One-in-Four Workers Can't Afford to Take a Vacation

25 May 2011 11:00 Africa/Lagos


One-in-Four Workers Can't Afford to Take a Vacation, CareerBuilder Survey Finds
--30 Percent Work While on Vacation--

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, May 25, 2011

CHICAGO, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As we approach the official kick-off to summer getaways with Memorial Day weekend, a recent study from CareerBuilder shows financial constraints and demanding work schedules have some workers foregoing vacation plans this year. Twenty-four percent of full-time workers reported they can't afford to take a vacation in 2011, up from 21 percent last year. Another 12 percent reported they can afford a vacation, but don't have plans to take one this year. More than 5,600 workers participated in the nationwide study, which was conducted from February 21 to March 10, 2011.

INFOGRAPHIC: http://bit.ly/k0hS3X.

While the majority of workers are planning some time away from work, three-in-ten plan to take the office with them on vacation. Thirty percent reported they will contact work while on vacation, up from 25 percent last year.

"Taking advantage of vacation or paid-time-off benefits is critical not only to your well-being, but to your overall job performance," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "Workers who set aside time for R&R tend to have less burnout, more creative energy and higher quality output. While financial challenges and heavy workloads may make vacation planning difficult, it's important to find time to recharge away or at home. It can ultimately translate into a more gratifying work experience that benefits you, your family and your employer."

As the economy heals, more than one-third (36 percent) of workers reported that they feel more comfortable taking a vacation than they did in 2010. One-in-four (26 percent) are planning a vacation of 7 to 10 days while 11 percent expect to be gone 2 weeks or longer. Twenty-four percent are planning for 3 to 5 days or a weekend getaway.

Haefner recommends the following tips to make the most of your time off:

1. Give plenty of notice – 24 percent of workers reported they have had to work while their family went on vacation without them. Coordinate schedules with family and friends and co-workers as early in advance as possible, so you can plan vacations before/after big projects and events.
2. Don't take a guilt trip – 12 percent of workers reported they feel guilty that they're not at work while they're on vacation. Your vacation benefits are there for a reason. Enjoy yourself. The work will still be there when you return.
3. Ask about discounts – Many employers offer discounts on personal entertainment and travel for employees that may make vacation plans more affordable. Check out the company intranet or contact HR for more information.
4. Make sure you're covered – Buddy up with other co-workers to cross-train one another on responsibilities, upcoming deadlines, key contacts, where information is stored, etc. If your company may need to contact you for something while on vacation, make sure to set parameters on when you'll be available and stick to them.
5. Use 'em or lose 'em– 16 percent of workers reported they gave up vacation days in 2010 because they didn't have time to use them. If you can't take a number of days at once, consider taking a day here and there for extended weekends or mid-week breaks.


Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder among 5,671 U.S. workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government); ages 18 and over between February 21 and March 10, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset of U.S. employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 5,671, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.30 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 40 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to recruitment support. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Grasz
773-527-1164
jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

SOURCE CareerBuilder

Web Site: http://www.careerbuilder.com

So Where are the Jobs?

So Where are the Jobs? For The U.S. Economy, Bouncing Back Is Hard To Do
Construction, Finance, State/Local Government Holding Recovery Back

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, May 5, 2011

NEW YORK, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to recessions, the U.S. economy doesn't bounce back like it used to, The Conference Board reports in an analysis released today.

By March 2011, the number of people employed in the U.S. was only 0.2 percent higher than in June 2009, when the recession ended, notes the report, entitled So Where are the Jobs?

The current recovery is the second slowest on record since 1961 – continuing a trend that began in 1991 of weak growth in both jobs and GDP. In the last three recoveries, neither GDP nor employment "roared back" as was typical after earlier downturns.

