Thursday, October 9, 2008

NASWA taps into Scorelogix for Jobs Advice

National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) brought in Scorelogix, an expert on jobs and employability, as a panel member to its 72nd Annual Conference.


David Watral, Director of Business Development for Scorelogix, the pre-eminent authority on job security in the United States, joined Martha Stevenson, Director, E&T Technical Services, South Carolina Employment Security Commission, and Christopher J. O’Leary, Senior Economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, in a panel discussion on Skills Assessment Tools moderated by Thomas S. Whitaker, Deputy Chairman-Chief Deputy Commissioner of the North Carolina Employment Security Commission, at the 72nd Annual Conference of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) on September 18th.


Dr. Watral discussed how economy is the driver of jobs and how re-employability prospects are directly related to local economic conditions, demand and supply of talent, and the job-talent match. He also highlighted the challenges faced by the unemployed and how Scorelogix’s latest Re-Employability Score (RES) can help the unemployed find jobs faster. The RES is designed to assist the unemployed job seekers in gauging how saleable their skills and experiences are in the marketplace by providing them with a concrete measurement of their re-employability based on the job seeker’s personal profile and market outlook.


Dr. Watral acknowledged that unemployed job seekers are likely to be financially stressed and may be unable to pay for the RES, and announced that Scorelogix would make the RES available for free to all job seekers visiting any of the NASWA members’ websites. For this Scorelogix will provide free RES links which NASWA members can simply place in their site pages.


The 72nd Annual NASWA Conference took place in South Carolina between Sept 18-23, and featured speakers and panel discussions focused on innovations to meet workforce needs. Bob Simoneau, President of NASWA, noted that the economic crisis will have a “drastic” effect on the number of layoffs experienced in the near term.


As unemployment continues to rise, many more millions of Americans are in search of employment in an economic climate where jobs are getting scarce. Presently, 9.5 million Americans are unemployed and the national unemployment rate stands at a 5-year high of 6.1%. “The RES will help thousands of unemployed job seekers find jobs by giving them an objective snapshot of the demand for their skills in the current employment market” said Dr. Watral.


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Monday, September 29, 2008

Scorelogix Offering Free Re-Employability Score (RES) to Returning Military Personnel

Delaware Company specializing in predicting employment security is offering free Re-employability Score to all US veterans and military personnel returning from Iraq or Afghanistan in appreciation of their service to the nation.


Scorelogix, the pioneer in job security metrics and analysis, announced today that it is offering free Re-Employability Score (RES) to any US veteran, Reservist or National Guard member returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. “We are excited to offer this valuable tool at no cost to Veterans of the United States Military, in appreciation of their national service” said David Watral, Director of Business Development at Scorelogix.


Dr. Watral recently returned from the 72nd Annual Conference of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies where he was invited as a panel speaker on skills assessment. There he heard Charles Ciccolella, Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary of Veterans Employment and Training, speak about the challenges military personnel face in getting jobs and adjusting to civilian life, and it resonated well with Dr. Watral, who has a military background. Scorelogix had already entered into preliminary discussions with state and private organizations committed to helping veterans but Ciccolella’s presentation convinced him that Scorelogix should do more.


Unemployment among veterans is high and veterans face many hurdles when searching for a job. Dr. Michael Smith, an expert of veteran transition issues, in an interview on Military.com noted “four emergent themes or challenges …most veterans” face including “perceived lack of transferable skills, culture shock, employability, and financial concerns” And since Scorelogix is a leader in job outlook analytics, it realized that it was uniquely positioned to help veterans by helping them find jobs faster through by offering RES at no cost.


Scorelogix’s RES, which is based on a patent-pending statistical model, will greatly help returning military personnel in finding jobs by providing them a scientific analysis of their re-employability prospects based on their personal profiles and existing job markets. The RES also provides concrete recommendations on how to improve their chances of finding a job faster. “By offering our service through military-oriented job sites and other similar sites, we are helping those who have done so much for our country, besides it also helps Scorelogix gain visibility” says Dr. Watral. Non-veterans can also benefit from RES and can purchase their personal RES score and report for $19.95 for the Scorelogix website.

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Scorelogix Unveils New & Improved Re-employability Score

Scorelogix Unveils New & Improved Re-employability Score
The updated Re-employability Score is more user-friendly, offers more data and insights, and provides more in-depth advice and recommendations to the unemployed on how to improve their re-employment prospects.

Scorelogix, a Delaware based research and analytics company and an expert in job outlook forecasting, has updated its innovative Re-employability Score, popularly called the RES. The Re-employability Score is a measure of a person’s re-employment prospects in the next 12 months and it predicts how quickly an unemployed person is likely to become employed.

As unemployment continues to rise, many more millions of Americans are in search of employment in an economic climate where jobs are getting scarce. Presently, 9.5 million Americans are unemployed and the national unemployment rate stands at a 5-year high of 6.1%. The RES helps the unemployed find jobs by offering an objective snapshot of the demand for an individual’s skills in the current employment market.

