During July, the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area's unemployment rate remained at 8.8 percent for the second month in a row, after increasing from 8.3 percent during June. The area's rate is still lower than the national average of 9.5 percent.

The Houston area had a total non-farm employment of 2,511,100 workers during July, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 2,528,100 workers during June, but only a .4 percent decrease from last year.

Much of that yearly employment loss is attributed to the construction industry, which lost 8.1 percent of its workforce between July 2009 and July 2010. The industry now has 167,500 jobs. Check out this construction job description.

Six other industries saw a yearly decrease in employment, including:

• Information by 5.5 percent
• Financial activities by 1.5 percent
• Professional and business services by 1.3 percent
• Trade, transportation and utilities by 1.1 percent
• Manufacturing by .5 percent
• Other services by .1 percent

Four industries managed to see a yearly increase in employment during July. The education and health services industry grew the most, increasing by 3.2 percent over the year to 306,300 jobs.

The mining and logging industry increased by 2.6 percent to 90,000 workers, while the government industry grew by 2.1 percent to 360,900 jobs, and the leisure and hospitality industry increased by .5 percent to 241,000 workers.

When it comes to month-over-month employment, only four industries saw an increase, including: manufacturing by 900 jobs; mining and logging by 800 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 400 jobs; and professional and business services by 200 jobs.

There are many reasons to complete a background check on all your employees. They can help you weed out the bad candidates and even avoid various lawsuits. But most importantly, a background check can help you gain peace of mind during the hiring process.

Here are 10 tips to keep in mind when conducting a background check, as compiled by the Texas Workforce Commission:

1. Simply conducting a telephone reference call won't give you much usable information, as many people are concerned about being sued for giving bad references on former employees or co-workers.
2. Texas law states that it is legal for someone to record a conversation without obtaining consent as long as the person responsible for the recording is participating in the conversation.
3. All applicants should sign a waiver and release of liability form authorizing previous employers to release any requested information to your company. This will relieve both the previous employers and you from any liability in releasing and using the information.
4. Any information you receive from a candidate's previous employers should be factual, in good faith, and non-inflammatory.
5. While employers are allowed to conduct background checks themselves, most companies opt to hire a third-party service to complete the work, so be mindful of the rules set in the Fair Credit Reporting Act that require an employer to give written notice of any check.
6. Unless required by law, avoid any questions about applicant's arrests, because the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission considers such information to have a disparate impact on minorities. While it's lawful to ask about convictions, guilty pleas or no contest pleas, you must be able to show how the criminal record was relevant to the job if an EEOC claim is ever filed.
7. Only asking about convictions will not always turn up alternative sentencing in Texas.
8. Never ask an applicant to take a polygraph exam, because it would be a violation of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988, unless your company is statutorily required to do so.
9. You may ask candidates to submit copies of their own official records, transcripts, certificates and licenses.
10. Keep a record of your efforts to verify an applicant's work history and other background information, which will better help you avoid potential negligent hiring claims.

Forbes has named a slew of Texas cities to its list of America's Recovery Capitals. Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston and San Antonio all seem to be coming out of the recession faster than most other cities throughout the nation.

So what's causing the easy recovery in Texas? The government and tech industries are creating Austin jobs, while major corporate operations are bolstering jobs in Dallas TX, the oil industry is bringing in City of Houston jobs, and the military is adding jobs in San Antonio.

"The places that are likely to recover the fastest seem to be places that have suffered the least during the recession," Howard Wial, head of research on metro and regional economies at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, said.

The overall economy in Texas has been recovering nicely as of late. During May, the state's unemployment rate remained at 8.3 percent for the second consecutive month in a row, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In addition, Texas had a total non-farm employment of 10,386,900 workers during May, which is up from 10,311,700 workers during April and a .6 percent increase from last year.

In order to compile the report, Forbes asked Moody's Economy.com for analysis and annual growth prospects for employment and economic output between 2010 and 2014. Forbes then examined the 25 largest metro areas in all four regions of the country and decided which had the best combination of job and output growth.

The complete list of America's Recovery Capitals includes:

• Austin-Round Rock
• Albuquerque, N.M.
• Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
• San Antonio-New Braunfels
• Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown
• Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa
• Raleigh-Cary, N.C.
• Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla.
• Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.
• Palm Coast, Fla.

Officials from the State of Texas recently announced the launch of a $3 million workforce development initiative, which is meant to maximize the knowledge, skills and abilities of returning veterans for college credit and employment.

"This initiative will connect the dots between the high-quality training our military offers and college coursework and professional certification standards, especially in the Allied Health Care Occupations, such as physical therapists, x-ray and pharmacy technicians," Gov. Rick Perry said. "As Texas’ population grows, the demand for those essential skills continues to increase, and this program will accelerate veterans' transfer from the military’s top-quality training environment into helping Texans."

