Headline News
On Assignment Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
Doherty Staffing Solutions Acquires Staffing Specialists Inc.
Hudson Announces Corporate Name, Ticker Symbol Change
Employment Costs in the U.S. Increased 0.4% in First Quarter
Business Spending Drop Limits U.S. Growth to 2.2%

Now Available: 2012 ASA Staffing Law Conference Recordings
Every Day Is a Good Day to Hire Heroes

Legal Watch
TN: Unemployment Act of 2012 Passes in State Senate
How to Avoid Employee Retaliation Claims

Trends and Research
U.S. Firms Add Jobs, but Mostly Overseas
Does Organized Labor Have a Future?
HR Departments Grow, but Hiring Doesn’t

Headline News

On Assignment Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
On Assignment Inc. News Release (04/26/12)

On Assignment Inc. reported revenues for the first quarter of 2012 were $167.1 million, up 29% year-over-year and up 3% from the preceding quarter. Net income was $5.4 million. Excluding acquisition-related expenses (net of tax), net income was $6.8 million, compared with $3.5 million in the first quarter of 2011.

The information technology and engineering segment revenues were $78.8 million, up 31.0% from the first quarter of 2011 and 10.6% from the fourth quarter of 2011. Life sciences segment revenues were $41.4 million, up 25.5% from the first quarter of 2011 and 1.1% from the fourth quarter of 2011. Health care segment revenues were $22.9 million, up 15.3% from the first quarter of 2011 and down 11.8% from the fourth quarter of 2011. Physician segment revenues were $24.1 million, up 45.8% from the first quarter of 2011 and up 1.6% from the fourth quarter of 2011.

Doherty Staffing Solutions Acquires Staffing Specialists Inc.
Doherty Staffing Solutions News Release (04/26/2012)

Doherty Staffing Solutions, based in Edina, MN, has acquired Staffing Specialists Inc., dba Job Jockeys, a Marshall, MN-based staffing and recruiting firm that specializes in clerical and light industrial staffing. This is Doherty’s second acquisition since its 2010 purchase of Top Temporary, now Top Talent Solutions.

Hudson Announces Corporate Name, Ticker Symbol Change
Hudson Global Inc. News Release (04/27/2012)

Hudson Highland Group Inc. on April 26 received stockholders’ approval at its annual meeting to change its corporate name to Hudson Global Inc. The company’s shares will begin trading under its new symbol “HSON” when markets open on April 30.

Employment Costs in the U.S. Increased 0.4% in First Quarter
Bloomberg BusinessWeek (04/27/12) Alex Kowalski

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in the first quarter over the previous quarter, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday. Economists projected a 0.5% gain, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. Wages and salaries, which make up about 70% of compensation costs, increased 0.5%, and benefits also rose 0.5%. Year-over-year, compensation costs were up 1.9% vs. the 2% gain in the year to March 2011, with wages and salaries up 1.7% and benefits up 2.7%.

Business Spending Drop Limits U.S. Growth to 2.2%
MarketWatch (04/27/12) Greg Robb

The U.S. economy grew more slowly in the first three months of this year, as stronger consumer spending was offset by cutbacks in government spending and business investment. The U.S. Commerce Department reported today that the economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.2% in the January-March quarter, compared with a 3.0% gain in the final quarter of 2011. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a stronger 2.7% growth rate.

ASA for You

The ASA Staffing Law Conference held in Washington, DC, last week delivered critical legislative updates, strategies specific to the staffing industry, and timely information about current employment law issues. Now you can add recordings of these ASA Staffing Law Conference sessions to your must-have professional resources. The recordings are available on ASAPro—the ASA online professional development center.

Individual sessions are $49 for ASA members and $195 for nonmembers. To see which recordings are available and make your purchase, log in to your personal ASAPro account search for the keyword SLC2012. These are audio-only files that include links to PowerPoint slides and any additional resources. Listening to these recordings counts toward the legal continuing education requirement for ASA certification renewal.

You also can share your Staffing Law Conference experience by posting pictures and videos on the ASA fan page on Facebook. If you have not connected with ASA on Facebook yet, visit the ASA fan page and click “like.”

For more information, contact ASA at 703-253-2020 or asa@americanstaffing.net.
May is National Military Appreciation Month, but every day is a day to good day to hire the nation’s heroes.

ASA wants to remind you that hiring veterans and transitioning military service members makes good business sense. Veterans often make outstanding candidates in all occupational areas thanks to their professional discipline and work ethic. Plus, employers are eligible for tax credits of $2,400 to $9,600 per employee thanks to the VOW to Hire Heroes Act that was signed into law in November.

The ASA committee on social responsibility has compiled resources that staffing companies can use to help educate clients about the importance and benefits of hiring veterans. Visit americanstaffing.net to access these resources. To learn more about National Military Appreciation Month and how your company can help celebrate, visit nmam.org.

Legal Watch

TN: Unemployment Act of 2012 Passes in State Senate
Chattanoogan (04/26/12)

The Tennessee Senate has passed Senate Bill 3658, the Unemployment Insurance Accountability Act of 2012, which imposes new work search requirements for unemployment beneficiaries so that they must provide proof of contacting three or more employers per week or use the services of a career center. Random audits will be conducted to make sure unemployment beneficiaries actually are conducting job searches. The bill also will beef up the definition of employee misconduct to ensure that people who were fired for cause no longer get benefits.

How to Avoid Employee Retaliation Claims
HR.BLR.com (04/19/12)

Companies can do several things to avoid retaliation claims. First, companies should have a written policy that prohibits retaliation. Second, supervisors should not make firing decisions when they are angry. Third, companies should offer supervisors training about the subject and how to react when they receive a complaint from an employee. Fourth, supervisors should apply policies and practices consistently. Fifth, companies should publish their complaint reporting procedures. Finally, companies should follow up after an employee has complained to ensure there has been no retaliation.

Trends and Research

U.S. Firms Add Jobs, but Mostly Overseas
Wall Street Journal (04/26/12) Scott Thurm

A Wall Street Journal analysis of 35 large U.S.-based multinational companies found they are creating jobs faster than other U.S. firms. Although close to 75% of the new jobs were overseas, 16 of the firms also added jobs in the U.S. Moreover, economists say the jobs created abroad are not related to efforts to shift work overseas to reduce costs but are related to increasing sales in emerging markets. They also point out that these companies support U.S. jobs in sales, engineering, and management when they boost overseas hiring.

Does Organized Labor Have a Future?
Los Angeles Times (04/27/12) David Lazarus

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says private-sector union membership reached an all-time low of 7.6% of the work force in 2011. Experts say union membership is viewed by some employees as less necessary today given that more employers offer health and retirement benefits, and the economic downturn furthered the decline of organized labor by making employees fearful about losing their jobs. In the future, the experts believe employees will retain some protections but will seek legal recourse for such things as disability and discrimination claims. Moreover, young people with a good grasp of social networking are expected to lead future labor movements.

HR Departments Grow, but Hiring Doesn’t
SmartMoney (04/26/12) Quentin Fottrell

Human resource departments are growing, even though the job outlook remains weak. The number of human resource specialists is expected to increase 21% by 2020, while the number of human resource managers is expected to increase 13%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Through the year ended March 2012, human resource job listings rose 14.5% to 288,258, according to SimplyHired.com. The increase in human resource staff is not necessarily indicative of hiring in other areas, though. There were large cuts in human resource jobs during the recession, and these jobs are just now returning to normal levels, says Pierpont Securities chief economist Stephen Stanley.

Headline News
Robert Half International First Quarter Profit Jumps
Mastech Holdings Inc. Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
BBSI Reports First Quarter 2012 Financial Results
ASA Staffing Index Highest Since 2008 for Week 16
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Virtually Unchanged
Orders for U.S. Goods Decrease by the Most in Three Years

ASA Employee a Champion for Administrative Professionals Day

Legal Watch
Labor Board Meets Rising Resistance
EEOC Rules Job Protections Also Apply to Transgender People
Feel Free to Authenticate Suspicious Documents
Workers Claim Abuse Across Eastern U.S.

Trends and Research
The Rise of the Supertemp
Express Survey Reveals Hiring Trends Increasing for Administrative and Commercial Jobs
Information Technology Leaders Expect IT Hiring and Spending to Increase in 2012

Headline News

Robert Half International First Quarter Profit Jumps
Robert Half International News Release (04/24/12)

Robert Half International Inc. reported net income of $48.3 million or $0.34 per share, on revenues of $1.02 billion, for the quarter ending March 31. Net income for the prior year’s first quarter was $26.7 million or $0.18 per share, on revenues of $880.9 million. Strong demand for specialized staffing and consulting services boosted revenue.

Staffing revenue in the U.S. rose 19.6% compared with the year before, while international revenue grew 9%. The increase in U.S. staffing was driven by a 28.1% increase in permanent job placements, while temporary placements were up 19%.

“We were pleased with our financial results for the quarter, which were the result of continued strong demand for our specialized staffing and consulting services,” says Harold M. Messmer Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Robert Half International.

