Forecast: More hiring expected in Q2

The U.S. has added private sector jobs every month for the last six years, and the latest forecast from CareerBuilder shows this trend will continue in the second quarter.

One third of employers (34 percent) plan to add full-time, permanent employees over the next three months and 37 percent plan to hire temporary or contract workers, according to the forecast that is based on a national survey of employers.

At the same time, U.S. workers are looking for better job opportunities: 1 in 4 workers (25 percent) plan to change jobs this year.

"Overall, U.S. job growth has been consistent despite volatility in the stock market and weaker performances in global economies," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. "The vast majority of companies are either maintaining their headcount or adding new employees at various skill levels. This is promising news for college students approaching graduation and seasoned workers who want to re-enter the workforce or change jobs."

The national survey was conducted online on behalf of CareerBuilder by Harris Poll between Feb. 10 and March 17, 2016 and included a representative sample of more than 2,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals and more than 3,000 full-time employees across industries in the private sector.

Permanent Hiring in Q1 2016
Hiring in the first three months of 2016 outperformed the same period in 2015. Thirty-seven percent of employers hired full-time, permanent employees, up from 35 percent last year. The percentage of employers who decreased headcount (9 percent) is on par with last year. Fifty-three percent reported no change in their headcount while 1 percent said their company is undecided.

Permanent Hiring in Q2 2016
Looking ahead, 34 percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent staff in the second quarter, up from 32 percent last year. Seven percent expect to decrease staff, down slightly from 8 percent last year. Fifty-five percent anticipate no change while 5 percent are undecided.

Industries expected to match or exceed the national average for adding full-time, permanent headcount in the second quarter are:

• Health Care (50 or more employees) – 44 percent
• Financial Services – 42 percent
• Leisure & Hospitality – 41 percent
• Information Technology – 40 percent

Temporary Hiring
Temporary employment continues to be a popular option for companies. Thirty-seven percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers in the second quarter, on par with 2015. Thirty-three percent plan to transition some contract or temporary staff into permanent employees in the second quarter, up from 31 percent last year.   

Hiring By Company Size
While large organizations are adding staff at a faster rate, the increased confidence small- and medium-sized businesses have displayed in previous quarters is expected to carry over into Q2:

• 50 or fewer employees – 24 percent plan to increase the number of full-time, permanent staff in Q2, up from 23 percent last year; those reducing headcount remained at 4 percent
• 250 or fewer employees – 29 percent plan to increase the number of full-time, permanent staff in Q2, up from 27 percent last year; those reducing headcount remained at 6 percent
• More than 500 employees – 41 percent plan to increase the number of full-time, permanent staff in Q2, up from 38 percent last year; those reducing headcount decreased from 9 percent last year to 8 percent

Compensation
Companies may be feeling increased pressure to become more competitive with compensation. While 25 percent of employers anticipate no change in salary levels in the second quarter compared to the same period last year, 25 percent expect to boost salaries by at least 5 percent. Forty-four percent anticipate there will be an increase of 4 percent or less while 2 percent expect a decrease and 4 percent are undecided.

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,186 hiring and human resource managers and 3,031 employees ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between February 10 and March 17, 2016 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions).

Molly Crusen Bishop: The GAR Hall is a downtown historical gem

The Greenhut Memorial GAR Hall is located at 416 Hamilton Boulevard in Peoria. I attended Spalding High School in downtown Peoria in the late 1980s and spent my days walking to and fro across the two large buildings and center space.

Rain or shine or snow, I remember walking in my lovely plaid uniform, always rolled, and even sometimes stapled at the bottom, should the hem come out. It seems we walked back and forth all day long, and up and down so many flights of stairs. Stairs in the Academy, stairs in the Spalding side. We would run our miles during the nicer weather for gym class. We would run around the Scottish Rites Cathedral, beautiful old mansions, and back to school again. I was surrounded by both family history, and rich, deep local history.

