Job Market Very Strong - Believe it!

The job market in the Capital region is strong -- very strong --- despite what the naysayers say. Job postings are up over 100% from last year's levels at this time of the year, and well above the baseline of 4000 - 4900 that was the "norm" before the economic downturn. The unemployment rate in the region is down for the second month in a row.

So, when someone tries to tell you the market just rots -- don't buy in to the negativity -- "correct" them or just leave them in your dust. I think you will find the press release I issued earlier this week motivating and of course, helpful.

And thank you for reading this ... - Dan

For Immediate Release

For Information, Dan Moran 518-641-8968

Albany, NY, April 14, 2010

Job Postings Up 100% over last year

(Albany, NY, April 14, 2010) – Job postings in the Capital Region have been trending close to or just over 100% higher than the same period last year, demonstrating a good recovery from last year as the area was deeper in the recession and job market turndown.

“Last year at this time we would see 2,700 to maybe 3200 job postings on a week-by-week basis. This year, we are seeing numbers at 5,000 – 6,000 up to just over 7,000 on a weekly basis. The market has return with quite a bit of gusto and it has all happened in the last few months to a degree. In December and January, job postings were just under or at 3,000 – quite lower that the number of job postings we are seeing today. This is good news for job seekers who, as I have been hearing, are seeing more opportunities than before that meet their qualifications, stated Dan Moran, Founder & President of Next-Act (www.next-act.com), a career transition management firm located in Colonie. Moran assists individuals in identifying new careers and also those in the midst of a job search and needing direction. His firm also tracks the job market on a regional and statewide basis.

This past week, measured on a seven-day-rolling, there were just over 6,000 job postings, down a bit for the second week likely the effect of the school vacation week and holiday observances. “After being a bit quiet last week, I did see a day-by-day return of growth in job postings over the last few days”, continued Moran. “This is not uncommon at all”.

Top areas for job opportunities: Healthcare (practitioners & support roles), managerial, sales & marketing and information technology.

Other markets in NYS saw similar results with a drop then return on a day-by-day basis. The Capital Region continues to outpace Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse for job postings. “In metro NYC, after a few weeks of drops in job postings, I did see quite a rebound this past seven days”. The Capital Region is the smallest of all these markets as well.

## Background ##

Job postings in the Region are normally in the baseline of 4000 – 4900 on a weekly basis and 7-day rolling average, consistent for this area. Monitoring job postings is a leading indicator of hiring within the following 30-45 days. This methodology is utilized by reading research houses nationally and is employed in the Region by Moran’s firm. For the purpose of reporting, the Region is defined as a 50 mile radius of Albany.