“Finding a job is all about looking in the right place at the right time, and the RES gives job seekers just that kind of edge” says Suresh Annappindi, CEO of Scorelogix. For most individuals, the five most important factors affecting re-employability are location, occupation, educational background, age, and industry, and these are thoroughly analyzed in the Scorelogix RES score and report.

Like the older version, the new Re-employability Score (RES) uses Scorelogix’s patent-pending forecasting model to predict re-employment prospects for any unemployed individual based on his or her personal profile, economic data, and Scorelogix’s market outlook data. The RES rates an individual’s re-employment prospects on a scale from 0-500. A higher RES score indicates better re-employment prospects. The new RES is designed to offer users more easy-to-use data and charts, and it includes recommendations and actionable advice in a user friendly report format.

The personal RES score and report also shows how the individual ranks relative to other unemployed people. On average an unemployed person will remain unemployed for 17.5 weeks and 20% of all unemployed are unable to find jobs for over 6 months. However, by carefully targeting locations and industries which have better job markets, individuals can dramatically improve their job prospects, and that is where RES helps. The RES report offers exhaustive “what-if” RES scores for different locations, industries, occupations, etc, allowing the individual to develop a more effective job search strategy.

Media Contact:
Bill Dougherty
bill.dougherty@scorelogix.com
302 328 1210

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Nationwide JSI Continues Downward Trend


Nationwide Job Security Index Continues Downward Trend

3.3% Decline is Eighth Drop in Nine Months


The Scorelogix® Job Security Index™, a predictor of job security throughout the United State, declined 3.3% in August, the fourth such consecutive drop. These declines were widespread, affecting all nine US census regions, with more than 90% of all Occupational Categories tracked by Scorelogix recording negative growth.


Only two Occupational Categories managed to record positive growth in August. Construction and Extraction, as well as Installation, Maintenance, & Repair both increased in job security, 8.2% and 1.1% respectively.

Top Occupational Categories by Job Security Growth in August 2008 Occupational categories with the largest month-to-month increase in job security are listed

OCCUPATIONS

Aug-08

Jul-08

Jun-08

May-08

Apr-08

Mar-08

Aug-07

Construction and Extraction

64.3

59.4

46.5

29.1

4.5

-2.7

17.0

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

147.8

145.4

157.2

164.4

170.7

166.8

167.6

Management

195.0

197.3

198.1

198.7

203.7

202.8

202.7

Architecture and Engineering

193.9

196.3

197.1

197.7

202.8

201.9

201.8

Healthcare Support

149.6

152.3

156.3

159.9

161.2

153.6

151.3

Meanwhile, of the top five Industries by Job Security in August 2008, only mining experienced job security growth. Real Estate, Public Administration, Educational Services, and Health Care all maintained their positions in the top five Industries, but each also scored lower than in July. Real Estate declined by 2.9%, Public Administration by 1.6%, and Educational Services and Health Care each by 4.6%.


Top Industries by Job Security Growth in August 2008

Industries with the largest month-to-month increase in job security are listed below.

INDUSTRIES

Aug-08

Jul-08

Jun-08

May-08

Apr-08

Mar-08

Aug-07

Mining

199.9

192.9

172.0

170.6

170.7

174.2

182.3

Construction

77.2

74.6

62.3

41.2

11.6

7.8

24.0

Information

154.9

151.5

144.3

143.2

145.3

137.7

135.3

Administrative & Support, Waste Management & Remediation Services

22.0

21.6

28.0

43.6

55.1

37.0

23.8

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

86.8

86.3

98.9

66.0

32.5

2.0

42.8

Mining’s 3.6% JSI expansion propels it to the top of the list in August for overall growth in JSI. Waste Management & Administration made the list with 1.8% growth, though its JSI score of 22 is dismal, and marks the first positive growth in the industry since April 2008. Since April, the Waste Management JSI has dropped by 61%, so the 1.8% gains registered in August do little to appease long term concerns.

Overall, the consistent decline in the National JSI indicates that the economy has yet to recover from the recent market turmoil, and that, in the short term, things will most likely be getting worse instead of better.

To obtain further information about Scorelogix’s Job Security Index, or to receive a more in depth analysis of the data provided above, please email Scorelogix

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Finance & Insurance JSI Slides 4.3% in August

Finance and Insurance JSI Slides 4.3% in August

JSI has Dropped Seven Times in Nine Months, 11.3% Since November



The Scorelogix® Finance and Insurance Job Security Index™, a predictor of job security in a key sector of the economy, slid to 156.5 in August, marking a 4.3% decline, and the eighth decrease in thirteen months. In this thirteen month period, the Finance JSI has decreased by 6.3%, and 11.3% from its peak in November 2007. The most recent drop of 4.3% marks the steepest one month drop over this time period. Coupled with continued market turmoil, this sharp decline is indicative of future difficulties in this sector.