In the current recovery, some industries are doing better, others worse. "When looking across industries, the current recovery is showing some unique trends," says Gad Levanon, Associate Director of Macroeconomic Research at The Conference Board, and author of the report. "For example, employment in construction, finance and state/local government is not only declining, but declining much faster than in any other recovery since 1960. The decline in these industries is a result of forces that go beyond the ups and downs we see in typical recessions, and a strong bounce back is unlikely in the near future." Since the end of recession, total employment in construction, finance and state/local government declined by 1.06 million jobs, while the rest of the economy added only 1.3 million jobs.

The Conference Board report includes a breakdown by industry, including a listing of job recovery rates by sector and over time. For example:

* Hardest Hit : The number of jobs in construction (-8.1 percent), finance (-1.8 percent), and state and local government (-1.0 and -2.6 percent respectively) continued to decline in the 21 months after the end of the recession.
* Disappointing : Healthcare and leisure and hospitality jobs have recovered, but at a rate slower than any since 1960.
* Doing OK : Manufacturing suffered less job loss than in recent recessions, and in the last 12 months, manufacturing employment has grown at the highest rate since the 1990s.
* Shrinking Government : The growth in federal government jobs during the recovery has been historically high (38,000), but not enough to offset the unprecedented losses in state and local government jobs (-429,000).


Employment Outlook

In the near-term, employment growth will continue to be slow. The housing downturn, high oil and commodity prices, government austerity measures and limited consumer spending will prevent GDP growth from being more robust. Unemployment is likely to remain above 8 percent through 2012. The Conference Board forecasts GDP to grow at about 2.5 percent in 2011 and 2012, much lower than the rate of 3.5 to 4 percent typically reached during expansions.

Adds Levanon: "Longer-term prospects are more promising, however. In the last six months, employment outside of construction, finance and state and local government has already been growing faster than nearly any other six-month period in the last decade. Once constraints in these hard-hit sectors loosen, overall job recovery is likely to pick up pace."

Source: So Where are the Jobs? For the U.S. Economy, Bouncing Back is Hard to Do

Executive Action No. 349

The Conference Board

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is a global, independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org

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SOURCE The Conference Board

CONTACT: Carol Courter, +1-212-339-0232, carol.courter@conference-board.org, or Jonathan Liu, +1-212-339-0257, jonathan.liu@conference-board.org

Web Site: http://www.conference-board.org

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Imo Gubernatorial Polls: Governor Ohakim Beyond Electorates Redemption

Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Governor of Imo State


Imo Gubernatorial Polls: Governor Ohakim Beyond Electorates Redemption

Written By Njamanze Fidel


The governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim without mincing words has made himself unlikable to majority of Imo people by his untoward actions and inactions. Since the inception of his administration in 2007, I have tried to restrain myself from constructively pointing out my grouse with him hoping that he will turn over a new leaf but all to no avail.


The fact is he has earned for himself the notoriety of being a political deceiver of the highest order. A point in view was when he purportedly deceived Mr. President; Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that he has started rehabilitating the road that runs from Nkwala (one of the prominent weekly markets in Ngor-Opkala LGA), Eziama, Ntu, Umuohie, Umuneke (where the council secretariat is located) and Ngwuru. This road forms a T-junction to Owerri, Okpala and Owerri Nta road apart from numerous junctions along that axis. This T-junction is close to Ulakwo Junction and Park. It is about a kilometer if you are coming from Ulakwo to Okpala and on the right hand side.


While the governor was coming back from the airport some time ago, where he had gone to welcome the President, I gathered from a reliable source that he pointed at the road that connects Umuneke, Ugwuru, Umuohie, Ntu, Eziama and Nkwoala to Mr. President as one of the roads he was building. It is important to note here that the construction equipment was pulled out of the construction site after the President had gone back to the seat of power, Aso Rock. The truth is that what Ohakim did was to rehabilitate some dangerous spots along that road but this was not exhaustive, because from Umuneke to Nkwola where there are also potholes were left unattended. Why?


