Your Role in Job Creation

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 9.1% unemployment rate in July, 2011, not good news. In some areas of the country, that rate is 20% or more. Don't forget that this rate is calculated using only people who are currently looking for work - people who have given up looking or dropped out of the workforce entirely aren't included. Neither are people who have part-time work but would prefer to work full time. So the true unemployment rate could be far higher.

Photo: Flickr user SahajaMeditation.

So what's your role in job creation? What can you and I do to help?

1) If you're able to, hire someone. Even part-time. Even 1099. Even just for one project. Every bit helps.

2) If you really, really can't hire anyone to work for you, think about things you used to hire other businesses to do, that you've started doing yourself for the past few years. Can you farm out some graphic design, accounting work, marketing, or PR to help another business? Again, every bit helps.

3) If your clients are other businesses, how can you provide even better service than you've been providing? If you help your clients grow, then they can do their part in job creation, too.

What about you? What are you doing to help create jobs, even as the economy stays challenging?