Kansas City
Job News & Opportunities
Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City.
Archived Kansas City Job News:
 Survey Reports Workers Still Feel Secure in Current Jobs
Office Building Conditions Have Major Impact on Worker Attitudes, Productivity and Motivation
Gender Plays Strong Role in Receiving Annuity, Pension Income
Presenteeism Puts Companies at Risk, Employers Tell Sick Workers to Go Home
Fewer Workers Could Lead to Lower Standard of Living
Nearly 80 Percent of Workers Remain Confident in Job Security
Help-Wanted Advertising Declined in All Nine U.S. Regions
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Demand For Landscape Architecture Services Remains High
KANSAS CITY (PRNewswire-USNewswire), February 17, 2008 - The majority of landscape architects remain busy despite trouble in the housing market, according to a survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). More than six in ten firms reported steady or increased work, and nearly four in ten firms planned to hire in the upcoming quarter. The survey asked quarterly benchmarks on key statistics including billable hours, inquiries, and hiring plans, with 319 firms responding.
As with third quarter of 2007, the fourth quarter saw the majority of firms staying busy despite larger housing market troubles. Fifty-nine percent of respondents described their billable hours as either "well above average" (six percent), "slightly above average" (25 percent), or "average" (27 percent). Thirty percent said their hours were "slightly below average," and 10 percent said "well below average." When asked to compare Q4 2007 with Q4 2006, 61 percent said their hours were either "higher" (31 percent) or "about the same" (30 percent); 36 percent said that compared to 2006 their hours were "lower."
Firms shared their outlook and concerns in the survey as well. One small Midwestern firm said its outlook for billable hours is "improving significantly," while a midsized Northeastern firm said it has "just started receiving much larger commissions." A large national firm said, "The housing market had a major effect on our backlog of work. We are currently developing more relationships with commercial developers." Other firms spoke of their experiences with seasonal construction slowdowns, concerns about inflation and energy costs effecting profit margins, and drought-related problems.
New inquiries in Q4 2007 were similarly positive: six percent reported well above average inquiries, 19 percent reported slightly above, 31 percent reported average, and 44 percent reported their inquiries were down this quarter. When asked to compare Q4 2007 with Q4 2006, 56 percent said that their new inquiries were either "higher" (19 percent) or "about the same" (37 percent), while 40 percent said that compared to 2006 their inquiries were "lower." A midsized Southeastern firm summed up its experience: "Given the state of the economy, we have been surprised about the seeming strong amount of inquiries."
The strong job market for landscape architects also remained steady. Fully 38 percent of firms planned to hire in the first quarter of 2008, representing little change from those who planned to hire in the fourth quarter of 2007 (40 percent).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of landscape architects must grow by 16 percent by 2016 in order to meet growing demand for services. The survey asked firms how they are helping to grow the profession, and more than 40 percent reported they actively conduct outreach to school-aged children to promote careers in landscape architecture. The theme of National Landscape Architecture month in April will be "Discover Careers in Landscape Architecture."
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Fourth Annual Bright Future Employment Fair
KANSAS CITY (kansascityfrontpage.com), February 10, 2008 - The City of Kansas City, MO, Youth Advocacy Office, a division of the City Manager's Office, will sponsor the fourth annual Bright Future Employment Fair on March 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kansas City Convention Center, 301 W. 13th St.
Kansas City, MO, residents ages 15-22 who are interested in paid positions (full-time, part-time, seasonal, etc.) will have the opportunity to interview with a wide variety of employers.
"This program brings public and private sector employers together with the common goal of building a stronger work force for the future," City Manager Wayne A. Cauthen said. "One of the real benefits is that the candidates are pre-screened, which allows companies and government entities to select the employee that best suits their needs."
Applicants will have the opportunity to be interviewed and immediately hired by the more than 90 companies and City departments. Nearly 2,000 young people have been employed in the four years of the program.
The employment fair is sponsored by the City, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Full Employment Council, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Monster and Making it Count.
Past employers include Walton Construction, AMC, Bank of America, the Kansas City Zoo and the Federal Reserve Bank.
Workshops and mock interviews for applicants will be facilitated by Making It Count, a subsidiary of the Monster Company. Human Resource professionals from organizations such as Sprint and the Diamond Network will help with the mock interviews prior to the employment fair.
Young people and employers can register for the Bright Future Employment Fair at www.kcmo.org/youth . The deadline for young people is March 1 and for employers it is March 22.
For more information, call the Youth Employment Line, (816) 513-1276. Young people also are encouraged to call the Youth Resource Line, (816) 513-1377, to hear the latest news about opportunities available through the Youth Advocacy Office.
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