This road was initially constructed by past military regime. The road, which is a state road, was later constructed and continued from Umuohie Ngor to Nkwala Market by the current democratic dispensation. The present state of the road is better described as deplorable not minding the lackadaisical, cunning and deceptive move by the Chief Executive in Imo state to rehabilitate it.


What is most painful to me are the poorly executed road rehabilitation projects that have been captured in Ohakim’s campaign billboard just to earn the votes of the electorates in addition to other irritating attributes of his and flaws. For instance, the above mentioned road that leads to Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area has been captured in one of his deceptive billboards located at that strategic T- Junction. Initially, “Ochina falsehood” wanted the whole world to know or believe that the road was to be dualized but this was not to be as the road project was abandoned before it could get to half a kilometer. My heart bleeds for most rural based Local Governments Areas and its inhabitants in Imo State especially Ngor Okpala Local Government Area as there is virtually nothing to lift their dampened spirit up.


Is it our roads; which in great state of disrepair, school structures; which are a shadow of their former self, youth empowerment; which has taken flight, health centres; which are crawling on their knees. While some state Governors have initiated free education in their various states by even going the extra mile of providing free sandals, exercise books, school uniforms and bags to pupils and students of both primary and secondary schools, what is saddening is the increase in school fees of undergraduates who attend University of Imo State (IMSU) by Ohakim administration. The effect of the increment is gnawing of teeth by most parents who struggle too hard to pay the said fee which is allegedly put at one hundred and fifty thousand naira.


Ohakim should as a matter of urgency borrow a leaf from the governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State etc.


Again, it is most sad to observe that a federal road that runs through Okpala, Eziama, Nkwala Market and Amala to Rivers State has also been captured in Governor Ohakim’s political campaign billboard as one of the roads he has constructed. However, this is one of the twenty first century nauseating falsehood being peddled by Ochina what I do not know.


With various allegations of misdemeanor; abuse of a man of God, his subjects in the person of Samuelson Iwuoha and Mrs Elizabeth Udoudo, inability to develop rural areas for socio-economic activities, litany of corruption related petitions, deceptive politicking and so on, I do not nurse any doubt in my mind that Ohakim would be an irredeemable gubernatorial product to market to the electorate in Imo state as he has shot himself in the leg.


Jude Ude commenting in an article with the title “Governor Ikedi Ohakim: The Example Of Ondo State Government written by one Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha, Jun 07 2010 said, “The fact that Ikedi Ohakim is worse than DEJI is not in doubt. We have an acclaimed 419ner, looter,criminal and a public enemy as the Governor in Imo State. We all know that the powers that be in the PDP are protecting this fool, but for how long they will do it, then we are waiting to see. I have always said that no amount of falsehood or campaign from people like Steve Osuji, Kenneth Uwadi, Obi Okereke, Sam Uzowum, Dr. E Dibia and Mr. J. Onyeakoh can succeed in selling or imposing this impostor, criminal and 419ner on the good people of Imo State. They tell us that Ohakim has achieved heaven and earth in Imo State, but they have never succeeded in substantiating their claim.”


Prophecy: What I do know for sure is, your investigation by the appropriate authority may tarry, but the petition dossier on your corrupt practices is in a safe place for future action. By the time the lid to your can of worms is opened, either by EFCC or ICPC, your fate may be worse than James Ibori’s.


~Njamanze Fidel a political activist and commentator write from Ihite, Imo State

Ohakim’s Empowerment Application Form (Per Ward): A Real or False Bait?

Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim


Ohakim’s Empowerment Application Form (Per Ward): A Real or False Bait?


Written By Njamanze Fidel


As the count down to the Imo state governorship and State House of Assembly elections draw close some political parties have come forward with mouth-watering promises so as to gain overwhelmingly the votes of the electorates. This move is to reelect the incumbent governor, state house assembly members or to vote them out and usher in a new governor, house assembly members from opposition political parties in Imo State.