Mastech Holdings Inc. Reports First Quarter 2012 Results
Mastech Holdings News Release (04/25/12)

Mastech Holdings Inc.’s revenues for the first quarter of 2012 were $24.5 million, which represented a 23% increase over the corresponding quarter last year and a 2.5% improvement over fourth-quarter 2011 results. Consolidated net income for the first quarter of 2012 totaled $352,000, or $0.10 per diluted share, compared to $37,000, or $0.01 per diluted share, in the same period last year. Demand for the company’s information technology and health care staffing services remained solid during the first quarter. Market conditions in health care staffing remained largely positive and the company achieved sequential revenue growth for the seventh consecutive quarter.

BBSI Reports First Quarter 2012 Financial Results
Barrett Business Services News Release (04/24/12)

Barrett Business Services Inc. reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31. The company’s net revenues were up 20% compared with the first quarter of 2011, to $82.4 million. The improvement is attributed primarily to the net increase in the company’s professional employer organization clients and same-store sales.

ASA Staffing Index Highest Since 2008 for Week 16
Daily Markets (04/24/12) Mark Perry

The ASA Weekly Staffing Index for the week ending April 15 rose to 91, marking the highest reading in 2012 and the highest in the month of April since 2008. The index rose 1.84% from the previous week and 6.9% from the same period in 2011. It came in just below the index of 93 during the same week in 2007 just prior to the recession. Observers say the index points to continuing improvements in the overall labor market.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Virtually Unchanged
The Conference Board News Release (04/24/12)

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index barely budged in April following a slight drop in March, coming in at 69.2. The Expectations Index, meanwhile, slipped from 82.5 to 81.1, and the Present Situation Index rose from 49.9 to 51.4. Consumers had mixed feelings about the job market, with a drop in those believing jobs are “hard to get” from 40.7% to 37.5% and a decline in those believing jobs are “plentiful” from 9% to 8.4%. As for the labor market outlook during the next six months, the percentage of consumers expecting job growth slipped from 17.4% to 16.9%, and those predicting fewer jobs fell from 18.5% to 18%.

Orders for U.S. Goods Decrease by the Most in Three Years
Bloomberg (04/25/12) Timothy Homan

Orders for long-lasting U.S. goods sank 4.2% in March, the steepest monthly decline in three years, the U.S. Commerce Department reported today. Economists forecasted a 1.7% decline, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. Slowdowns in Europe and China may limit exports, while business investment cools after the strongest 10-quarter performance in a decade, leading to a slowdown in manufacturing.

ASA for You

Today is Administrative Professionals Day, and—thanks in part to the enthusiasm and leadership of Kemetia Foley, CAP, ASA finance and customer service coordinator—the nation’s understanding of administrative professional careers is growing. Foley, who is featured today in a U.S. News & World Report article called “The Evolution of the Secretary,” owns the friendly voice ASA members hear each workday when they call the association.

ASA member companies, particularly those that specialize in office–administrative staffing services, also are ardent supporters of Administrative Professionals Day. For example, Office Team offers these recognition tips, and Adecco shares this video of appreciation and ideas for saying thank you.

ASA also provides resources and support for staffing firms that place office administrative associates through the ASA office–administrative membership section, one of six sections that support the broad areas of the industry and promote peer networking and collaboration.

Legal Watch

Labor Board Meets Rising Resistance
Wall Street Journal (04/25/12) Melanie Trottman

The U.S. Senate has rejected a measure advanced by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) to overturn a new National Labor Relations Board regulation that would hasten union-organizing elections by preventing companies from completing legal challenges until after the voting. The regulatory changes to elections go into effect April 30 but could be reversed by courts.

In recent weeks the NLRB has encountered resistance to its actions, including a requirement that companies hang a poster informing employees of their right to join a union; a federal appeals court has brought a halt to the requirement at least until the court resolves questions about the merits of the rule. The challenges to the board’s authority could stall or prevent new board regulations and rulings.

EEOC Rules Job Protections Also Apply to Transgender People
Los Angeles Times (04/25/12) Sam Quinones

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ruled that a gender-based job discrimination complaint filed against the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives by a former soldier and police officer who applied for a job as a man and then transitioned to a female can move forward. The ruling clarifies that rules of employment law apply to transgender people. Jennifer Pizer, legal director of the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School, says courts have ruled that transgender people are protected against discrimination under federal law and indicated that practices should change.

Feel Free to Authenticate Suspicious Documents
Business Management Daily (04/22/12)

A black woman working as a certified nursing assistant was placed in a nursing home by a staffing firm, which forwarded her nursing assistant certificate to the nursing home. The woman filed suit against the nursing home claiming discrimination when it requested additional certification information, as it had fired another nursing assistant with the same first and last name and certificate number just days earlier. The court determined that the nursing home’s request was not burdensome, and therefore, not an adverse employment action, so the discrimination claim was dismissed. Thus, employers concerned about professional credentials or other certifications can reasonably request clarification.

Workers Claim Abuse Across Eastern U.S.
Courthouse News Service (04/24/12) Adam Klasfeld

A complaint under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act by 17 Filipino workers accuses several employers and staffing firms in Florida, South Carolina, and New York of luring them to the U.S. under H-2B guest worker status between 2006 and 2009. The workers claim they were promised fair pay, humane treatment, and green cards, but instead they received less than minimum wages, were not given overtime pay, and were forced to fulfill their contracts under threat of deportation and arrest. They also were told they would lose their $1,200 to $2,350 security deposits if they stopped working. Among the defendants are Lincoln Road Employment Advisory Services and South Beach Employment Advisory Services. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of RICO fraud, misrepresentation, and violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the Alien Tort Statute, and the Fair Labor Standards Act and seeks treble damages.

Trends and Research

The Rise of the Supertemp
Harvard Business Review (05/01/12) Jody Greenstone Miller; Matt Miller

So-called “supertemp” professionals—including chief financial officers, attorneys, and consultants—increasingly are trusted by companies to do work that previously would have been done by permanent employees or established outside firms. According to research by McKinsey, 58% of U.S. companies expect to use more temporary arrangements at all levels or their organization in the coming years. Currently, 16 million Americans are working independently, according to research by MBO Partners, and that number is expected to rise to 20 million over the next two years. Although separating out highly paid professionals from the numbers is difficult, if the assumption is made that they account for just 10% of the total (the share of American adults with graduate degrees), then the U.S. may soon have three million supertemps.

Several companies focus exclusively on high-end temporary talent. Axiom, for example, supplies 650 temporary attorneys to nearly half the Fortune 100. Traditional executive recruiters are becoming involved as well: Lauren Doliva, the managing partner of Heidrick & Struggles’ new Chief Advisor Network, says Baby Boomers’ retirement will shrink the supply of executives even as demand holds steady—increasing the need for temporary talent.

Express Survey Reveals Hiring Trends Increasing for Administrative and Commercial Jobs
PR Newswire (04/24/12)

The hiring outlook in all regions of North America is increasing for administrative and commercial jobs, according to a recent hiring trends survey conducted by Express Employment Professionals. Hiring trends for the second quarter of 2012 are expected to be greatest in commercial and light industrial jobs, with 32% of respondents planning to hire—a 3% increase from the first quarter.

Twenty-eight percent of respondents anticipate adding administrative and office clerical staff, an increase of 8% from the previous quarter. Additionally, 43% plan to fill positions in “other” sectors that include clinical or health care, customer service, food service, general labor, maintenance, medical or dental or nursing, and sales.

Information Technology Leaders Expect IT Hiring and Spending to Increase in 2012
TEKsystems News Release (04/24/12)

More than a third of information technology leaders anticipate increases in both permanent (40%) and temporary (37%) IT headcount in 2012, according to TEKsystems’ most recent quarterly IT Executive Outlook survey. Of those IT leaders expecting to increase permanent and temporary IT headcount, 15% intend to do so by more than 5%. Senior IT leaders like chief information officers and IT vice presidents are most optimistic about IT hiring in 2012 with 54% and 43% expecting increases in permanent and temporary IT headcount, respectively.

“With consumerization of IT, mobility, social media, big data, and security being at the top of most executives’ priority lists, organizations need to ensure their work force strategy is capable of supporting the current and future state of their business,” says TEKsystems director Rachel Russell. “Businesses are realizing their work force requirements will vary from initiative to initiative. By work force planning and effectively leveraging a contingent model, organizations can ramp up or down and efficiently get their IT initiatives done.”

Headline News
Temporary Work Firms Signal Economy’s Health, Direction
Economists Upping Their Forecasts for 2012
CSG Partners and De Bellas & Co. Advise Hamilton-Ryker on Sale to ESOP

Free ASAPro Webinar Tomorrow—Recruiting in the Cloud
Staffing World^® 2012: Three Things to Do Right Now

Legal Watch
California Issues Revised Wage Theft FAQs
U.S. Department of Labor Takes on More Overtime Cases
How Did the New Law Change USERRA?
Houston Businesses Fined $2 Million for Hiring Undocumented Workers

Trends and Research
More Companies Planning to Hire: NABE Survey
More Than a Third of Large Manufacturers Are Considering Reshoring From China to the U.S.

