Wayne’s World: Observations, Opinions & Musings from the Woods of Maine

Seasons Greetings to One and All,

So, what has 2012 been like? Let me share some facts and observations.

We live in a remarkably resilient nation. Despite the politics, divisiveness, storms, drought, battered sectors of the economy, external threats, and possible alien invasions, our economy remains the largest and most productive in the world.  We are blessed with an abundance of natural resources, innovative thinkers, and a charitable and civil society.

While gross domestic product has been tepid, the jobs picture — especially for skilled positions — has stayed remarkably bright.  We still have a huge hole of jobs for which we do not have employees.  It’s not just in IT – even manufacturers are having a tough time finding the right worker in the right place.

The trend of hiring temporary, contract IT resources remains at high levels and has actually increased in recent months.  Full time permanent jobs are out there, but not in the numbers needed to drive unemployment down much – and that wouldn’t solve the numbers gap with the current resource pool available.

Much of the information we receive is through the same channels as most of you, i.e. mainstream media, social media, etc.  But we also have staffing industry updates and our own direct evidence to support the statistics.

Within the EDI community, there remains a great need for people with IBM Sterling B2B Integrator skills, as well as those who have experience with BizTalk and GXS/Inovis products.  We are seeing more needs centered around Facets and Axway as well.

Most companies and managers that consider outsourcing their EDI shops, do so because of the struggle to acquire and keep good EDI employees. Within general IT, QA resources are in high demand as are CRM and .Net folks (almost anything MS related).

In 2012, EDI Specialists also formed partnerships and gained insight through new technology and products. Through the use of state-of-the-art tools, we can now provide prospective employers with detailed information on the jobs market within your industry or region.  Some of the information may be surprising, but it will be useful.  For example, we can provide the number of candidates with a certain skill set competing for a specific number of positions and tell you how that relates to the overall market and salary levels.  Click here for more information.

While much of our success during 2012 is a direct result of our extraordinary sales, recruiting and marketing efforts, this success could not be sustained without a growing economy behind it.  We are having a banner year and rolling into 2103 in unprecedented fashion and with a level of activity we could not predict.  Good things lie ahead for America.

This country has overcome so many momentous events in the past – and we will overcome the tremendous challenges still facing us and yet to come.  Think about this little tidbit that I learned last week.  At the beginning of WWII, we were about 17^th in military might and had 14 military bases worldwide.  At the end of the war, we were number 1 with 30,000 military bases.  Only America and its industrial might and industrious, Greatest Generation could have achieved this overwhelming turnaround.  We truly saved the world.  Let’s never forget our forefathers and more recent heroes. EDI Specialists proudly salutes our men and women, fighting for freedom, here and throughout the world.

So I intend to go into 2013 optimistic.  It’s a guarded optimism since events can so easily overtake us.  But this remains the best country on earth.  The fate of the rest of the world lies on America’s shoulders – and they know it.  As we grow and prosper, the world grows and prospers.

But remember that a lot of our folks are in want and need.  Be charitable this season and throughout the New Year.

Hope you all have a Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year,

Wayne from Maine