Located directly across the street was the Cornerstone building, and then there was Saint Mary’s Cathedral a block’s walk down the other way. There was a historical building at the back of the cathedral called St. Mary’s Parish Hall, just bulldozed in January. 

I took the city bus home daily and would often miss one and have to wait a little bit for the next. I would walk around all of the old buildings around downtown. My mom, Joani Crusen, worked at the Courthouse so that was definitely on my walking path, as well.

I remember the fountain in Fulton Plaza and the strange drugstore that felt like it came straight out of a 1957 time warp and it didn’t quite realize that it didn’t really belong anymore. I remember sympathizing with the poor little drugstore. I even went inside a few times. It wasn’t wanted or needed anymore, but nobody had the heart to break the news to it.

The scent from the Illinois River was fresh daily, with the occasional shift of wind from some of the industrial plants located further up the way.

I also distinctly remember the building with the cannons in front with the beautiful stained-glass windows. Now fast forward a few decades and I have a brand new experience with the cannon building.

Someone finally got around to telling the drugstore the dreaded news and it, as well as the Fulton fountain, was replaced. Memories of the walks around the drugstore faded, and the memories of the Fulton Plaza became faded stories I would occasionally share with my children over the years.

I have always enjoyed history, but as I have grown older, I realize the strength and meaning behind it mean a lot more. Sometimes, though, if the bones are good and solid and strong, there are many ways to repurpose some of the old into something new to us again.  Reducing, reusing, and recycling are one of the best lessons from the past we could all use a little more of, in my opinion.

I am very happy indeed that a kind and very smart man named Les Kenyon, a local architect, was of that particular mindset, for he saved the building with the cannons from being turned into a parking lot in the 1970s. The Central Illinois Landmarks Foundation was formed to secure the saving of the hall, and it became an organization that helps save and recognize and mark other historic buildings in the region. It is a non-profit organization “dedicated to preserving historic and cultural landmarks that give Central Illinois its unique character.”  Now that I am an adult, I have that mindset as well. What is made strong and solid and unique, should be kept strong and solid and unique, and incorporated into modern uses today whenever possible.

The building with the cannons in front with the stained glass windows has a whole new life to me. The Greenhut Memorial Grand Army of the Republic Hall is the proper title for the building I knew as a teen roaming around Spalding waiting for the bus as the cannon building with the stained glass windows.  Here is my introduction to the Peoria’s grand historic hall at 416 Hamilton Boulevard.

I approached the building not knowing what to expect inside. I walked in the green double-doors and saw a beautiful wooden staircase. I peered back over my shoulder and looked up into the beautiful rays of light and color overhead. The stained glass at the top of the entryway is nothing short of breathtaking. I had noticed the words Greenhut Memorial at the top of the outside of the building, but I held onto my inquiry for a while as I was shown some amazing things of both local and national historic importance throughout the building. 

The top of the staircase holds a sculpture done by the famed Frederick Triebel, who also did the Soldiers and Sailors Monument outside of the Peoria County Courthouse. I looked up to the wall on my left and saw a portrait of a nice looking man with the most spectacular mustache I had ever seen. Over to my right and up the wall I saw his equally lovely wife. Joseph Benedict Greenhut and Clara Wolfner Greenhut, benefactors of the Greenhut Memorial GAR Hall, dedicated their time and money in Peoria, Illinois, in 1909, to a building dedicated to the veterans of the Civil War. He served in the 12^th Illinois infantry, and later the 82^nd Illinois infantry.

Colonel Joseph Greenhut fought in many famous battles, including the Battles of Gettysburg and Chattanooga, and he served with honor and distinction. He was born in Austria and came to America with his parents when he was a boy. He and Clara lived in Peoria, and built one of the largest and finest homes in all of Peoria. Their home will be featured in this series on the Greenhut Memorial GAR Hall.  Joseph formed the Great Western Distillery and became one of the most successful and wealthiest men in the United States.

I am fortunate now to get to share in my passion for history, especially the Civil War, and for Peoria by being the new rental manager for this beautiful hall in downtown Peoria. I am happy every time I walk into the building and I get to take others on tours and share the rich history I only recently learned about the hall.