Headline News

Temporary Work Firms Signal Economy’s Health, Direction
Columbus Dispatch (OH) (04/22/12)

The number of temporary help services jobs has become a closely watched bellwether for the U.S. job market. Since hitting bottom in August 2009, the number of temporary jobs has been rising steadily. Combined, U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.8 million temporary and contract workers per day in 2011—up 8% from the previous year, the American Staffing Association reported last month. “Through career counseling, training, employment, and job placement, staffing and recruiting companies add value to people’s lives across every sector and occupation,” says Richard Wahlquist, the association’s president and chief executive officer. Industry sales totaled $98.3 billion in 2011—12.4% more than in 2010.

Cherie Nelson, senior business development manager for Kelly Services, says that “the fact that we are seeing the same slow, cautious increase in our business—meaning staffing of direct-hire, temporary-to-hire, and temporary employees—is a great indicator to me that the economy is on the mend.”

Economists Upping Their Forecasts for 2012
USA Today (04/12/12)

The U.S. economy will likely grow more quickly this year than previously anticipated, according to USA Today’s quarterly survey of 50 economists. Their median estimates are higher than they were in January for a number of benchmarks including hiring. They think job growth will be about 20% more robust than they did at the beginning of the year. The economists predict average employment gains of about 185,000 per month through December, up 29,000 from their January predictions.

CSG Partners and De Bellas & Co. Advise Hamilton-Ryker on Sale to ESOP
CSG Partners News Release (04/23/12)

CSG Partners LLC and De Bellas & Co announced that they served as financial advisors to the Hamilton-Ryker Group Inc. on its recent sale to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Hamilton-Ryker is now owned 100% by its employees. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As part of the ESOP transaction, the management team will remain the same, with Kelly McCreight continuing as president.

The Hamilton-Ryker ESOP continues the trend of staffing companies implementing ESOP buyouts. In addition to Hamilton-Ryker, CSG Partners has closed ESOP transactions for Burnett Staffing (Houston), Penmac Staffing (Springfield, MO), and Internal Data Resources (Atlanta).

ASA for You

You’ve probably heard about “cloud computing,” but do you know how you can use distributed data storage to improve how you recruit and interact with clients?

Tomorrow, April 24, 3–4 p.m. Eastern time, attend the ASAPro Webinar “Recruiting in the Cloud” and learn how cloud technology can help streamline your day-to-day operations.

ASAPro Webinars are free for ASA members ($295 for nonmembers) and qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. Register online at americanstaffing.net.
You’ve still got time to pack your bags—Staffing World 2012 takes place Oct. 9–11 in Las Vegas—but now is the perfect time to do three things: register, reserve, and book.

1. Register and save. Save up to $400 per person when you register by May 18.

2. Reserve your suite at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, where Staffing World takes place. Get the ASA group rate while it’s still available.

3. Book your flight now and get the best airfare. Fly into McCarran International Airport.

Visit staffingworld.org for details.

Legal Watch

California Issues Revised Wage Theft FAQs
American Staffing Association (04/23/12) Stephen Dwyer

The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has issued revised answers to frequently asked questions about, and a revised model wage notice form for complying with, a law that requires employers to provide certain wage and other information to employees at the time of hire. The FAQs were revised in response to questions and concerns expressed by employers regarding the wage notice requirement. ASA was among the first to seek clarification of the notice requirements, pointing out that the original model DLSE form was problematic because it appeared to require that staffing firm clients provide the notice to the staffing firm’s employees. The revised form clarifies that staffing firms, not their clients, are responsible for providing the notice to temporary employees.

Concerns remain for staffing firms, such as revised FAQ No. 30, which suggests that, if the client is not known at the time of hire, the client’s name, address, and telephone number must be provided to the employee, either in a new notice or on a timely paystub. This is not practical for staffing firms, especially in cases where temporary employees are assigned to multiple clients in the same pay period.

To address these concerns, ASA representatives will meet with the California labor commissioner May 8 to discuss the compliance issues the FAQs pose for the staffing industry. While waiting for clarification from DLSE, California staffing firms should consider using the suggested notice form developed by ASA, which reflects the practical realities of the temporary staffing business and which the association believes is consistent with the law.

U.S. Department of Labor Takes on More Overtime Cases
Detroit News (04/23/12) Bill Bowen

The number of fair wages cases investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor has increased since the economic downturn. The number of cases investigated by the department’s Dallas office alone rose from 642 in 2008 to 1,193 in 2011, and recently workers of Dallas-based Temp Team Inc. won $244,000 in overtime back wages due to being misclassified as exempt.

Experts attribute the increases in investigations and lawsuits involving overtime pay to companies working to scale back labor costs, a boost in DOL funding and enforcement, and employers simply not understanding the complex rules. Others say the Fair Labor Standards Act is no longer relevant, as clear demarcations between managers, hourly employees, administrative workers, and outside salespeople are gone; more workers have flexible hours, telecommute, or are connected to their jobs no matter the hour or location by mobile devices; and more employees are placed by temporary staffing firms or operate as independent contractors. Experts say most violations involve training issues, meaning that managers simply need to be educated about the law.

How Did the New Law Change USERRA?
Business Management Daily (04/22/12) David B. Ritter

The Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act amended the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on military status in regard to “the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.” Employees can now bring a hostile work environment cause of action under USERRA, as the amendment establishes the same standard as a Title VII hostile work environment claim.

Houston Businesses Fined $2 Million for Hiring Undocumented Workers
Lexology (04/11/12) Pierre Georges Bonnefil; Patrick G. Brady; Robert S. Groban Jr.; et al.

Two Houston companies have each agreed to pay $2 million in fines to settle allegations they knowingly hired undocumented workers, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports. ICE audited Champion Windows and Advanced Containment Systems Forms I-9 and found a “pattern and practice” of serious violations, including a large percentage of undocumented workers who were hired based on “egregiously suspect” identification and employment eligibility documents.

Trends and Research

More Companies Planning to Hire: NABE Survey
Reuters (04/22/12) Jason Lange

A new survey by the National Association for Business Economics shows an increase in respondents anticipating an increase in hiring at their firms over the next six months to 39% in April from 27% in January. Meanwhile, 44% of those polled noted increases in wages and salaries, compared with 26% in January.

More Than a Third of Large Manufacturers Are Considering Reshoring From China to the U.S.
Boston Consulting Group News Release (04/20/12)

A new survey from the Boston Consulting Group finds that more than a third of U.S.-based manufacturing executives at companies with sales greater than $1 billion are planning to bring back production to the U.S. from China or are considering it. Approximately 37% of decision makers at 106 companies across a broad range of industries say they plan to reshore manufacturing operations or are “actively considering” it. That response rate increased to 48% among executives at companies with $10 billion or more in revenues—a third of the sample.

“These survey findings confirm our own analysis and what we are hearing from major companies,” says Harold Sirkin, a BCG senior partner. “Companies are realizing that the economics of manufacturing are swinging in favor of the U.S., for goods to be sold both at home and to major export markets. This trend is likely to accelerate starting around 2015.”

Headline News
NLRB Notice Posting Rule Delayed
More Americans Than Forecast Filed Jobless Claims Last Week
U.S. Multinationals Step Up Hiring

Free ASAPro Webinar Today
Got Sector-Specific News?

Legal Watch
Maine Gov. LePage Signs Workers’ Comp, Unemployment Bills
Government Interest in Pay Equity Still High, Increased Enforcement Efforts Afoot
Off the Clock: Employees Fighting for Overtime Pay

Trends and Research
ManpowerGroup Recommends Strategies for Businesses to Improve Employability Skills of Youth
Thirty-Seven Percent of Companies Use Social Networks to Research Potential Job Candidates, According to New CareerBuilder Survey
College Grads Can Expect More Hiring for Entry-Level Spots: Survey

Headline News

NLRB Notice Posting Rule Delayed
Crowell & Moring (04/18/12)

U.S. National Labor Relations Board chairman Mark Pearce has announced that the NLRB will not proceed with the April 30 deadline for implementing the board’s new rule requiring companies to post a notice advising employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. Pearce referenced “conflicting decisions at the district court level,” pointing to opinions written in cases brought in South Carolina and the District of Columbia challenging the board’s statutory authority to promulgate the rule. The board also announced its decision to appeal the South Carolina decision to the Fourth Circuit. The D.C. Circuit has ordered an expedited briefing schedule in its case. Pearce’s statement is available here.

More Americans Than Forecast Filed Jobless Claims Last Week
Bloomberg (04/19/12) Shobhana Chandra

The number of Americans who filed requests for jobless benefits totaled 386,000 last week, keeping claims at a four-month high, the U.S. Department of Labor reported this morning. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 388,000 from an initial reading of 380,000. The median forecast of 47 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a drop to 370,000. The claims figures raise the possibility the payroll gains that have helped push unemployment down to a three-year low may cool.

U.S. Multinationals Step Up Hiring
Wall Street Journal (04/18/12) David Wessel

U.S.-based multinational companies boosted their U.S. work forces by 0.1% in 2010, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The modest expansion of the multinational companies’ U.S. employment came as the private sector overall cut 0.6% of its U.S. work force. Approximately 68% of the companies’ employees were in the U.S. in 2010, down from 75% in 1999. Although the companies added 200,000 jobs in the U.S. between 2007 and 2010, three times as many jobs were added overseas.

