While the jobless rate fell unexpectedly to 9.7% in January, there’s still a long way to go before the job climate stabilizes. According to Reuters, the number of “discouraged job seekers” is now in the millions up drastically from just over 700,000 this time last year. And since the beginning of the current recession, 8.4 million jobs have been lost.

                It’s clear that we’re not out of the woods yet, but there are signs indicating that we are headed in the right direction. One clear sign is the increase in temporary workers which is often the first step toward an increase of permanent staff. Many companies hire temporary employees while gauging the steadiness of demand. It is quite common for an increase in temporary workers to be followed by an increase in permanent employees.

                Other positive trends include a decrease in the level of underplayed. And data from the commerce department indicated that during the fourth quarter the economy saw its biggest growth in six years.

Government jobs are highly sought after positions particularly with our current economic climate. The number of positions in a wide variety of fields is steadily increasing while much of the private sector is seeing cutbacks. And as countless news articles are being written about the growing interest in government employment, we here at the Government Job Advice blog realized that few sources are lending themselves to answer the questions that many job seekers still have with regards to aquiring government work. Our solution is a series known as "Ask an Expert" where we find answers to your questions directly from those with years of experience in government employment. If you have a question you'd like answered, please submit it on our Contact page.

Are Government Support Jobs the same as Contracting Jobs?

Are Government Support Jobs the same as Contracting Jobs? from GSJMedia on Vimeo.

More than 270,000 mission critical jobs to be added by 2012

A study released September 3, 2009 by the Partnership for Public Service indicates that there will soon be a considerable increase in new government positions. The study attributes the coming increase to a variety of factors including stimulus spending, regular turnovers, and increased demand in expanding areas such as homeland security. It is estimated that the government will hire 273,000 new employees for positions deemed “mission critical” by the fall of 2012.

Medical jobs are at the top of the list with regards to number of positions needing to be filled at 54,000 over the next three years. Overall, however, there seem to be numerous openings across the board spanning from paralegals to biological science experts, border patrol agents to engineers, IT experts to accountants. This is good news for those in search of work as the unemployment rate has reached 9.7% which constitutes a 26 year high. Additional good news includes offers of loan repayment of up to $10,000 per year (totaling $60,000 in exchange for a minimum of three years of service), recruitment bonuses, and relocation incentives. And with 85% of federal positions located beyond Washington, D.C., there are numerous opportunities in diverse locations spanning the world.

The Partnership for Public Service is a Washington, D.C.- based group founded in 2001 by Samuel J. Heyman. According to the Partnership for Public Service website, the group was formed “in an effort to restore prestige to government service and reestablish the federal government as an attractive employer for America’s best and brightest...” They have been responsible for numerous studies regarding the federal government's workforce.

More information can be found by visiting the following sites:

http://www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/about/history.shtml

http://www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/pressroom/releases/release_090903_wtja.shtml

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

As the economy starts to feel the effects of the stimulus package and programs like Cash for Clunkers, everyday citizens continue to keep their eye on the job market. And while the private sector continues to reel from job loss (A staggering 6.9 million jobs have been lost since the beginning of the recession), Government jobs continue to increase. In fact, according to a report by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, since December 2007, there have been an additional 110,000 local and state government positions. Based on the report, there seems to be no substantial correlation between the prosperity of the private sector and that of the government run public sector. It's important to note that this trend is fairly typical of a recession. During times such as these, demand for services provided by the government increases. The Federal Stimulus has also been a big factor in the increase in government positions.

To read more about the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government's findings, the report, released August 20^th, can be found here.

Recently, the topic of government insourcing has been an item of keen interest among those who work in the Government and as government contractor employees. Most thoughtful people agree that certain types of positions should be filled soley by government employees. However, no one seems to have a clear answer as to exactly which positions and how many. Some interested parties, such as the Federal Acquisition Innovation and Reform Institute (FAIR) urge the Government to use restraint when making insourcing decisions. You can read FAIR's position paper by here. In an article in Washington Technology, Stan Soloway, President and CEO of the Professional Services Council (an association of government services contractors) suggests that "insourcing creates unease, especially in the Defense Department, where weak guidance has produced a sense of confusion." Mr. Soloway makes the case that "detailed guidance and discipline" is required to make an orderly insourcing program that best serves the publics' interests.

