NJ Impact: Job-Seekers Weathering a Still-Tough Market

• Editor's Note: The following story draws on previous reporting by several sites in the Patch.com news network. Click the links throughout the story for more on the job market's impact on individual communities.

For every sign of growth, there's another of stagnation. For every encouraging statistic, another serves up a stark reminder—things might be getting better for New Jersey's job market, but not by much, and not for everyone.

At best, the outlook for the Garden State, and for the 9.3 percent of its workforce still jobless, is mixed. There's optimism, but it's of the cautious variety. And even upswings have their downside: according to recent reports from the Department of Labor, a general sense that the employment outlook is improving has led many more people to start actively looking for jobs again, resulting in a bigger unemployment pool.

Laurie Seeds, 26, is one of those job seekers making a renewed effort to find work.

Last Thursday, the single mom from Jackson made her first visit to one of the state's unemployment offices in Toms River – branded as "One-Stop Career Centers" where would-be workers can get resume help and job-seeking tips from counselors. 

Seeds said she's been unemployed since she went on maternity leave from her job at a pet shop two and a half years ago. She had planned to go back to work, "but then I didn't have enough money for child care," she said. Now she's working on a nursing degree at the local county college.

"It's tough, because I'm going to school and trying to do everything on my kids' schedule," said Seeds. "It hasn't been the best. But I'll make it through."

Lisa Heidel shares her optimistic outlook. The 34-year-old single mother of four from South Toms River has been happy with the counseling program at the center. She said it's helped her get her first work prospects since 2008, when she got sick and had to leave her job managing a mall pretzel shop.

Heidel said she feels like she's been given tools she can use. "Instead of looking for a job, they show us how to create work for ourselves," she said. 

On Thursday, she was waiting to find out details on a volunteer program an unemployment counselor had located for her. 

"Like everyone says," she said, "it could lead into a job."

There are glimmers of hope, on the ground and in the numbers. The March unemployment report from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed New Jersey’s unemployment rate standing at 9.3-percent, a .1-percent increase from February. At the same time, the number of jobs in the state grew for the second month, by 4,600 positions statewide.

The Labor Department report showed that most of the job growth in March occurred in professional and business services, with the addition of 8,900 jobs. The state also saw 600 new jobs in other services, 400 in the information sector and 100 in the mining and logging industry. The public sector saw a total of 1,000 new jobs, with 1,600 jobs being added at in local, county and school government, while the state government lost 600 jobs.

Frank Wyckoff, owner and CEO of the Wyckoff Group of Eatontown, said he's personally confident in a recovery spearheaded by forward-thinking companies looking to beat the inevitable return.

"Progressively managed companies are starting to make the move now—companies are trying to get ahead of the curve," he said. "This year, the first quarter was a little soft, but still 10 to 15 percent better than the first quarter last year. We've seen mild hiring and some good energy in the marketplace."

Still, several industries lost jobs in the March report—manufacturing (2,800 lost); education and health services (1,300); trade, transportation and utilities (1,200); leisure and hospitality (800); and construction (300).

Overall, throughout the state, more jobs are available. But not all are professional positions with high pay. The Labor Department, in its Top 50 Occupational Listings of jobs in demand, outlines a need for 6,450 cashiers at an average of $9.55 an hour, and 1,790 stock clerks and order fillers, at $11.55. But it only lists a need for 590 computer system analysts at $43 an hour, and just 40 database managers at $39.20 an hour.

Unemployment Colorblind Between White and Blue

Many of those working with the unemployed in New Jersey are not surprised by the sometimes-discouraging numbers, noting that the state has been hit in terms of white-collar jobs.

“I'd have to say that, unfortunately, it seems to be across the board,” , a career coach who runs a career-networking group at the Scotch Plains Public Library. “The IT industry is still affected. That's number one. Number two, of course, in New Jersey, and especially central New Jersey, are pharmaceutical workers and, absolutely, financial workers. Around here, those are the industries most affected.” 

Mary Anne Anderson, the director of the one-stop career center for the Union County Department of Human Services, said she keeps seeing more and more white-collar workers coming in, spanning a variety of industries, a change that comes from the recession.

There's been in increase in the amount of middle-management professionals in the centers Anderson runs in Elizabeth and Plainfield, she said. Many want assistance getting educated for new positions, or even new career tracks.

“We’re getting a lot of requests from people who come in for truck driving,” she said. “It’s a short course, folks think they can start out with good money.”

Anderson said that many seasoned managers are trying to reinvent themselves as tech-savvy 21st-century workers. And while she's excited to see these longtime managers and executives embracing the need to change with the times, she's equally concerned that the changing marketplace is asking more from them. These highly skilled employees are being forced to interview for, and even accept, jobs that pay salaries that are significantly less than when they'd earned, she said.

Anderson said those who have lost blue-collar jobs have come in continuing to seek education vouchers and grants for local community colleges as part of their work to find new jobs. She said historically, those from the manufacturing sector have  come into her center the most.

In the Searching for Work group, some translate their skills into small businesses, using services such as Craigslist and community bulletin boards to advertise their trades.