ASA for You

Are you maximizing your ASA membership benefits? Find out today, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern time, during the ASAPro Webinar “ASA Membership Orientation.” Learn about the professional development opportunities, legal and legislative resources, benchmarking data, marketing tools, and all the benefits that come with your ASA membership.

This ASAPro Webinar is open to all new and current members. Register online at americanstaffing.net.
ASA delivers timely sector-specific news affecting your niche of the staffing industry. Sector trends and news published in Staffing Today and other publications are featured on the membership sections pages of americanstaffing.net. ASA posts fresh content weekly and provides a news archive of sector-specific articles.

To learn more about sector-specific resources, visit americanstaffing.net or contact Diana Mertz, senior manager, sections at 703-253-1171 or dmertz@americanstaffing.net.

Legal Watch

Maine Gov. LePage Signs Workers’ Comp, Unemployment Bills
Associated Press (04/18/12)

Maine Gov. Paul LePage says the trio of bills he signed into law on April 18 aim to boost the state’s business environment and create more jobs. One bill simplifies the workers’ compensation law, alters eligibility requirements, and imposes a 10-year cap on benefits, except for severely injured workers, while another changes eligibility requirements for unemployment compensation and imposes criminal penalties for unemployment fraud. The remaining bill standardizes and clarifies the definition of independent contractor for workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance purposes and imposes penalties for misclassifying workers. The bills are “common-sense” and “business-friendly reforms,” according to Cathy DeMerchant, president and co-owner of Capital Area Staffing Solutions Inc.

Government Interest in Pay Equity Still High, Increased Enforcement Efforts Afoot
JDSupra (04/18/2012)

In response to a recommendation from president Obama’s National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, three district offices of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are taking part in an Equal Pay Act Directed Investigation Pilot Project, in which employers are targeted for auditing instead of being audited in response to a charge of discrimination. It remains to be seen how employers are selected for auditing, but the EEOC says the pilot eventually could be expanded nationwide and that audits will include all employers, not just federal contractors.

Experts say employers would be wise to perform a preventative pay equity audit with the help of experienced outside attorneys and qualified statisticians. Auditors must identify factors that affect compensation—such as job title, pay grade or band, type of work performed, and level of responsibility—and review compensation policies and procedures, including pay grade or band structure, standards for bonuses, and performance evaluations. They should be prepared to find statistically significant compensation differences that may or may not involve discrimination and could necessitate pay adjustments. The results of these audits should be documented.

Off the Clock: Employees Fighting for Overtime Pay
MSNBC (04/18/12) Eve Tahmincioglu

Workers tired of working off the clock are filing lawsuits. The latest one, which is being reviewed this week by the U.S. Supreme Court, is looking at whether pharmaceutical company representatives are owed overtime pay, even though the company they work for says they’re salespeople and not entitled to it. The U.S. Department of Labor brought 11,990 overtime cases in 2011, up from 8,788 cases in 2010. Richard Alfred, an attorney with Seyfarth Shaw, says overtime lawsuits filed in federal court climbed 15% in 2011 from a year earlier. He says wage-and-hour lawsuits overall have climbed 325% since early 2000.

Trends and Research

ManpowerGroup Recommends Strategies for Businesses to Improve Employability Skills of Youth
ManpowerGroup News Release (04/17/12)

ManpowerGroup has recommended ways for businesses to create effective and sustainable solutions for employing more young workers. ManpowerGroup’s new insight paper, “Wanted: Energized, Career-Driven Youth,” addresses the growing regional and global problem of youth unemployment. An increasing number of young people struggle to participate in the work force—just 48.8% of the potential labor force in 2011, according to the International Labor Organization.

“Employers have a vested interest in making investments to improve young people’s ability to succeed in the world of work,” says Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president of the Americas. “As older workers exit the work force, the need to nurture the next generation grows ever more critical to ease worsening talent mismatches.”

Thirty-Seven Percent of Companies Use Social Networks to Research Potential Job Candidates, According to New CareerBuilder Survey
CareerBuilder News Release (04/18/12)

Approximately 37% of companies use social networking sites to research job candidates, according to a new survey from ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder. Of the employers who do not research candidates on social media, 15% said their company prohibits the practice. About 11% report they do not currently use social media to screen, but plan to start.

The nationwide survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive from Feb. 9 to March 2, 2012, included more than 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes. When asked why they use social networks to conduct background research, 65% of hiring managers said they wanted to see if the candidate presents himself or herself professionally, 51% checked to see if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture, and 45% sought to learn more about the candidate’s qualifications.

“Because social media is a dominant form of communication today, you can certainly learn a lot about a person by viewing their public, online personas,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “However, hiring managers and human resource departments have to make a careful, determined decision as to whether information found online is relevant to the candidates’ qualifications for the job.”

College Grads Can Expect More Hiring for Entry-Level Spots: Survey
New York Daily News (04/18/12) Phyllis Furman

Outplacement services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas says entry-level job seekers with four-year degrees are in demand, though recent college graduates will have to compete with those who graduated during the last few years and waited out the downturn. Additionally, hiring gains will be more modest this year, with the National Association of Colleges and Employers reporting that employers expect a 10% gain in hiring of spring graduates, versus 21% last year. Those with degrees in accounting and finance, engineering, computer science, sales and marketing, education, and social services have better job prospects and could earn higher salaries than graduates in other fields.

Headline News
No Double-Dip Deja Vu Seen for U.S. Economy
March Industrial Production Flat for Second Month

ASAPro Webinar Thursday—ASA Membership Orientation

Legal Watch
DOJ Settles Discrimination Case Alleging Discriminatory Job Advertisements
Contingent Workers Settle Suit in California
Employer Recordkeeping Requirements Extended to GINA

Trends and Research
Tech Salaries, Jobs on Rise
More Employers Are Hiring, but Taking a Conservative Approach

Headline News

No Double-Dip Deja Vu Seen for U.S. Economy
Bloomberg BusinessWeek (04/16/12) Rich Miller

The economy seems more stable this year than it did last year. Company and household balance sheets are stronger, and retail sales are rising. “The recovery seems more broad-based in the U.S.,” says Jonas Prising, president of the Americas at ManpowerGroup. “I see it across industries and I see it across geographies.” Risk also is lower, he notes. “The external environment and the factors that affected it last year are a lot less severe this year.”

March Industrial Production Flat for Second Month
MarketWatch (04/17/12) Steve Goldstein

Industrial production was unchanged for the second straight month in March, the U.S. Federal Reserve reported today. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast a 0.3% increase. During the first quarter, industrial production rose at an annualized rate of 5.4%.

ASA for You

Are you maximizing your ASA membership benefits? Find out this Thursday, April 19, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern time, during the ASAPro Webinar “ASA Membership Orientation.” This one-hour Webinar is designed to help ASA member companies learn more about their member benefits. You will learn about professional development opportunities, legal and legislative resources, benchmarking data, marketing tools, and much more.

This ASAPro Webinar is open to new members, and to all members who want to learn more about ASA membership benefits. In addition to the firm key contact, any staff members in your headquarters or branch offices can participate in this Webinar. There is no limit to the number of staff members who can participate—everyone will benefit.

All ASAPro Webinars are free for ASA members. Register online at americanstaffing.net.

Legal Watch

DOJ Settles Discrimination Case Alleging Discriminatory Job Advertisements
Lexology (04/09/12)

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement agreement with health care staffing firm Onward Health Care over allegedly discriminatory job postings. DOJ alleged that the company’s job postings restricted applications to U.S. citizens, even though work-authorized immigrants should have been permitted to apply for the jobs. The company has agreed to pay $100,000 in civil monetary penalty and to change its internal policies and manuals to reflect the protections of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which generally prohibits companies from discriminating on the basis of citizenship status.


Contingent Workers Settle Suit in California
Workforce (04/16/12)

A wage and hour lawsuit filed by contingent workers against PrO Unlimited and staffing client Juniper Networks Holdings International Inc. has been settled. The workers signed employment agreements with PrO and Juniper stating that they were classified as exempt from overtime and were required to track daily work in eight-hour increments, but plaintiffs claimed they regularly worked more than eight hours per day. The suit, which was first filed in July 2011, sought to represent all contingent employees who worked at both PrO and Juniper in California.

Employer Recordkeeping Requirements Extended to GINA
Epstein Becker Green (04/06/2012) Amy J. Traub; Anna A. Cohen; Jennifer A. Goldman

Effective April 3, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission extended its record-keeping requirements to employers covered by Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. GINA applies to employers with 15 or more employees, and Title II seeks to protect job applicants, current and former employees, labor union members, apprentices, and trainees from discrimination based on their genetic information.

When a charge of discrimination has been filed with the EEOC, an employer must preserve all employee records relevant to the charge until “final disposition” of the charge. If a charge is not resolved after investigation and the charging party has received a notice of right to sue, “final disposition” will be considered to be the date of expiration of a 90-day statutory period within which the applicant or employee may bring suit. However, if the applicant, employee, or the EEOC files a lawsuit, the date on which the litigation is terminated is considered the final disposition. Records subject to this requirement may include personnel or employment records, such as application forms or test papers, of the charging party and of all other employees or applicants holding positions similar to the one held or sought by the charging party.