The fluctuations in Finance JSI align loosely with fluctuations in the National JSI, and for this reason, despite recent negative growth in the sector, Finance & Insurance remains much more secure than the overall jobs market. While the JSI for the sector has registered marked declines over recent months, the declines in the National JSI are even starker. For this reason, even in its decline, Finance and Insurance have grown even more secure than the overall jobs market.

Despite recent bank failures and bankruptcies, the sector as a whole remains strong and solvent, because even in a down time, jobs in the finance and insurance sector are necessary to maintain the flow of the overall economy. For this reason, it is unlikely that this sector will ever fall so far as to register below the National JSI. The growing disparity during this difficult time supports this assertion. This is an interesting juxtaposition, because it can almost be said that the difficulties in the financial markets has a greater affect on the National JSI than on the Finance JSI.


All of the US census regions posted lower Finance and Insurance job security levels in August than in July. The Pacific Region and the East North Central Region had the largest drops in JSI, losing 8.7 and 7.8 points, respectively.


To obtain further information about Scorelogix’s Job Security Index, or to receive a more in depth analysis of the data provided above, please email Scorelogix

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Information Technology JSI Continues Recovery

Information Technology Job Security Index Continues Recovery

2.2% Growth in JSI for August


The Scorelogix® Information Technology Job Security Index™ rose by 2.2% in August, capping six months of general growth in this sector. Information Technology, which is considered more secure than the overall jobs market, had plummeted between December 2007 and February 2008. The IT JSI has steadily grown since this time, slowly working its way back to its pre-crash levels. It has regained 67.5% of what was lost between December and February.


Since dipping below the National JSI at its nadir in February 2008, the Information Technology JSI has skyrocketed past the National score. This is due to the fact that while IT has recovered over the past six months, National job security has dropped 12.1%. The opposing trajectories have cleaved a 35 point disparity between the two scores.


All nine US census regions posted higher IT job security levels in August than in July. The regions which experienced the largest increase in IT job security were the West South Central and the Mountain regions, increasing by 3.3 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. The East North Central region recorded the smallest increase in job security at less than 1 percent.



Scorelogix® Manufacturing Job Security Index™ Decreased 2.6% in August 2008

Scorelogix® Manufacturing Job Security Index Decreased 2.6% in August 2008


The ScoreLogix® Manufacturing Job Security Index™ decreased by 2.6 percent in August, marking 11 months of decline in the past 13 months. Since August of 2007, the Manufacturing Job Security Index has fallen by more than 37 points, a reduction of 23.5 percent.


All of the US census regions posted lower Manufacturing job security levels in August than in July. The regions which experienced the largest decrease in Manufacturing job security were the East South Central and East North Central regions at 4.5 and 4.1 percent, respectively. The West South Central region recorded the mildest decrease in job security at 1.6 percent.


The downward trend in Manufacturing job security continues, as does the downward trend in the National JSI. Manufacturing remains stronger than average job security across all sectors, in part because a weak dollar promotes increased manufacturing exports, and also because manufacturing remains a key component to the success of many other sectors, and in many ways, continues to serve as the foundation upon which other industries are built.

To obtain further information about Scorelogix’s Job Security Index, or to receive a more in depth analysis of the data provided above, please visit www.scorelogix.com or email Bill Dougherty @ bill.dougherty@scorelogix.com.

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Retail & Wholesale Job Security Continues Decline

Retail and Wholesale Job Security Continues Decline

23% Drop, Over Four Month Period


The Scorelogix® Retail and Wholesale Job Security Index™ fell by 5.9% in August, the fourth consecutive month of decline. The index has fallen eight times in the past thirteen months, and has closely mimicked the National JSI. The credit crisis, weakening economy, and an overall decrease in disposable income affect these two indices similarly, attributing to the correspondence.


All nine of the US census regions posted lower Retail and Wholesale job security levels in August than in July. The regions which experienced the largest decline in Retail and Wholesale job security were the East North Central (7.3%) and Pacific regions (7.1%). The West South Central and Mountain regions recorded the smallest decrease in Retail and Wholesale job security at 4.9 percent.




The significant decline in solvency for jobs in the Wholesale & Retail sector is directly related to the current fiscal meltdown. As banks tighten their lending, or close their doors, less money is available at higher rates, to businesses and individuals alike. Businesses lack the capacity for growth, and individuals lack the ability to spend freely. Coupled with inflation and declining house prices, there is just less capital available for spending in Wholesale & Retail. This inevitably leads to instability in job security, across the nation, and specifically, in the Wholesale & Retail sector. Stabilization of the credit markets and fortification of the broader economy are integral to job security recovery. Until such stabilization occurs, one can expect the National JSI as well as the Wholesale & Retail JSI ton continue its precipitous drop.

To obtain further information about Scorelogix’s Job Security Index, or to receive a more in depth analysis of the data provided above, please email Bill Dougherty @ bill.dougherty@scorelogix.com