From:  Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation

Nevada’s unemployment rate fell for the second consecutive month, falling six-tenths of a percent to 12.3 percent, (from a revised 12.9 percent) In November, an estimated 161,400 Nevadans found themselves actively seeking employment.

“On the surface, the decline in the rate is a positive sign, indicating the recession is beginning to subside,” said Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation. “Unfortunately, a more detailed review of the components of the unemployment rate reveals a troubling trend. Primary amongst them is the decline of the state’s labor force. Nevada’s labor force contracted for the second month in a row, falling by 1.5 percent, meaning roughly 13,900 workers either left the state or were too discouraged to seek employment.”

Every year, monthly employment estimates are benchmarked to actual employment data collected each quarter from approximately 60,000 Nevada employers covered by unemployment insurance laws, Anderson said.

“Recently published, first quarter employment and wage information indicate Nevada’s monthly survey of employers is underestimating the number of job losses in the state,” Anderson said. “A preliminary comparison reveals year-over-year job levels were down roughly 9.0 percent in March of this year, as opposed to the 5.3 percent originally estimated. There isn’t any reason to believe that the divergence improved in the following months. This year, we will likely see one of the biggest benchmark reestimates ever recorded, and a realization that Nevada’s labor market is worse off than originally estimated.”

Additionally, the labor force deteriorated in each of the state’s metropolitan areas, as well, causing the unemployment rate to decline significantly. In the Las Vegas area, the rate declined nine-tenths of a point, to 12.1 percent, marking the largest one month drop on record (going back to 1990), Anderson said. A similar drop occurred in the Reno-Sparks area, where the jobless rate fell from 12.2 to 11.3 percent. Carson City’s unemployment rate declined six-tenths of a percent to 11.2 percent. (Unemployment rates for the state’s metropolitan areas are not adjusted for seasonality. For comparison purposes, the state’s unadjusted unemployment rate was 11.8 percent in November.)

Some of Nevada’s rural economies continue to enjoy the benefits of a robust gold market. Gold prices recently topped $1,200 per ounce, Anderson said. Even prices of nonprecious metals, particularly copper, are enjoying resurgence as the global economy begins to rebound. Demand from China, India and Brazil have driven copper prices off the lows experienced in the depths of the global recession, he added.

“All of this bodes well for the mining region’s labor market,” Anderson said. “The unemployment rate is already considerably lower than the state as a whole. In the Elko micropolitan area (includes Elko and Eureka counties) the unemployment rate is just 5.9 percent, nearly 6 points lower than the statewide average. Nevada’s mining industry will continue to thrive as long as the current economic situation persists.”

Following a one month reprieve, employment in both the private and public sectors of the state continued to fall, losing 9,200 jobs in November, Anderson said. Despite the partial opening of City Center in Las Vegas, prolonged weakness in the leisure and hospitality industry resulted in the industry losing another 5,700 jobs statewide. Public sector employers shed 2,100 jobs, perhaps due to ongoing budget woes.

The Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area shed 8,800 jobs over-the month. The main industries impacted were the construction industry, leisure and hospitality, and local government, Anderson said. Construction lost another 1,000, the leisure and hospitality industry contracted by 4,800, and local government trimmed 1,500 from their ranks. Reno-Sparks and Carson City area employment levels held steady.

Troubles in the nation’s tourism industry are well documented, Anderson said. Nevada’s exposure has been particularly acute due to the state’s reliance on the tourism industry.

“Nothing says discretionary spending like a trip to Las Vegas, so when Nevada’s economic struggles began to out-strip the nation’s, it wasn’t a big surprise,” Anderson said. “A comparison of tourism expenditures and gross domestic product (GDP) highlight the harsh reality affecting Nevada and the Nation’s tourism industry.”

Total output for tourism including accommodation, transportation, food/drinking services, and recreation/entertainment has fallen dramatically over the course of the recession. GDP bottomed out at -6.4 percent earlier this year, while tourism’s output decline was significantly worse, falling by 9.3 percent in late-2009. More recently, the rate of decline has begun to subside in both measures, though at different rates, Anderson said. In the second quarter of 2009, GDP was down just -0.7 percent, while tourism output was still down -1.4 percent.

