Applications for Unemployment Benefits Drop This Month

For those of us tentatively watching for signs of improvement in the U.S. job economy, last week’s drop in filed applications for unemployment benefits was something to cheer about.

According to the Labor Department, April was a one-month low with jobless claims falling 27,000 to 365,000 – the most in more than three months.

“I think these numbers prove to provide a hopeful message for tomorrow’s jobs report,” said Kavaliro Managing Partner Bill Peppler. “These numbers are consistent with what Kavaliro is currently seeing in our current client landscape. The numbers for highly skilled and specialized skill sets such as finance and technology continue to have much lower unemployment numbers than the general population.”

Last month the rise in applications for unemployment benefits was a surprise after several months of steady decline. Many were concerned that hiring slowed down and worried that the market was worsening. But, according to economists interviewed by the AP, the spring holidays’ temporary layoffs may have boosted benefit applications.

“Applications are a measure of the pace of layoffs,” according to the Associated Press. “When they fall below 375,000, it generally suggests that hiring will be strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.”

- Tyger Danger

Former President Clinton Cites Orlando as Successful City

Tuesday former President Bill Clinton published his book “Back to Work”- focusing on his views on how to revitalize the American job market. It makes the case for why government matters and explains the president’s ideas on energy, job creation and financial responsibility, his publisher said on Thursday.

“Back to Work” explains that Americans need to reinstate their competitive drive and instill an ethic that employees and costumers count too.

The day before his book hit shelves, Clinton stopped in our home town Orlando to promote his book. He called Orlando a city of success and boasted of the city’s job growth and sustainability.

“One community in America that is doing great is Orlando, Fla.,” Mr. Clinton said. “It has over 100 computer simulator companies, Disney, Universal, Global Entertainment Arts Video Game division and $5 billion a year coming in from the Defense Department and NASA for more computer simulators. Not to mention the University of Central Florida with 53,000 students that can change the curriculum to train people to do those jobs.”

Clinton continued his book tour all over the country stopping in New York to speak on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart the next day. He again applauded Orlando and its efforts to sustain job growth over the worst economic times since the depression.

Yet many financial analysts continue to use Florida as an example as one of the worst economies in the country. According to Workforce of Central Florida, Orange County’s unemployment rate dropped nearly 12 percent from August of last year. But, here at Kavaliro we are busier than we have been in the last 15 years. We are actually seeing jobs being delayed by a lack of available talent. Perhaps Central Florida is breaking a trend that analysts have insisted on over the past few years.

American Job Plan

Florida residents are anxious. Recent college graduates are woeful. Americans are rallying up.

More than 9 percent of the nation and 10.7 percent of Floridians are unemployed in this double-dip recession, and it feels like it will never end.

While many economists say a bounce back isn’t coming any time soon, we say the country has always come back from hard times. Why would this be any different?

Kavaliro has already seen a progressive rise of project/temporary staffing positions in this last quarter. (We are actually busier than ever!) We believe supporting this type of employment can lead to full-time jobs and overall reduction of the unemployment rate. This is an idea the President and Kavaliro share in common: putting people back to work is of the up most importance.

President Obama’s three-day bus tour through the southern states promoted his jobs plan, and he pledged to veterans and military spouses to put 2,500 of them back to work by 2013.

According to projections released by the White House, $7.52 billion could be spent in Florida and used to save 63,000 jobs ranging from teachers to construction workers through the American Job Plan.

The $447 billion plan also includes payroll tax cuts for 410,000 Florida companies that could cut costs and save revenue.

Teachers, firefighters and police will see $1.7 billion set aside to prevent layoff. The plan allows $1.6 billion to spend on roads introducing 20,500 jobs.

Obama’s plan was killed in the Senate, forcing him to split up the plan into separate initiatives. Paid for by raising taxes on the wealthy, the seven Republican presidential candidates on the stage during the CNN debate in Las Vegas on Tuesday, opposed the plan vivaciously. Republicans have opposed the plan because they say it is too expensive and will not work. Obama says he only plans to increase taxes on people earning $1 million or more annually.

But it’s not just Republicans who are blocking Obama’s plan. Some Senate Democrats instead propose 5.6 percent surtax on annual income of more than $1 million.

President Obama believes that millionaires and billionaires should pay “their fair share” in taxes. He said that billionaires should pay at least as much of their income to the Internal Revenue Service as middle-class taxpayers do.
A survey conducted by the Washington Post says 75 percent of people polled support raising taxes on millionaires, including 57 percent of Republicans.
Democrats continue to focus support for Obama’s jobs plan. But the party’s main drive is to clarify Democrats economic agenda heading into next year’s election.

Kavaliro mentioned on the front page of Florida Today business section

“The next hot career is here.

Software developer.

Recent college graduates are earning up to $100,000 a year. And the profession shows signs of getting hotter, since graduates are in demand.

Businesses, industry and communications increasingly depend on the Internet, and companies are moving more and more of their operations online. That means they need software to make it all work.

