DoD: Poor job market help services reach goals

[unhappycamper]

DoD: Poor job market help services reach goals
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 12, 2009 15:23:36 EST

A lousy economy’s precise effect on retention is difficult to measure. But there’s no question about its impact on recruiting.

The numbers don’t lie. In the early 1980s, researchers found that the unemployment rate has a significant effect on the military’s ability to reach recruiting goals for high school graduates, as long as military pay keeps pace with civilian wages. Pentagon officials say that hasn’t changed.

“We do benefit when things look less positive in civil society,” said David S.C. Chu, undersecretary for personnel and readiness, during an October press conference on recruiting and retention in the fiscal year that just ended. “People are willing to listen to us. ... What difficult economic times give us, I think, is an opening to make our case to people who we might not otherwise have. And if we make our case, I think we can be successful.”

Given the current state of the U.S. economy — the unemployment rate was at 6.7 percent in November, with 533,000 jobs lost that month, and rising — and given other factors, such as a marked decrease in the overall wartime casualty rates, military recruiters should be enjoying a seller’s market.

So far, they are. All four active services have met 100 percent of their recruiting goals during the first two months of the new fiscal year. And the Army and Marine Corps, carrying the brunt of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are off to very hot starts. The Army brought in 101 percent and 106 percent of its October and November goals, respectively, while Marine recruiters enlisted 104 percent and 105 percent.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/01/marine_recruiting_011209w/%2e

[NOW tense]

1. What is he choosing from in this picture?

[unhappycamper]

2. I have no clue. n/t