|
Job Forecasting & Job Searching
Better than the rest! That appears to be the motto of the Tulsa area. "The picture is not quite as bleak for us as it may seem," says Deb McCaskey. She is with the Tulsa staffing company, Key Personnel. She says there is still a demand for workers but admits the seasonal nature of some manufacturing hit hard this year.
"There are some jobs out there still. Even for the companies we work with that have put some hirings on hold for right now they say they will re-open those and start hiring again in the Spring maybe in March- maybe in late February," says McCaskey. While the headlines are filled with lay-offs and concerns about job security, she says her company, is not seeing a large number of people searcing for a second job. "Maybe that is to be coming in a few weeks because Tulsa does tend to trend a year later than the national trend." says McCaskey
She adds there are some key jobs and some professions in high demand-- including accountants, auditors, engineers and welders.
Job Loss Forcast
The job picture is looking bleak according to a forecast released by the U.S. Conference of Mayor's. New York, the biggest city, is expected to take the biggest job hit by losing 181,000 jobs in 2009. Los Angeles follows with an estimated job loss of 164,000 positions in part because of the huge drop in home prices that hit California.
The report, done by Global Insight, predicts unemployment will top 10 percent in 70 areas including, until recently, prosperous place like the Riverside-San Bernardino area in California.
The report says only five metropolitan areas will escape job losses in 2009-- places like Ithaca, New York and St. George, Utah-- many more will not add jobs. It is predicted one-third of all metropolitian areas would see NO overall job growth for the first decade of the century.
Report says Oklahoma economy to slow next year but still outpace national indexes
Oklahoma job growth will be flat next year, but the state's employment picture will continue to be better than that of the nation, an Oklahoma State University economist predicted Tuesday.
Economist Mark Snead said in his 2009 economic forecast that personal income growth will continue to grow, but at a slower pace of less than 4 percent, compared to 6 percent or more in recent years. The state is approaching 95 percent of the national personal income level.
While large job losses have been seen on the national front, Oklahoma should end 2008 with employment growth of about 1.1 percent.
The oil and gas industry has helped keep Oklahoma relatively prosperous compared to the economic downturn seen in other states, but that's only part of the picture.
"We are seeing broad-based growth," Snead said. "Oil and gas is giving us a little bit of a boost, but there is solid growth in every sector of the economy. Agriculture is providing a boost, Indian nations are providing a boost."
"The story is that the entire state is on a similar economic cycle."
The problems of the housing and mortgage industry have not been as pronounced in Oklahoma as elsewhere. Home prices did not appreciate here as much as elsewhere, so when the housing bubble popped, home foreclosures weren't as big of a problem.
Snead predicted job growth of 0.2 percent in Oklahoma City next year.
"All areas of Oklahoma City have been doing well, the suburbs, the downtown, the entertainment and medical districts," he said. "Tulsa is not quite as strong at the moment and a little more susceptible to weakness."
He predicted job reductions of 0.2 percent in Tulsa next year.
The one dark cloud Snead sees on the horizon is the falling price of oil. Crude oil prices have dropped 63 percent since reaching a record $147.27 a barrel in mid-July.
Oil is now being traded in the mid-$50s. If it were to drop to $35 a barrel next year, it could take the steam out of Oklahoma's economy and lead to job reductions of 0.6 percent, Snead estimated.
State Treasurer Scott Meacham said falling natural gas prices have reduced state revenue. He sees a flat budget year for 2009 and possible reductions in 2010. "My concern tends to be more about natural gas than oil," he said. "I don't feel as good about natural gas prices going forward.
"We have a whole lot of supply, a lot in storage and not a very severe winter predicted," he said. "That means production declines and price declines also."
Oral Roberts University to lay off 100
Oral Roberts University said Monday it would lay off about 100 employees, days after it announced a near-$450,000 separation agreement with its former president who resigned amid a spending scandal.
Employees whose positions are affected will be notified by mid-January, the school said. The layoffs represent roughly 10 percent of university's work force, but the school did not specify which departments would be targeted.
"You can't spend more than you're taking in," said ORU interim president Ralph Fagin. "Our hope was to have a silent reorganization and just not replace a few figures here and keep our eyes on the bottom line.
"This is the last choice you want to make because we have such great employees," Fagin said. The school, with a budget this fiscal year of about $91.8 million, is more than $17 million in debt.
Last year, it revealed it was more than $50 million in the red. It has since whittled the figure thanks largely to billionaire Oklahoma City businessman Mart Green, who took the reins at ORU in January after donating $70 million and pledging to restore the public's trust in the school.
On Monday, Green, the chairman of the university's board of trustees, said, "While we regret that the reduction in force is necessary, it is imperative that the ORU Board of Trustees and management be prudent and good stewards of the university's resources."
"ORU is respectful of all of our employees and we are committed to do everything in our power to provide assistance through this transition," Green said in a statement.
Fagin said he anticipates 100 employees will be enough, but refused Monday to rule out additional budget cuts.