Trends and Research

Tech Salaries, Jobs on Rise
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (04/17/12) Marcia Heroux Pounds

Staffing firms in South Florida say technology professionals are receiving multiple job offers in the current market and that programmers, security analysts, and administrators who maintain company databases are in high demand. A survey of more than 1,000 technology workers in the tri-county area by the Boca Raton-based staffing firm ProTech indicates that salary is the prime motivator, and flextime and telecommuting are the biggest perks. The survey shows that the average pay increase for technology professionals was 3.5% in 2011, compared with 2% in 2010. Gary Henning, Robert Half International’s Florida district president, says technology professionals want to be involved in “cutting edge” work, and if employers do not raise salaries, “people are going to entertain other offers.”

More Employers Are Hiring, but Taking a Conservative Approach
Southeast Missourian (04/16/12) Heather Collier

Although Missouri’s unemployment rate hit a four-year low of 7.4% in February, observers say employers are being conservative when it comes to hiring. “They’re trying to get more done with less people,” says Debbie Glenn, regional branch manager of ManpowerGroup. A recent quarterly outlook employment survey by ManpowerGroup found that 18% of employers expect to increase hiring, compared with just 4% planning to downsize. Glenn expects growth in the health care market in particular and notes that few entry-level jobs are available. She adds that more companies are using staffing firms to handle their staffing needs.

Headline News
California Supreme Court Gives Employers a Major Break
Labor-Market Worries Rise With Jobless Claims

Last Chance to Register Online for the 2012 ASA Staffing Law Conference

Legal Watch
USCIS Seeks Comments on Proposed Revisions to Form I-9
Oregon; Washington, DC, Ban Discrimination Against the Unemployed
Top Ten Compensable Time Issues for Non-Exempt Employees

Trends and Research
Failed Drug Tests Limit Employers' Options
Rock Bottom Unemployment for Some Jobs
Manufacturers Report Difficulty Hiring

Headline News

California Supreme Court Gives Employers a Major Break
Seyfarth Shaw (04/12/12) Brandon R. McKelvey; Dana Peterson; Jeffrey A. Berman

The California Supreme Court has ruled in Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court that companies are not obligated to ensure their employees take legally mandated lunch breaks. Companies must give their nonexempt workers 30-minute meal breaks, but do not need to ensure their workers actually stop working during the breaks. Companies must give a meal break no later than the end of the fifth hour of work and a second break no later than the end of the 10th hour of work.

Labor-Market Worries Rise With Jobless Claims
Wall Street Journal (04/13/12) Conor Dougherty

Last week's rise in new claims for unemployment benefits—in combination with other weak reports on hiring, automobile sales, and small-business sentiment—has observers concerned that the labor market may be softening. The various reports suggest that strong job growth data reported earlier in the year were partially due to an unusually warm winter, which can boost employment for construction and other seasonal work. More troubling is that the data indicating strong early-year job growth followed by weaker spring growth is similar to a pattern seen in 2011.

ASA for You

Today is the last day to register online for the ASA Staffing Law Conference April 17–18 in Washington, DC. After today, you can only register on-site at the Westin Washington, DC, City Center Hotel.

You can't afford to miss this opportunity to learn how to protect yourself and your business.

The conference features Charlie Cook, the pre-eminent authority on U.S. elections and political trends; senior-level representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and U.S. Department of Justice; a special session to discuss the effects of federal health care reform; and more.

To register, visit americanstaffing.net.

Legal Watch

USCIS Seeks Comments on Proposed Revisions to Form I-9
American Staffing Association (04/13/12) Anne Duffy

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is seeking public comments on proposed revisions to its Form I-9, which employers must use to verify an employee's identity and to establish that the employee is eligible to work in the U.S.

According to USCIS, the intent behind the changes is to include "expanded Form I-9 instructions and a revised layout; new, optional data fields to collect the employee's e-mail address and telephone number; and new data fields to collect the foreign passport number and country of issuance."

Because of ambiguity with respect to several proposed language changes, ASA will submit comments to confirm that staffing firms can continue to complete the Form I-9 at the time a candidate consents to be included in the staffing firm's roster of temporary employees, irrespective of the time the individual actually begins work.

Public comments are due May 29. To review the USCIS request for comments regarding the proposed revisions to the Form I-9, see the March 27 issue of the Federal Register.

Oregon; Washington, DC, Ban Discrimination Against the Unemployed
American Staffing Association (04/13/12) Anne Duffy

The city of Washington, DC, and the state of Oregon recently enacted laws that prohibit employers and employment agencies from discriminating against job applicants based on their status as unemployed. New Jersey had previously enacted such a law, and similar legislation is pending in Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, New York, and Michigan.

The DC Unemployed Discrimination Act of 2012, set to take effect next week, will prohibit employers and employment agencies from discriminating against job applicants based on their status as unemployed and will be the first law to ban the consideration of an applicant's unemployment status in adverse hiring decisions.

The Oregon law took effect March 27. It prohibits employers and employment agencies from publishing job advertisements that include language indicating that unemployed individuals should not apply for the job or that they will not be considered for the position.

Top Ten Compensable Time Issues for Non-Exempt Employees
JDSupra (04/12/2012)

Employers must ensure that nonexempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act are properly compensated for all hours worked, including overtime. They also must be compensated for time they spend waiting for an assignment, because they are not free to leave. Time spent at seminars, lectures, and training programs is compensable if their attendance is required, whether during or after normal work hours. Nonexempt employees also must be compensated for off-the-clock time if they begin working before the regular workday commences, even if the time is not recorded on the time sheet, and work brought home and e-mails answered before or after the regular workday are compensable as well. To avoid violations of overtime requirements, employers should ensure that nonexempt employees do not perform work outside their regular work schedule without prior approval.

Trends and Research

Failed Drug Tests Limit Employers' Options
Fond du Lac Reporter (04/13/12)

Wisconsin companies are eager to hire skilled employees, but too many candidates are failing drug tests. The drug test failure rate at some companies is as high as 50%.

Mark Immekus, chief sales officer of QPS Employment Group, says manufacturers are seeking applicants who are less likely to pose safety risks on the job due to substance-related impairments. "We don't see (testing) going away because manufacturers are under pressure, from a safety standpoint," he says. He also notes that, from QPS' point of view, a dearth of applicants with technical skills poses a greater challenge for companies than failed drug tests.

Rock Bottom Unemployment for Some Jobs
Worcester Business Journal (04/12/12) Livia Gershon

Although the national unemployment rate remains higher than 8%, Robert Half International says unemployment rates are much lower for some professional jobs, which is indicative of a "specialist economy." The staffing firm says the unemployment rate was 1.9% for lawyers, 2.8% for human resource managers, and less than 4% for software developers and financial analysts during the first quarter.

Manufacturers Report Difficulty Hiring
Today's Energy Solutions (04/12)

The Society for Human Resource Management reports that more than two-thirds of the manufacturers that were hiring late in 2011 reported difficulty finding skilled workers for specific openings. SHRM's Ongoing Impact of the Recession Poll, which surveyed 360 randomly selected human resource professionals from the manufacturing industry in late August and early September 2011, found that 75% of respondents from the manufacturing industry were hiring last fall, an increase from 51% in 2010.

However, 68% of those hiring reported difficulty recruiting for specific job openings. The positions most difficult to fill in the manufacturing industry were positions such as technicians and programmers (89%); engineers (88%); skilled trades (electricians and carpenters) (83%); and managers and executives (80%). When recruiting for jobs that required new and different skills, more organizations were having difficulty finding qualified individuals in 2011 (72%) compared with 2010 (43%).

Headline News
Temporary Employment Hiring Is Improving
U.S. Metropolitan Area Employment Report for February
New Orleans Health Care Staffing Company Acquires Oklahoma Firm

ASAPro Webinar Tomorrow—Never Negotiate Direct Hire Fees Again
Protect Your Business With Free Resources From ASA

Legal Watch
Maryland Bill Preventing Employers From Asking for Social Media Passwords Has Passed
Chamber Wants Review of EEOC Background Check Guidance

Trends and Research
Staffing Revenue Rising Faster Than Expected in 2012
Business Executives Cheerier on Economy, Hiring—Chase Survey
Small Businesses Are Less Upbeat, But Jobs Are Open
Boston High Tech Job Openings Increase 18%

Headline News

Temporary Employment Hiring Is Improving
Daily Markets (04/10/12) Mark Perry

The American Staffing Association's weekly Staffing Index of temporary and contract employment increased to a year-to-date high of 90 for the week ending April 1, nearly 6% above the year-ago level and 0.74% above the previous week. This was the highest week 14 reading since 2008, and just a bit below the 91 index level for the comparable week in 2007. The upward trend in the ASA Staffing Index this year and the upward trend in temporary employment for the last two years suggest that conditions in the labor market will continue to improve.

U.S. Metropolitan Area Employment Report for February
Bloomberg (04/10/12)

The U.S. metropolitan area employment report for February by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that in the 372 metropolitan areas covered, unemployment rates decreased year-over-year in 344, rose in 19, and held steady in nine. The number of metropolitan areas with jobless rates of 10% or more fell to 77 from 137 in February 2011, and the number of metropolitan areas with unemployment rates under 7% climbed to 90 from 54. The highest jobless rates were recorded in El Centro, CA, and Yuma, AZ, while the lowest rates were posted in Bismarck, ND, and Midland, TX. Meanwhile, nonfarm payroll employment rose year-over-year in 267 metropolitan areas.