One of such political campaign promise is the Empowerment Application Form (per ward) that is being circulated across the 27 local government Areas in Imo state which is given to prospective electorates by the People's Democratic Party’s house to house campaigners with the aim of getting their votes on the 26 of April 2011.


I do know that Imo people have not forgotten so soon what transpired when the Ikedi Ohakim’s administration advertised to provide 10,000 jobs to Imo indigenes. The question now is has the governor fulfilled that promise forthrightly not minding that majority of those who applied for the job with their hard earned money to by scratch card are yet to be employed? Is there any similarity from this Empowerment Application Form per Ward and the vehemently criticized 10,000 jobs?


The form has the following outlines under its biodata, date of birth, sex, marital status, occupation, address, Local Government Area (LGA), phone number and email address. Under its empowerment category, you will see farmers loan; 100 persons, widows loan; 50 widows, students scholarship; 20 students, youth empowerment; 10 keke/tricycles and government employment; 10 graduates, 20 non-graduates and 10 women. When you add the above figures and multiply it by the total number of wards in Imo State what will you get? No doubt, the total number of people to benefit from this empowerment scheme will exceed the 10,000 jobs which Ohakim said his administration will provide. What does this tell you? Are we not about to be hoodwinked by the political deceivers of Imo state kleptomaniac politics?


If one may ask, why the PDP led administration in Imo State did not introduce or share this form when it assumed the administration of affairs in 2007? Why is it now that the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are very close that they remembered to distribute it among prospective and non prospective electorates whom they have faith and hope that would vote for the Peoples Democratic Party? Whether this latest political game plan of the PDP in Imo State will fly, remains only a matter of conjecture. But what I am sure of is that most Imo people are not naïve. Our governor Governor Ikedi Ohakim seems to have made enough money within a period of four years and that is why he said university education is not for the poor or everybody. What an insensitivity to the plight of the averagely rich and poor! He has as a matter of fact; increased the financial burden of majority of our parents who have their ward in Imo State University. Will you vote for him (Ohakim) if you are in the position of such parents whom the former has made their burden heavier?


The People of Imo State should vote wisely at this crucial election which will make or mar commendable governance.


Njamanze Fidel a political activist and commentator write from Ihite, Imo State

Hiring Managers love Thank-You Note after Job Interviews

More Than One-in-Five Hiring Managers Say They Are Less Likely to Hire a Candidate Who Didn't Send a Thank-You Note, Finds New CareerBuilder Survey

-- Hiring managers share what catches their eye on a resume--

CHICAGO, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Job seekers who are not following proper etiquette are hurting their chances of landing a job, even if they may be a good fit for the position. More than one-in-five (22 percent) hiring managers say they are less likely to hire a candidate if they don't send a thank-you note after an interview, according to new data released by CareerBuilder. Of those who would dismiss a candidate for the faux pas, 86 percent say it shows a lack of follow-through and an additional 56 percent say it sends the message that they aren't really serious about the opportunity. This national survey was conducted among more than 2,800 U.S. employers between February 21 and March 10, 2011.

View the infographic here: http://bit.ly/g9I4U2

What's best, regular mail or email? The majority (89 percent) of hiring managers say it is okay to send a thank-you note in the form of an email, with half saying it is actually the way they prefer to receive them. When it comes to industries, the bulk of IT hiring managers say they prefer to receive email thank-you notes more than any other industry surveyed, while the majority of those in the financial services say it's not preferred, but still okay.

"While the job market has begun to move in the right direction, competition continues to remain high for open positions and job seekers need to stay on their toes," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. "Employers not only expect thank-you notes, but cover letters as well. Approximately one-third of hiring managers say a lack of cover letter will likely result in them not considering a candidate for their open position."