We are available for weddings, receptions, banquets, luncheons, lectures, music, art, and anytime there is a need for our venue. It is handicapped accessible and has many updated features that work well, blending the beautiful wood and stained glass of old. 

We participate with the C.I.A.O. and host the spectacular First Fridays held throughout Peoria on the first Friday of every month, celebrating Peoria’s local artists and musicians. This Friday, April 1, we are open 5 to 9 p.m. and will host artists, authors and photographers. Entertainment will include acoustic musicians Chase Sieting of Through The I, Shannon Moore Shepherd and Sophia Lair.

Please email me at garhallrental@gmail.com or call 857-6844 to set up your tour to discover part of our city’s history. Once we know and love our history, it is difficult not to be its steward.

There are many historical and special buildings still left downtown that need new life. Let’s keep their unique qualities and build from their strength from the past, and revitalize them into something even better!  

Report: Millennials not as fickle or anti-establishment as you think

 J.D. Power on Thursday released the first-ever Millennials Insight Report: The Customer Experience Perspective,^SM   defining the quintessential makeup and customer experience preferences of Millennials—those born between 1982 and 1994—to help companies understand, predict and satisfy the future wants and needs of one of the largest, most unique and ethnically diverse generations in U.S. history.

Considered the most comprehensive report on Millennials to date, the inaugural report is based on in-depth proprietary benchmark research, analyses and insights gleaned from more than 600,000 consumer responses (126,315 from Millennial consumers) and interviews with verified customers derived from nearly two dozen J.D. Power syndicated studies conducted in 2015 in the United States.

"So much has been written about Millennials, yet much of the information provided is just one very small slice of their total makeup and is often limited to just one industry," said Jay Meyers, Ph.D., vice president, analytical center of excellence division at J.D. Power. "The Millennials Insight Report is a one-of-a-kind analysis providing a 360 degree perspective and showing that the Millennial generation is a heterogeneous group that is simultaneously very different from and—in some ways—very similar to other generations of U.S. consumers. For businesses catering to this generation, the insights uncovered in our report provide a starting point for understanding the nuanced approach required to build real, lasting engagement." 

The full report contains a wide range of data points and analyses that capture Millennials' Voice of the Customer experience, covering such business segments as automotive, banking, credit card, hotel, wireless, investments, primary mortgage and health insurance, as well as Internet and media usage. 

Following is a sampling of the report's highlights:

• Millennials Are Not as Fickle or Anti-Establishment as You Think: Overall, across the 15 industries studied, Millennials are generally more satisfied consumers (5 points higher, on average, on a 1,000-point scale) than Boomers (born 1946-1964). The difference is most prominent in the utilities (+37 points), healthcare (+28) and telecom (+13) industries.
• Customer Service Is CRITICAL to Millennial Loyalty: Millennials have the lowest tolerance for errors and delays of any other generation studied—they simply expect things to work. However, when there is a problem and it is resolved fully, Millennials are substantially more likely than Boomers to reuse a product or service.
• Value for Money Is King: The secret to Millennial satisfaction? It's value for money. Unlike other generations that tend to buy things for status, image or brand loyalty, Millennials are most likely to make a purchase decision based on value for money—across virtually every product category.
• Privacy—What's in it for Me? Millennials are less concerned than other generations about privacy. They accept the erosion of privacy as inevitable and are generally willing to have their information collected if it comes with benefits in the form of targeted offers and personalized services.
• Optimism Abounds: Despite having lower accumulated wealth, less income and higher debt than other generations, Millennials are much more optimistic about the economy and their own personal financial outlook.

"Our studies indicate that Millennials are different from previous generations; however, it's really the nuances of the customer experience that set them apart from the rest," said Keith Webster, senior vice president and general manager, service industries Americas at J.D. Power. "And it's those nuances that are so critical for business leaders to know right now as they wrestle with the challenge of anticipating customer demand in an incredibly fast-moving marketplace where getting it wrong can have catastrophic effects. We believe this research helps to demystify the Millennial generation by offering concrete data on their real-world consumer interactions."

