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By Dr. Marie Gould Harper
Program Director, Management

The February 2017 jobs report issued March 10 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics is the first to be released under the Trump administration. It was conducted in the second week of January, when President Obama was still in office. CNN Money reports, “It represents the economy that Trump is now taking over.”

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer tweeted, “Great news for American workers: economy added 235,000 new jobs, unemployment rate drops to 4.7% in the first report for @POTUS Trump.”

“January and February were the 4th strongest consecutive months since August and September 2015,” tweeted Justin Wolfers, a professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

If you look at these tweets, it appears the job numbers are good. However, I still have some questions that aren’t addressed by tweets and current news headlines.

For example, of the 235,000 jobs that were added to the U.S. economy according to the jobs report, how many jobs are full-time, permanent jobs with benefits and what percentage of those jobs is temporary or part-time? Will some Americans still need to work two to three jobs to make ends meet? Will struggling Americans be able to afford the proposed Affordable Care Act replacement plan? Are wage increases keeping up with inflation?

My other concerns focus on:

  • Is there any correlation between the jobs increase during the first couple of months and between the results of the election and January 2017, the month of the inauguration?
  • Did the change in leadership make some organizations optimistic about the future and decide to create more jobs?
  • Will that optimism be sustained through the coming months or will there be a backlash?
  • Construction jobs tend to be higher at the beginning of the year. Is the employment growth related to these types of seasonal jobs?
  • If these jobs taper off or decrease, will another category of workers (i.e. employees at tourist locations for summer months) take its place?

Many Job Seekers Have Stopped Their Job Searches

Regardless of the facts and how they affect different segments of the economy, the most significant finding for me was the level of dropouts from the job market.

According to Josh Zumbrun and Nick Timiraos in a March 2017 Wall Street Journal article, the number of unemployed people leaving the job market has decreased. We are now at the lowest level of job seekers in 20 years who are no longer looking for work.

That’s a good thing. Why? People may be more optimistic now, and there is a sense of hope. However, we have to look at where that feeling of hope originated. When the level of people giving up looking for work was high, we were at a time when many workers were dependent on the traditional work model.

However, the mindset of the workforce and the world of work have changed. I believe this change was due to a feeling of hopelessness many unemployed people felt when they found they could not bounce right back to another job. Nothing awaited them. The “system” had let them down.

What has emerged among workers now is a sense of empowerment. People are “taking the plunge” and starting their own businesses, leaving behind the rat race of the corporate world. They have incorporated more balance in their own lives by downsizing and taking on more “gig” work assignments.

More People Enjoying the Flexibility and Control of Entrepreneurship

I know a few people who have been living the entrepreneurial life for more than 10 years. They enjoy greater flexibility and control over their destinies. Getting to the top of the ladder is not a concern for them. What has replaced that need to climb to the top is the desire to have a meaningful career journey; they want to write their own job descriptions.

There are still people working in traditional jobs, but these individuals are more realistic now about their careers. High performers know what they are worth and have positioned themselves to have successful careers – with the same or a different employer.

Workplace Needs Are Changing

The stigma of job hopping has dropped in some circles. Enlightened companies realize they have to make a profit “now” and having the best workforce is key. However, markets change over time and the skill set of today’s workforce may not sustain new workplace initiatives.

Although the desire is to “retool” the current labor force, there could also be a need to change the makeup of that labor pool. Some employees may buy into the company vision for 2017, but they want to expand and explore new opportunities that their current employers may not support.

Everyone is becoming more aware of the need to be proactive and the importance of branding one’s self. Instead of entrepreneurs, we’ve also seen a rise in intrapreneurs.

Intrapreneurs have the best of both worlds. These individuals are employees who are usually assigned to special projects in an organization. They are given freedom and are empowered to complete assignments that utilize skills and resources that we normally see in an entrepreneurial work environment.

As we look at these latest numbers of the jobs report, let’s be mindful of what we should be celebrating. I would love to see an upswing in the job market, but I believe we should also encourage job growth that allows a person to make a decent wage for a living. Instead of chasing a dream that can change with turbulent times, employees are creating a life plan that allows them to weather any political storm, no matter who is in office and what decisions are made.

Be sure to prepare for the “dips” and live for the “highs” of your career. If you haven’t done so already, create a career/life plan that allows you to soar like an eagle.

About the Author

Dr. Marie Gould Harper is the Program Director of Management. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Wellesley College, a master’s degree in instructional systems from Pennsylvania State University and a doctorate in business from Capella University. She is a progressive coach, facilitator, writer, strategist and human resources/organizational development professional with more than 30 years of leadership, project management, and administrative experience. Dr. Gould Harper has worked in both corporate and academic environments.

Dr. Gould Harper is an innovative thinker and strong leader, manifesting people skills, a methodical approach to problems, organizational vision and ability to inspire followers. She is committed to continuous improvement in organizational effectiveness and human capital development, customer service and the development of future leaders.