Sacramento unemployment still hovers around 10 percent in early 2013, although that's a big improvement from a few years ago. Even for the ninety percent who are employed, the annoying fact about economics is that most people's wages have been stagnant while cost of living keeps going up. That's why many people find themselves juggling more than one job just to pay bills. I decided to try to help the situation by creating career development pages for my site SacTV.com. These career pages can be found by clicking "business" from the home page. So far I've researched a handful of industries such as architecture, aviation, construction, cosmetology, finance, insurance, jewelry, law, medical a

Sacramento's job growth dipped again, but remained in positive territory above the national average. Annual job growth in the six-county Sacramento Region dropped slightly in October 2012. According to preliminary data, the region posted 1.7 percent job growth for the 12-month period ending October 2012, adding 13,900 jobs to payrolls.  This rate of growth was between the statewide and national averages and well above the negative job growth seen at the same point in the previous year. Sacramento’s October job growth marked the seventh straight month in positive territory following 53 months of annual losses. Three of the region’s five largest sectors posted positive job growth includin

It may not be time to stock up on Twinkies after all. The judge overseeing Hostess' Bankruptcy Court hearing Monday, Nov. 19, urged the 81-year-old company and its largest union, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, to enter into mediation. "My desire to do this is prompted primarily by the potential loss of over 18,000 jobs as well as my belief that there is a possibility to resolve this matter," Judge Robert Drain said, according to a report in Reuters.   According to the Sacramento Business Journal, Hostess employees more than 300 workers in the region, most of whom work at the large factory and store on Arden Way.  More on this story fro

Q. I am applying for a position at a big company and they will be performing a background check on me. They asked for my social security number and I had to sign waivers about consumer investigative reports, etc. I thought that a new law was passed in California this year that made it so employers could not pull credit reports or use this against a candidate as a hiring decision. I won't be dealing with money and, while I will have access to the company's email database, I will not be handling money or have access to social security numbers. Is this illegal? A. The economic recession of the last few years, and the resulting damage to credit scores, has led many lawmakers to consider wheth

“Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive!” This is Vice President Joe Biden and the Obama administration’s answer to the question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Considering the anemic job growth numbers released the day after the Democratic National Convention, they’re going to have to come up with a better slogan than that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pleased that Osama bin Laden is dead. Well, not exactly pleased, I wish they’d brought him in alive for interrogation and trial. I’m overjoyed that the auto bailout saved up to a million auto industry jobs, from assembly line workers to parts suppliers. But my own situation? I’m not too excited about that. I

With lenders tightening credit and the housing market still in flux, renters and homeowners are finding it hard to find an affordable place to live. Because funding is at all-time lows, nonprofit developers of multi-family and for-sale housing are looking for new ways to finance communities for people of modest means. Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association is no exception. The recent introduction of California bills like the HOMeS Act (Senate Bill 1220) could help. Introduced by Mark DeSaulnier (C-Concord) and Senate President pro tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) as well as co-author Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) on the Assembly side, the bill would generate an estimated $700 million

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Jessy Wei shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.  She is the last in a series of VISTAs to share their story this week. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works". As a current VISTA at the Sacramento Food Bank & Fam

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Lamara Burgess shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at Folsom Cordova Unified School District's Parent Engagement Project. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works". Born and raised in Bronx, New York, I was exposed to many inequalities within my neighborh

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Jamie Ports shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at UC Davis Communities and Health Practitioners Together. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works". Prior to my AmeriCorps service, I was working as a Peace Corps Health Volunteer in Malawi, Africa from 20

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year. We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities. I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies. Below Courtney Jallo shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works".   My name is Courtney; I am a twenty-something female VISTA working at Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. Fuele

AmeriCorps Week is March 10th-18th this year.  We honor the hard work of service Corps members in our communities.  I asked local AmeriCorps Volunteers in Services to America (VISTA) members to write about their experience doing a year of service building capacity and fighting poverty at local non-profit agencies.  Below Deborah Elliot shares her story of service as AmeriCorps VISTA at The GreenHouse. For more information about AmeriCorp programs go to http://www.americorps.gov  or check out my SacPress article from March 9th titled "AmeriCorps Works".   Deborah's Story: I am a middle child of seven children. Because I grew up in a large family, I didn’t grow up with a lot of things. We

While decision-makers can’t seem to agree on how to improve the economy and tackle the country’s toughest challenges, one thing even Congress can agree on is the value of service in strengthening communities. This year, during AmeriCorps Week, March 10-18th, we honor the service of AmeriCorps members and alumni in our communities. What is AmeriCorps anyway? It can be difficult to explain. Most people are content with the explanation that it’s the “domestic version of the Peace Corps”, but that doesn’t scratch the surface of the diversity of projects AmeriCorps Nation Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), and State and National members tackle during the

