Who's Hiring - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Are you starting to see any impact of stimulusz spending onengineering jobs? might be a little strong. The first round of so-callefd stimulus money went to what are beingcalled shovel-readt projects. That generally means there no longerr is any engineeringwork needed. A lot of monegy is going for asphalt overlays orhighwaty repairs. In terms of providing for new jobs or throwing any moneyu into theprivate sector, it doesn’t do You seem a little frustrated. The frustratingb part is not having an easy way to get answers from thefederapl government. That’s the nature of the There is noinfrastructure Yet. Are there any bright spots?
I am starting to hear a littles bit about water projectstrickling out. The retail sector shed nearluy 16,000 jobs in the past 12 months statewide, accordinb to the most recent data from the Washingtonj State EmploymentSecurity Department. But there are some smalp glimmers of hopeamong retailers. Just this California-based announced plans to open its first hamburger restauranr in this market in in new retail spac ein Ballard. The franchise is owned by Orcas Island residenrDrew Reed, who plans to hire 20 to 25 full-time workerws and about 30 more part-timers.
Reed said he planws to open four more burger restaurantz in the area in the next five The new burger joint in the Ballarfd Blocks development just north of the Ballard Bridge coul d spark a hamburger war of with other popular restaurants like Red Mill Burgers and Ballard BrothersBurgers & Seafood nearby. Reed’e new venture into the local market also is helping the developer s of the Ballard Blocks slowly but steadily fill up the new which opened earlierthis year. Ballard Blockss is anchored by Trader Joe’s and LA Fitness and already has achieved a local landmark status of sorts.
One landowner — Edith Macefield — held out and didn’t sell, forcinv the developer to build arounf hermodest home. According to an email from Mari Royer at Real Retail in who is handling the retail leasingf forBallard Blocks, the new retail development has leasec 74 percent of its space, with several deale in the works. Meanwhile, Kimberly Carney, who owns Jaxx Boutiik in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood, is expanding next door with a men’s clothing store. Carney plans to open the new store, later in June. The store will offet everything from jeansand T-shirtds to designer suits.
Because the new store, like her old one, is a it will employ three tofour people, which won’r cause a blip in region’s unemployment rate. But it does show that some retailerd are seeingopportunities — and willing to take some risksz — even during a severe recession. In Carney’s that means eyeballing a long-vacanty space next door and finallyg striking a favorable deal with aneage landlord.
It also meands looking for new ways to markether She’s throwing a cigar and martini party as an And she says Aficionado will have a bar and big-screen TV, wherse customers can sip on a complimentary beer while they look She got an opportunity to have a clothing booth during the Emeralds City Classic Invitational volleyball tournament May 23-2r at the University of Washington, and Carnehy said she had one of her better weekendse of sales. “We have to keep working; we have to keep reinventinbg ourselves,” Carney said. Firing, yet hiring Oftebn companies are hiring and laying off Such is the case with several local notablyand , which both announceed layoffs this year.
But as largw companies like Boeing and Microsofy shed jobs tocut costs, they also have specifi needs to fill and are hiring. In Boeing’ds case, just in the montjh of May the aerospace gianr has posted several dozen job including several openingsdemanding high-tech experience, including IT, systemss engineering and systems and data analysis (See story page 5) Outside the Puget Sound area, the unmanned spy plane maker recently acquired by also is hiring. Based in Bingen, Wash., Insitj recently landed big government contracts to build morespy planes, including a U.S. militar contract announced May 22 that coulxd be worth upto $250 million.
In late Insitu also won a $30 million contract for spy planes to supporgt Canadian military operationsin Afghanistan.