I think I can, I think I can…

With unemployment at its lowest level in nearly four years but job growth falling slightly below expectations, the nation’s labor market in June created questions but not overwhelming concerns for economists.

“A lean, mean jobs machine this economy is not,” said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. “But jobs are being created and the unemployment rate is falling, so you really cannot complain too much.”

Bill Sirakos, chief economist for Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc., said the June numbers — which featured a drop in unemployment to 5 percent and 146,000 new jobs — are indicative of an economy that is growing but not “ram-charging ahead at breakneck speed.”

He called it “good, solid growth” that has so far avoided the runaway wages and inflation that the Federal Reserve has worked to avoid.

READ: Jobs Data Show Pace a Bit Slow

Jim Stroud in the news…

My article, “Why Social Networks don’t work” was featured in the July edition of Online Recruitment Magazine. Visit the website to download a free copy: www.onrec.com

Here is a snippet…

Unless you are new to the internet or, are a novice to its mysteries, you are no doubt familiar with social networks. For the uninitiated, social networks are online communities where people meet and exchange business information with one another. In the most perfect of scenarios, someone you meet in a social network will connect you to one of their trusted contacts and business will be consummated. There are several such networks in operation (among them Ecademy, Spoke and Ryze), but the most popular is Linked In of which I am an avid subscriber. To be fair, I have met quite a few people with Linked In and can sing some of its praises. However, there is a downside to using social networks of any kind. I suspect that it is this singular reason why many forsake social networks and dismiss them as a fad of the age. What is the leading detriment of social networks? Ironically, the issue is that many people do not know how to network offline and those habits are simply transferred to the online arenas of social networks.

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Pimp My Job: The title says it all…

Hey, I thought this was turning around?

U.S. firms planned the highest number of layoffs in June since January 2004, led by the automotive and retail industries, employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. (search) said on Wednesday.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas said employers announced 110,996 job cuts last month, up from 82,283 in May, and 73 percent higher than June 2004.

“The cuts are not necessarily an indication of economic weakness, but rather the by-product of numerous trends, including changing consumer demand, outsourcing, mergers and acquisitions, automation and consolidation,” said John A. Challenger (search), chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, in a report.

READ: June Planned Layoffs Highest Since Jan ’04

How can Talenthire help you?

How can Talenthire help you? Today’s Guest: Mike Veronesi , Managing Partner