Pervasive Job Cuts Now Affecting Government Jobs; GovernmentCrossing Doubles Its Job-Research Efforts

August 13, 2008   |    PDF version

Pasadena, CA — The current slowdown in the job market has now affected government jobs, too. With states such as California, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont considering buyouts or layoffs of state workers, government jobs are definitely seeing a downturn. Fortunately, GovernmentCrossing (www.governmentcrossing.com), a job-research service catering exclusively to government job seekers, has massively enhanced its efforts to locate every government job opening.

''GovernmentCrossing added over 9,000 jobs in the first week of August,'' says Harrison Barnes, CEO of GovernmentCrossing.

The persistent weakness in the national economy has put pressure on governments' budgets, forcing them to consider layoffs. California, for example, recently announced 22,000 job cuts in its part-time and temporary workforce. Additionally, the state plans to cut the salaries of 200,000 other employees. Minnesota, meanwhile, has followed suit in cutting jobs in the government sector, with the city of Duluth's mayor announcing 217 layoffs of city employees. At the same time, the state of New York has put a freeze on hiring. A report from US News and World Report notes that the spending of state and local governments has been rising, putting the finances of many near a crisis stage.

''The current economy has had a domino effect on the government job market. The job cuts are mainly due to the deficits in state tax revenues owing to declining sales taxes. As consumers continue being distraught and lower their spending, states and municipalities face layoffs and other cost cutting,'' adds Barnes.

''It's surprising to see job cuts here because the government is considered one of the most recession-proof job segments. Even during a slump, generally, the government puts on a hiring freeze rather than laying people off.''

Luckily, GovernmentCrossing is poised to support the weakening government job market and has expanded its research horizons to meet the needs of government job seekers. The website currently lists 23,000-plus government jobs in its database. These jobs have been collected from more than 8,000 job boards and 250,000 employer websites. ''We aim to add more jobs from all possible sources, including all the hidden jobs,'' adds Barnes.

In the month of July, the job titles that have received the most searches on GovernmentCrossing have been:

• Technician jobs (1,572)
• Engineer jobs (1,301)
• Assistant jobs (1,712)
• Analyst jobs (1,207)
• Government officer jobs (1,089)
• Government coordinator jobs (316)
• Legal jobs (280)
• Consumer safety inspector jobs (211)

Unlike other job-search and career sites, GovernmentCrossing weeds out spam and jobs outside one's niche, allowing job seekers to search efficiently and specifically. GovernmentCrossing also allows employers/recruiters to post jobs for free on the site. For more information on GovernmentCrossing, please visit www.governmentcrossing.com.

Contact:
Mary Waldron, Editorial Coordinator
GovernmentCrossing
626-243-1821
maryw@employmentcrossing.com

About GovernmentCrossing
GovernmentCrossing is an affiliate of EmploymentCrossing, a powerful and comprehensive organization dedicated to helping professionals find jobs that will enhance their careers. GovernmentCrossing consolidates every government job opening it can find in one convenient location. The website also offers a seven-day free trial to new members.