I agree that the Government should approach insourcing in a thoughtful and disclipined manner, without distrupting the award and operation of the numerous services contracts that are essential to many government programs. Nonetheless, the insourcing initiatives are creating many opportunities for those individuals who have the required skills and experience, specifically in acquisition management and support. For example, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast is using the Expedited Hiring Authority for Acquisition Positions, in accordance with Subsection 1705(h) of Title 10, U.S.C, as amended by section 833 of the 2009 NDAA to fill vacancies in contracting, facilities engineering, and information technology. For information on how to apply for these positions, visit the NAVFAC Southeast website.

Have you ever wondered how to get a government job? If so, you're not alone. It's a question many ask, but few seem to answer clearly. In this inagural edition of "Ask an Expert," we hope to change that.

Enjoy the first in a series of questions posed to Jerry Pfeiffer, CEO of GovernmentSupportJobs.com

How Can You Get A Government Support Job? from GSJMedia on Vimeo.

Who is Jerry Pfeiffer?

Well, In addition to being CEO of GovernmentSupportJobs.com, Jerry has over 23 years experience supporting the Federal Government in both contractor and active duty military roles. Prior to co-founding GSJ, Jerry founded and served as President of Xator Corporation, a successful provider of engineering, operations and maintenance, and security services to the Department of Defense. He served as Vice President of Business Development for Serco Group North America; Director of Business Development for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems; and held a variety of technical, management and business development assignments for Veridian Corporation. He has also consulted for a variety of large government services contractors. Jerry began his career as an officer in the U.S. Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Science degree in Management from Troy State University. Jerry brings a proven track record in starting and growing a government services business, recruiting personnel, and managing programs. His recruiting experience spans from recruiting entry level workers to key personnel and company executives. And he blogs regularly to share his knowledge and experience with others.

Do you have a question that has not yet been answered? Submit it to us on our "Contact" page. We look forward to answering your questions!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the private sector job market is extraordinarily volatile right now. With over 450,000 people losing their jobs each month, it’s not surprising that people are interested in job security. A recently released study by CareerBuilder confirms what many of us already know – over 80 percent of the job seekers surveyed are interested in a job supporting some portion of our Federal, State or Local governments.

As a specialist in the government job market, I couldn’t agree more. Government jobs do offer more job security, along with other benefits. And in spite of a common misconception, government jobs generally pay well. Just today, the Senate endorsed a proposed 2.9 percent pay increase for federal workers. In an environment where many private companies are implementing pay cuts on their workers in order to save their jobs, government employment becomes even more attractive.

For a list of upcoming career fairs, be sure to visit www.governmentsupportjobs.com/JobFairs.

The much publicized American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (commonly called the “Recovery Act”) is designed to create and/or save 3.5 million jobs over the next two years. Funding for government projects that will create these jobs is now starting to flow. So the question is, how does a person find a “Recovery” job?

Over 90 percent of the jobs that will be created or saved will be in the private sector, working for companies that have received contracts to provide goods or services to the government. So, it makes sense to focus your job search on government contracting companies. While many companies post their jobs on a variety of internet sites, thousands of government contractor jobs can be found on www.governmentsupportjobs.com. Government Support Jobs focuses on government contractor and government agency jobs and is free to use for job seekers.

You may also want to search the 10 percent of the Recovery jobs that will be working directly for the federal government. These job listings can be found at http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/a9recoveryjobs.aspx.

Keep in mind that you have a better chance of getting hired quickly by a government contracting company than a government agency. We suggest that you look for both types of jobs. If you take a government contractor job now, you can always switch to a civil service job later when one becomes available.

If you’re currently looking for a job or thinking about switching careers, it’s time to start thinking strategically.  Consider using your skills within the government support industry.  The Federal Government is the largest U.S. employer and is hiring!  Contractors currently have positions available in all fields and industries.

Key positions that are in demand under President Barack Obama's initiative to rebuild "crumbling roads, bridges and schools" include construction manager, project manager, civil engineer, computer-aided drafting specialist and telecommunications engineer.  There will also be many stimulus dollars spent in areas such as healthcare, the financial markets and green initiatives.

Many of these jobs are being outsourced to companies to oversee or manage these projects.  Federal contractors are likely to benefit from the stimulus plan.  "There is going to be a lot of money out there, and there is going to be a need for contractors," said former Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va.  Davis said the stimulus windfall could be a "buffet dinner" for contractors.