By digging deeper than ever before into the Millennial customer experience, the Millennials Insight Report delivers a detailed look into the hearts and minds of this chronically misunderstood generation. For companies that want their brand promises to resonate with Millennials, understanding the subtleties and nuances that both differentiate and connect this generation with others—as well as providing products and services that cater to their individual requirements—is essential.

 J.D. Power today released the first-ever Millennials Insight Report: The Customer Experience Perspective,SM   defining the quintessential makeup and customer experience preferences of Millennials—those born between 1982 and 1994—to help companies understand, predict and satisfy the future wants and needs of one of the largest, most unique and ethnically diverse generations in U.S. history.

Considered the most comprehensive report on Millennials to date, the inaugural report is based on in-depth proprietary benchmark research, analyses and insights gleaned from more than 600,000 consumer responses (126,315 from Millennial consumers) and interviews with verified customers derived from nearly two dozen J.D. Power syndicated studies conducted in 2015 in the United States.

"So much has been written about Millennials, yet much of the information provided is just one very small slice of their total makeup and is often limited to just one industry," said Jay Meyers, Ph.D., vice president, analytical center of excellence division at J.D. Power. "The Millennials Insight Report is a one-of-a-kind analysis providing a 360 degree perspective and showing that the Millennial generation is a heterogeneous group that is simultaneously very different from and—in some ways—very similar to other generations of U.S. consumers. For businesses catering to this generation, the insights uncovered in our report provide a starting point for understanding the nuanced approach required to build real, lasting engagement." 

The full report contains a wide range of data points and analyses that capture Millennials' Voice of the Customer experience, covering such business segments as automotive, banking, credit card, hotel, wireless, investments, primary mortgage and health insurance, as well as Internet and media usage. 

Following is a sampling of the report's highlights:

• Millennials Are Not as Fickle or Anti-Establishment as You Think: Overall, across the 15 industries studied, Millennials are generally more satisfied consumers (5 points higher, on average, on a 1,000-point scale) than Boomers (born 1946-1964). The difference is most prominent in the utilities (+37 points), healthcare (+28) and telecom (+13) industries.
• Customer Service Is CRITICAL to Millennial Loyalty: Millennials have the lowest tolerance for errors and delays of any other generation studied—they simply expect things to work. However, when there is a problem and it is resolved fully, Millennials are substantially more likely than Boomers to reuse a product or service.
• Value for Money Is King: The secret to Millennial satisfaction? It's value for money. Unlike other generations that tend to buy things for status, image or brand loyalty, Millennials are most likely to make a purchase decision based on value for money—across virtually every product category.
• Privacy—What's in it for Me? Millennials are less concerned than other generations about privacy. They accept the erosion of privacy as inevitable and are generally willing to have their information collected if it comes with benefits in the form of targeted offers and personalized services.
• Optimism Abounds: Despite having lower accumulated wealth, less income and higher debt than other generations, Millennials are much more optimistic about the economy and their own personal financial outlook.

"Our studies indicate that Millennials are different from previous generations; however, it's really the nuances of the customer experience that set them apart from the rest," said Keith Webster, senior vice president and general manager, service industries Americas at J.D. Power. "And it's those nuances that are so critical for business leaders to know right now as they wrestle with the challenge of anticipating customer demand in an incredibly fast-moving marketplace where getting it wrong can have catastrophic effects. We believe this research helps to demystify the Millennial generation by offering concrete data on their real-world consumer interactions."

By digging deeper than ever before into the Millennial customer experience, the Millennials Insight Report delivers a detailed look into the hearts and minds of this chronically misunderstood generation. For companies that want their brand promises to resonate with Millennials, understanding the subtleties and nuances that both differentiate and connect this generation with others—as well as providing products and services that cater to their individual requirements—is essential.

