Sales Careers Phoenix Bolstered by Improving Retail Industry

The retail industry is providing some encouraging news for those pursuing sales careers Phoenix (Click here).

A recent report from the Arizona Department of Revenue found that annual retail sales throughout the state increased by 4 percent to $5 billion during December 2010, marking the second consecutive month of retail sales growth and the best sales in three years.

However, that increase will not help the state emerge from its current budget deficit, according to The Arizona Republic. During the first six months of the current fiscal year, the state spent $5.9 billion and took in only $4.9 billion, leaving a $1 billion shortfall.

Here's a look at how each retail sector fared during December:

• Motor vehicle sales - Increased by 21.5 percent over the year to a total of $462.3 million.
• Restaurants and bars - Increased by 11 percent over the year.
• Clothing stores - Increased by 6.6 percent over the year.
• Furniture and home furnishing stores - Increased by 5.5 percent over the year. 
• Miscellaneous retail - Increased by 5 percent over the year.
• General merchandise stores - Declined by 2.6 percent over the year.
• Building material, lawn and garden stores - Declined by 15.4 percent over the year.

While the retail industry is usually a good indicator of how the overall economy is performing, Phoenix jobs don't seem to be recovering as quickly, as the area continues to see a declining workforce and a growing unemployment rate.

During January, the Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale area's unemployment rate increased from 8.4 percent to 9.3 percent, after dropping from 8.5 percent during December. That latest increase keeps the area's rate above the national average at the time of 9 percent.

The Phoenix area employed about 1,681,700 workers during January, which is down from 1,713,900 workers during December and only a .4 percent increase from last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nursing Jobs Phoenix at New Long-Term Care Center

The number of nursing jobs Phoenix has to offer is increasing, thanks to the relocation of a long-term care center.

Promise Hospital of Phoenix recently relocated to a new long-term acute care center at the Arizona Regional Medical Center campus in Mesa. The new facility will create 150 high-skilled Mesa jobs and have a large economic impact on the local community.

All employees are ACLS certified and use a primary registered nursing model when taking care of patients. The hospital is equipped to provide everything from MRI services and CT scans to interventional radiology and catheter placement.

The company chose to relocate to Mesa in order to: provide more long-term services to East Valley residents, increase available diagnostic and treatment services, better align with physicians, and continue growing and supporting the area's healthcare consortium.

"We're extremely happy to have Promise Hospital in downtown Mesa," Mayor Scott Smith said in a statement. "Bringing high-quality jobs to Mesa is an integral part of our H.E.A.T. initiative and to make that happen you need quality organizations with quality people like Promise Hospital."

Promise provides high-quality, long-term care for patients suffering from complex medical conditions, with most patients staying an average of at least 25 days. The hospital's "quality" scores consistently outperform the national average.

The company specializes in treating acute respiratory and pulmonary care, infectious disease management, advanced wound management, complex medical management, and treatment for multi-organ failure and post-surgical complications.

The new 30,000-square-foot treatment center will cater to patients from Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, Avondale, Sun City, Peoria, Paradise Valley, and Queen Creek.

The hospital features:

• 48 beds
• 24 private rooms
• 12 semi-private rooms
• 23 telemetry beds
• 15 medical and surgical beds
• Six-bed Intensive Care Unit
• Dialysis suite
• Wound care suite
• Rehab and physical therapy gym
• Pharmacy
• Conference and break room
• Administrative offices

Top 10 Dallas Jobs Part Time That Offer Employee Benefits

Although it's not the norm, there are a number of Dallas jobs part time that offer employee benefits.

Part time jobs are a great option for many people, whether your need to work more to earn some extra money, are looking for some additional experience, or simply want to fill more of your free time. However, working a part time job can often be hard, because they don't always provide the same benefits as full-time positions.

Luckily, there are a number of companies that offer benefits to part-time employees, and many of those benefits are just as good as those for full-time counterparts. Each company sets its own requirements for receiving these benefits, such as working a minimum number of hours per week or staying with the company for a specific length of time.

Here are the top 10 companies - most of which have locations in Dallas - where part-time employees can receive benefits, as compiled by AOL Jobs:

1. REI - All employees receive healthcare insurance, while some are offered merchandise discounts, incentive pay, retirement and profit sharing, and discounted travel.
2. Whole Foods - Part-time employees receive health, dental, and vision insurance after working for 400 hours, and all employees have access to a retirement plan, paid time off, and a 20-percent discount.
3. Nordstrom - Employees working part-time receive health, life, disability, and accidental death insurance; retirement plan, paid time off; and adoption assistance.
4. Starbucks - Any employee who works at least 20 hours per week receives health insurance, retirement plan, stock options, and a free pound of coffee or box of tea each week.
5. UPS - Part-time employees receive medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance, retirement plan, discounted stock options, tuition reimbursement, and an income protection plan.
6. Lowe's - Employees here receive a limited health insurance plan; vision, dental, and disability insurance; retirement plan; and can earn 40 hours of vacation after 180 days of work.
7. JCPenney - Any employee who works less than 35 hours per week can participate in the Additional Benefits Choices program, which offers medical, dental, vision, life, critical illness, and accident insurance.
8. Lands' End - Part-time employees here receive dental and vision insurance, retirement plans, discounts on merchandise at Lands' End and Sears stores, and special discounts at local attractions.
9. JP Morgan Chase - After working for 90 days, those who work at least 20 hours per week can receive medical, dental and vision insurance; retirement options; stock purchase plans; paid time off; tuition and adoption assistance; and banking-related perks.
10. Barnes & Noble - Part-time employees receive medical, dental, and life insurance; a flex spending account; retirement plan; discount book prices; access to a book loan program; and discounts on other useful services.