Nation's Medicine Chest Sees Impact

New Jersey is regularly called the nation’s medicine chest. Across central New Jersey, dotting hillsides in Somerset County’s horse country and highways across Union, Middlesex and Mercer counties are the campuses of pharmaceutical companies. 

While debates may center on the fate of the pharmaceutical industry in terms of the national health care overhaul, the industry grapples daily with the impact of the economy. Workers deal with mergers and competition from a growing amount of generic drug companies that jump to market as patents expire.

According to a report released by outplacement company Challenger, Gray and Christmas, the pharmaceutical industry lost more jobs in 2010 than any other private industry. The job cut report, released on Dec. 1, showed that the pharmaceutical companies lost 50,168 jobs in 2010. In 2009, the industry lost 61,109 jobs, coming in second to the retail industry in number of job cuts.

Bonnie Featherstone, a recruiter specializing in the pharmaceutical industry, said that is has been tougher for her to fill positions with companies across the tri-state area. When she started her company, Bonafide Staffing, in 2007 Featherstone found it easy to place candidates. She said that while downsizing was occurring, there were still positions for the two talent pools she dealt with – recent college grads and experienced workers looking for new challenges.

“People who are employed in drug development are more cautious about leaving their positions than ever,” Featherstone said of the current outlook in the industry. “They don’t know what’s out there; they’re holding on.”

Featherstone said when a new client who has been downsized from the pharmaceutical industry comes to her she immediately tells them not to expect the same salary as they had when they left the industry. But she did add that many of her clients are more interested in the work than the money.

“Most of our candidates are well educated in health sciences,” she said. “They are serious scientists. They are very interested in the work they are doing, work that can benefit humankind, rather than making the bucks.”

Governor Taps Lieutenant To Lead Job Creation

Around New Jersey, a trade group representing business owners said it is seeing more businesses hiring. The group is bullish about an overall economic uptick, praising the role of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration on the economy.

“In New Jersey there seems to be an improvement in the business climate with the change put forward by this administration,” . “We can also see that there is an improvement in the economy with the lending of money. This is helping small business grow. We believe that small business is the place that will create the most jobs.”

Among Christie's moves lauded by Walsh include the creation of a "red tape review" task force, chaired by Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, which has been charged with reviewing the regulatory structure of state government. She also said the consolidation of many of the state’s business recruitment programs to the lieutenant governor’s office has been a benefit to business looking to come to New Jersey. Walsh is particularly pleased with Christie's plan to allow Mark Mauriello, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, to waive certain regulations to help facilitate business development.

Among Guadagno’s moves in taking on the economic development role has been to tour the state, conducting a  with local officials and business leaders. The agenda of her stops rarely changes; meetings with local officials on various issues are part of the day, along with a session with local business and community leaders, seeking input on taxes, regulations and what else the state can do for job growth. The sessions remain closed to the public with attendees being selected by the local community and receiving invitations from the lieutenant governor’s office.

While many of her travels in 2010 were to gain information to guide job growth, Guadagno has spent time in 2011 traveling to announce new jobs. This included a session earlier in April when  that Bayer Health Care will be consolidating 2500 employees from four Northeast locations in Morris County. Guadagno made the announcement the same day that in Hanover, , which was creating 400 new jobs following the federal government’s approval of a new drug to combat prostate cancer, that the company would be manufacturing.

The New Job Hunter

Wyckoff said the most surprising fact coming out of what some are calling The Great Recession is in the lack of motivation from the potential workforce.

"We've seen a change," Wyckoff said. "You would think that coming out of a recession people would be banging on the door. But, people seem to have gotten into the rhythm of being out of work. People are making more money staying home—it's really shocking."

Wyckoff blames much of the trend on changes to federal unemployment insurance.

"Someone who was making $40,000 can just stay home and make $30,000," he said.

Wyckoff said that while many believe that when unemployment is high, it is easier to find people to fill jobs, it is actually the opposite in his opinion. He said that it is tougher to find qualified job candidates, saying that many he sees do not have “integrity, honesty and initiative.”

He encourages many to have a high energy level and to know how to convey a professional attitude when they interview for a job. He said this includes being able to dress the part. He said the one thing he is seeing is that many of his clients are missing professionalism and motivation.

“It’s not the Greatest Generation anymore,” he said.

While Wyckoff said that he has not seen initiative, others involved in the job-hunting arena have seen the initiative. Leaders of the Hudson County Jaycees’ first job fair in Jersey City expected 500 people for their Feb. 4 event were startled to see more than 1,500 job seekers coming from Essex, Hudson, Morris and Passaic Counties.

Zach Edelman, the founding president of the Hudson County Jaycees, said that the fair was attended by 43 companies ranging from Prudential, Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Atlantic Coast Media Group to state agencies. The demographics of fair attendees ranged from recent college grads to those in their 50s. The group is looking to continue work on employment-related programs, including a partnership with other groups.

“It was indicative of the economy, it was hard to judge, but people are truly hurting,” said Zach Edelman, the founding president of the Hudson County Jaycees. “I don’t think we knew how bad the economy was. People came out of the woodwork.”

With reporting by John Celock, Graelyn Brashear, Alan Neuhauser, Joseph M. Gerace, Edward Van Ambden, MaryLynn Schiavi and Michael Daigle.