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+.

How to Become a Hairstylist: A Career Guide

June 7, 2021 by Tim McMahon

When your friends need help looking great before they go out on the town, they turn to you. You’re not an experienced hairstylist by any means, but you do know how to cut and style the hair to some degree. You’ve always thought about going to beauty school, but you’ve been worried about what goes into it.

You’re not sure how to become a hairstylist. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get to the point where you can have your own salon, but it’s doable.

We can help you get started down this exciting career path. Check out this guide to unlock all the secrets of becoming a hairstylist.

Get the Proper Training

Before you can become a certified salon stylist, you’ve got to get your license which often involves going to school. There should be community colleges in your area that offer programs in the field. Depending on what route you go in, your schooling could last anywhere between a few months to a few years.

It takes a while to learn everything you need to know about coloring, styling, sanitation, and shampooing. Some programs also offer classes in skincare, nails, and other areas of beauty.

Obtain Your License

You can’t begin working at a hair salon until you get your license to do so. You’ll qualify to take a licensing exam as soon as you exit school.

The exact specifications vary from state to state. In most cases, [Read more…] about How to Become a Hairstylist: A Career Guide

May Unemployment Down

June 5, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Highlights from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment / unemployment report for May released on June 4^th.

Unadjusted U-3 was Down from 5.7% to 5.5%
Adjusted U-3 was Down from 6.1% to 5.8%
Unadjusted U-6 was Down from 9.9% to 9.7%
Labor Force Participation fell from 61.7% to 61.6%
Unadjusted Employment rose from 144.412 million to 145.385 million

What Qualities Do You Need for a Career in Political Marketing?

June 2, 2021 by Tim McMahon

The world of politics is known for being ruthless, fickle, and incredibly stressful. While many people would run the other way from this career path, but, there are those who embrace the challenge, the excitement, and the possibility of ushering in real change. Perhaps you don’t like the idea of being a political figure but still want to be involved in politics. Perhaps you’d like a career where you get to remain behind the scenes? Then perhaps political marketing is the field for you.

What is Political Marketing?

Political marketing is a key component of politics. Every politician needs a political marketer from Presidents to members of local governments. Market research is used to decide on policies, to understand what the people they serve want. Voter profiling helps decide which segments to target and what political brand is necessary to attract that segment of the population. Internal marketing provides volunteer involvement, etc.

With that said, it takes more than just an interest in politics to succeed in political marketing. There are some specific qualities that can help you to excel in this career path and really make your mark. So, let’s take a look at the qualities needed to be a successful political marketer.

Be Extremely Digital Savvy

In today’s highly reliant digital world, it is absolutely imperative that you [Read more…] about What Qualities Do You Need for a Career in Political Marketing?

April Unemployment Report “Disappointing”

May 10, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Highlights from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment / unemployment report for April released on May 7^th.

Unadjusted U-3 was Down from 6.2% to 5.7%
Adjusted U-3 was Up from 6.0% to 6.1%
Unadjusted U-6 was Down from 10.9% to 9.9%
Labor Force Participation rose from 61.5% to 61.7%
Unadjusted Employment rose from 143.309 million to 144.398

MSN classified this unemployment report as “disappointing” and the “greatest test yet of President Biden’s strategy to revive the pandemic economic recovery“.
There has been speculation that expanded unemployment benefits are making people reluctant to renter the labor market since generous unemployment benefits are more than they earn at minimum wage jobs. To counteract this, states like Montana are canceling Federal COVID unemployment benefits in an effort to encourage people to go back to work.

According to CNBC: “Montana opts to end $300 unemployment boost. Other states may, too.”

CNBC KEY POINTS:

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, is ending participation in federal programs that expanded and raised unemployment benefits on June 27.
The American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill President Joe Biden signed in March, offered them through Labor Day.
Gianforte is instead offering a $1,200 return-to-work bonus to address a labor shortage. Some experts question the move.

Buried in the middle of the article is this quote:

“Montana is turning down expanded federal benefits to address a “severe workforce shortage,” Gianforte said. The state’s labor force is 10,000 workers smaller than before the pandemic and its 3.8% unemployment rate is near pre-Covid lows.

So despite the fact that “Some ‘experts’ question the move” unemployment levels are not “disappointing” in Montana at least, in fact, quite the opposite… they are having trouble finding workers.

March Unemployment Shows a Slight Improvement

April 3, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Highlights from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment / unemployment report for March released on April 2^nd.

Unadjusted U-3 was Down from 6.6% to 6.2%
Adjusted U-3 was Down from 6.2% to 6.0%
Unadjusted U-6 was Down from 11.6% to 10.9%
Labor Force Participation rose from 61.4% to 61.5%
Unadjusted Employment rose from 142.077 million to 143.400 million

Fleet Management 101: What Does It Take to Do It Well?

March 30, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Being a fleet manager is no easy task. It can be stressful, fast-paced, and it’s easy to stumble. Experience counts, but so does the personal character of the manager and how they approach each day. But being a Fleet Manager can be an excellent career choice.