Fort Worth Sales Jobs Supported By Industrial Investments

Industrial investments are supporting many Fort Worth sales jobs. Check out http://dignity.texasjobs.com to see some current job openings.

A new report from Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc. found that industrial investment sales in the Dallas-Fort Worth area topped those in the rest of the nation during 2010, as the area sold about 16 million square feet of industrial space last year.

This is good news for anyone seeking sales employment opportunities in the area. The sales made last year should attract other companies to the area, which will in turn spike sales even further, while at the same time creating jobs and bettering the overall economy.

The top five cities for industrial investment sales during 2010 include:

1. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas - 16 million square feet
2. Inland Empire, Calif. - 13 million square feet
3. Chicago, Ill. - 9 million square feet
4. Los Angeles, Calif. - 6 million square feet
5. Atlanta, Ga. - 6 million square feet

The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranked second in the nation for office building sales, with more than 5 million square feet of space sold last year. That was followed by 7 million square feet in Northern Virginia, 4 million square feet in Chicago, and 4 million square feet in Boston.

This is all good news for the Fort Worth area, which has seen pretty good employment figures in recent months. During December, the area's unemployment rate dropped from 8.2 percent to 7.9 percent, which was below the national average at the time of 9.4 percent.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Fort Worth-Arlington area employed a total of 858,300 workers during December, which is up from 857,600 workers during November and a 1 percent increase from the previous year.

Education for Office Assistant Jobs

Although not always necessary, getting an education can help you better prepare for office assistant jobs (Click here).

Although most positions for office assistants are considered to be entry-level, some candidates choose to earn an office assistant certificate, which can help you learn more about the job and give you an edge over the competition when it comes to getting hired.

Students pursuing an office assistant certificate - whether in an online education or traditional format - will better develop the typing, communication, and computer skills needed to succeed in this type of job. Some programs may require you to have certain skills before beginning your education.

According to an article by Education-Portal.com, some popular courses you can expect to take include:

• Keyboarding - Learn how to type with speed and accuracy, how to use key-touch techniques, and how to format various documents.
• Office procedures - Teaches you how to file, plan meetings, order supplies, use basic office technology, and deal with customers.
• Business communications - Learn fundamental and advanced writing skills, including punctuation, spelling, grammar, and business vocabulary.

Once you obtain an office assistant certificate, you can begin applying for a variety of office-related jobs, such as receptionist, secretary, or office assistant. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of secretaries will grow by 11 percent by 2018.

Houston Tech Jobs Could Suffer from State Budget Cuts

A number of Houston tech jobs could be negatively affected by cuts to a statewide funding program. Visit http://houston.jobing.com/cat/tech to find available jobs.

The Texas Emerging Technology Fund could lose up to 85 percent of its funding under the proposed state budget. The five-year old, $155 million program is aimed at encouraging research and development of new technologies throughout the state.

Officials are looking to cut several programs as the state is currently facing a budget shortfall between $15 billion and $27 billion. However, cuts the TETF alone would only make up a small segment of the $13.7 billion officials hope to cut, according to the Houston Business Journal.

Unfortunately, any cuts to the program would be felt throughout the local and state economy. According to the Gulf Coast Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization, about 39 companies in the Houston area alone have received a total of $45.5 million since the program was founded.

"In Texas, we understand that high-tech companies don't just happen overnight but are a product of forethought, sound vision and planning, and strategic investments by both the public and private sectors," Gov. Rick Perry said on the TETF website. "Through our Emerging Technology Fund, we are bringing the best scientists and researchers to Texas, attracting high-tech jobs and helping start-up companies get off the ground faster."

The TETF initially received $200 million from the state to invest in new technologies, and during the last few years, the program has given about $300 million to start-up companies and university research projects. The Texas Legislature usually refunds the program every two years.

Cashier Jobs: What Degrees are Available?

Although the majority of cashier jobs don't require an extended education, getting a college degree may make it easier for you to find work.

Becoming a cashier can be a very lucrative career choice. Although you may start out with low pay and inconvenient hours, you'll have plenty of growth opportunity, as nearly every type of business has a need for cashiers. Click here to see a cashier job description.

Most entry-level cashier jobs only require a high school diploma, if that, but there are a couple degrees you can pursue if you're looking at cashiering as a longtime career. While not always required, having a degree can make it easier for you to earn a higher salary and get the job over your competition.

When considering whether or not you should pursue a degree, it's important to take into account what you ultimately want to accomplish in your career. However, there are several benefits of obtaining a degree, according to an article by Education-Portal.com.

If you solely want to be an entry-level cashier then a degree may not be necessary, but if you want to become a manager or other high-level employee, obtaining a degree may be the right choice.

If you want to deal with money directly, particularly in the retail industry, you may want to consider obtaining an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting. This program will teach you about inventory appraisal, pricing strategies, and the process cycle of transactions - all of which can be applied to cashiering.

If you're more interested in moving up the career ladder, you may want to pursue an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration. This program will teach you how to create a business plan, how to market products, and how to manage employees.