Tim McMahon, Editor of UnemploymentData.com

My grandfather lived through the Hyperinflation in Weimar, Germany--to say he was an original “gold bug” would be an understatement. I began reading his “hard money” newsletters at the age of 16 and the dividends from gold stocks helped put me through college. I began publishing the Financial Trend Forecaster paper newsletter in 1995 upon the death of James Moore editor of Your Window into the Future and the creator of the Moore Inflation Predictor©. FTF specializes in trends in the stock market, gold, inflation and bonds. In January of 2003, I began publishing InflationData.com to specialize in all forms of information about the nature of Inflation. In 2009, we added Elliott Wave University to help teach you the principles of Elliott Wave analysis. In January 2013, we began publishing OptioMoney. Connect with Tim on Google+.

New Careers in Workforce Management

September 7, 2021 by Tim McMahon

What is Workforce Management?

Workforce management (WFM) involves the efficient staffing, forecasting, scheduling, and real-time changes in personnel that a company needs. The goal of workforce management is to have the “right number of people, in the right location at the right time, doing the right work”.

With the right technology, processes, and procedures, you can successfully manage your staff for optimum performance and reduce labor costs. However, workforce management is an art as well as a science. It is more than just creating timetables; it is a highly automated procedure that provides you with the necessary information to make educated choices. WFM can be taught and continually built upon to provide consistently excellent outcomes, and there are many reasons why you should study it. Read on to find out more.

“right number of people, in the right location at the right time, doing the right work”.

The Workforce Is Changing

Obviously, the conventional workforce is undergoing significant change right now. The COVID-19 pandemic imposed the need for social distancing, which has hastened the acceptance of remote working. This will likely have a long-lasting impact on workforce organization and management in the coming years.

Over the last several years, the traditional nine-to-five workforce has been gradually replaced by more flexible employment schedules, including remote working. As a result, many workers may work from home, arrive early, or leave late, and essentially establish their own work hours to better fit their personal schedules.

As the workforce evolves, it will become more challenging to manage, especially if you need to manage employees, freelancers, and/or subcontractors. Thus staffing and scheduling are becoming more complicated than ever before. With all these considerations, businesses may consider hiring someone with a graduate certificate in distributed workforce management. [Read more…] about New Careers in Workforce Management

August Unemployment Improves as Pandemic Benefits Expire

September 4, 2021 by Tim McMahon

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their employment / unemployment report for August.

Unadjusted U-3 was Down from 5.7% to 5.3%
Adjusted U-3 was Down from 5.4% to 5.2%
Unadjusted U-6 was Down from 9.6% to 8.9%
Labor Force Participation unchanged at 61.7%
Unadjusted Employment rose from 146.544 million to 146.856 million

The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which extends unemployment benefits by up to 24 weeks for those who have exhausted regular unemployment aid, and the $300 weekly supplement to state unemployment benefits, are due to expire on September 6. This may be the motivation some unemployed individuals needed to get back to work. Many have complained that the government assistance was paying certain people at the lower end of the payscale more to stay home than they could earn by going to work.

According to the Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 235,000 in August, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 5.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. So far this year, monthly job growth has averaged 586,000. In August, notable job gains occurred in professional and business services, transportation and warehousing, private education, manufacturing, and other services. Employment in retail trade declined over the month.

As usual, they are talking about “Seasonally Adjusted Jobs” from the “Current Population Survey (CPS)” rather than looking at the results reported by actual companies in their “Current Employment Statistics survey (CES)”

But looking at the CES report we see…

Originally the BLS reported 146.470 for July which they adjusted to 146.544 million. For August they are currently saying employment is 146.856 million which is actually an increase of 386,000 jobs based on their original estimates or an increase of 312,000 based on their updated numbers.

5 Ways to Boost Your Career in Digital Marketing

August 26, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Digital marketing is currently one of the fastest-paced industries out there and has become an increasingly popular career choice over the last few decades. With the last year showing us that the internet, online shopping, and remote access to the things we need are crucial to modern life, digital marketing is busier and bigger than ever before. But like any line of work, if you want to be successful, you need to work hard and set yourself apart from everyone else in the industry.

The world of digital marketing is unrelenting and so if you want to do well, you need to be determined too. To give you a few ideas, we have put together this informative guide on ways that you can develop your own skills and experience and boost your career in digital marketing.

https://youtu.be/nPeRJvosIZM

Keep Learning and Advancing Your Digital Marketing Skill Set

With more people than ever before [Read more…] about 5 Ways to Boost Your Career in Digital Marketing

How Military Service Can Set You up for a Good Education/Career

August 19, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Military service usually lasts more than two years, which will put you in a good position to apply to schools. Military service can provide students with skills and opportunities that they wouldn’t have otherwise. It could be easy for them to get into a school after their service because they already have the experience and connections that are necessary for admissions.

Benefits of Joining the Military

Military service often means leaving home and moving away from family members, friends, and other personal supports that may not be easily replaced elsewhere. After serving your country, you have two options. For some, military service is a way to become more independent and make a career for yourself. Others become officers in order to continue to serve their country. In short, there are many opportunities that can help you with your current financial situation.

