Word on RealStreet!

 

October 2016 
October often signifies the beginning of the end of the year. Individuals buckle down to work towards yearly objectives, and teams strive to meet project deadlines and plan for the upcoming year. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you or your team achieve your yearly goals. 

Best wishes from everyone at RealStreet! Have a safe, fun and  Happy Halloween!

Sincerely,
  
Katy Cook, CSP
Marketing Coordinator

What's New at RealStreet?
RealStreet Hires SeaPort-e Program Manager!
 
Last month, RealStreet hired Rob Warner as the company's SeaPort-e Program Manager.  Rob joined RealStreet with more than 20 years of program, strategy, business operations, and financial management experience. In his previous roles, Rob managed and supported numerous Federal programs within the Intelligence, DoD and civilian communities. 

Learn more about Rob on RealStreet's Leadership Team Bios webpage and  the new contract on RealStreet's SeaPort-e webpage .
Interesting Industry Information
How Does the Job Market Look?
The U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a m onthly jobs report  soon after the beginning of each month. Each report describes the previous month's employment situation, based on data such as the number of jobs that were added to the economy and the unemployment rate. 


The August report shows U.S. employers added 151,000 jobs while unemployment remained at 4.9%.  For more information, check out the BLS' interactive graphs.

According to an analysis of the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the  Associated General Contractors of America (AGC),  the construction industry saw a dip employment last month: 
  • Lost 6,000 jobs
  • August employment reached 6,640,000
  • Year-over-year employment totals were 3.1% higher than in August 2015
Another AGC publication concluded that t hirty-six states added construction jobs between August 2015 - August 2016, while construction employment only increased in twenty-four states and the District of Columbia between July and August 2016. 

According to Stephen E. Sandherr, Chief Executive Officer of the AGC, the persistent lack of skilled workers is an ongoing industry concern. He also states that the AGC is addressing the issue through a workforce development plan which urges increased government spending on career and technical programs.
The Upcoming Election and the Construction Industry

As the country gets closer to the presidential election increased infrastructure investment remains a topic of great interest, especially within the construction industry.  According to a nationwide survey featured in a recent Construction Dive article,  "t he majority of U.S. voters  -  regardless of political affiliation  -  believe repairs for the nation's highway, bridge and energy grid infrastructure are crucial" and think that the federal government should be doing more to improve infrastructure. In turn, both major parties have proposed increased spending in this area. 

Click to enlarge.

 

Industry professionals, economists and politicians all seem to agree that an increase in infrastructure investments would have a positive impact on the construction industry. For example: 

  • Brian Turmail, AGC's senior executive director of public affairs stated, "while demand for construction, especially from the private sector, has grown steadily over the past several years, many infrastructure firms have seen less of a recovery than other types because of slow growth in federal investments and the fact many state and local budgets remain quite tight."
  • According to a  Washington Post article,  " higher infrastructure investment can create quality jobs and provide economic stimulus without posing the risks of easy-money monetary policies in the short run." 
  • According to a recent Politico article, a large infrastructure investment could serve as "insurance against an economic downturn." 
The only major concern is t he ongoing labor shortage. As stated in a recent Politico article, "instead of creating thousands of jobs, experts now warn that a new infrastructure investment could face the exact opposite challenge: a labor shortage." This issue, while significant, can be addressed during the planning process to ensure companies within the industry are prepared to accommodate the influx in demand.
 
Featured News Post
Interviewing 101: Know Thyself
(Your Strengths and Weaknesses)
A job interview is a chance to sell yourself to the hiring manager. You must be able to clearly articulate what you have to offer in order to set yourself apart from the competition. Discussing your strengths and weaknesses might feel a bit awkward, but unless you are unable to handle these questions in a cool, collected and decisive manner, you will not get the job.

Learn how to best respond to two of the most common inquires - regarding strengths and weaknesses - used by hiring managers to gauge your fit for a position by reading the full post. 

