| Looking for a job this year has been like walking on the beach. An occasional wave brings in new life. But over the next few years, we feel the rising tide is in our favor. Manufacturing is poised for a rebound.
What signs point in the direction of robust growth?
- Increasing efficiency of US manufacturing operations. Many of the old, dingy factories have failed, never to be reopened. They are being replaced by bright, efficient, world-class facilities.
- The labor rate of U.S. workers has held steady in recent years. Conversely, Chinese workers have demanded wage increases, narrowing the gap.
- The weak value of the U.S. dollar entices foreign investment to the United States. Meanwhile, foreign goods appear more expensive while U.S. goods become more attractive. A cheap dollar also stimulates the export of USA-made products.
- As an energy source, natural gas will become a hero. We've discovered a lot of it.
You can see the positive signs now in specific markets of plastics, such as resin, automotive components, and various extrusions. Watch for more. We believe 2013 will be an excellent year for employment in packaging and plastics.
But today, it's 2012. We've pegged our proprietary job market index at Employer+1, which means employers outnumber job seekers.
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| This year's 2012 Plastics Salary and Trends Survey ends this weekend on Sunday, May 6 at noon central. Are you counted? Have you participated? This is the most comprehensive salary survey in the plastics industry and your input counts. Do your part to support the industry and complete it now! Begin Survey |
| Let us share our observation about the employment market in early 2012 ... employers' plans to expand head count has slowed noticeably in March and April. What changed? Did an influential business guru tweet a negative advisory?
Business leaders are individualists. They have their own minds. Some follow a trend; others, contrarians, purposely head the opposite direction. This time, however, most are in harmony. What was the cue?
From our viewpoint, here's a chart of the funded new hire opportunities over the past 6 months:
We reached a peak in late December and early January.
We found another interesting chart:
Do you recognize this one? It's a graph of the price of gas over the same period of time. Do you see a relationship? (Hint: They are the same chart, flipped). As you know, the price of gas affects not only your monthly fuel bill. Gas and diesel fuel expenses add cost to every item, each time it's shipped. That has a negative multiplier effect on the economy, and it puts the brakes on companies' expansion plans.
Eventually, our economy will adjust to the new rate and expansion hiring will resume. Or the management guru will issue a new tweet: Hire today! We'll keep you apprised of our observations.
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| The exclusive 2011 IoPP/Packaging World survey finds incomes continued to climb as the workforce still bears a heavy burden. The average salary for a packaging professional in 2011 was $107,440. And though this average has been increasing -- $104,850 reported in 2010, $101,470 in 2009, and $101,879 in 2008 -- forty-six percent of survey participants feel overburdened with their current job duties and responsibilities.
The workforce is already stretched to its limit. Any slight increase in business requires the hiring of new employees and the current staff just can’t handle any more work. Overall job satisfaction also remains mixed. Read more about the survey's results in Packaging World.
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| NPE and ANTEC are just around the corner! This year both shows will be in sunny Orlando, FL. If you plan to go, click here for your FREE PASS. And be sure visit us in Booth # 3983 - just look for the Pith Helmets! |
| Are you considering a new job in 2012? Or will you be hiring? Don't make a move until you read our White Paper: Things to look for in the job market. Available for a limited time. Why? Because in June, if it appears we were wrong, we'll pull it. |
| Our annual survey of compensation in the packaging industry closes this week. Why should you care?
Check this: Fill your tank with expensive gasoline and pay the bill. Now tell me you don't care? I thought so. Everything financial is in flux, and you need to know how your salary compares to the market. You provide the information, and we'll report it. Do it today. The 2012 survey of Packaging Professionals is produced by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (membership is not required to participate). Co-sponsors are by Packaging World publications and Gros Executive Recruiters. Results will be published by Packaging World in April. Here's the link to the survey: http://www.iopp.org/i4a/forms/form.cfm?id=70&pageid=2981&showTitle=0
A special thank-you gift--at the close of the survey, you'll be invited to download the Gros Executive Recruiters Insider's Report: Things to look for in the Job Market in 2012.
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| Want a free pass? Of course you do! Register for NPE at no charge. What's the buzz?
NPE2012: The magnaminous plastics trade show of the Americas, presented on a three-year cycle by the Society of the Plastics Industry. This is the first ever NPE in Orlando Florida. Bring your walking shoes. You and about 70,000 other plastics professionals will have an opportunity to visit booths of 2,000 suppliers, attend educational sessions, and chat about the state of all things plastic. look for us at booth 3983
And, co-located at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center...
ANTEC: The highly respected forum of technical thought, presented by the Society of Plastics Engineers. More than 100 technical sessions on plastics materials, processing and applications. Outstanding opportunity to meet your fellow leaders in the plastics scientific community. And leads for the folks in marketing--keynotes include "Polymer Composites for Aerospace" and "Path to Successful Commercialization of New Materials."
Of particular interest to students: Speed Interview session, Wednesday April 4, 2:00–4:30 p.m. Sponsored by SPE and Gros Executive Recruiters, this session will be geared toward students ready to enter the workforce or looking for internships with leading plastics-industry companies. For more information or to register, please go to: http://www.4spe.org/antecnpe-2012-student-speed-interview-reservation-form
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PLASTICS AND PACKAGING MARKET SHOWS SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT
Gros Job Market Index shifts to Employer +1
The plastics and packaging jobs market is showing signs of improvement, according to a job market index update from Gros Executive Recruiters.
The recruiting firm maintains and regularly revises the Gros Job Market Index, which reflects the current ratio of applicants to available jobs. The Gros Job Market Index has now shifted from Employer +2 to Employer +1. The index ranges from Employer +3 to Applicant +3, with a balanced midpoint in between.
Gros Executive Recruiters President Dennis Gros noted that industries like plastics and packaging are relatively strong in an otherwise still struggling economy.
“We’re glad to see the jobs result as the manufacturing sector leads us out of recession,” said Gros.
The most recent prior shift in the Gros Job Market Index occurred in late June 2011 when demand for plastics and packaging professionals slipped and the index was reset to Employer +2. George Shaw, Gros Executive Recruiters Communication Director, said it was time to adjust the Gros Job Market Index to Employer +1 because an uptick in hiring late last year is showing signs of carrying over into 2012.
“It is a step in the right direction, although it’s not quite back to an optimal or balance level. Still, it’s good news,” said Shaw. “Optimism is on the rise as well from most of the companies we’re talking to on a regular basis.”
Gros Executive Recruiters is an executive recruiting firm serving companies and individuals as the marketplace of professional career opportunities in packaging and plastics. The firm was founded by Dennis Gros in 1989 and is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee.
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| Participate in the Institute of Packaging Professionals' 2012 Salary Survey. Ready? Do it now! You'll get a copy of the results! Produced by Gros Executive Recruiters, the Institute of Packaging Professionals, and Packaging World magazine. IoPP members and non-members are welcome.
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| On an interview safari, you can feel like the nervous rabbit or you can be the stealthy cat. As you learn more about the process, you will gain confidence to accurately present your abilities. We dedicate this space to helping you achieve your career goals. |
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