Middle American Job Market Slumps in Spite of Rise in Exports; EmploymentCrossing Seeks to Restore Job Market Equilibrium

September 05, 2008

Pasadena, CA — Intermittent job losses continued across the Midwest in August against flat business reports, according to a nine-state business survey released by Creighton University. Though the survey indicated a rise in exports, output, and sales, Ernie Goss, the professor who led the study, said that ''the inflation gauge is still telegraphing excessive inflation in the pipeline.'' The report further indicated that more and more employers are getting their work done with fewer employees, putting the Midwest region's job market under further strain. EmploymentCrossing, the leading job board in the US, seeks to find more and more jobs in Mid-America and already boasts of an overall job count of more than 112,000 jobs in the US.

''Companies are really trying to cut down on costs involved in operations and recruiting, owing to the malaise in the manufacturing sector. The nine states which have been the subject of the survey are all suffering from a deteriorating job market,'' says Harrison Barnes, the CEO and founder of EmploymentCrossing.

The nine-state survey referred to an overall index between 0 and 100. A figure greater than 50 indicates an expanding economy over the next three to six months. Arkansas registered a full-point decrease in its jobless rate compared to last year’s report and a mediocre overall index, while Iowa reported less business activity due to pullbacks in manufacturing and a poor overall index. Kansas witnessed a surge in durable manufacturing which more than made up for the decline in food processors, putting the index for the state at 56.8. Minnesota is expected to stage a comeback later this year by more than two-tenths of a point in the overall index, while Missouri reported the worst job losses in all the nine states but is expected to make a recovery soon.

''Most of the nine states are fighting to get their balance right, and EmploymentCrossing is adding more and more jobs to aid in the economic development of the states,'' Barnes adds.

Nebraska improved its overall index for the second month in a row, hitting 51.2 in August, and is expected to achieve stability by the end of the year. North Dakota hit the highest overall index in all of the nine states surveyed, 63.9, owing to growth in the energy and agricultural sectors. Though Oklahoma slipped by 5.2 points in the overall index, Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is lower than it was the year before. Manufacturers in South Dakota, meanwhile, profited by selling their products abroad, and hence the state experienced healthy business growth in August, according to the report.

''The nine-state group's inflation index hit a six-month low, and for the first time in months, the costs of many commodities were down,'' says Barnes, referring to the report. ''EmploymentCrossing is doing its best to boost the job count in all the nine states, and has succeeded to a great extent.''

The active job count available in the EmploymentCrossing database for Mid-America is listed below:

• Arkansas: 4,334 jobs
• Iowa: 6,362 jobs
• Kansas: 7,963 jobs
• Minnesota: 14,719 jobs
• Missouri: 13,022 jobs
• Nebraska: 3,802 jobs
• North Dakota: 1,311 jobs
• Oklahoma: 7,181 jobs
• South Dakota: 1,354 jobs

Barnes adds further: ''Unlike other job-search and career sites, EmploymentCrossing weeds out spam and jobs outside your niche, allowing you to search efficiently and specifically. Trust the only job source that's tailored to your industry.''

EmploymentCrossing concentrates on using a highly trained research staff of hundreds and cutting-edge technology to track down the positions of every US employer. EmploymentCrossing is an umbrella site for over 90 industry-specific websites and more than 2 million job openings, and that number is set to receive a dramatic boost in the coming days. For more details, log on to www.employmentcrossing.com.

Contact:
Mary Waldron, Editorial Coordinator
EmploymentCrossing
626-243-1821
maryw@employmentcrossing.com

About EmploymentCrossing

EmploymentCrossing is a powerful and comprehensive organization dedicated to helping professionals find jobs that will enhance their careers. EmploymentCrossing consists of 90+ industry-specific job boards which consolidate every job opening they can find in one convenient location. The website also offers a seven-day free trial to new members.