“The trend indicates tourism fell further and faster than the economy as whole, and will likely take longer to rebound — not a good sign for Nevada’s tourism-based economy,” Anderson said.

Total wages and employment reported to Nevada’s unemployment insurance system continued to decline in the second quarter this year. The recession has affected all companies regardless of size, though to varying degrees. Overall, wages paid to Nevada’s private sector workers fell 11.9 percent or $1.3 billion in the second quarter alone. Across the spectrum, wages paid by larger companies have declined more than smaller companies. On a percentage basis, wages are down 16 percent for companies with greater than 500 workers. Companies with employment between 50 and 500 are down 13 percent, while companies with fewer than 50 workers paid 8.1 percent less in wages in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier.

Unique collaborative approach brings together nursing and medical students from UNLV, NSC and School of Medicine

“Photo by Edgar Antonio Nunez/University of Nevada School of Medicine.”

A state-of-the-art health care training and simulation lab that is shared by three higher education institutions officially opened in Las Vegas last week.  The Clinical Simulation Center (CSC) is a 31,000 sq. ft. facility where nursing students, medical students and medical residents are educated together in an environment that allows for integrated training of future health care providers. 
 
Students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Nursing, Nevada State College School of Nursing, and University of Nevada School of Medicine began training in the facility earlier this fall.  The CSC provides state-of-the-art health care education equipment throughout the five high-fidelity simulation labs, three clinical skills labs, a surgical simulation suite, twelve standardized patient rooms, and four multipurpose classrooms. The entire facility is integrated by an all-encompassing Audio-Video management system.
 
This collaborative center is part of the Health Sciences System (HSS) of the Nevada System of Higher Education, which is working to ensure Nevada has a highly trained health care workforce to meet the state’s current and future needs.  The HSS provides academic leadership and guidance to link and integrate the health professional schools, i.e., nursing, medicine, dental, public health, etc., that are part of Nevada’s eight higher education institutions.  This includes 150 health sciences programs and nearly 18,000 students attending a state college or university.

“The center, both technologically and through collaborative design, is ideally suited to prepare our students for today’s complex healthcare system,” said Carolyn Yucha, dean of UNLV’s School of Nursing. “The simulation technology available rivals the very best facilities in the region and will strengthen students’ critical thinking and decision-making skills in a safe and controlled environment.”
 
Dr. Miriam Bar-on, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Nevada School of Medicine said, “the simulation center is a wonderful opportunity to take training of residents and students to the next level. They will be better prepared to provide safe and effective care to patients following learning experiences in the various areas of the center.”

Dr. Shirlee Snyder, Dean of the Nevada State College School of Nursing said, “the CSC will provide outstanding learning experiences with cutting edge technology for nursing and medical students to learn clinical judgment skills in an interdisciplinary setting.  The ultimate outcome is improved health care for the citizens of Nevada.  Definitely a ‘win-win’ situation.”

Dr. Maurizio Trevisan, Executive Vice Chancellor and CEO of the Health Sciences System added, “You are witnessing first hand a concrete example of the power of an integrated approach and the value of working together as a higher education system.  With this facility, we are able to more efficiently and effectively educate students in the health professional fields.  Our nursing and medical students will be highly qualified and trained for their future role as health care providers.”
 
The CSC facility was built with nearly $16 in state funding.  Also recognized at the event today for helping fund the project, was U.S. Senator Harry Reid who provided nearly $2 million in federal funding to support the Health Sciences System and the CSC facility and the Lincy Foundation for providing a $5 million grant to the Health Sciences System.