New Orleans Health Care Staffing Company Acquires Oklahoma Firm
New Orleans Times-Picayune (04/10/12) Jaquetta White

In an $18 million deal, New Orleans-based health care staffing firm Gifted Nurses has acquired Oklahoma-based Robison Medical Group. The merged company will provide staff for intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency rooms, along with traveling nurses, throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. P.K. Scheerle, chief executive of Gifted Nurses, says, "Merging with Robison introduces new talent to our already extraordinary pool."

ASA for You

Tomorrow afternoon, don't miss the ASAPro Webinar "How to Never Negotiate Direct Hire Fees Again." Neil Lebovits of the Dynamic Sale will share a technique that will help you stop negotiating direct hire fees so you can maximize your profits.

And mark your calendar for the April 24 Webinar "Recruiting in the Cloud."

All ASAPro Webinars are free for ASA members ($295 for nonmembers) and qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. Webinars take place 3–4 p.m. Eastern time. Register online at americanstaffing.net.
Turning to an employment law attorney every time you have a question can be impractical and costly. But your firm needs information from experts who know the staffing industry and understand your business. As an ASA member, your company has access to legal and legislative resources that help protect your business.

Working with seasoned experts in business and labor law, ASA has developed specialized tools for staffing firms—such as model contracts, issue papers about critical business and employment topics, guidance on staffing-specific employment law, and information about pending legislation.

Many of these legal resources are available on americanstaffing.net. You can also view the ASA Staffing Professional Catalog for information on materials designed to enhance your understanding of employment law. And you can contact the ASA legal department at 703-253-2020 for the support you need.

Legal Watch

Maryland Bill Preventing Employers From Asking for Social Media Passwords Has Passed
Baltimore Sun (04/10/12) Kevin Rector

A bill passed by the Maryland General Assembly and awaiting Gov. Martin O'Malley's signature would bar employers from asking current and prospective employees for social media user names and passwords. Maryland is the first state to pass such legislation, but similar bills are under consideration in Illinois and California. Social media privacy issues have garnered attention from federal lawmakers, with U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) calling for investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Chamber Wants Review of EEOC Background Check Guidance
Law360 (04/04/12) Abigail Rubenstein

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to make it mandatory for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to seek public comment before issuing any new guidance. In a letter to the OMB, the chamber said the EEOC is planning to issue two guidance documents that both relate to "interaction of disparate impact" under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. One of the documents is about employer use of credit history, and the other is about employer use of criminal convictions. "By all accounts, the EEOC is now preparing to approve these significant guidance documents without making them available for public comments and without seeking review by the OMB," the letter claims.

The chamber says its members are worried that the guidance could eliminate or limit the use of the two tools used by employers when making hiring and other decisions. The letter also says the guidance might not interpret Title VII in a balanced way, so a pre-adoption comment period would help control the more controversial aspects of the guidance. Attorneys assert that the EEOC's upcoming guidance may make employers more vulnerable to discrimination claims over their use of background checks.

Trends and Research

Staffing Revenue Rising Faster Than Expected in 2012
Workforce (04/10/12)

U.S. temporary staffing revenue increased 14% last year, with growth higher than anticipated for this point in the business cycle, according to Staffing Industry Analysts. "In a year marked by modest GDP [gross domestic product] growth of 1.7%, the strong growth in temporary staffing revenue in 2011 is further evidence of a secular shift in demand above the expansion predicted by GDP growth, based upon the trend of the past 16 years," says SIA research associate Timothy Landhuis. "We project that U.S. staffing industry revenue will expand by 10% in 2012."

Business Executives Cheerier on Economy, Hiring—Chase Survey
Wall Street Journal (04/10/12)

Fifty-five percent of the executives recently surveyed by Chase Commercial Banking plan to hire additional employees this year. Just 4% said they intend to cut jobs. Some 49% of the executives said they are optimistic about the U.S. economy, up from 39% last year. Chase surveyed executives at 1,000 U.S. companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $500 million.

Small Businesses Are Less Upbeat, But Jobs Are Open
Wall Street Journal (04/10/12) Eric Morath

Higher energy prices are pressuring small businesses, and many plan to begin charging more for goods and services. The National Federation of Independent Business small-business optimism index declined to 92.5 for March from 94.3 in February. But a separate report from the U.S. Department of Labor found the number of job openings across the country at the end of February—3.5 million—was unchanged from January.

Boston High Tech Job Openings Increase 18%
Boston Business Journal (04/10/12) Joe Halpern

The Boston market saw an 18% increase in the number of technology job openings at the beginning of April compared with a year earlier, according to a survey by Dice Inc. Boston, the sixth largest technology market in the U.S., saw the largest percentage increase of tech job openings among the top tech markets. The New York and New Jersey market, the biggest technology market in the country, saw a 3% decline in job postings. Technology consulting added more than 70,000 jobs in 2011 and 16,000 in the first quarter of 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Headline News
U.S. Employment Growth Seen Rebounding From Slump
Fed Economists Disagree Over Construction Jobs' Lesson on Economy

ASAPro Webinar Thursday—Never Negotiate Direct Hire Fees Again

Legal Watch
Workplace Pregnancy Discrimination Cases on the Rise
Reinstatements Can Be Denied Following Family and Medical Leave Act, Oklahoma City Law Expert Says

Trends and Research
Is Wall Street Ready to Hire Again?
Federal Funds to Train the Jobless Are Drying Up

Headline News

U.S. Employment Growth Seen Rebounding From Slump
Bloomberg (04/09/12) Timothy R. Homan; Carlos Torres

Economists from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. believe hiring should pick up from the pace of 120,000 new jobs in March as the economy is now better able to handle rising fuel costs and the economic downturn in Europe. They do not expect a repeat of the last two years, which started off promising but experienced some setbacks when government debt, energy costs, and natural disasters generated concerns. Bruce Kasman, chief economist at JPMorgan, believes gains in revenue will surpass a slight jump in wages, giving employers an incentive to bolster hiring.

Janette Marx, senior vice president at the Melville, NY-based division of Adecco SA, says clients and customers are growing more confident. "We're seeing a lot of people convert from temporary positions to full-time positions across a lot of industries. The acceleration really stepped up in the second half of the first quarter," she says.

Fed Economists Disagree Over Construction Jobs' Lesson on Economy
Washington Post (04/06/12) Peter Whoriskey

The housing market collapse left 1.4 million construction workers without jobs, pushing the unemployment rate in the construction industry above 17%. However, U.S. Federal Reserve economists disagree as to whether unemployed construction workers are worse off than others who lost their jobs during the economic downturn. Two economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Richard Crump and Aysegul Sahin, do not believe construction workers are "experiencing relatively worse labor market outcomes," contrary to the opinion of two economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Pedro Silos and Lei Fang.

The construction industry is the focus of a debate about how to handle unemployment, with one side insisting economic shifts have resulted in a mismatch between the skills possessed by workers and the skills needed by the economy. This means there are too many people right now with construction skills who are unprepared to enter other professions, and stimulating the economy with monetary policy or government spending will not improve the situation. This viewpoint is in contrast to those who believe the economy needs to be stimulated through government policy to reduce unemployment rates and that following every recession, the economy and workers make adjustments. These economists believe that unemployment in the construction industry, for instance, would decline if more money was spent on infrastructure projects.

ASA for You

This Thursday, April 12, don't miss the ASAPro Webinar "How to Never Negotiate Direct Hire Fees Again." Neil Lebovits of the Dynamic Sale will share a technique that will help you stop negotiating direct hire fees so you can maximize your profits.

And mark your calendar for the April 24 Webinar "Recruiting in the Cloud."

All ASAPro Webinars are free for ASA members ($295 for nonmembers) and qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. Webinars take place 3–4 p.m. Eastern time. Register online at americanstaffing.net.

Legal Watch

Workplace Pregnancy Discrimination Cases on the Rise
Washington Post (04/08/12) Vickie Elmer

In fiscal 2011, women filed 5,797 complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging pregnancy discrimination at work or in hiring, a 23% increase from fiscal 2005. In particular, many women in low-paying jobs face pregnancy discrimination. Ten percent of the 268 pregnancy-related lawsuits brought by the EEOC in the past 10 years involved unlawful failure to hire.

Reinstatements Can Be Denied Following Family and Medical Leave Act, Oklahoma City Law Expert Says
Oklahoman (04/06/12)

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, most employees who qualify for leave are entitled to return to their jobs once their doctor gives his or her approval. However, there are some instances when a company doesn't have to reinstate an employee. For example, a company doesn't have to reinstate an employee if the person gave unequivocal notice of their intention not to return to work while they were on leave. Neither is a company obligated to reinstate an employee if the employee is incapable of performing the essential functions of their old job.