Automobiles, watches, airplanes, and everything from digital thermometers to coffeemakers depend on software. For example, a cell phone, which we know can do much more than place a call, uses up to a million lines of software code for its different applications.

So, with the necessity for companies to have smartphone apps and tablet apps, as well as business software, the engineers and developers who design this stuff are essential. Colleges are ready to train them, but university officials say that high school students are not encouraged to enter the field….

The shorgage of software developers could slow the operation of some businesses.

“We’ve had customers say, ‘We have to increase our (software development) staff or we’re going to miss deadlines,’ ” Bill Peppler, managing partner of Orlando’s Kavaliro Staffing Services, which covers Central Florida, said.

Businesses likely will face a long period of competing for software development talent, and, in the worst scenario, the talent shortage could slow the U.S. economy.

“We could accelerate business development in the country if we had more people in computer science,” Gary Leavens, interim chair in the electrical engineering and computer science departments at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “Businesses are able to get productive gains from software.”” Click here to read entire article.

UCF Business and Economy Applauds Kavaliro’s Job Search App

The University of Central Florida business and economy section wrote yesterday of Kavaliro’s recently launched job search app for the iPhone and iPad. UCF proudly recognized its alumni, Diane Mahony, Mark Moore, John Mahony and Bill Peppler, for providing Americans a new, savy way to tackle the job hunt.

“Unemployment numbers are rising, but Kavaliro is seeing success—the firm experienced a 165 percent growth in revenue by May 2011,” the article reads. “Further, Kavaliro reports seeing more jobs available now than in the past 15 years.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Kavaliro receives ranking for the 2011 Inc. 5000

The Inc. 5000 are considered to be the “Engines of the Economy”, creating 370,592 jobs in the last three years despite widespread economic hardship. Kavaliro is honored to have been ranked #1145 in the 2011 Inc. 5000 List, as well as #26 in the Human Resources industry.

Recently celebrating its one year anniversary and launching a free iPhone/iPad Job Search App, Kavaliro has become a major player in the nationwide staffing industry. Kavaliro has experienced rapid growth during its first year of operation, employing over a dozen search consultants between its three offices and over 190 contractors nationwide. Kavaliro also has made a significant impact in its communities, with their quarterly “Fueling the Community” Food Drives and other community involvements.

Kavaliro: “Fueling the Community” Food Drive brings successful results as new school year begins

Thank you to everyone who participated in this quarter’s “Fueling the Community” Food Drive, it was a great success! Working with dozens of participants in Central Florida, we were able to collect: 884 boxes of Mac & Cheese, 567 individual servings of Mac & Cheese, 262 containers of sauce, 437 boxes of pasta, and 403 miscellaneous items to help our communities most needful families as another school year begins.

Our Charlotte office raised money, which Kavaliro matched, to donate $185 to Eagles Nest Summer Camp to support our troops with nutritional and toiletry items!

To learn more about Kavaliro’s “Fueling the Community” Food Drive, take a look at these articles:

• Staffing Firm Kavaliro is Fueling the Community
• Local staffing company holds food drive for school kids
• Food drive in full swing for struggling students

Local businesses who are interested in participating in future “Fueling the Community” Food Drives should contact:

Lisa M. Moore
Community Relations Director
Kavaliro Staffing Services
Email: lmoore@kavaliro.com
Phone: 407.739.7394

Media members who are interested in covering this community outreach project should contact:

Cristina Calvet-Harrold at 407-832-4814 or at cristina@kavaliro.com.

Bill Peppler named a OBJ 2011 Forty Under 40 Winner!

Congratulations to Bill Peppler on being a 2011 Orlando Business Journal Forty Under 40 award winner!

Bill is featured on page 21 in this week’s Orlando Business Journal, with the rest of this year’s amazing winners!

Bill Peppler
Managing Partner, Kavaliro
Age: 37
First job: Making chips and salsa at Amigo’s Tex-Mex
Favorite reward: Sporting events
Favorite eatery: Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza
Little-known fact: I am addicted to Twitter.
Where I spend most of my disposable income: Walt Disney World
Motto: Energy and attitude make the difference every single day.
I’ve always wanted to learn: To play guitar
Favorite vacation spot: New York City
Community involvement: Team Parkinson; Track Shack Foundation; Special Olympics
Best achievement in past year: Launching Kavaliro, which is on track to surpass $20 million in revenue in its first year of business
Key business lesson learned: Empowering your employees is the key to success.

The end of NASA’s space shuttle program: Where do Space Coast workers go from here?

As our nation’s manned space shuttle program nears its final mission in July, there has been much talk about the impact that the shutdown will have on Florida’s Space Coast economy. The area, stretching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to Palm Bay, has been largely dependant on the shuttle program for its high-wage technical job base for the past 30+ years. As the program winds to a close this coming July, as many as 9,000 jobs, many of them engineering and IT based, are expected to be cut.