I think I blogged about this before.  Pretty scary stuff.  Check this out (click the image to view):

On Tuesday, December 8, 2009, the Southern Nevada Hispanic Employment Program elected the 2010 officers and board members. Congratulations to the following individuals:

President – Meli Pulido, City of Las Vegas
Vice President – Minerva Mendoza, Brandywine Bookmaking
Treasurer – Bobby Zuniga, Wells Fargo
Secretary – Isela Jiménez Nejbauer, Las Vegas Valley Water District
Conference Chair – Linda Rivera, Bureau of Reclamation
Education Chair – Bob Agonia, Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation
Membership Chair – Page Zuniga, Palace Station
Public Relations Chair – Chelsey Kuzyk, Greenspun Media Group
Scholarship Chair – Minerva Mendoza, Brandywine Bookmaking

The Southern Nevada Hispanic Employment Program (SNHEP) Council is an inter-agency group that undertakes special projects and activities aimed at increasing the number of Hispanics within the workforce.

The group’s mission is to be a valued/comprehensive community resource that educates, employs, and develops the Hispanic community, thereby enhancing the economic development of Southern Nevada. The SNHEP is open to new membership and is free to attend monthly meetings.

Cosmopolitan Las Vegas will contribute to Las Vegas’ recovery and create jobs in Las Vegas in 2010. The upscale hotel and casino is looking to hire for the following human resource positions in the upcoming months: Director of Employment, Training Manager and a Benefits Manager.

They are seeking a top notch employment and recruitment expert to establish the recruiting process and on boarding experience for a world class establishment. The ideal candidate for the Director of Employment position will have previous experience in mass hiring.

After CityCenter’s final opening on December 16,  Cosmopolitan will be the next big push for current job openings for the Las Vegas strip. The new resort and casino will allow Las Vegas job seekers to look find opportunities once again in the hotel industry. Another mass hiring will help lower the unemployment level and create more job opportunities for the human resource community that has been hit hard by the recession.

The SHRM LINE® Employment Expectations Report for December 2009 was recently released.  Here are some of the key findings:

• Hiring in December will increase from a year ago, but remains sluggish
• Job openings in both sectors continued to increase in November
• The rate of increase for new-hire compensation fell for the 14th straight month

You can access the complete report here.

Originally published:  In Business Las Vegas

Employers are often turning to social networking sites to research job candidates, a study by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement company, found last month.

This is a chance for workers looking for a job in Las Vegas to use those sites to their advantage.

Any tool to help laid-off Las Vegans is welcome, being as the jobless rate was 13 percent in October. Workers are having to get creative when looking for job leads.

The classified ad section in Sunday’s paper showed more ads were for house and car sales than were ads placed by employers looking for help.

This means expanding your search to your network, and one of the easiest ways to do that is by letting people on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter know you’re looking for work.

“It is important to remember that all of these technologies simply enhance the job search,” Challenger CEO John Challenger said in a statement. “(Technology) will never replace the face-to-face connections that are critical to a successful search.”

But Challenger advises job seekers to, at the very least, set up LinkedIn accounts and consider setting up professionally geared profiles on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Try establishing relationships with managers who could be looking for employees.

Then, instead of run-of-the-mill postings about family vacations or what you made for dinner, focus your posts on the industry you would like to work in.

Once the domain of young people, social networking sites are gaining popularity among adults. The median age of LinkedIn users is 39 years old; for Facebook, it’s 33; and for Twitter, the median age is 31, according to a recent study by Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Social networking tips from Challenger:

• Build your network: Use everyone in your personal and professional networks;
• Build your brand: Focus on the industry you’d like to work in, such as posting news items and trends;
• Advertise your job loss: Letting people know you are looking for work could open up opportunities for you, especially on Twitter where employers can follow you with ease, allowing you to cast a wider net;
• Get recommendations: On LinkedIn, ask former colleagues and bosses to post a recommendation about you. Return the favor in kind;
• Join groups: LinkedIn and Facebook allow users to join professional groups, giving you a chance to communicate with others in your field;
• Think before you tweet: Use social networking tools to market yourself. Don’t post anything you may regret later.

Challenger also suggested several groups on LinkedIn that job seekers should join including the Talent Buzz, Executive Suite, Linked:HR, JobsDirectUS and Project: Get Hired.