Trends and Research

Is Wall Street Ready to Hire Again?
Wanted Analytics (04/06/12) Abby Lombardi

Job ads for positions in New York City's financial sector totaled 4,400 during the past 90 days, up 16% from the same period a year ago. The 10 most commonly advertised jobs on Wall Street are sales agents, financial services; loan officers; management analysts; financial analysts; accountants; personal financial advisors; financial examiners; auditors; sales agents, securities and commodities; and insurance adjusters, examiners, and investigators.

Federal Funds to Train the Jobless Are Drying Up
New York Times (04/09/12) Motoko Rich

As federal funds for work force training dry up, some companies are finding they can't find enough qualified workers. Atlas Van Lines, for example, recently wanted to hire more than 100 truck drivers, but the local government-financed job center in Louisville, KY, the company turned to for help was unable to accommodate the company. The center's funds designated to help train new drivers were depleted, and the people interested in the jobs could not afford the $4,000 classes to obtain commercial driver's licenses.

Headline News
Jobless Claims in U.S. Fell to Lowest Level in Four Years
U.S. Service Firms Grow at Steady Pace, Boost Hiring
Older Workers Capture More New Jobs

Legal Watch
Most Alabama Businesses Miss Immigration E-Verify Goal
The Misclassification Risks of Hiring Independent Contractors

Trends and Research
Hiring Outlook for the Second Quarter Similar to Pre-Recession, CareerBuilder's Survey Finds
Hiring at U.S. Workplaces Jumps in March
IT Salaries: 10 Cities Where IT Professionals Earn the Most

ASA for You
Attend the ASA Staffing Law Conference, Earn Legal Continuing Education
ASAPro Webinar Next Week—Never Negotiate Direct Hire Fees Again

Headline News

Jobless Claims in U.S. Fell to Lowest Level in Four Years
Bloomberg (04/05/12) Lorraine Woellert

The number of Americans who filed requests for jobless benefits fell by 6,000 last week to 357,000, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The median forecast of 43 economists in a Bloomberg News survey estimated a decrease to 355,000. The four-week moving average decreased to 361,750 last week, from 366,000. "The labor market is going to continue to gradually heal, though we have a long ways to go," says Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody's Analytics Inc. "The economy is pulling up pretty well given the headwinds we're seeing from Europe."

U.S. Service Firms Grow at Steady Pace, Boost Hiring
Associated Press (04/04/12) Christopher Rugaber

U.S. service companies stepped up hiring in March and continued to expand at a solid pace. The Institute for Supply Management reported on April 4 that its index of nonmanufacturing activity dropped to 56 in March, down from February's 57.3, which was a 12-month high. Economists say the slight decline is not troubling because the reading is still at a healthy level that points to growth.

"The (ISM) survey still suggests that domestic demand is contributing more to the recovery," says Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics. "This survey is still consistent with some decent rates of economic growth." Sixteen of the 18 industries tracked by the survey reported growth. Greater spending "reflects the increased confidence level of businesses and consumers," says Anthony Nieves, chairman of the ISM's services committee.

Older Workers Capture More New Jobs
USA Today (04/05/12) Paul Davison

Older workers are gaining an outsized share of job gains in the economic recovery as they put off retirement. In February, employment for workers 55 and older rose by 277,000 from January, or 65% of the total 428,000 gains, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's household survey. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, employment for those 55 and older is up by 3.9 million, even as total payrolls have fallen by 4.2 million. Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist for Barclays Capital, notes that more-experienced employees are often more productive and earn higher salaries, generating economic growth that itself yields additional jobs.

Legal Watch

Most Alabama Businesses Miss Immigration E-Verify Goal
Associated Press (04/04/12)

Although some calculations indicate that nearly 369,000 companies do business in Alabama, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says just 18,137 were enrolled in the E-Verify system as of April 2, meaning thousands of businesses missed the April 1 registration deadline set forth by the state's immigration law. Currently, businesses do not face penalties for failing to register, but officials say they are encouraging them to do so to provide legal protection in the event that it is determined they hired illegal immigrants, the consequences of which include the loss of their business license.

The Misclassification Risks of Hiring Independent Contractors
Corporate Counsel (03/29/12) Shannon Green

While companies see an advantage in hiring independent contractors when they are unsure of their staffing needs or their budgets are tight, they first should weigh the risks, says Emily Sanford Johnson, labor and employment attorney with United Parcel Service Inc. Johnson says that despite the flexibility, lower costs, and specialized skills associated with hiring independent contractors, employers face significant tax consequences at the state and federal levels if they misclassify these employees. She adds that employers face liability associated with overtime and minimum wage payment violations, employee benefits, pension plans, workers' compensation, and state meal and rest period laws, among other things. The U.S. Department of Labor, along with states, is cracking down on worker misclassification.

Johnson says employers could be scrutinized when they file unemployment or workers' compensation claims with the state or when employees shift from W2 status to 1099 status in the same year at the same company. Johnson adds that to avoid charges of misclassification, companies should not tightly control how the independent contractor does his or her job, pay worker per project rather than hourly or via salary, and stipulate that failing to complete the project as per the agreement will result in consequences. "If they are going to get paid regardless, it looks more like they're an employee," she says.

Trends and Research

Hiring Outlook for the Second Quarter Similar to Pre-Recession, CareerBuilder's Survey Finds
PRNewswire (04/05/12)

Hiring plans in the U.S. are getting back to prerecession levels, according to ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder's latest nationwide survey. One-third of employers added full-time, permanent employees in the first quarter of this year, on par with 2007 and the highest increase reported since the recession began. The momentum is expected to continue with 30% of employers planning to add new full-time, permanent staff in April through June.

"We have moved from an anemic job market to one that is stable and growing," says Matt Ferguson, chief executive officer of CareerBuilder. "While still cautious, employers are feeling better about the state of the U.S. economy and the debt situation in Europe. Forty-one percent of companies reported their sales have increased over the last six months, which is helping to fuel greater confidence in hiring."

The study also showed there is increased competition for talent among employers. Of employers that recruited for positions in the last year, 56% reported that a candidate rejected a job offer from their organization. Forty-one percent of those attributed the rejection to their inability to provide the candidate's desired salary, while 22% said they didn't offer the position quickly enough and the candidate was already hired somewhere else.

Hiring at U.S. Workplaces Jumps in March
Gallup News Service (04/04/12) Lydia Saad

Gallup's Job Creation Index rose to +18 in March, up from +14 in February. In March 35% of U.S. adult workers said their companies were hiring or expanding their work forces, while 17% said their companies were letting workers go and reducing their work forces. The percentage of companies hiring is the highest reported since September 2008. The Midwest continues to lead the rest of the nation in new hiring, followed by the South, East, and West. All four regions posted their best Job Creation index scores since the fall of 2008.

IT Salaries: 10 Cities Where IT Professionals Earn the Most
CIO (04/03/12) Meridith Levinson

Technology recruiting company CyberCoders has released a list of the top 10 cities where IT workers earn the biggest salaries. The top 10 cities are San Jose, CA, San Francisco, New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, NY, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas. Technology workers in No. 1-ranked San Jose, CA, earn an average of $119,412, while technology workers in No. 10-ranked Dallas earn an average of $94,799.

ASA for You

If you're a staffing professional who's earned the Certified Staffing Professional™ or Technical Services Certified™ credential, this month's ASA Staffing Law Conference provides a total of 8.25 continuing education hours—the six employment law CE hours you need to maintain your ASA certification, plus 2.25 hours that can be used toward the general CE requirement.

Staffing professionals who have earned the CSP™ and TSC™ credentials need to recertify every three years by earning 30 hours of continuing education, six of which must pertain to employment law. More than 5,000 staffing professionals have earned the CSP and TSC—to find out about certification, visit americanstaffing.net.

If you're an attorney, the Staffing Law Conference may qualify for continuing legal education. Attorneys interested in receiving CLE credit for the 2012 ASA Staffing Law Conference should contact their state bar for consideration. Upon request, ASA will provide documentation to validate participation in the conference.

The Staffing Law Conference is April 17–18 in Washington, DC. To learn more and to register, visit americanstaffing.net.
Next Thursday, April 12, don't miss the ASAPro Webinar "How to Never Negotiate Direct Hire Fees Again." Neil Lebovits of the Dynamic Sale will share a technique that will help you stop negotiating direct hire fees so you can maximize your profits.

And mark your calendar for the April 24 Webinar "Recruiting in the Cloud."

All ASAPro Webinars are free for ASA members ($295 for nonmembers) and qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. Webinars take place 3–4 p.m. Eastern time. Register online at americanstaffing.net.

Headline News
Volt Information Sciences Provides Update on First Quarter Business Performance
Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp. Acquires MED-STAFF Oklahoma
Hiring and Production Improve at Factories

Legal Watch
Risks of Misclassifying Exempt Workers
Communication of FMLA Policy Is Key in Defending FMLA Interference Lawsuit
Exemption Checkup: Tips on Finding and Fixing Pay Practice Problems in 2012
Wage and Hour: DOL and California to Collaborate on Reducing Employee Misclassification
Immigration Attorney's Tips for Alabama Employers Using E-Verify
Drafting Enforceable Restrictions on Recruiting Employees

Trends and Research
Worker Confidence Hits Four-Year High
Health Care Jobs Are Growing—What Skills and Certifications Are Demanded?
Small-Business Hiring Up in Metro Atlanta, Georgia in March, Reports Say

ASA for You
ASAPro Webinar Today—The Conscious and Powerful Interview

Headline News

Volt Information Sciences Provides Update on First Quarter Business Performance
Volt Information Sciences News Release (04/03/12)

Volt Information Sciences Inc. today provided a business update and reported selected unaudited financial information for its fiscal 2012 first quarter ended Jan. 29, 2012. The company noted that, due to a previously announced accounting review, all numbers presented in this release are estimates. Steven Shaw, Volt’s president and chief executive officer, stated, “The staffing services segment, which accounts for a majority of the company’s total revenue, had approximately $455 million of revenue in the fiscal first quarter 2012 compared to approximately $442 million for the same period in 2011. The first quarter 2012 staffing services segment revenue increase is primarily from customer care solutions services and to a lesser extent from employees on assignment. On average, approximately 31,500 U.S. staffing employees were on assignment in the quarter, compared to approximately 32,300 in the first quarter of 2011, although at higher average billing rates resulting in slightly higher revenue."

Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp. Acquires MED-STAFF Oklahoma
PR Newswire (04/02/12)

Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp. has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Tulsa, OK-based MED-STAFF Oklahoma, a predominately travel nurse focused business that specializes in placing registered nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and diagnostic imaging technicians in all fifty U.S. states.

Hiring and Production Improve at Factories
Associated Press (04/02/12)

The Institute for Supply Management reported on April 2 that factories increased hiring and production in March, as its index of manufacturing activity rose to 53.4 for the month. That was up from 52.4 in February. Fifteen of 18 manufacturing industries reported expansion, including mining, steel and other metal production, oil and gas, autos, and furniture. Manufacturers are already a big source of job gains, having added more than 100,000 jobs in the last three months, about one-seventh of all net gains.

Separately, the U.S. Commerce Department said construction spending fell 1.1% in February, after a fall of 0.8% in January. The weak report indicates that the construction industry is still struggling more than two and a half years after the recession ended.

Legal Watch

Risks of Misclassifying Exempt Workers
HR.BLR.com (03/29/12)

The U.S. Department of Labor has estimated that nearly 70% of employers are not in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. In 2010 alone, it set aside $25 million for an enforcement crackdown, adding 350 FLSA investigators with the goal of seeking out employers that commit wage and hour offenses—particularly exemption misclassifications.

The goal of DOL's efforts is to get employers to create compliance action plans to address employment law compliance. DOL is considered likely to propose a rule that will require covered employers to notify workers of their exemption status and perform a classification analysis on workers classified as exempt. To be in compliance, employers covered by the Wage and Hour Division need to develop written plans for identifying wage and hour violations, create a process for implementing the plan, and test the process for compliance.

Communication of FMLA Policy Is Key in Defending FMLA Interference Lawsuit
Lexology (03/28/12) R. Michelle Tatum

In the case of Thom v. American Standard Inc., the Sixth Circuit affirmed a partial summary judgment for an employee's Family and Medical Leave Act interference claim because the employer did not inform him of the method used to compute his FMLA leave and ruled that the employee was entitled to double compensatory damages because he was terminated in bad faith.

Employees are entitled to 12 work weeks of FMLA leave during any 12-month period, and employers can choose from four methods to compute the leave: the calendar year; any fixed 12-month "leave year," such as a fiscal year or the year beginning with the employee's anniversary date; the 12-month period from the start date of the employee's first FMLA leave; or a rolling 12-month period measured backward from the date of any FMLA leave. Employees can use whatever option is most beneficial to them if their company does not state which method it uses. Companies must provide 60 days' notice before implementing their method of choice, and they should distribute a written policy and have employees sign it. They should consider employees already on FMLA leave or those who requested leave during that 60-day period, permitting them to use a more liberal way to compute leave but indicating how subsequent leave requests will be handled.

Exemption Checkup: Tips on Finding and Fixing Pay Practice Problems in 2012
Compensation.BLR.com (03/29/12)

Employers must properly classify workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act, especially given the potential for expensive class-action lawsuits. The U.S. Department of Labor has beefed up its FLSA enforcement with the P3 Initiative, which calls on employers covered by the Wage and Hour Division to create written plans for identifying wage and hour violations (plan), develop an implementation process (prevent), and test the process for compliance (protect). The DOL is expected to propose a rule forcing covered employers to inform exempt employees of their status and conduct classification analyses on these exempt workers.

Experts stress the need for proper worker classification, as "employers" are jointly liable for FLSA damages. Given that the definition of "employer" is "any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee," human resource professionals and others could be held liable. However, courts typically take into account an individual's financial control over the work force and role in creating pay policies and classifying workers when determining personal liability.

Wage and Hour: DOL and California to Collaborate on Reducing Employee Misclassification
HR.BLR.com (03/27/12)

The U.S. Department of Labor in February signed an agreement with California secretary of labor Marty Morgenstern regarding the improper classification of employees as independent contractors. The agreement is part of the DOL's Misclassification Initiative, which was launched with the goal of preventing, detecting, and remedying employee misclassification.

Under the agreement, DOL and the state will share information; coordinate enforcement efforts; and establish a method for exchanging investigative leads, complaints, and referrals of possible violations. The agreement will facilitate the exchange of statistical data on the incidence of violations of specific industries and geographic areas. The two agencies can also conduct joint investigations. Eleven other states have also signed agreements with DOL.

Immigration Attorney's Tips for Alabama Employers Using E-Verify
Birmingham News (Alabama) (04/02/12) Martin Swant

Immigration attorney Wendy Padilla-Madden offers several tips for Alabama employers that must use the federal E-Verify system to determine if employees are authorized to work in the U.S. She recommends that employers read their company's E-Verify MOU with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; use E-Verify for every new employee without regard for national origin or citizenship status; remember that all E-Verify activity is monitored by the government; don't use E-Verify to dispel suspicions or prescreen future employees; don't take adverse actions against employees who are in the middle of resolving their case through E-Verify; and seek help from a qualified immigration attorney if compliance challenges surface.

Drafting Enforceable Restrictions on Recruiting Employees
JDSupra (03/28/2012)

This article, originally published by the Illinois State Bar Association, considers the fact that employment and other contracts may restrict soliciting or hiring a firm's employees for a period of time. Court decisions applying Illinois statutes recognize that having a stable work force is a legitimate business interest, but do not allow in most instances blanket restrictions on recruiting or hiring. However, a blanket restriction may be permitted given unusual circumstances such as a firm's small size or the nature of the work force or industry.

Unless those circumstances are apparent, a recruitment restriction should be limited to competitive employment of those employees having confidential knowledge or with whom the restricted party holds a recruiting advantage. Recruiting advantages include relationships with the employees, knowledge of a firm's confidential data, and knowledge of an employee's competencies.

The restriction should be reasonably limited in terms of geography and timeframe. Furthermore, the restriction's purview should be narrower for lower level employees than for senior management. For employees other than senior management, the restriction may need to be confined to subordinates, other employees with whom the restricted employee works, and senior manager.

Trends and Research

Worker Confidence Hits Four-Year High
Randstad News Release (04/02/12)

According to the latest Randstad Employment Report, overall U.S. worker confidence reached 55.5 in March versus 53.9 in February. This marks the third month of consecutive increases. The Employee Confidence Index reached its highest level in four years. Almost half of U.S. workers (45%) feel confident in their ability to find a new job.

Health Care Jobs Are Growing—What Skills and Certifications Are Demanded?
Wanted Analytics (04/02/12) Abby Lombardi

The number of health care jobs has increased considerably over the past years. Employers posted more than 130,000 job ads for health care jobs in February, a 33% increase compared with February 2011. The number of employers looking to hire health care workers also grew in the past year. More than 15,100 employers advertised job openings for health care jobs in February, up from about 13,000 last year.

Registered nurses were the most advertised job, with more than 56,000 unique job postings in this time period, accounting for about 41% of all health care hiring demand. Other in-demand health care positions were physical therapists, occupational therapists, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, and speech-language pathologists. The tools and technologies most often required of potential candidates include electronic medical records; personal protective equipment; word processing; orthotics; and personnel management.

Small-Business Hiring Up in Metro Atlanta, Georgia in March, Reports Say
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (04/03/12) David Markiewicz

Hiring by small businesses in metro Atlanta and across Georgia is growing, according to two new reports. Hiring in metro Atlanta rose 0.5% in March, according to the most recent monthly report from SurePayroll's Small Business Scorecard. Statewide, hiring rose 0.4%, according to Intuit Payroll's Small Business Employment Index, compared with 0.3% nationally.

ASA for You

Don't miss the ASAPro Webinar "The Art and Process of the Conscious and Powerful Interview," this afternoon from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern time. Margaret Graziano, CPC, CTS, of Keen Talent Management, will give you tips for attracting and identifying top performers. This Webinar is sponsored by People 2.0.

And remember to register for these other ASAPro Webinars this month: "How to Never Negotiate Direct Hire Fees Again," Thursday, April 12, and "Recruiting in the Cloud," Tuesday, April 24.

All ASAPro Webinars are free for ASA members ($295 for nonmembers) and qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. Register online at americanstaffing.net.