As a Fleet Manager you make a difference by leading and developing a group of drivers. You lead your fleet in achieving safety and meeting service, revenue, and retention goals. As a leader, you develop strong relationships with your drivers, anticipate needs, take proactive steps to ensure positive outcomes, and manage performance. This is incredibly rewarding work that will provide you with a high level of personal and professional satisfaction. A fleet manager with a few years of experience can make between $50,000 and $65,000.

Here is what it takes to be a great fleet manager.

Adaptability

Being adaptable to changing demands, the ability to drop everything to troubleshoot a problem immediately, and to confidently work the problem, is key. Being stuck in the mud and unwilling to adapt won’t cut it as a fleet manager.

The demands will come thick and fast. There might be supplier issues, driver management problems, or issues with the vehicles themselves. Changes in legislation, budget cuts, and technology upgrades all play a role here. It’s the opposite of a static, never-changing situation when working in fleet management.

Therefore, it’s best when the person savors the challenge and doesn’t want every workday to be the same as the one that came before it.

A Strong Communicator

As someone in a senior position, the fleet manager will be dealing with upper management who will expect much and have little tolerance for excuses. When something does inevitably go wrong, he or she must be able to discuss it clearly, explain the issue and how they aim to resolve it (or did resolve it).

With drivers, there’s a need to not just see the job as cars and fuel needs. Drivers, their needs, their strengths, possible weaknesses, and other factors all play a part. Matching the right driver to the right assignment gets better results too. So, being too distant from the drivers will be a hindrance.

Talking with suppliers and other contacts is also important. Some will be a little rough around the edges. Therefore, the fleet manager must be adaptable to different styles of communication too.

Protect the Vehicles from Damage

The first line of defense with fleet management is to protect the value of the fleet itself. Certainly, there’s Fleet insurance but rates increase if your drivers are “high risk”. So your responsibility is to ensure that your drivers drive safely not just for the company’s benefit but for the driver’s own safety as well. A company like Quotezone.co.uk can help you access a range of ideal policies from different insurers to find the right one.

Ensure Fleet Vehicles Are Checked & Maintained Well

A driver is only as good as the vehicle they’re driving. When the fleet vehicle has been poorly maintained and infrequently checked for fresh issues, that leads to breakdowns on the road. This is especially true when the fleet is rented out rather than used by the company itself.

Also, drivers should have a way to report problems with the vehicle. These must be quickly followed up by a workshop to look at the problem, replicate it, and then resolve it.

An effectively managed fleet of vehicles can support a business in a variety of ways. But when fleet management is done poorly, things can quickly fall apart. So, the right person must be put in the position to get the right results.

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6 Tips to Help You in a Successful Job Interview

March 12, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Nowadays, it’s become easy to search for jobs on the internet. So, people looking to escape the high cost of living in California can search for a job in Texas, Florida, or even Idaho. And if you live in snowy New England, you can search Maui job openings to locate the perfect job in sunny Hawaii.

After submitting your resume and getting accepted, then comes the job interview. Unfortunately, before you can get that perfect job there is one more hurdle… the job interview. But, there is a lot of competition among the others who are also interviewing for that same job. Here are some tips that you can use to have a successful job interview.

Do Your Research:

Make sure to do some research about the company you are interviewing with. If you know about things like their mission and products, it can help show your determination. It allows you to give well-informed and relevant answers to their questions.

When your employer asks you a question about why you want to work at the company, you should tailor your answer according to their goals and objectives. Remember, whenever you are trying to sell anything (including yourself) you need to present it to the customer (or interviewer) as “WIIFM” (What’s in it for me) with the “me” being the company in this case.

For example, if you are good at marketing you could show them how hiring you will help their bottom line.

Practice, Practice, Practice:

Practice ahead of time, before you go [Read more…] about 6 Tips to Help You in a Successful Job Interview

February Employment Shows Improvement in Leisure and Hospitality

March 6, 2021 by Tim McMahon

Highlights from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment / unemployment report for February released on March 5^th.

Unadjusted U-3 was Down from 6.8% to 6.6%
Adjusted U-3 was Down from 6.3% to 6.2%
Unadjusted U-6 was Down from 12.0% to 11.6%
Labor Force Participation held steady at 61.4%
Unadjusted Employment rose from 140.948 million to 141.926 million

Start a Career in Financial Risk Management

February 23, 2021 by Tim McMahon

If you are business-minded and good with numbers, consider making a career change to financial risk management (FRM).

As the name suggests, a risk management analyst assesses strategies for businesses and determines appropriate risks. So, how do you start a financial risk management career?

Understanding Financial Risk Management

There’s almost always a risk when it comes to spending money. Typically, businesses and organizations have guidelines to manage those risks and attempt to protect their financial interests.

The roles of financial risk management specialists are:

predicting market trends that relate to the company
using risk management tools to study potential financial risks
potentially influencing company decisions

There are several categories of [Read more…] about Start a Career in Financial Risk Management