The City Council approved a plan Tuesday for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the city and making planet-conscious choices in land use, transportation and waste reduction. The Climate Action Plan is designed to satisfy the requirements of AB 32, which the California Legislature adopted in 2008, calling for local governments to reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions to at least 15 percent below then-current levels by the year 2020. According to the plan summary, in 2005 Sacramento emitted more than 4.1 million metric tons of greenhouse gases – an amount equal to the emissions produced by driving around the earth almost 412,000 times. The single largest source of emissions cam

The Sacramento Press is seeking a dynamic editor-in-chief to oversee the day-to-day operations of the newsroom. This position will play a key role in expanding the presence and reach of The Sacramento Press into the surrounding media market. We’re looking for someone who is ambitious, confident in their ability to learn quickly, and focused on creating compelling content for the local communities. Excellent writing and reporting skills and good editorial judgment are essential. The ideal candidate will bring lots of ideas for new ways to present stories online, through text, photos, or videos. Experience in using a content management system is a plus, as is experience in podcasts, editi

Local job search engine Sacjobs.com is expanding despite the economy and job sites such as Craigslist and Monster, and it launched Sackjobs.com Jan. 2, with plans to expand nationally. “We’ve got about 1,200 local listings right now, and then our next step is to focus on the Bay Area and Southern California, so we’re going to take our thrust from Sacramento and hopefully by next year take over the West Coast,” said Sackjobs.com owner Ian Coltoff, a 40-year-old Sacramentan. The site launched in 1999 as Sacjobs.com as an homage to Sacramento, and Coulter said he added the K to appeal to a national audience, with the tagline “Your next career choice is in the bag.” And to be clear – typing

If you’re a highly motivated individual who enjoys working with people in an energized retail environment, consider becoming part of the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries team!  With a new showroom opening soon in West Sacramento, the local owners are hosting a Career Fair on Wednesday, January 11 and again on Saturday, January 14 in an effort to hire up to 10 full-time retail sales consultants who will start training in mid-January.  Interested applicants should bring a current resume, be prepared to fill out a job application and be ready for on-the-spot interviews at the Career Fair.  While experience in sales is not necessary, applicants must be enthusiastic, willing to work evenings, we

Mayor Kevin Johnson announced Tuesday that with the NBA lockout over – and the Sacramento Kings resuming their season – more than 700 workers at the Power Balance Pavilion will be able to return to their jobs. “We are excited. With the lockout ended you will see people returning to work,” Johnson said. Since the lockout began, Power Balance Pavilion employees have lost a significant amount of work, and businesses that rely on the traffic that NBA games bring in have suffered financially. With the four-plus month lockout and all pre-season games cancelled and a shortened season ahead, employees have missed out on a substantial amount of work. On Del Paso Boulevard, businesses have repor

SACRAMENTO, CA - Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) held a press conference announcing that the Sacramento Employment & Training Agency (SETA) is receiving $300,000 in federal funding to support SETA's On-The-Job Training Program. The event was held at the Beutler Corporation, located at McClellan Park, one of the several Sacramento companies that will be able to hire workers as a result of this grant. Congresswoman Matsui was joined by California Energy Commissioner Karen Douglas, SETA Executive Director Kathy Kossick, and Beutler Corporation President Rick Wylie to make the announcement, followed by a tour of Beutler's manufacturing plant. “I am excited to announce the all

Businesses are a vital element of any city’s economy; they create jobs, enhance commerce and give people places to spend their hard-earned money. Sacramento still has plenty of room for new shops and industries, and the Sacramento Press asked locals what type of business they would like to see open here. “We’re missing a lot,” said waitress Giuliana Gabrielli, who said that she believes the most important thing to bring to Sacramento is a better transit system.  “Every major city that’s cool has really good public transportation," she said. She added that if we revamped our transit system, “it would definitely make travelling within the city easier.” Jacqui Hayes, a 26-year-old studen

Did you know that 57 percent of California voters want a third party alternative?  While the idea may seem pie-in-the-sky, it's not.  Just like the dot-com and housing bubbles that suddenly popped without warning, it can be difficult to grasp where we are at our current point in history. I'm here to tell you that there's a revolution coming, but it's not going to be of the Arab Spring sort.  Instead, it's going to come from people like you who decide that even though they have a viewpoint, collaboration is better than competition.  Our political system - whether in Congress or the State Capitol - has simply lost the capacity to solve problems.  And it's no coincidence that it seems like t