RJ and Makay

U.S. adds a higher than expected 290,000 jobs in April but unemployment went up to 9.9 percent. This is the fourth straight month of increases.  The U.S. economy added jobs in April at the fastest pace in four years and corporate America seems to have at least stabilized and starting to make gains again. The reason why we have a higher unemployment in this specific circumstance isn't entirely negative.

Its encouraging that we now have two months in the positive jobs column. The cynicism of the job market by the unemployed and underemployed has softened enough that sidelined jobseekers are jumping back into the game. We have a record high 45.9% of the unemployed people who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more. As positive monthly job gains continue, many of jobless are jumping back into the job market. This will contribute to keeping the unemployment numbers high for some time.

ExecuNet just published their 2010 Executive Job Market Intelligence Report, and the executive recruiters they surveyed have identified the top high growth functions for executive job seekers in 2010:

1. Business Development
2. Sales
3. Operations Management
4. Engineering
5. Marketing
6. General Management
7. Finance
8. Consulting
9. R&D
10. MIS/Information Technology

Of the 186 search firms who responded to the ExecuNet survey 64% are expecting more senior management hiring over the next six months. In the short-term recruiters are still optimistic with 42% expecting increases in the next 3 months. That's the highest number since June of 2008 in nearly two years!

Although the economy and the job market have a long grueling road ahead of us, recent data suggest we at least have started our journey.

Going up
Economists are projecting the U.S. economy added 185,000 jobs in March. This is an increase of 162,000 jobs in March. Although the unemployment rate will not come down anytime soon, employers are hiring more. The official unemployment report comes out May 7th.