Current
economics affect job market
By Yi-Fang Vicky Lin
On-line Forty-Niner
The
economic downturn in the United States has
created a tough environment for job finders
even though Southern California has better
conditions than the rest of the country.
“The basic news is not good,” Lisa Grobar,
professor of economics said. “The overall
news for job seekers, unfortunately, is
this is going to be one of the worst years
for the job market in about a decade.”
The trend has affected the number of companies
participating in the Job Fair at Cal State
Long Beach, said Angi Carrillo-Humphreys,
career counselor of the Career Development
Center.
“Because of the economy, we’re seeing a
lot less companies actively recruiting students,”
Carrillo-Humphreys said.
In past years, the average number of companies
attending the Job Fair was about 200 to
250. The number has lowered to 106 this
semester, Carrillo-Humphreys said.
“The last few months of data have shown
that things have slowed quite a bit in Southern
California as well. So the region as a whole
now is not adding many new jobs,” Grobar
said. However, the job opportunities are
still available even under the current rough
job market.
“That’s not saying it is impossible to find
a job because I am talking about the aggregate
trend,” Grobar said. “Even if on a net basis
that we don’t have jobs, some people will
retire and so on. Positions will have to
be refilled even to maintain the economy
with no job creation.”
There are some particular areas that have
suffered the most by the current economic
situation. Grobar said jobs related to state
and local government are rapidly declining.
“This will not be a good year to get into
state and local governments at any level.
Even the demand for teachers, the environment
has really changed,” Grobar said.
Another trouble spot is aerospace, Grobar
said. However, she is optimistic and believes
job opportunities will begin to increase
for the technology field over the next year.
Health services is one of the areas that
has always been impacted the least by the
economic cycle, Grobar said.
The current uncertainty of war with Iraq
has prolonged the economic recovery process
in the United States. However, the possible
war might create temporary job opportunities
by filling positions left by the reservists,
said Russell Jean, a financial analyst of
the American International Group.
“[The war] actually has a positive effect
on the job market, the unemployment rate
dropped last month,” Jean said.
Attending the Job Fair is still a good way
for students to be exposed to job opportunities.
It is a way to form strong networks and
create a direct contact with the employers,
Carrillo-Humphreys said.
“Some companies will have job openings in
the future, so they will still participate
in the Job Fair to collect resumes,” Carrillo-Humphreys
said.
Grobar suggested that students shouldn’t
change their career choices based on economic
situations.
“It’s uncertain. Industry that’s hot today
might be in trouble for tomorrow,” Grobar
said. “The most important thing is for people
to keep their true interests and passions
to choose a career field.”
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