The United States Labor Department is always working for you, developing innovative ideas and government is enacting new strategies to make employment easier on business and job seeker. While unemployed folks are still hoping for an extension of unemployment benefits after the current 99 weeks duration limit, the labor department has created incentives to bolster the world of work and usher in opportunities for hopeful workers-to-be.

Congress has recently passed the Hiring Incentive to Restore Employment Act (HIRE). These are tax credits that will provide companies, non profit organizations and public colleges and universities with 6.2 percent payroll tax cut or their share of Social Security taxes on wages paid between March 18, 2010 and December 31, 2010.

If businesses retain newly hired workers, they receive an extra $1000. in 2011.

This should sweeten the economic pie and make opportunities open up for jobseekers as we all businesses. Job seekers can remind employers of this HIRE incentive during interviews, as well. The complete terms and conditions of HIRE are available on www.labor.ny.gov.

Or call your local One Stop Career Center (www.servicelocator.org tap in your zip code) and ask to speak with a labor department representative known as a business representative for further clarification.

Some One Stops will also be adopting an incentive, win-win program known as “On-The-Job” training in the very near future. Government pays a company a portion of salary to a new hire so they can be trained right on the worksite in their title capacity. It’s a win-win for both business and worker. Check with your local One Stop Center or check the labor site above to see if this program will be instituted. OJTs usually last about six months and their purpose is to facilitate permanent, unsubsidized job offers for job program participants after the duration period. Successful OJTs create platforms for businesses to secure trained workers and for workers to have jobs!

Another creative program to sustain more workers in jobs while businesses go through dry spells and ups and downs is called the Shared Work Program or Layoff Alternative. Shared work enable employers to keep existing staff without cutting staff but instead, by reducing hours of workers. This way, more than one worker can share job responsibilities and go back to normal hours and pay. In the meantime, workers can receive partial unemployment benefits to augment the salary loss during work hour reductions due to business downturn. This is a positive program psychologically for workers and a win-win for both. Instead of eliminating them completely, it is an honest attempt to keep them through tough times.

Some other conditions include the following: Employee fringe benefits cannot be eliminated or changed and the Shared Work Layoff Alternative program applies only to full time workers. It must also contain an hour’s reduction of 20-60% of the work week and applying for this program is considered to be action in lieu of layoff. For NYS employer/employee questions, contact the NYS labor office in Albany 518-457-2635. Additional info is offered on www.labor.ny.gov.

For persons with disabilities, there is a site called New York Makes Work Pay

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/nymakesworkpay/index.cfm

There you can download resources, status reports and PDF files on high growth occupations and self-help guides, etc.

On another note: The U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has partnered with the services of Hope Now to assist struggling homeowners with home mortgage loan modification nationwide in foreclosure prevention, debt counseling and finance management. Go to: http://www.hopenow.com or call 1-888-995-HOPE.

-By The Job Enthusiast Who Won’t Rest Till Everyone Is Put To Work!

Read about more helpful resources from The Job Enthusiast here.