The new initiative includes funds for demonstration grants in the areas that are most populated with veterans, including San Antonio, Houston and Temple-Killeen. Those funds will help veterans get the maximum credit from their military experience, which can then be used toward a degree or certification.

The program will initially focus on the Allied Health Occupations, because they are in demand in Texas and offer unique opportunities for veterans to transfer their skills. In addition, the funding also will be used to offer support to members of military families who need help searching for jobs and undergoing training.

"Texas is a model for the nation in welcoming our returning veterans home the right way – by putting that experience back to work," Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, said. "These young men and women have answered our country's call under very difficult circumstances. Now, we are making it possible for them to use their talents in the civilian world to make this a better state and a better nation."

TWC plans to work with community colleges in order to develop a model that will help transfer military experience into a degree and employment. Also, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is developing a program that will allow for more military experience to count toward a license for certain jobs.

Funeral directors help to arrange and oversee funeral services, which may include coordinating transportation of the body to a mortuary for embalming, talking with family members to make funeral arrangements, selecting
pallbearers, finding an official to offer religious rites and providing transportation for funeral attendees.

Most funeral homes require candidates for funeral director positions to have at least an associate degree, with most college programs in mortuary science lasting anywhere from two to four years. In addition, all states require funeral directors to become licensed, and some require a license in embalming.

In Texas, those wishing to become a funeral director must graduate from an accredited school or college of mortuary science; complete a 12-month internship with a licensed funeral home or embalmer; complete 60 cases, 10 of which were in the three months prior to licensing; and embalmers must complete six full autopsies.

Graduates must then obtain a license from the Texas State Law Examination and National Board Examinations, which is done by passing a written exam and an oral interview. Candidates also must be at least 18-years old and a Texas resident, as well as undergo 20 hours of continuing education every two years.

According to the Texas Workforce commission, employment of funeral directors in Dallas is expected to remain stable during the coming years, while employment throughout Texas and across America is set to increase.

Employment in Dallas is expected to remain at 150 workers through 2016, but there should be five available jobs each year due to a need for replacement workers. Employment throughout Texas should increase from 1,800 workers during 2006 to 2,000 workers by 2016, accounting for 200 additional jobs and a growth rate of 11.10 percent.

Employment of funeral directors across America is anticipated to grow from 28,770 workers during 2006 to 32,358 workers by 2016, accounting for 3,600 additional jobs and an overall increase of 12.50 percent.

During 2008, funeral directors in Dallas earned an average wage of $27.18 per hour, while those throughout Texas earned an average of $24.78 per hour and those across the country earned an average $28.27 per hour.

Gov. Rick Perry recently attended the Texas Hurricane Conference to thank the 1,500 people in attendance for their continued dedication to ensuring the safety of Texas residents during hurricane season. The annual conference brings together state and local emergency response personnel, volunteer organizations and private sector partners to discuss ways to enhance preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

"Our emergency response team in Texas is second to none, an effort that speaks to the dedication and abilities of our emergency planners, the courage of those who willingly head into danger while everyone else flees, and the essential generosity of our citizens," Perry said.

"From the first responders who move into position before the storm surge hits and the private sector partners who ensure adequate supplies of fuel, food and water in the aftermath, to those who immediately begin planning and preparing for the next storm, you each play an important role in protecting the lives of more than 24 million Texans, and in some cases, residents of our neighboring states," he added.

The Texas Hurricane Conference provides a chance for the emergency management community to partake in many presentations, workshops, work sessions and training classes that focus on all aspects of catastrophic storms.

Topics at this year's conference included:

• Evacuation and sheltering for special needs populations
• The role of voluntary organizations
• Private sector support
• Mass care
• Planning for children in hurricanes
• Evacuation tracking
• Disaster communications
• Shelter hubs
• Hospital evacuations
• Donations management
• Managing mega-shelters
• Animals in disaster
• The role of 2-1-1 Texas
• Resource staging
• Re-entry operations
• The State Hurricane Plan

The Texas Department of Public Safety is reporting that certain fingerprint-based criminal history background checks requiring information from the FBI will be delayed. The reason for the delay is that about 484,000 employees being hired by the U.S. Census Bureau need to undergo the same checks.

Throughout the nation, anyone who is required to undergo a civil background check for employment purposes or to receive a concealed handgun license will see delays between April 28 and May 3. However, the FBI has reported that fingerprints submitted for criminal justice purposes will not be affected.

"We’re not sure (how long the wait will be) because this is going to be a nationwide process," DPS Spokesperson Tom Vinger told the Abilene Reporter News. "We simply want people to be aware that this is happening and to be patient."

