Underemployment Continues to Fall, But Is Still Double Pre-Recession Level

With the jobs numbers released this past Friday, highlighting Gallup's underemployment statistics provides another look into the employment situation in America.  Gallup defines underemployed workers as those who work part-time but desire a full-time job, along with Americans who are simply unemployed. This figure is an important supplement to the BLS' jobs numbers, as it illustrates the lingering frustration within the American economy that is not quite as apparent in Friday's optimistic report.  While underemployment has tailed off in recent months, it's still well above levels seen before the recession.  16.5% of workers are underemployed, down from over 20% in 2010 and 18.1% this time one year ago.  Before the housing bubble burst and drove the economy into a downward spiral unseen since the Great Depression, underemployment had sunk to below 8%, but as companies laid off workers and scaled back domestic operations, Americans were left struggling to find full-time employment, prompting a spike in unemployment and underemployment.  Still, though, the 16.5% underemployment rate is the lowest since the start of the recession, and it continues to steadily drop as the year progresses.  

Manufacturing Sector Profits Down From 2011

The Department of Commerce released its quarterly report on the health of the U.S. manufacturing sector today.  Manufacturing corporations' profits totaled $149.0 billion in the second quarter of 2012, up $0.7 billion from the previous quarter, but down from the $153.4 billion logged in the second quarter of 2011.  Though profits have idled, they’ve still rallied significantly since posting losses of more than $70 billion in late 2008.  In fact, current profits are the highest experienced in the 21^stcentury other than the marginally higher 2^nd quarter in 2011. 

U.S. Manufacturing Industry Posts Nearly $150 Billion 1st Quarter Profits

The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that American manufacturing corporations posted $148.0 billion in profits during the first quarter of 2012.  These profits, though only marginally higher than the net income of $145.4 billion in 2011, are still at a level unseen even before the recession.  In the fourth quarter of 2008, manufacturing corporations truly felt the brunt of the recession, and actually recorded a loss of almost $75 billion, but since then, profits have rebounded swiftly to their current levels of nearly $150 billion.  Sales on the whole also increased.  In the first quarter of 2012, sales reached almost $1.7 trillion, up from about $1.57 trillion in the first quarter of 2011.

Over a Third of American Companies are Hiring

Gallup tracks the percentage of employed Americans who report their company is hiring or laying off workers.  The most recent tally displays an improving job market, in which 35% of companies are hiring compared to 16% that are letting go of employees.  These percentages have hardly changed since four years ago, when 37% of companies were hiring and 16% were laying off.  However, since bottoming out at 24% in late 2009, the percentage of companies that were seeking employees has risen steadily to its current level.  Conversely, the percentage of companies laying off its workforce peaked in early 2009, and has since fallen consistently.

iPhone Apps Go Corporate - How Big Companies Are Getting in on the iPhone App Game

iPhone apps aren't just for small development firms and gadget geeks anymore these days even big banks, retailers, and software giants like Microsoft and Oracle are getting in on the app act. Why? Not only does the next generation of consumers feel comfortable with spending much of their life online, they expect their retailer, bank, or software company of choice to offer them the freedom to do business anywhere, from their iPhone. To meet the demands of its internet and iPhone savvy customers, more and more big businesses are debuting their own iPhone apps. Here's a look at a few of them:

Microsoft's Seadragon iPhone Application.

In mid-December 2008, Microsoft released its first iPhone app a photo gallery app called Seadragon. Perhaps users were hoping for an iPhone app like Microsoft Office for the iPhone, or at least FreeCell, but Seadragon is Microsoft's toe-dipping experiment into the iPhone application pool.

Google's iPhone App

Far ahead of Microsoft (as usual), in December 5, 2007, Google released its iPhone app that, like a Google homepage, consolidated all of Google's services into one page, so that users could easily access their Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, and other services. In-line with Google's typical corporate attitude, Google's press release on this iPhone application stated that their commitment to provide "users with access to information, wherever they are is a device-independent commitment" in other words, expect to see similar versions of this app on Google's own Android phone, as well as other touch-screen phones. (Source: Google Press Center, December 5, 2007)

Target's Holiday Shopping iPhone App application

Target created a holiday shopping iPhone app that lets you browse through gifts and offers the ability to locate a store to purchase them, or buy them online at Target.com. If you don't know what to get, you can shake your iPhone as you would a snow globe (the app's intro animation), and a random gift from Target will pop up.

The Weather Channel's iPhone Application

The Weather Channel wants you to be able to know what weather conditions will be like no matter where you might be. This iPhone app allows you to get the typical Weather Channel local weather information for your city or region, but its customizable weather maps also allow you to pick multiple layers of maps, displaying radar, UV index, rain/snow fall, and more.

Oracle's iPhone App for Business People

Business software giant, Oracle, posted an iPhone app in November 2008 to allow sales managers to review quotes, approve or reject these quotes, chart sales forecasts, etc. Another Oracle iPhone application allows general managers to review expense reports, job postings, purchase orders, etc. As the business world becomes increasingly mobile and global, Oracle is one step ahead of its competitors in allowing its customers to access business information on the go. (Source: Information Week, November 29, 2008)

Bank of America's iPhone App Helps you Find the ATM

Remember that old television commercial for Visa, where a couple lost in the desert of some remote part of the world with no cash was met by a young boy frantically shouting, "Ateeim! Ateeim! Ateeim fix everything!" As the couple wondered who Ateeim was, the boy led them to the village center, where, miraculously, an ATM stood. With Bank of America's iPhone app, you don't have to rely upon the natives anymore to find the closest ATM. Bank of America's iPhone application will show you the nearest ATM to your location and will also allow you to check your balance and pay your bills, all from the convenience of your iPhone. Only now we need all the other banks to come out with iPhone applications so other customers can have the same easy access.

For more information on iPhone games or to read more in-depth reviews of iPhone apps visit AppCraver today. AppCraver is dedicated to iPhone apps, news, reviews and interviews with iPhone application developers.