Hiring expected to surge in the next two months.

It's been such a long and slow process but according to a respected survey called LINE put out by SHRM, hiring is coming back! Here is the article:

http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/staffingmanagement/Articles/Pages/HiringAnticipation.aspx

I hope all is well with everyone. I am in the process of starting a consulting business. If this gets off the ground, I will specialize in companies with 100 employees or less who need the HR function formalized and managed, but they don't yet have the need for a full-time HR Director. I will also do project work for larger companies that need to maintain a certain HR function or manage a new initiative.

I am very excited about this possibility but I've got to get my first client! I did do my first new business presentation last week and will know if I got that business by early next week. Wish me luck! :-)

Additionally, we sold our house in Seattle which is a huge relief. It looks like the Oldershaw crew is back! Officially, and it feels good to be building again rather than doing damage control.

My husband has been freelancing steadily since last October. He is in advertising and that business really snakes (like the freeway traffic) in this industry. When business is down they really cut back, but when business is back, they are full speed ahead. I started in HR in this business so it is particularly challenging in this regard, and a little heart-breaking at times.

Also, there was a great article in the 2/15 edition of Newsweek by Jeffrey Pfeffer titled "Lay Off The Layoffs." In this article Jeffrey lays out the reasons why we need to treat layoffs as a last resort option. France has faired much better in this economic downturn because they held on to their workers. They can then still buy and this allows businesses to stay afloat through the tough times. There is also much less stress as compared to workers in the U.S. where layoffs are done routinely. Just something to think about. Personally, I think they wreak havoc on our nation along with the lack of health-care.

Here is the link to the above article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/233131

Take care, Sarah

Rachel Maddow talks to Janathan Alter and reviews discourse on recent Christmas Day terror attack.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Interactive map of the economic stress index by county.

Here is an interesting interactive map showing the economic stress index by county:

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/stress_index/index.html

You can roll over your county and see the stress index. The stress index for my county went down .01% this month... hey, I'll take it! I found this on the Huffington Post.

If this does not scream for Health-care reform, I don't know what does!

I recently came across a story on the Huffington Post about a woman who was denied health-care due to a sexual assault. When she was prescribed anti-HIV medication as a precaution after her sexual assault, she was dropped from her health-care because she was prescribed this medication. Here is website she recommends and I agree that women generally have to pay more for their health-care.

Best Job Search Assistance Site

Hi Friends,

Here is the best job search assistance site I've found, and I've been looking for a while! Check it out: http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/index.html

They have everything you need, including a job search engine that is TRULY easy to use. I hope this job market loosens up soon. In the meantime, just keep applying and take good care of yourself. This is also a good time to consider freelance work to pay the bills while you're looking, and a great way to see new companies and network. A great source for that is Linkedin as well as jobseekerhelp.org.

You should also have an industry specific site or two based on the job(s) you are looking for. For example, I'm looking for an Employee Benefits Account Manager, Benefits Manager, or Senior HR Generalist position. My job search websites are: jobseekerhelp.org, Linkedin, craigslist, simplyhired, shrm, and employee benefits. Those last two sites are industry specific to HR and Employee Benefits, respectively, while the other sites provide good general coverage and freelance opportunities.

Have a great weekend everyone!! It will get better soon.

Top 10 Employment Websites

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/top-10-employment-websites.html

Health-care reform arguments by insurers are vetted by the Washington Post

Just the facts, please...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/factchecker15.html