Smart Workforce Solutions
Archive for the 'Trends' Category
Friday, July 24th marks the increase of the state minimum wage to $7.25. A helpful resource for employers to consider is the free download of required workplace labor posterreflecting the change. Employers may receive mail order offers to purchase a poster, but should be aware that the free downloadable resource would be an alternative. Most employment positions are affected, but the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations published a Q&A resource on their website for further detail.
The official change prompted interest from local news media outlets and requests for feedback from the WIB. Correspondents from KZRG Radio and Fox-14 TV interviewed Executive Director Jasen Jones for local insights.
The WIB’s advanced labor market intelligence system provided research demonstrating only 13 of the bottom 50 lowest hourly wage occupations in the Joplin metro have medium hourly wages under the new $7.25 minimum wage.
- Website article from KZRG/News-Talk 1310 Radio
- WIB Market Data on Lowest Paying Occupations in Joplin (PDF)
- DOLIR Minimum Wage Regulations Q&A
- Free download of Mandated Workplace Poster (PDF)
Earlier in 2009, the Missouri Economic Research Information Center (MERIC) produced a comparison of minimum wages across the country. MERIC’s report also analyzed the number of individuals making about $7.15/hour state by state. At that point in time, 82.7% of Missouri’s hourly wage-earners made above the $7.15/hour threshold studied.
Comments (0)Seminar Announced at Monett for HR Issues & Legislative Updates
Posted by blog @ 8:22 amThe Missouri Employer Committee is hosting a seminar in Monett August 13th with valuable updates and trends on issues and legislative updatees of priority to HR professionals. The workshop is set for August 13th at Grants Restaurant on Highway 60 in Monett.
Special guest speaker is Rick Temple, Esq. from the law offices of Rick Temple LLC. A $15 registration fee includes breakfast as well as the workshop and all presentation materials. Registration and breakfast opens at 7:30 with the program to follow from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
For additional information or if special accommodations are needed, please contact Patty Spencer or Pam Barbour at (417) 235-7877.
The Monett Area Missouri Employer Committee invites business owners and human resource professionals to its next seminar on Immigration.
Hal Wood, with Advisory Management Services, will present information on labor market and immigration, changes to immigration law, immigration issues with the application process, types of documentation, the “no match” letter, and new approaches and penalties from ICE for illegal hires. Read the rest of this entry »
Get Your Kicks on Route 66 is a vintage song that gave Joplin national recognition years ago as a popular stop along Historic Route 66. Joplin is back in the national spotlight for its business climate. A national business publication profiled Joplin as a top 25 “Choice City” among metro areas in the nation deemed most attractive for business development. Read the rest of this entry »
The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has updated the state’s minimum wage poster effective as of January 1 for the wage increase. Download the poster here to help keep your organization in compliance with posting requirements. Remember, don’t fall for direct mail scams to pay big bucks when these posters are available free through the Missouri Career Center!
The Milken Institute, a renowned independent economic think tank, released its study of the most expensive and least expensive states for businesses. The Show-Me state shows favorable to business with Missouri coming in as one of the states in the top least-expensive for doing business, ranking at 43 of 50 in total cost index overall.
A recent study by the Urban Land Institute found that many companies are finding a shortage of affordable housing close to work is making it more difficult to hire and retain entry-and mid-level workers. It also found that younger workers and workers earning $50,000 or less were significantly more likely to move closer to work if affordable housing were available than those with higher incomes.
Of those larger (100+ employees) companies surveyed, 58% reported having lost employees at least in part to long commute times, 69% believed a long commute time increases employee stress, 63% believed it triggers negative emotion among employees, 48% said it causes more absenteeism, and 46% said it contributes to turnover. Some of the solutions to long commute times offered by employers included flextime (45%) and telecommuting (21%).
The annual Festival of Friends in Carthage has gained a reputation of connecting different cultures and showcasing their uniquesness as well as similarity. The Carthage Multicultural Committee has opened the festival for local businesses and non-profit organizations to exhibit and connect with the participants. The festival is slated for 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th at Central Park in Carthage. For more information, contact Kate Massey at 417-359-8181 or send an email to cvb@ecarthage.com.
Total online job ads were 4,365,000 in April, an increase of 610,600 or 16 percent from March, according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™ released recently. Part of the rise reflects seasonal factors including the longer reference period of mid-March to mid-April, when there were three more days than in the previous month. There were 2.9 advertised vacancies online for every 100 persons in the labor force in April. Over the year April ’06 – April ‘07, online advertised vacancies increased 24 percent for the nation as a whole.
Enhanced Enterprise Zone Tax Credit incentives are part of the economic development package that’s resulting in 30 new jobs with an average wage of $46,166 and a $6 million new investment from a Carthage-area manufacturer. Gov. Matt Blunt announced that the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) has approved $246,691 in Enhanced Enterprise Zone Program tax credits for Leggett and Platt, Inc., in Carthage.