Acquiring a Military Education

Online colleges for military education are not just a means to help students get into a good university or college. [Read more…] about How Military Service Can Set You up for a Good Education/Career

What to Know When Leaving Your Job

August 13, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Many people are unhappy with their jobs. It’s not that they don’t like their line of work; it’s just their workplace that upsets them. Sometimes, it’s the company atmosphere or coworkers, and, sometimes, it’s just the boss. Even if nothing is wrong with the company, sometimes you have to switch jobs every few years in order to get ahead.

Unless you are making very good career progress, your growth and learning can be limited when you continue working at the same place. Many companies would rather hire a new employee than give a raise to an existing team member.

Know Your Rights

The company is liable to offer you certain benefits even when you are leaving. Some are committed and some are not. You should know the agreements you had with the company when they hired you. You should know the difference between getting fired and resigning.

If the company fired you, even if with a notice, they will have to pay you a severance package. You might not get any benefits if you have resigned yourself because you are leaving them. If you’ve had a disagreement with your employer or HR department, to properly understand your rights and ensure you get what you deserve from the employer, consider getting the help of employment lawyers to guide you.

Here is an excellent video if you live in Canada:

“Pretexts” for Firing

Sometimes companies will create a “pretext” or [Read more…] about What to Know When Leaving Your Job

Unemployment Falls in July

August 7, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Highlights from the August 6^th Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment / unemployment report for July.

Unadjusted U-3 was Down from 6.1% to 5.7%
Adjusted U-3 was Down from 5.9% to 5.4%
Unadjusted U-6 was Down from 10.1% to 9.6%
Labor Force Participation UP from 61.6% to 61.7%
Unadjusted Employment fell from 146.603 million to 146.470 million

Getting Cisco Certified to Improve Your Job Prospects

August 5, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Top Benefits of Cisco Certification

Are you wondering how useful a Cisco certification can be? Or do you have questions about its popularity in the IT industry and how it can help you excel in your career? Well, here are some answers to your questions related to Cisco and their certificates. By becoming a Cisco Certified specialist, you will open doors to opportunities in the IT sector with high compensation. This IT giant is well recognized and respected all over the world. It is considered a top-notch company offering different tech solutions to businesses. So, once you achieve any Cisco certification, you can share it on your profile to attract potential employers, which will give you a chance to work in a reputable international organization. But what are other perks you’ll gain with a certificate from Cisco?

Advantages of Pursuing Cisco Designation

Apart from simply opening doors, some other top benefits that you should know about getting a Cisco certification are:

Enhanced Salary Offers

If you successfully pass the Cisco Certification exams, you will have proof of your skills in the form of a Cisco certificate. As a rule, employers make better salary offers to Cisco certified specialists over someone who isn’t certified. Thus, the starting salary of the Cisco specialist is around $79k per year as revealed by ZipRecruiter. No matter which level of Cisco certification you attain, you will be [Read more…] about Getting Cisco Certified to Improve Your Job Prospects

4 Finance Jobs That Can Make a Great Career

July 17, 2021 by Tim McMahon

For those who are interested in making a significant amount of money, it should come as no surprise that a career in finance can be a good path to take.

Listed below are some interesting finance jobs that you could consider when pursuing a career in this field.

1. Credit Analyst

For those who are unfamiliar with this role, it involves working for a bank or similarly large financial institution. Credit Analysts are responsible for collecting a loan applicant’s income information, credit history, and payment history to determine if they are eligible for loan approval. Once the credit analyst has compiled this information, they create a loan application and submit it to a loan officer for final approval. According to indeed, a credit analyst makes an average of $56,193/yr. A Credit Analyst generally requires the “Certified Credit and Risk Analyst certification”.

The National Association of Credit Management offers other certifications that can improve your career opportunities as a credit analyst:

Credit Business Associate
Certified Credit Executive
Credit Business Fellow

Other Certifications include:

Credit Risk Certification, offered by the Risk Management Association
Credit Risk Analysis Professional Certificate, offered by the New York Institute of Finance

Creating a Personal Brand for Your Success

July 6, 2021 by Tim McMahon

It can be difficult to make yourself stand out in a world where everyone is on social media, everyone is competing for jobs, and everyone is trying to figure out where they fit into the world. You might find yourself being pulled in different directions and offered a lot of conflicting advice about how to present yourself professionally. This can be incredibly overwhelming, but it is important today to have a personal brand that you can use to promote yourself as a professional so you can reach your career goals. So what is a “personal brand”? Basically, it is what you are known for i.e. your reputation. You are probably already known for certain things among your friends, and relatives. But you may or may not already have a professional reputation. The key is to create your “personal brand” before one is created for you.

If you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to creating a personal brand, here are a few simple steps to get you started.

1. What Are You Trying to Say?

The first thing you need to figure out when developing a personal brand is what are you trying to say? Think about your passions as an individual, and how has this shaped your life. What has led you to pursue this particular career path? It might be worth taking the time to sit down and create a mind-map or list of things that you think represent you and have inspired you throughout your lifetime, as these can all be used as a base for your brand.

2. Research

Once you have an idea of what you’re trying to say with [Read more…] about Creating a Personal Brand for Your Success