Antsy Days - Things feel

Antsy Days - Things feel wierd these days.

Let's think locally, then globally.

I just finished my fifth week of job hunting. I'm always close to getting something or another - heartbreakingly close, in some cases. And there are a lot of potential jobs out there. I say again - potential. There is a lot of work that needs doing - a lot of companies deferred a lot of project work last year, as the bubble burst, and most of that work still needs doing. But everyone, and I do mean everyone, is waiting to pull the trigger on any actual spending.

And all of that spending - and hiring - is waiting on either:

• the beginning of most companies' fiscal years, in March, or
• The beginning of the war...

...whichever comes last.

I heard from a friend last night that 3M, a Saint Paul employment staple, is sitting on something like 2,000 open positions, many of which need filling yesterday if not sooner. But nothing's going to happen until something breaks, war-wise. And when it does - assuming it doesn't turn into another Battle of Passchendaele, a lot of companies may just go on an orgy of hiring that will make the dotcom boom look like the Ford Administration - at least for a few weeks. I hope.

I read the other day that the US economy would be growing at a respectable annualized 3% rate today, if it weren't for the war worries. But now we're limping along at an annualized .7% growth rate - not a recession, but not a stomin', screamin' recovery.

So - for week five, the Berg index of consumer confidence is still hovering around a 0 on a scale of 0 to 100 - but could take off as soon as some of our local business luminaries get over their war skittishness.

We'll keep you posted.

And if you're an IT director who wants a good Usability person...

Posted by Mitch at February 8, 2003 07:10 PM