Adding to evidence that the recession has ended, housing construction rose in August and fewer laid-off workers sought jobless aid last week. Still, the reports suggest a slow and fragile economic recovery. The rise in housing starts was solely because of a jump in the volatile apartment-building category, and unemployment claims remain far above levels associated with a healthy economy.

People consider switching their careers for many reasons. The Center for Career Management at the University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies recommends consulting a career coach to develop a career plan for life. Such career evaluations can help people:
  Discover work values, interests, skills and competencies.
  Identify alternative career options that capitalize on their experience, knowledge, skills and abilities.

At least it’s not all bad anymore. The nation’s unemployment rate climbed last month to 9.7 percent—the highest in nearly a generation—but the number of job losses was less than expected and the smallest monthly total in a year. “It’s good to see the rate of job losses slow down,“ said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight. But with unemployment rising, “there isn’t the underlying fuel there for strong consumer spending growth,“ which is vital for a strong recovery.

Jobless since January, Donald Money has already moved in with his elderly parents, stopped going to the movies and started using less of his prescription medication so it will last longer. This month, something else will fall by the wayside: Money’s unemployment check. The 43-year-old former printing press operator is among the more than 1.3 million Americans whose unemployment insurance benefits will run out by the end of the year, placing extra strain on an economy that is just starting to recover from the worst downturn in a generation.

New claims for jobless aid declined less than expected last week, and the number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits rose—further signs that any economic recovery will be hindered by a weak employment market and flat incomes. Most economists think the recession is over, but they say the jobless rate will keep rising until at least next summer as the economy struggles to make a sustained recovery. That means household incomes will remain depressed and that consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy, will continue to lag.

The Richmond region’s jobless rate decreased in July along with most other metro areas across the state. The local unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percentage points to 8 percent in July from June, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. “We’re maybe sort of bumping along on the bottom of the recession,“ said William F. Mezger, the commission’s chief economist. “We don’t seem to be getting much worse, but we don’t seem to be getting much better.“

If navigating Virginia’s unemployment system leaves you frustrated and confused, a seminar on Thursday could help. Staff attorneys Carolyn Kalantari of the Legal Aid Justice Center and Ty Jones of the Virginia Poverty Law Center will discuss “Understanding Virginia’s Unemployment Benefits System.“ The free event, which is open to the public, will take place at the University of Richmond’s downtown center, 626 E. Broad St., from 10 a.m. to noon.

For the first time since July 2007, Virginia’s month-over-month jobless rate has dropped. Between June and July, Virginia’s unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage point to 6.9 percent, the Labor Department said yesterday. While it may be a sign that the economy is recovering, discouraged workers also could be impacting the numbers, experts said.

The human faces of the recession showed up yesterday by the thousands at a job fair in Chesterfield County. More than 3,200 job-seekers stood in the broiling sun for hours and created traffic jams on Hull Street Road.

For one couple, the uncertainty is the hardest part. For another pair, it’s holding on to their home. For a third, an altered financial lifestyle is most trying. Across the United States last month, 14.5 million Americans were jobless and unemployment stood at 9.4 percent. For some households it has been a double whammy, with both breadwinners losing their jobs.

Being unemployed can be draining, both financially and emotionally. But there are ways to reduce the burden. We asked some experts for their advice:

• Immediately work on your unemployment benefits.

You don’t have to deal with your job loss alone. Many community groups, state agencies and nonprofits provide support to those in need. Here are some resources:
  Referral assistance: Dial 2-1-1 or call (804) 275-2000. Managed by the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg, this referral hot line is staffed by specialists with information about many available resources, including housing assistance, food distribution, health insurance and financial counseling. Information also can be obtained at http://www.yourunitedway.org.

A German forklift manufacturing company is planning to close its distribution plant in eastern Henrico County early next year, affecting 57 employees. Jungheinrich AG said it will relocate its sales and service operation to Houston later this year, and it will shut down all operations at its 80,000-square-foot plant at 5601 Eastport Blvd. early in 2010.

A Norfolk plant that has produced contact lenses since the 1950s will close next year, eliminating 570 jobs. CooperVision Inc. announced the closure yesterday, citing excess manufacturing capacity as the reason for moving production from Norfolk to its plants in Puerto Rico and England over the next 15 months. The Norfolk plant’s work force includes about 65 temporary and 505 full-time employees, said Chuck Rogers, its vice president of operations. Employees will receive severance, and Rogers said the company decided to phase down the operation in part to give employees time to prepare.

Employers laid off fewer workers in July and the unemployment rate dipped for the first time in 15 months, providing signs that the country may be coming out of the longest recession since the Great Depression. Stocks soared yesterday before settling back on a better-than-expected jobs report showing that nonfarm payrolls lost 247,000 jobs in July, less than the 325,000 expected, and unemployment edged down to 9.4 percent from 9.5 percent in June.