Let's get to work.

var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-35016650-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

[letsgettowork]

Microsoft made headlines recently with the release of their report on securing economic competitiveness by upgrading our workforce. Within it, they noted that they have more than 6,000 jobs currently unfilled in the United States because they are unable to find applicants with the qualifications needed for the positions.

(Huffington Post)

Cheryl Oldham of Huffington Post highlights a recent report from Microsoft that there are thousands of unfilled domestic jobs. Read more here.

[letsgettowork]

There’s a shortage of skills, top executives say, and employer demand outpaces the labor supply. With a U.S. unemployment rate that’s hovering at 8%, the trend is both puzzling and troubling — people need work, but jobs are going unfilled.

(Forbes)

Ritika Puri of Forbes writes about how alternative education can help bridge the skills gap. Read more here.

[letsgettowork]

The nation's economy and job-creating engine will start to purr later this year as business activity picks up — more than offsetting federal government cutbacks, predict economists surveyed by USA TODAY.

(USA Today)

Paul Davidson and Barbara Hansen of USA Today look at the economic forecast for 2013. Read more here. 

[letsgettowork]

What if I were to tell you that you could learn more about how to solve the skills gap from a dating site than from a quantitative international study?

(GOOD)

GOOD looks at how design thinking can help solve the skills gap. Read more here. 

[letsgettowork]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday that the U.S. economy added 157,000 jobs in January. Economists polled by Reuters were expecting an increase of 160,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 7.9% in January from 7.8% at the end of 2012.

(Yahoo Finance)

Stacy Curtin of Yahoo Finance looks at projected employment opportunities in 2013. Read more here. 

[letsgettowork]

For this first quarter of the year, the net difference between hiring expectations amounted to +3.9%, a 19% drop compared to Q4 2012. Additionally, the net difference in hours worked equals -0.1%, which represents a drop of 12.4% over last quarter.

(Advisor)

Advisor looks at hiring projections for the first quarter of 2013. Read more here.  

[letsgettowork]

Gallup and the Lumina Foundation collaborated to poll Americans’ sentiments on higher education issues. There was near consensus on the importance of obtaining post-high school credentials. However, the poll revealed more about why people seek higher degrees, what restricts people from pursuing higher education, and how they feel about redesigning higher education systems.

(IVN)

Michael Higham of IVN recaps a recent Gallup and Lumina Foundation poll of Americans' sentiments on higher education issues. Read more here.

[letsgettowork]

Prognosticators worry that skyrocketing tuition and technology-driven innovations will soon lead to the collapse of the American university. They're wrong

(The Week)

Damon Linker with The Week examines rising costs of higher education and online alternatives. Read more here. 

[letsgettowork]

Lately, we’ve been getting some genuinely encouraging news on the jobs front. For the past two weeks, the number of initial unemployment claims has been plummeting. A lot. Does that mean the U.S. labor market is rapidly improving? Or is it all just a statistical fluke?

(The Washington Post)

Brad Plumer of The Washington Post examines the current job market. Read more here.

[letsgettowork]

Employers are laying off fewer workers, a trend that normally suggests hiring is picking up.

(Dispatch)

Christopher S. Rugaber of Associated Press writes about the unemployment rate, and reports that it is at a 5 year low. 

[letsgettowork]

Job hunters who pepper their resume with descriptions like "highly qualified" and "self-starter" might want to reconsider that approach, new research shows.

(Business News Daily)

Chad Brooks of Business News Daily lists a number of overused job skills one should leave off their resume - and what should be included instead. Read more here.  

[letsgettowork]

While the majority of Americans continue to believe it is a "bad time to find a quality job," the 25% saying it is a "good time" is the highest Gallup has measured since March 2008.

(Gallup)

Jeffrey M. Jones of Gallup covers a recent survey that suggests America's tough job market is showing improvement. Read more here.

[letsgettowork]

Business graduates of the class of 2012 did better than their seniors from the previous year. Those earning their graduate degrees in business and management last year faced a receptive job market, as 92% of 2012 graduates surveyed by the Graduate Management Admission Council were employed three months after graduation. That was 6 percentage points higher than class of 2011 graduates who were surveyed at the same time a year ago in GMAC's Alumni Perspectives Survey

(The Times of India)

Hemali Chhapia of The Times of India looks back on the class of 2012 (specifically business graduates), and the improvement in employment opportunities. Read more here. 

[letsgettowork]

The best way to combat the skills gap is through skills development. By carefully researching your options, you can make the choices that will result in higher satisfaction for individuals, increased effectiveness for teams and, most importantly, significant productivity gains for your organisation.

(CEO Online)

Daniel Stamp of CEO Online identifies four steps in bridging the skills gap. Read more here.

[letsgettowork]

In some cases, the events of 2012 will help shape our 2013. In others, new and emerging ideas and innovations will finally make their mark on a large scale. Here are five trends to look for in 2013.

(Scientific Learning)

Scott Sterling of Scientific Learning looks at 5 trends to look for in education in 2013. Read more here. 

[letsgettowork]

Sen. Marco Rubio delivered a short speech about education on Wednesday, discussing the need to modernize education for a new century and ensure that students receive the skills necessary to succeed in the changing job market.

(Business Insider)

Alexis Levinson of The Daily Caller highlights Senator Marco Rubio's education reform speech. Read more here. 

[letsgettowork]

The most recent statistics released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that as of December 2012 (the most recent month to be analyzed), Florida's unemployment rate hit 8 percent. This was a big jump compared with December 2011's data, which show the unemployment rate at 9.9 percent.

(U.S. News)

DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN of U.S. News highlights a survey which reveals job prospects for business school graduates are as good as they've been since 2003. Read more here.