Once they have read a candidate's cover letter, seven-in-ten hiring managers say they prefer to see a career summary at the top of a resume instead of an objective and, more than half (57 percent) think a resume should be two pages long. When asked what catches their eye the most on a resume, hiring managers said:

Bulleted list of accomplishments (51 percent)
Career summary at the top (40 percent)
Relevant key words (39 percent)
Resume that is customized to the open position (36 percent)

"One-in-five hiring managers say they spend 30 seconds or less looking at a resume, so all your communications need to be professional and to the point," added Haefner. Other job search correspondence tips include:

Cover Letter

Your cover letter is your golden opportunity to make a strong first impression that will entice employers to want to know you better. Make sure it paints a more thorough picture of your educational and work-related background; the cover letter is where you can bring your specific experiences to life.

Resume

Always assume your resume will be scanned by a computer. Companies both large and small are using keyword-search software in their hiring processes these days, so it's important to make sure you always send out a search-ready resume.

Prove it! Don't just explain what you did at your last job, but how you did it and what impact it had on the company's bottom line. The more quantifiable results you can highlight, the better.

Thank-you note

Repeat, repeat, repeat. While a lot of what you include in your thank-you note may seem repetitive, restate your enthusiasm about the job and your qualifications for the position. Include any interesting topic that may have come up during the interview.

Cover all your bases. If you interviewed with more than one hiring manager, send a thank-you note to each person.

Survey Methodology

These surveys were conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,878 U.S. hiring managers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between February 21 and March 10, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions) and among 2,482 U.S. employers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between November 15 and December 2, 2010 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With pure probability samples of 2,878 and 2,482 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.83 and +/-1.97 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset – their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 32 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company, and The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI). CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact:
CareerBuilder
Michael Erwin
773-527-3637
michael.erwin@careerbuilder.com
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

SOURCE CareerBuilder


Web Site: http://www.careerbuilder.com

Nokia Supports Social Innovation Camp Nigeria

Nokia Supports Social Innovation Camp Nigeria

In line with its established reputation for Innovation, Nokia is partnering with a social enterprise venture, Co-Creation Hub to provide a platform for young Nigerians to come up with business ideas that also address some of Nigeria’s social issues. Co-Creation Hub had sought entries from Nigerians on how they can use mobile technology to set up businesses that address issues like the quality of Education, Health, combating corruption, and deepening democracy. The entries were pruned to 6 out of which three winners have emerge after a 48-hour camping at the Pan-Africa University, Lagos. Nokia along with other organizations like TBWA/Concepts will allow the winners use their platforms to transform the ideas into thriving businesses.

Segun Fodeke, a software developer won the first prize with her idea on how mobile devices can be used to track the performance of elected government officials against the promises they make when seeking elections. The second position was won by Olusegun V. Sangowawa for her idea on using mobile technology to improve people’s access to health information. Tosin Agboola’s entry emerged third position. The idea seeks to use mobile phones are platforms to alert Nigerians about wanted criminals rather the current use of newspapers, whose reach is quite limited due to poor literacy level and poverty.

Nokia is particularly availing any of the winners who develops a mobile application, an opportunity to upload such on Ovi Store. Ovi store is Nokia’s proprietary platform from which millions of Nokia faithfuls can download applications, games, maps and music. Globally, there are at least 3 million downloads on Ovi store everyday. Nokia’s Head of Marketing for West Africa, Reuben Onwubiko said the Ovi Store platform provides the winners a life-time opportunity to make money from the revenue from downloads all over the world. He said the onus is therefore on those who have entered for the competition to ensure that they come up with solutions that would be acceptable even beyond the shores of Nigeria.

Founded in 2008 in the UK, Social Innovation camp runs as process/event to create innovative applications of the web and mobile technology to solve social problems. Social innovation camps have been run London, Edinburgh, Slovakia, Australia, South Korea, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Czech Republic. The Nigerian initiative is the first of its kind on the African continent.

For Enquiries, Contact:

Osagie Ogunbor
Head of Communications
Nokia West Africa
+234-706-418-6685

About Nokia
At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.2 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.