"It always is a moving target no matter what business you're in," he said. This spring, school leaders hinted at the possibility of layoffs and other reductions to make budget ends meet.
In September, Fagin said ORU could one day explore selling off up to $75 million in assets to pay its bills. Those assets included the CityPlex Towers office complex adjacent to the south Tulsa campus, valued at $60 million; the campus-based TV station, valued at $13 million and the compound of the former school president and family, valued at around $2 million.
The announcement of layoffs comes days after the evangelical school completed a separation agreement with former president Richard Roberts, who stepped down last year amid allegations he misspent school funds to live in luxury.
His resignation came after he served one year of his most recent three-year appointment.
Under the terms released Friday, ORU will pay Roberts his $223,600 annual salary for the remaining term of his appointment, which was to run through November 2009, for a total of $447,200.
The school will deduct from the payment rent charged to Roberts while he lived in campus housing after he resigned and before he moved off campus.
Before the separation agreement became final, Roberts also had to pay back $23,179 in personal and travel expenses incurred before 2004 that had not been billed to or paid by Roberts, the university said.
When it was reported this summer that Roberts and the school were ironing out an agreement, Frank Hagedorn, Roberts' attorney, said his client was "promised a severance and he should get his severance."
Hagedorn would not say whether Roberts was assured severance when he resigned. Also, Green, the trustees chairman, said in a statement that the proposed separation agreement was "fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of ORU."
Roberts, the televangelist son of school founder Oral Roberts, was accused along with his wife, Lindsay, of dropping money on shopping sprees, home improvements and a stable of horses for their daughters at a time when ORU was badly in debt. Both have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Fagin said Roberts' payment package and the layoffs were unrelated issues. "The reduction in force is necessary regardless of what happened in any separation agreement," he said. "In terms of completing an employment agreement, you're taking the best information and making the best decisions you can to treat all parties well going forward."
Penalties Levied For Work Violations
Fourteen retailers in Arkansas and Oklahoma have been assessed $18,807 in civil money penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found that these companies violated the youth employment provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
"These companies were requiring teens between the ages of 14 and 17 to operate or load trash compactors," said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest. "A 15-year old also was required to work until 9 p.m. between Labor Day and June 1. These practices are illegal and unacceptable."
Investigation of each establishment, initiated during the six-month period from Jan. 31 to Aug. 1, 2008, by the division's district office in Little Rock, Arkansas determined that a total of 21 minors were employed to either operate and/or load power driver trash compactors and paper balers.
The companies also required minors to work more than three hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week. These practices violate the youth employment regulations of the FLSA.
The Tulsa companies that violated the FLSA are: Hot Topic; Gap Inc., doing business as Banana Republic; Villa Enterprise, doing business as Villa Pizza; Claire's Boutique; Eskimo Joe's Clothing; and Wilson Group Inc., doing business as Candy Castle.
Under the FLSA, youth under ages 14 and 15 may work up to three hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, eight hours on a non-school day and 40 hours in a non-school week. They are also limited to working between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day when the evening hours are extended to 9 p.m. Employees under the age of 18 may not work in any occupation deemed hazardous by the secretary of labor. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.
The companies cooperated with the investigation and have agreed to future FLSA compliance.
More Job Cuts Announced
The number of out of work Americans drawing long term benefits has hit a 25 year high. The news comes as more companies across the country, including some of Oklahoma's largest employers, continue to lay off workers.
Cox Communications announced on Thursday that they're cutting hundreds of jobs. But, some say the job market in Oklahoma, and Tulsa, in particular, is doing better than the rest of the country.
In August, it was SemGroup with more than 100 workers laid off. Earlier this month, the trend spread to Tahlequah where a cabinet maker laid off 50 employees. Gatorade in Pryor eliminated dozens of jobs. Its neighbor in the Mid-America Industrial Park, Labinal, decided to close its doors and that sent about 500 workers into the job market. Just last week, Dollar Thrifty announced it was cutting hundreds of jobs.
For the growing number of those looking for work, the future seems bleak. "You already know it's pretty stressful. Life ain't great at home right now. But, we're making it. We'll make it. Stay in the faith," said job seeker Richard Floyd.
While it is tough on individuals, employment experts say as a whole, Tulsa's job market is better off than the rest of the country.
Barbara Clyma says the state's unemployment rate is about half the national rate. And, there are some jobs out there.
"The aerospace, health, those are the ones that it seems like we just can't get enough people for. So, we still have staff shortages," said Barbara Clyma with Workforce Oklahoma.
Workforce Oklahoma is trying to help match job seekers with job opportunities through computer programs.
Floyd says the agency has given him a little help and hope. "Oh they absolutely helped me. I'm not really good with computers. Like I said, I've been a hard laborer all my life and I'm 40 years old and computers aren't my bag. So, they helped me out a lot," said Richard Floyd.
"If they need our help, we're here to help them," said Barbara Clyma with Workforce Oklahoma. The latest jobless numbers are from September which was before many of the recent layoffs. October's report comes out on Friday.
|