While much of the national focus has been on the setback for the shuttle program, because of which NASA will now have to outsource its transportation to and from the International Space Station, the larger issue for Florida remains the misplaced workers, many of whom have spent their entire career working as an employee or contractor for the space program. Though the situation looks dire on paper, as the old adage goes, “when one door closes, another one opens.” To that effect, some companies are taking advantage of the glut of experienced tech workers that are set to enter the marketplace.

As a recent Wall Street Journal article notes, there has been a flurry of investment activity spurred by Florida’s economic development budget, which was formalized by Legislature at over $43 million for the coming year in anticipation of the shuttle program’s end. Included in the budget are infrastructure improvements, aerospace directed marketing efforts, and significant tax incentives for business investment. In light of the circumstances, local employment agencies like Brevard Workforce are working with startup companies and more established firms alike to encourage and incentivize re-training and placement of highly skilled employees in the fields of aerospace, engineering, and IT.

Ryan Brandt, of the Merritt Island marketing communications firm Brandt Ronat & Co., knows first hand of the challenges that the Space Coast faces during these transitional times. His firm has works with Brevard Workforce in developing a consistent message for encouraging aerospace investment in the area. He said of the transition period; “The investment that state and local agencies are making in re-purposing our most valuable assets, our aerospace and technology workers, is tantamount to the future economic stability of the area. The shift will not happen overnight, but rather it will come through steady and focused effort from agencies, employers, and workers alike”.

The staffing specialists at Kavaliro are poised to assist with the transition from the shuttle program to other commercial ventures during these nearly unprecedented times. Uniquely qualified in the fields of technology and engineering, we have the contacts, experience, and expertise to provide the staffing solutions to fit our area’s impending employment issues. Our leadership feels a deep rooted connection to the Space Coast, and understands the emotional aspects at play just as well as the technical ones.

Staffing firm Kavaliro is Fueling the Community; Partnering with Douglas Stenstrom Elementary to provide local families with food

Orlando, FL – April 25, 2011

Sparked by the March 6 60 Minutes documentary on the homeless situation in Central Florida, a piece that made 60 Minutes history, local staffing firm Kavaliro is making a commitment to help feed the hungry within the community. Kavaliro is partnering with Oviedo, Florida’s Douglas Stenstrom Elementary in support of their Backpack Program, which originated during the 2008-2009 school year.

The program benefits students who receive free or reduced lunch, or whose families are facing financial difficulties. Each Friday, backpacks are filled at the school with nutritious food to be sent home with the students, providing ten to fifteen of these needful families with 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners for the weekend. The empty backpacks are returned the following Monday to be refilled for other families. Because the need is so great, the families rotate each week.

Each quarter, Kavaliro will conduct a “Kavaliro: Fueling the Community” food drive where they will ask clients, friends, and other local businesses to participate by donating food items to the Backpack Program. Upon request, Kavaliro will drop off a box and a simple list of requested food items at any local place of business on a Monday, and then return to pick it up on a Friday. They will also have a box at their East Orlando offices, located at 3504 Lake Lynda Drive, Suite 175. Kavaliro will then deliver the food items and new backpacks to the school.

The first quarterly food drive will begin on Monday, April 25 and run through Friday, April 29. The requested items for this drive are peanut butter and jelly, both in plastic containers so as to avoid breakage.

Kavaliro Community Relations Director Lisa Moore said of the program; “The 60 Minutes story moved all of us here at Kavaliro so much that we just knew we had to help in some capacity. Being that commitment is one of our core values, we are taking this opportunity to make a difference, and we encourage other Central Florida businesses to do the same.”

Local businesses who are interested in participating should contact Lisa Moore (information below) to receive their Kavaliro: Fueling the Community food donation box.

Lisa M. Moore
Community Relations Director
Kavaliro Staffing Services
Email: lmoore@kavaliro.com
Phone: 407.739.7394

Media members who are interested in covering this community outreach project should contact Cristina Calvet-Harrold at 407-832-4814 or at cristina@kavaliro.com.

About Kavaliro

Orlando, Florida based staffing firm Kavaliro places personnel across the United States in the fields of information technology, engineering, finance, accounting and administration. By using best practices and optimal employee recruiting strategies, Kavaliro provides employers with integrated staffing solutions, providing only the most qualified professionals who can fill both project and permanent positions in order to ensure the ongoing success of all types of businesses.

Kavaliro accomplishes much more for their clients by passing on the time and cost benefits of reduced back-office bureaucracy. The company represents an extension of a vision shared by a group of seasoned staffing professionals who have developed strong relationships in the industry and who recognize that true strength comes from a collaborative and open-minded environment where employees, clients, candidates and consultants all are supported and empowered to succeed.

Website: http://www.kavaliro.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kavaliro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/1070686
Twitter: @Kavaliro and @KavaliroJobs

Source: Kavaliro Staffing Services
Contact: Cristina M. Calvet-Harrold, +1-407-832-4814, cristina@kavaliro.com

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