By Joe Palumbo
In cruising the streets of Queens, I noticed that it is more and more common to see “now hiring” signs. The great majority of those signs, however, appear at retail outlets, restaurants and fast-food locations. These positions fall into the $6- to $8-an-hour category.
This is not bad if you are a young kid looking for some income while attending school or just leaving, but how about those who lost well-established positions and were maintaining annual incomes of $45,000 and higher? Is there an ample supply of opportunities for them?
To find answers I visited Amparo Connors, who runs Allied Personnel Services, an employment agency at 118–21 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills. The agency’s staff has a combined 40 years of experience and provides its clients with temporary and permanent staffing at levels from clerical to executive, according to its Web site, www.alliedpersonnel.com. There is no doubt about it, Connors said, it is a tough job market.
There are many jobs out there, but many are off-the-books and do not offer benefits. If you are in the 48-plus age category and are unemployed, you also may find yourself facing mass competition for the very few openings that exist.
Business in the summer was really terrible but it is starting to improve. The job market in Queens is picking up and changing for the better and, in the longterm, business will be doing quite well, Connors said. Long Island City, Flushing, Jamaica and that little hidden secret called College Point have increasing growth potential, she said.
Business is actually quite positive, Connors said, adding that in order to be successful in today’s job market one must continue to increase a well diversified balance of talents. Applicants must either learn or sharpen their computer skills, which is increasingly important.
Allied Personnel’s saving grace continues to be the daily rewarding endeavors in satisfying clients’ wishes and offering top-of-the-line service, which is paramount, Connors said.
I noticed quite a bit of activity at the agency. Jobs are coming back, with Queens playing a key role. Forget what Wall Street is saying; sometimes the most informative sources are those right at the nerve center. So how’s business in the staffing services market? Since people always need jobs, it appears that this is a service that will be well sustained.
With an improving economy, future growth appears excellent, and with its foundation embedded in providing the very necessary service in helping people at their lifetime pivotal junctures, this industry’s future looks promising.
Joe Palumbo is a private asset manager as well as the fund manager for The Palco Group, Inc. an investment company at www.palcogroup.com or 461-8317.
