Being laid off creates shock, stress, worry, and many other emotions. But dislocated workers must not let their reactions and feelings get in the way of taking fast action in the job search. Here are the three biggest mistakes the unemployed make and must be proactive about as soon as they get a pink slip:

• They don't apply for unemployment insurance or seek help from American Job Centers. People don't apply for UI for many reasons. Be sure you are educating the unemployed, the soon-to-be unemployed, and even the general public about UI and your many job search, career, and training services.
• They "take a break" before starting a job hunt. Skills, contacts, self-image, and motivation can fade rapidly. Two weeks "off" can turn into two months...or more. So encourage the unemployed to start job hunting immediately.
• They are passive at job searching. Applying for jobs online may feel like a positive activity. But most of those job applications go into a black hole. So it’s key that job seekers understand they must network and reach out to employers who need their experience, even if no jobs are advertised. 

Want to give dislocated workers the best guidance on active job searching? Take a look at the Your Employment Search (YES) tool by Career Action Resources, LLC. YES measures and teaches productive job-seeking skills in 5 key areas to immediately boost the job search. Request a complimentary YES review sample now.

Attention, workforce development professionals! WorkforceGPS is a technical assistance website created to build the capacity of our nation's public workforce investment system. Sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, WorkforceGPS was developed for workforce professionals and educators. It offers communities of interest, webinars, training resources, promising workforce development practices, and evidence-based research--giving you tools to build innovative approaches that improve job seekers' employment prospects.

The home page offers featured content, trending resources, event listings, staff picks, and more. Don't miss out! Check out WorkforceGPS today, suggests the Editors at Career Action Resources, LLC, creator of Layoff-to-Employment Action Planner (LEAP) and Your Employment Search (YES).

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How is the labor market changing? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its latest 10-year employment projections through 2028, a few months earlier than usual. This information is especially helpful to job seekers, students, and anyone making career and education plans.

You can learn about in-demand occupations and other trends by listening to the recorded Webinar on WorkforceGPS.

The Webinar topics include the following:
•    Occupations projected to grow fastest
•    Occupations projected to decline
•    Occupations adding most new jobs
•    Large, low-skilled occupations have the most openings
•    Occupations that require more education pay more
•    High school occupations by training level
•    Occupations needing more education for entry are projected to grow faster

Workforce development professionals, career professionals, and educators will find this information useful, according to Career Action Resources, LLC, creators of Your Employment Search (YES) and Layoff-to-Employment Action Planner (LEAP).

Workforce professionals: If you have not yet requested your complimentary YES and LEAP review samples, please do so here.