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U.S. Population Aging Slower than Other Countries, Census Bureau Reports

America's 65-and-over population is projected to nearly double over the next three decades, ballooning from 48 million to 88 million by 2050. However, the U.S. Census Bureau projects the U.S. population will age at a slower rate compared with other countries.

Worldwide, the 65-and-over population will more than double to 1.6 billion by 2050, according to An Aging World: 2015. This new report from the Census Bureau examines the continuing global aging trend and projected growth of the population age 65 and over, with an emphasis on the differences among world regions.

In 2015, 14.9 percent of the U.S. population was 65 or over.

"The United States was the 48th oldest country out of 228 countries and areas in the world in 2015," said Wan He, a demographer on population aging research at the Census Bureau. "Baby boomers began reaching age 65 in 2011 and by 2050 the older share of the U.S. population will increase to 22.1 percent. However, the U.S. will fall to 85th because of the more rapid pace of aging in many Asian and Latin American countries."

Japan is the current oldest country in the world and will retain that position in 2050.

"However, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan are projected to overtake Germany, Italy and Greece for second, third and fourth place by 2050," He said.

Some countries, including China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Colombia and Cuba, will experience a quadrupling of their oldest-old population, those 80 and over, from 2015 to 2050.

While Europe is still the oldest region today and is projected to remain so by 2050, aging in Asia and Latin America has accelerated in recent decades. Asia is also notable for leading the world in the size of the older population with 341 million people 65 and older. On the other hand, Africa remained young in 2015, where only 3.5 percent of the total population was 65 and over.

Other highlights:

Employment

• Labor force participation among the older population continues to rise in many developed countries, yet remains highest in low-income countries.
• The last recession had a major impact on unemployment rates and financial assets among many older people in more developed countries. However, the trend of rising labor force participation rates among the population age 60 and older in these countries was not halted.

Retirement

• Eligible ages to receive pension benefits vary widely across countries, yet tend to lump at particular ages, such as 60 and 65.
• A number of European countries and the United States are gradually increasing their age eligible to receive a full public pension to 67.
• More than 90 percent of the older population receives a pension in more developed countries, such asJapan, the United States, Australia and Italy.
• In contrast, public pensions cover less than a third of the older population in China and a 10th of those inIndia, the two countries with a total population of more than a billion each.
• Public pensions can drastically lower poverty rates for the older population. In Latin America andCaribbean countries, for instance, the average poverty rate of those receiving a pension is 5.3 percent, one-fifth of the average poverty rate of those not receiving pensions (25.8 percent).

Life expectancy and health

• Global life expectancy at birth was 68.6 years in 2015 and is projected to rise to 76.2 years in 2050.
• The population age 80 and over has been growing faster than the population of people between ages 65 and 79 because of increasing life expectancy at older ages.
• Among the older population worldwide, noncommunicable diseases are the main health concern. In low-income countries, many in Africa, the older population faces a considerable burden from both noncommunicable and communicable diseases.
• Risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, insufficient consumption of vegetables and fruit, and low levels of physical activity, directly or indirectly contribute to the global burden of disease. Changes in risk factors have been observed, such as a decline in tobacco use in some high-income countries, with the majority of smokers worldwide now living in low- and middle-income countries.
• Increasing obesity, in addition to being underweight, has been associated with increased mortality at older ages.

Fertility

• Declining fertility levels have been the main propeller for population aging, although rates of fertility decline vary by region and country.
• Currently, the global fertility rate is near or below the 2.1 replacement level in all world regions exceptAfrica.

Long-Term Care

• Unpaid caregiving by family members and friends remains the main source of long-term care for older people worldwide.
• Informal care may substitute for formal long-term care in some circumstances in Europe, particularly when low levels of unskilled care are needed.

The report contains statistics from the Census Bureau's International Data Base and other data sources, such as Census Bureau population projections, World Bank, International Labour Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. It looks at health and economic characteristics of the older population throughout the world in addition to its growth and demographic dynamics.

This is the fifth edition in the An Aging World series by the Census Bureau, the first published in 1987. All five editions were commissioned and supported by the Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging.