Atlanta Journal-Constitution (01/25/12)

The declining unemployment rate and increased reports of companies that are hiring paints the picture of an economy that is making progress, though it appears to be unsteady and uneven, with hiring up in some sectors and down in others. In Georgia—the only one of the nation’s dozen largest states that has not added jobs in the past 12 months—nearly 460,000 residents are unemployed and looking for work, and more than half of them have been out of work six months or longer.

However, the white-collar world has started to perk up, say some staffing companies. Tennille Hall, vice president of Accounting Principals Inc. in Atlanta, says she has seen increased demand for accountants and information technology specialists. “If you have a ‘demand skill-set,’ if you are dedicated and want to work, there’s a place for you,” she says. Hiring for marketing professionals has also been picking up, according to Jodi Gill, president of the Experts Bench in Duluth, GA. “We are starting to see money moving in the marketplace. Our business has almost doubled from a year ago,” she says. “We’ve especially had a lot of demand for consultants in the last 90 days.”