The government of Indiana has taken action on attracting private sector jobs in recent years with several new plants opening, but it did not stop there and has made government jobs more available. To do this, the government developed the State of Indiana Job Bank. This program, started through the Indiana State Personnel Department (SPD), is an online database listing almost all of the state government jobs publicly available at the time.

The appealing thing about the Indiana Job Bank is that it includes all types and all levels of jobs. It is not unusual to log in and see a lifeguard job for a state pool on one page, and a chief pharmacist position at a state hospital on the next page. There are comprehensive search and filtering functions, so you will not see jobs that do not interest you if you search correctly. Continue Reading

Even during slow economic times, there is always hesitancy to cut resources from education. Because of this,  Indiana education jobs are a good place to focus your search. There is no shortage of schools in the state, and there might be more opportunities than you normally think of when it comes to schools. Before you start searching, however, there are a few preliminary steps that must be taken care of if you want to have the best chance of success. Continue Reading

Indiana is one of the leading states in the nation for higher education. Between South Bend, Bloomington, West Lafayette, and many other college towns, there is a wide range of jobs brought into local economies by these institutions. For those willing to work in a variety of industries, these college towns present many opportunities.

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Indiana Employment Statistics

There are various places on the Internet where a person can look up Indiana employment statistics. These include the websites of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Unites States Department of Labor. Information on employment in Indiana is important for job seekers, employers, educators, and economic developers.

For job seekers, data on employment statistics in Indiana are important for information on career assistance, the occupations, the labor force, and Indiana Career Connect. For employers, employment statistics data are vital with regards to demographics, area profiles, income and wages, employer’s services, and education. For economic developers, the data on employment are essential with regards to education, economic indicators, demographics, area profiles, industry, income and wages, labor force, and occupations.

And important source of information on employment statistics in Indiana is the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. LAUS is a statistical program that computes the annual and monthly average estimates for employment, labor force, unemployment and unemployment rate for several areas. Labor force is the sum of the employed and the unemployed. These areas include states, census regions and divisions, metropolitan divisions, metropolitan areas, combined areas, micropolitan areas, counties, small labor market areas, cities, and county equivalents.

Projections on employment and the unemployment rate are also important for federal programs that provide certain benefits. These include the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, Workforce Investment Act, Public Works Program, Food Stamp limitation waivers, Labor Surplus Area Designation Program, and the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program.

What are the best jobs in Indiana after manufacturing? Research done at the beginning of the century suggests that potential employees avoid planning a career in the area of manufacturing. Projections ranged from 2002 to 2012, and suggested a decline in all areas of manufacturing of between 12 and 69 percent. In the year 2009, this has proven to be an accurate prediction.

The projected increase in job creation has been in the lower level job arena.  These include retail sales, customer service representatives, fast food, cashiers, and custodians.  These jobs require few or no skills at the time of application and are well suited for those who are just getting out of high school and don’t intend to go on to college.

For those who do plan to attend college, these stepping stone jobs are a good way to make additional income during the college years, but focus should be on receiving a doctoral degree.  The fastest growing jobs available are as postsecondary teachers, which is at the top of 30 other positions that will require the same degree.

According to the US Bureau of Labor, the 10 fastest growing jobs available that require a bachelor degree are:

• Network Systems and Data Communications,
  
• Analyst
• Computer Applications Software Engineer
• Personal Financial Advisor
• Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor
• Financial Analyst
• Forensic Science Technician
• Computer Systems Analyst
• Database Administrator
• Computer Systems Software Engineer
• Network and Computer Systems Administrator.

Indiana is going digital and the best jobs available are reflecting this.  Even in this arena the best jobs include starting out at entry level, going to school part time and receiving an associates or bachelor degree and moving up within the company. Many companies are willing to pay for this additional education, especially if you prove to be valued employee at the entry level.

The economy has put a real pinch on the number of jobs available across Indiana.  This has caused an even greater hardship on those who have been convicted of a felony and are now available to return to the job market. With the increased competition from the non-felon community, and the strike against the ex-felon, the Indiana job search must be refined.

When performing the job search, an ex-felon needs to keep in mind that he or she will need to work in a place where they can prove that they are reformed.  This is accomplished most often when working side by side with the owner or general manager of the business.  Thus it would make sense to seek out small companies.

You will also want to look for employment in jobs where your felony conviction has no bearing on the type of work involved.  For instance, if you were convicted of neglect of a dependent, you should not apply for  work in a daycare, nursing home, or school.  Likewise, you will be hard pressed to find work in a convenience store, or retail establishment if you were convicted of robbery.

One of the best bets for the male felon, and many females as well, are jobs that involve construction.  Not only will the ex-felon be able to prove that they are worthy of the job, they can and will progressively gain skills in the field that may assist them in future jobs.  Perhaps eventually the ex-felon will then be in a position to start and run their own company using the skills they have acquired.