The DPS currently handles an average of 35,000 federal background checks every week. Aside from concealed handgun license applicants, the nationwide delay of background checks will affect such entities as:

• State Board of Educator Certification
• Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
• Texas Real Estate Commission
• Texas Lottery Commission
• Department of Aging and Disability Service
• Texas Juvenile Probation Commission
• Texas Commission on Fire Protection
• Texas Racing Commission
• Texas State Guard
• Texas Board of Nursing
• State Board of Dental Examiners
• Private Security Board
• Commercial drivers license holders seeking a Hazardous Material endorsement

Despite the federal delay, the DPS will continue to process the state portion of the fingerprint-based checks during the expected slowdown, and any check also requiring a national criminal history status will be processed in the state system and then sent to the FBI.

Futurestep, a company specializing in talent acquisition solutions, recently announced that it has hired Houston-based RPO expert Laura Eaton to serve as U.S. director of the company's RPO service delivery team.

Eaton has more than 20 years of experience in the recruiting industry and extensive knowledge in designing, implementing and managing RPOs and on-site client relationships. She has worked with such entities as Kellogg Company, Hershey's and Comerica Bank.

Laura previously worked for 11 years as the head of the recruitment process outsourcing division for the Bernard Hodes Group Recruitment Enhancement Services, where she also served as general manager of strategic staffing solutions.

"Quality execution and service delivery is essential to the success of any RPO relationship," Andrew Watt, chief operating officer and president of Futurestep North America, said. "Laura provides the expertise and experience to navigate the business needs that drive a successful RPO. She is a proven leader, and her addition to the Futurestep team underscores our commitment to excellence in all aspects of RPO delivery."

Futurestep is a Korn/Ferry company that provides global talent acquisition solutions to help companies build and implement strategies to improve their operations. The company focuses on talent acquisition consulting, recruitment process outsourcing, project-based recruitment and mid-level recruitment.

Futurestep currently has operations on four continents, allowing the company to provide the experience and expertise needed to address the most pressing talent acquisition challenges facing companies today.

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, an American company that produces chicken, recently announced that it plans to cut about 230 positions during its effort to integrate with JBS SA, a Brazilian-based meat company.

Only corporate and administrative salaried positions will be eliminated, while no production jobs will be lost. Displaced employees will be offered severance benefits and outplacement services from an undisclosed company.

About 160 of the job cuts will take place at Pilgrim's Pride's headquarters in Pittsburg, Texas, and its nearby office in Mt. Pleasant. The remaining positions will be eliminated in about 12 states, including Atlanta, Dallas and Broadway, Virginia.

According to an article by Reuters, the company recently exited bankruptcy. As part of its reorganization plan, Pilgrim's Pride sold a majority stake of the company to JBS.

The company is moving forward with plans to consolidate most of its corporate functions with the Colorado headquarters of JBS USA. Both companies are still evaluating the needs of their organizations and are expecting to finalize consolidation plans within the next three to six months.

Aside from these recent job cuts, Texas's economy has continued to improve as of late. During November, the state's unemployment rate decreased from 8.3 percent to 8 percent, which is lower than the national unemployment rate of 10 percent.

Texas had a total non-farm employment of 10,375,800 workers during November, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 10,358,500 workers during October, but a 2.6 percent decrease from last year.

Officials recently announced that all jails throughout the City of Houston will receive a technology upgrade allowing them to complete national criminal background checks, including fingerprint checks, and immigration background checks on all suspects booked into jail.

That upgrade will allow the city to participate in Secure Communities, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that completes biometric checks for the immigration history of a suspect when they are taken to jail.

According to an article by the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Police Department transfers suspects charged with Class B misdemeanors and above to the Harris County Jail, which has participated in Secure Communities for more than a year. However, until now, suspects charged with Class C misdemeanors were not subjected to the background checks because the city did not have the ability to send fingerprints to ICE or complete national background checks.

It is estimated that Houston police officers arrest an average of 58,000 people per year on Class C misdemeanors, and about 24 percent, or 14,000 people, are non-citizens. Many officials are hoping this new technology will help to cut down on the local illegal immigration problem.

"Non-citizens, if they commit a serious crime against people here, ought to be deported after they serve their time," Mayor Bill White said in the article. "There are some people here who have not been, and there are some people who come back (after deportation). And this allows us to identify those individuals and immediately transmit this information to federal officials."

Police officers began using the upgraded technology last week by checking the criminal and immigration statuses of 294 suspects over a two-day period. Of those suspects, nine turned up records that caused ICE agents to file paperwork to detain them.

During the last fiscal year alone, Secure Communities helped to identify more than 111,000 suspected illegal immigrants and remove 1,900 people classified by ICE as "aggravated felons."