentives such as zero travel time, a liberal dress code and flexible hours, some 25 million American workers have opted to launch their own home-based business. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, that number will double in the next 10 years. Neophytes planning to take the plunge can pick up a few pointers from “Home-Based Business,” a book by James Rue. The book is available for $19 plus $3 shipping and handling, from Jama International, P.O. Box 1310, Rockville, Md., 20849.
Learning to cope
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a new tool to help employers survive the tight labor market. The chamber’s “Workforce Development Program Resource Directory” provides a list of programs available to help chambers of commerce and businesses fill their labor needs. To purchase a copy of the directory, which costs $19.95, call Chris Bober of the U.S. Chamber’s Center for Workforce Development at (202) 463-5548.
Dressing down
The suit and tie, still the uniform of choice for many men in corporate America, may be going the way of the 32-cent postage stamp.
More than 40 percent of hiring executives surveyed by Management Recruiters International said the suit and tie would vanish from the workplace - not in 1999 but in the next 10 years.
The executives say a trend that has broadened from “casual Fridays” to “casual summers” to “year-round casual” is unstoppable.