The national unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, essentially unchanged from 4.9 percent the prior month and up from 4.5 percent a year earlier. Total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 63,000 in February from the previous month, but increased by 860,000 from a year earlier.

Backtrack Inc., a leader in the background screening industry, has recently teamed up with myStaffingPro, an innovative applicant tracking software company based in Ohio. The strategic relationship will offer clients a streamlined method to submit background requests through myStaffingPro while managing the hiring process.

Bright Green Talent provides executive search, recruitment, and talent consultancy services to the environmental and corporate social responsibility market sectors. Bright Green Talent's mission starts in their own offices -- located in both London and San Francisco -- where they are helping other organizations discover the benefits of hiring green talent and implementing environmental practices that can increase profitability and produce a more efficient business operation. Bright Green Talent was founded in 2007 by Paul Hannam and Tom Savage.

Job prospects remain rosy if your position is high paying. With the unemployment rate in San Diego County at 5 percent and layoffs on the rise, job prospects are getting gloomier in the land of eternal sunshine. But so far, the ratio of gloom versus sunshine depends on where you're sitting. SignOnSanDiego reports.

FASTAFF Travel Nursing, a national healthcare staffing agency, recently rebrands and redesigned its website. In addition to the new job search function and real life travel nurse stories, the new Web site has new and improved navigation. Plus, nurses can access the search function from any page on the site, an upgrade from FASTAFF's previous site. If a nurse finds a perfect job, he or she can apply directly on the site as well. Facilities looking for nurses can also search for ideal candidates.

Survey Says
Employers' entry-level hiring plans remain uncertain amid a national economic slowdown, according to the MonsterTRAK annual nationwide survey of college students, recent graduates and entry-level employers. The findings reveal that 59 percent of employers surveyed expect to hire 2008 graduates in the spring or summer, a decrease of 17 percent year-over-year, while 29 percent are still unsure - nearly twice as many who reported indecision in 2007. Despite the apprehension, 85 percent of surveyed employers who do plan to hire will offer as many, if not more, positions than in 2007. Additionally, one-third expect to increase entry-level salaries by one to five percent.

March 27. HR Workforce Modeling: Achieving Successful Mergers and Acquisitions. Webinar sponsored by HumanConcepts.

March 31 - April 2. SHRM Global Conference & Exposition. Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston, MA.

March 31 - April 2. ERE Expo 2008 Spring. Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina.

April 9-12. 23rd Annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Inc. Conference. Hilton San Francisco, California.

April 16-17. HRO World Conference & Expo. Hilton New York, New York City.

April 29. Recruiting Roadshow. Cleveland, Ohio.

May 1-2. Conference Board 2008 Leadership Development Conference. Grand Hyatt. New York City.

May 13-16. Kennedy Recruiting 2008 Conference & Expo: Real World Recruiting for Today's Workforce. Las Vegas, Nevada Hilton.

May 20-23. WorldatWork Conference & Exhibition. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Convention Center.

May 31-June 4. IHRIM HRMStrategies 2008 Conference and Technology Exposition. Disney Contemporary Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

June 4-6. Fordyce Forum 2008 Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel.

June 5-6. Conference Board 2008 Leadership Development Conference. Hotel del Coronado San Diego, CA.

June 22 - 25 60th Annual Conference & Exposition Chicago, Ill | Sheraton Chicago (HQ)

September 8-10. 2008 Staffing Industry Analysts' Healthcare Staffing Summit. Hilton San Francisco, CA.

September 9 & 10.
Online Recruitment Conference and Expo 2008. Donald E. Stevens Convention. Sponsored by Onrec.com. Center, Chicago, IL.

September 24-26. SHRM Strategy Conference Palm Springs, CA | Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa

October 27-29. Workplace Diversity & Exposition Atlanta, GA | Atlanta Marriott Marquis

October 28-29. 2008 Staffing Industry Analysts Contingent Workforce Strategies Summit. New York Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge, New York City.

October 28-30. ERE Expo 2008 Fall. Westin Diplomat Hotel & Spa, Hollywood, FL.