A word of caution from Challenger:

“Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the Internet is the permanency and pervasiveness of any and all information that finds its way there. Comments on a friend’s blog, reviews on consumer sites and inside jokes made for a private audience on a social networking site’s public group page are all available at the click of a mouse to potential employers.”

Kathleen Schaeffer was recently recognized Nevada Teacher of the Year by the Nevada Department of Education. She was honored with the title during a surprise assembly last week. Schaeffer has been with the middle school since it opened in 2000. 

As we know, Clark County School District has challenges filling teacher jobs in Las Vegas.  It is awesome news to learn that teachers like Kathleen are being recognized for their hard work and dedication.

Originally published in In Business Las Vegas

Talk to us. Please.

That’s the sentiment expressed by workers whose employers are mum about workplace changes.

Perhaps a company thinks it can stay quiet about consolidation or layoffs, employing a strategy to blindside its workers, but typically employees can sense when change is afoot. And that can lead to rampant speculation, rumors and lost productivity.

Major companies, such as airlines, manufacturers and software giants, announce company consolidation plans and layoffs before they happen, giving employees time to prepare financially and emotionally.

One recent case is AOL, which announced it is cutting its workforce by 2,500 people, first through voluntary buyouts, and then if enough workers don’t step forward, forced layoffs.

Morale is not good for Las Vegas city government workers after it said it would lay off 19 workers in January, Mayor Oscar Goodman told reporters during a recent news conference, the Las Vegas Sun, a sister publication of In Business Las Vegas, reported.

Because Nevada is an at-will state, employers and employees can end the working relationship at any time without cause, said Miranda Du, an employment law attorney who heads McDonald Carano Wilson’s employment and labor-law group.

The most straightforward way to select workers for layoff is last-in, first-out, preserving the more senior employees, she said. However, that doesn’t always make sense from a business perspective as employers look to cut expenses, including higher wage earners, she said.

And the newer employees may actually be the best performers, she added.

Regardless of a company’s layoff methodology, those making the cuts need to have documentation to support their decisions in case a jilted employee sues for discrimination.

The first thing employees need to ask themselves after they have been laid off is why they think they have been cut, said Richard “Tick” Segerblom, an attorney who represents employees.

Discrimination could come in the form of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, health status (for example, diabetic or pregnant) or an on-the-job injury.

“That’s really the crux of it,” he said. But if employers have done their homework, their layoff selections will be ironclad, and employees have little room to fight any perceived discrimination.

“The basic rule of thumb is you don’t lay off the people you want to keep,” Segerblom said.

The next decision an employer needs to make is how to best communicate the decision to employees, while considering the remaining workers’ morale.

Du suggested offering workers being laid off a severance, and at the same time have them sign a form releasing the company from liability claims. One caveat: Workers age 40 and up have 21 days to sign the form and seven days after signing it to renege on it. This is meant to protect these older workers from age discrimination, Du said.

Segerblom said if he could give businesses a word of advice, it’s this: “Try to do it as fast as possible. It’s increasingly demoralizing when word is out (layoffs) are going to happen.”

Laying off workers is a difficult process for employers as well as for employees, Du said.

“The employers agonize over the process because it’s a tough thing to do,” she said. “(But) they can communicate better so it doesn’t come as a shock or (is perceived as) unfair … Both sides need to be sensitive to that.”

Laid-off employees should also try to keep in touch with colleagues still at the company to keep tabs on if the employer is calling people back, and if so, if they are being called back out of order if there was a seniority system.

But Segerblom cautions employees who think they have been discriminated against from seeking legal action for at least six months.

“The worst thing you can do is be looking for a job and suing your former employer,” he said.

It’s often best to just accept the severance check and sign the liability release, he said.

Although employers can require employees under age 40 to sign the release immediately lest they lose their severance package, most businesses won’t do that, he said.

“Call their bluff,” he said. “If they’re that eager for you to sign it, there might be something wrong.”