The latest numbers in first time unemployment claims suggests things might be improving – albeit slightly.  The seasonally adjusted numbers are at 473,000.  The Hound.com founder says to not focus too much on one particular detail; unemployment numbers are still high.  Further complicating matters is there appears to be a slower approach to employers bringing on new hires.

“This latest news only reiterates the fact that lower interest rates won’t automatically lead more home purchases”, says A. Harrison Barnes.  “Too many are still reeling from the recession and are reluctant to make any big changes in their financial lives, especially since the knowledge is in the back of everyone’s minds that there is no job security these days”.  Despite a steady economic growth over the past four quarters, it’s still lower than what one would find in a strong economy.  It clearly comes down to finding the balance in order to maintain perspective.

One recent major layoff occurred at Northrop Grumman’s Pascagoula shipyard.  Currently, there have been more than four hundred layoffs with another three hundred slated by the end of the year.  The naval shipyard has seen better days. At one time, and especially during the Reagan and Bush administrations, the yard employed more than 23, 000 people.  It supported much of the financial infrastructure along the northern Gulf Coast.  In recent years, however, those numbers have hovered around 12,000.  Currently, the Northrop Grumman facility in Pascagoula employs less than 11,000.  The layoffs are occurring company wide; administration, welding, pipefitting and even new business departments are suffering cutbacks.

Another factor that must be considered, says Barnes, is the newly approved programs that allow for additional weeks of emergency unemployment.  It’s important to remember that when the program was allowed to play out with no Congressional renewal in June, this put more than two million without any source of income.  Once the program was renewed, those numbers were cancelled out.  This, of course, affects the bottom line.

Wondering which fields are moving forward, regardless of the economic picture?  Some jobs you’ll find on Hound.com are found in the medical field, especially nursing jobs and engineering is trending upwards in recent weeks.  Part time jobs are available, as well.  Even as some analysts say “there is little if any meaningful hiring throughout the economy”, there are jobs available.

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What is an Ultrasound Technician?

Ultrasound technicians are those who gain training in ultrasonography, which is the use of sound to create images.  The sound waves move in different speeds, thereby producing certain echoes or reverberations which can then be seen.  The use of ultrasonography has been expanded over the years to include many parts of the body.  While we’re most familiar with those ultrasounds taken during a woman’s pregnancy, the fact is, they can be used on nearly any part of the body.

An ultrasound technician, sometimes referred to as sonographers, uses very specialized equipment to gain those sound waves and record the findings.  They often work in such specialties as OBGYN and all things related to women’s health, echocardiography for those problems associated with the heart, neurosonology for one’s brain and opthamology for one’s vision and eye muscles. The EmploymentCrossing.com founder says this field continues to grow as ultrasound technicians begin to really hone in on those areas they wish to build their medical careers around.

Educational Requirements

Usually, a two year Associate’s degree from an accredited Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs School is required, a high school diploma and ideally, the best students will possess math and/or science skills as well.  Some states allow those already employed in the medical profession to opt for a one year certification course, but you’ll need to check with your state’s licensing board, says A. Harrison Barnes.

Advancement Opportunities

As with most specialties in the medical field, the opportunities for advancement are many and expansive.  It’s truly a very rewarding career.  Most agree that registering as a professional ultrasound technician through the American Registry for diagnostic Medical Sonography, or ARDMS, is vital.

Salaries

It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact salary range because of the many factors that go into these positions.  Your choice of specialty, the region of the country you live in and your level experience will all play a role in the kinds of salaries you’ll be offered.  That said, a general mid point is around $58,000 annually.

Clearly, the advantages to choosing this career option are many.  Frankly, the downsides are few, if any.  Many professionals agree they can’t imagine themselves doing anything else.  For more information on the job market for ultrasound technicians, be sure to visit A. Harrison Barnes’s family of employment sites, beginning with EmploymentCrossing.com.  Here you’ll be able to discover much more about the kinds of jobs that are being offered in this field.

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and attorney, says the automaker is now through its bankruptcy and has a revamped management foundation. It appears as though the industry giant has pulled through. The Detroit Auto Show held in January 2010 would substantiate that belief, too. At one point during the massive automobile show, Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler CEO, was quoted as saying, “I need bodies to make these cars”.

Looks like the other two-thirds of the Big 3 are attempting to stage a rebound, as well. Mark Reuss, Chevrolet spokesperson says its current employee numbers can’t uphold the demand for many of the Chevy models and the goal is to begin major hiring efforts again.  For now though, the company is focused on continuing to raise demand for the carmaker’s models. While Chevrolet is contemplating its options, Ford is celebrating its most recent award, the 2010 Car of the Year. Its Fusion Hybrid is wowing folks while the number crunchers are announcing firm plans to increase production by 58% this year.

So does this mean EmploymentCrossing.com will soon include job opportunities from the Detroit powerhouses? It’s certainly possible according to A. Harrison Barnes. “Our award winning sites attract employers of all sizes from around the globe, and certainly the big players in every American sector”. Hopefully, 2010 will be the year for rebounds in each of these sectors and will result in bringing employment numbers up to pre-recession levels.  Watch for an increase in engineer jobs, office jobs and blue-collar jobs. Our country was built on the efforts of the working man, so it stands to reason a rebuild follows that same concept. At any rate, Barnes is optimistic. “Recessions only feel like they last forever and while we’re still feeling the results, we’re also beginning to feel the lessening effects.”

In the meantime, the goal for many is to update their resumes and polish their interview skills .  This is another way EmploymentCrossing.com can help. Part of the site’s offerings includes an impressive group who provide resume assistance. With feedback from employers across the country, the service is able to fine tune resumes so that they contain exactly what employers look for while keeping unnecessary or dated information out. It’s an edge that works and proof is in the number of job offers as a result of these revised resumes. Its sister sites, Hound.com and LawCrossing.com, are also picking up momentum now that the holidays have passed and more of us are becoming tunnel-visioned in our employment efforts.

While Chrysler continues to open up engineer jobs, Ford continues with its award winning efforts and Chevrolet moves forward with its own plant re-openings and new hiring efforts, we all remain optimistic of this being a strong sign that not only the recession beginning to fade, but hopes of the job market’s long anticipated rebound as well.

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