Seasonal Safety Information
Cyber Security
Cyber crime is a  concern for individuals and organizations, not just across our country but around the world. The growing prominence of this type of crime has spurred movements to educate the public. In the United States,  October has become National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM). 

According to the Department of Homeland Security, (DHS)  NCSAM was "designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to raise awareness about cybersecurity." 

A number of resources are available across the internet to aid education and enable effective prevention and/or mitigation of incidents. For example,  Computer Weekly provided the following  tips for remote workers  to follow to keep their devices and information safe. 

T he Federal Trade Commission website suggests that consumers take steps such as:  
  • Using security software that updates automatically
  • Treating your personal information like cash
  • Researching companies before doing business with them
  • Only giving personal information over encrypted websites 
  • Protecting your passwords
  • Backing up your files
Three other helpful websites include the National Cyber Security Alliance site, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team site and the  DHS site .  
Halloween Safety
Halloween is right around the corner! For many, this time of year entails carving pumpkins, creating costumes, decorating the house, stock piling candy and trick or treating! During this sweet and spirited time of year, there is plenty of fun to be had by kids of all ages. However, it is important that safety is considered when partaking in holiday festivities. 

Cold & Flu Season
Schools are back in session, employees have settled in to their post-summer work routines, the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder. People are beginning to spend more and more time indoors. The close proximity of friends, family and co-workers, increases the possibility of spreading germs. 

Avoid sick days this cold and flu season by getting vaccinated  and living a  healthy lifestyle,  as recommended by the CDC.  Check out the CDC website to learn more about influenza and the flu shot. The site is filled with a plethora of information as well as a variety of tools, such as p odcasts, widgets, infographics and printable  materials. 

Defensive Driving Tips
TIP 1: Never use a cell phone while driving

If you are chatting on a cell phone or sending and receiving text messages, you will not be giving your driving your full attention, and you will not be aware of what is going on with other drivers around you. Using a cell phone is extremely distracting, and you should only use it when the car is parked. If you need to make an emergency call, make sure that you pull over to a parking lot, or at least the side of the road, before you use your cell phone.

 

TIP 2: Pay attention to all traffic signs

This is something that many drivers get out of the habit of doing, and they end up speeding or going the wrong way on one-way streets. If you are paying attention to all road signs, you will know what the posted speed limit is, and you can stay within it, which is a big part of defensive driving. Whatever you do, don't follow what the driver ahead of you is doing. After all, he or she may not be following the rules of the road, and you will not be either, which can lead to an accident pretty quickly. Make sure that you obey all traffic lights as well. One wrong turn at a signal light could end up in a really bad accident.

 

TIP 3: Never drive too closely behind another vehicle
You need to make sure that there is going to be plenty of room between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you, just in case you need to come to a fast stop. If there is not enough room, chances are that you are going to end up rear-ending that vehicle, and even if the accident is the other driver's fault, your insurance company may still raise your rates, and consider the accident to be your fault.

Try to make sure that there are at least two car lengths between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. This way, you will have room if you need to stop quickly. If you are driving on snow-covered or icy roads, you should make sure there is even more room between yours and the vehicle ahead, because it will take longer to stop.

 

TIP 4: Learn to drive in all weather conditions

The weather can cause a lot of motor vehicle accidents, so it is best that you do not drive in bad weather, or even after dark, until you are confident in your driving skills. Have someone with you when you drive at night until you are more skilled, and practice winter driving where there is no chance of having an accident, such as in an empty parking lot. It is better to be safe now than sorry later on.

 

TIP 5: Give others the right of way

There are going to be times when you are going to come to a four way stop or other situations where it may be difficult to figure out who has the right of way. When you are in this type of situation, it is best to just let other drivers have the right of way. If you pull out, and someone is pulling out at the same time, you could end up crashing into each other. It may take a few extra seconds to wait, but you will still get where you are going, and you will get there safely. 

 
The aforementioned tips are an excerpt from driving-test.org.
 
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