Good news is on the horizon for anyone who is unemployed or underemployed.
According to federal and state government officials, more companies are hiring and more jobs are available.
The question that remains for many individuals, however, is “where can these new jobs be found?”
Last week the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the economy generated 163,000 jobs in July, more than twice the job growth in the previous month.
Although the unemployment rate jumped slightly from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent, federal officials say the number of jobs created last month exceeds the 100,000 anticipated by many economists.
Congressman André Carson, D-Ind., noted that the economy was losing over 100,000 jobs a month when President Barack Obama took office in 2009, but is now adding jobs.
“We’ve seen over 29 months of private sector job growth,” Carson said. “The growth has been slow and incremental, but we are seeing improvements.”
Carson said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the “Stimulus Bill” passed by Congress and signed into law by Obama in 2009, has created roughly 3.5 million jobs alone.
State officials report that for the eighth consecutive month, Indiana added private sector jobs. According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, 140,400 jobs have been added since July 2009, the low point of employment during the recession.
Last week the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) announced that it has worked with 145 companies that have decided to expand or establish new business operations in the state, promising 13,300 projected jobs. Companies anticipate filling the positions over the next five years with an expected hourly wage of $20.93.
Dan Hasler, Indiana secretary of commerce and chief executive officer for the IEDC, said job growth has occurred in the state due to Gov. Mitch Daniels making Indiana an attractive destination for businesses.
“Amid a global recession, our transportation improvement plan, solid fiscal house, low-tax climate and more than 1,700 information technology graduates from Hoosier colleges and universities make Indiana a smart investment choice for companies,” Hasler said.
Location of the jobs
As federal and state officials both take credit for job growth, potential job applicants would like to know which industries are the ones where employment opportunities can be found.
“Locally, I think the health care and life sciences are continuing to grow,” Carson said, citing the growth of companies such as Eli Lilly and Wellpoint.
He added that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is responsible for more jobs in the education field and public safety positions among police officers and firefighters.
Last month Carson hosted his annual job fair, which included employers now hiring from a wide spectrum of industries, from banking and health care, to insurance and shipping.
“We had over 70 employers representing over 1,000 jobs,” Carson said. “Many people were hired on the spot, and others reported having interviews in the upcoming days. We even had companies who made a commitment to hire ex-offenders, which is definitely progress.”
Hasler said state officials believe manufacturing has led the charge in Indiana’s job growth, with almost half of the 140,400 jobs added since 2009 coming from that sector.
“Indiana continues to see impressive investment from international companies in our automotive related manufacturing industries,” Hasler said.
The Department of Workforce Development noted that other areas experiencing growth included professional business services, private education and health services, manufacturing, financial companies, the public sector, and leisure and hospitality.
Finding the jobs
Federal and state officials agree that regardless of who gets the credit for creating jobs, steps must be taken to make sure applicants are prepared for them.
“We have a skilled workforce in Indiana, we just need to make important investments in small businesses, because we know that they employ 50 percent of the American workforce,” Carson said.
He added that employment opportunities can be created faster if congressional leaders stop partisan bickering, penalize companies that ship jobs overseas and pass legislation that will train people for work through rebuilding the nation’s transit system and manufacturing vehicles and other products that use clean, alternative energy resources.
“We also need to have a holistic education approach that will prepare our citizens to be competitive in the workforce, from K-12 and college to adults who need to be retooled for new jobs,” Carson said.
Individuals looking for employment are encouraged to utilize facilities offering services that help applicants find the job that is right for them.
Organizations such as Training, Inc. of Indianapolis prepares individuals to enter the workforce in higher-paying jobs.
Work One centers, which are available throughout the state, offer job training programs that meet the unique needs of everyone from recent college graduates and seniors to people with disabilities and those need vocational rehabilitation to become competitive in the job market.
Vocational training is provided at facilities such as the J. Everett Light Career Center in Washington Township and the Walker Career Center in Warren Township, and Ivy Tech Community College’s career center.
“Most people register for classes in auto services technology, auto detailing, welding, culinary arts, cosmotology and construction trades,” said Shawn Wright-Brown, director of the J. Everett Light Career Center. “I would say most of the growth, however, is in health care and the service industry.”
