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3/6/05 WAGES Workers can expect an uptick in pay this year, but greater salary increases await those willing to relocate to where the jobs are. Salary.com, a Bay State software firm that helps companies track compensation, is predicting that, on average, workers will receive a 3.7 percent pay raise this year, up from 3.6 percent in 2004. The raise is 2.7 percent higher than the average pay raise allotted to workers last year, reports Salary.com. The average US employee who earns $34,000 per year can expect an additional $24.19 per week. By contrast, an employee who earns $100,000 will receive, on average, an additional $71.15 each week. "While average pay raises in 2005 are only slightly higher than last year, workers who last year received either no raise or one below the average might be pleasantly surprised to receive an above average raise this year to compensate," said Bill Coleman, senior vice president of compensation at Salary.com. Some workers' wages will go up even more. The March issue of Business 2.0 has a more upbeat forecast for professionals with top skills. Titled "Climbing the Pay Scale," the publication says labor shortages will trigger salary windfalls for a select group of employees in healthcare, accounting, biotechnology, entertainment, and high technology who live in certain metropolitan regions. Relying on data from the Milken Institute, Lexington-based Global Insight and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, author Paul Kaihla says a staff pharmacist living in South Florida earned, on average, $66,600 last year, but could see his annual wage increase to $83,200 this year. Physical therapists, entry-level nurses, and respiratory therapists in southern Florida will also see pay increases, reports Kaihla. Kaihla also found technology professionals in the Washington, D.C., area will experience a boost in wages due to increased demand. For example, senior technical trainers who earned an average annual wage of $67,600 last year could see their annual pay increase to $83,200. Other jobs with increased demand in that region include data warehouse specialists, signals intelligence analysts, senior electronic data processing auditors, and senior program managers. In California, some senior game programmers, producers, and designers are now in demand and will see their incomes rise. According to the report, senior game producers who earned $150,000 last year could earn up to $175,000 this year. By contrast, senior game designers could see their annual wage increase to $150,000, up from $130,000 last year. The publication names several fast-growing regions with spot labor shortages and shows how certain jobs will be affected. The markets and corresponding employment opportunities include Atlanta, where demand is growing for network systems and data analysts; Austin, where analog design engineers are needed, and Chicago, where strategic consultants and account managers are needed. Seattle is experiencing an increased need for structural and aerospace software engineers as well as technical product managers, the report said. Said Josh Quittner, editor of Business 2.0, "The data from this survey doesn't reveal a magic formula for success, but it does demonstrate to readers that if they possess the skills, know where to look, and are willing to relocate, they can boost their compensation overnight." SENIOR SET The American Association of Retired Persons has created a new program to help older workers find jobs. Called the Featured Employers Program, it is backed by more than a dozen companies nationwide potential applicants can access through AARP. The goal, according to AARP, is to connect older workers who are searching for employment with job opportunities offered by companies that want to hire mature workers.Participating employers include Manpower Inc., Adecco, AlliedBarton Security Services, Borders Group Inc., Express Personnel Services, Johns Hopkins Health Systems, Kelly Services, MetLife Inc., Pitney Bowes, Principal Financial Group, Home Depot, Walgreens and Universal Health Services Inc. "We know that by 2010, almost one in three workers will be at least 50 years of age," according to Melanie Holmes, senior vice president for Manpower. "We also know that, as the baby boomer generation approaches retirement age, the pool of replacement workers will not be large enough to meet employers' labor demands." The effort is an outgrowth of a relationship with Home Depot, which began working with AARP in February 2004 to help older workers find jobs at the retail chain. After becoming aware of that alliance, other US companies contacted AARP and indicated their interest in developing a similar partnership for seniors who want jobs. AARP expects to add an additional 8 firms to its current list of participating employers. Individuals who are 50 or older and interested in learning more about the Featured Employers Program should go to www.aarp.org/featuredemployers. The website lists the names of all participating employers, allows potential applicants to link directly to each firm, and includes a link to an AARP site that also lists the best companies for older Americans to work for. EMPLOYMENT Joe Kyle of Arlington is a proponent of the guerilla approach to job searching. Kyle, who holds an MBA from Bentley College, is relying on an online newsletter and his personal website, www.hirejoekyle.com, to help him land more interviews, increase networking, and pull in potential job offers. He sees it as a sort of in-your-face approach. Rather than simply wait for people to call him, Kyle sends his newsletter to corporate human resource professionals, company websites, friends, neighbors, former peers, and instructors - just about everyone he's come into contact with over the last two years. The online newsletter highlights his desire for a full-time, $50,000-a-year marketing position. Thus far, Kyle has had some success: The newsletter resulted in two interviews, but no offers. The website caught the eye of friends who sent it to people they knew, resulting in four other interviews. But, again, no job offers. But Kyle remains upbeat. "I don't see unemployment as a blight," he said in a telephone interview. "I see it as a problem to be solved. I've confined my job search to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and it has three to four components. One of them is online. I visit company websites and e-mail people who can help me." Kyle calls his e-mail strategy the "viral marketing" branch of job search. "That means online infiltration," said Kyle. "I pass it to someone, and they pass it on to someone else, and they pass it on to someone else." Is Kyle coming on too strong? Aaron Green, the president of Professional Staffing Group, a staffing firm in Boston, said that depends on the kind of job he's applying for. "In a lot of cases, I would say that this is not a good way to look for work," said Green. "But because this person is looking to go into the creative field, he could get more latitude. The website is unique and it gets people's attention." Diane E. Lewis can be reached at .
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