Consider the statistics from a Society of Human Resource Management survey on relocation expenses:

• 17% of respondees said they had eliminated corporate-relocation programs entirely.
• 25% froze their corporate-relocation programs.
• 58% reduced their corporate-relocation programs.

Another trend: A lot of companies are paying a flat amount for relocation — often capped at $10,000. Another changing trend. Many companies used to have mortgage-reimbursement programs for relocating new hires who had to take a financial hit on the sale of a home. That one’s going away or under strict caps. The few companies still doing it are limiting mortgage help to $10,000 to $20,000, and that’s usually only for high corporate jobs or hard-to-fill positions.

Why? 64% of Gen-Y workers now say the quality of benefits packages offered to them impacts their loyalty to their employer.

In addition, 62% say it influences their choice of employer.

That’s according to new Fidelity Generation Y study of U.S. employees ages 22-33.

To retain and attract Gen-Y workers, consider tailoring benefits communication to them. Example: Some companies have created their own Twitter feed to keep young workers abreast of changes and updates to company benefits.

A recent Watson Wyatt study found 55% of companies in the Fortune 100 only offer their employees defined contribution (DC) plans — 401(k), etc. — as opposed to traditional defined benefit (DB) plans — like closed or frozen pension plans.

That’s a big jump from having 46% of employers who only offered DC plans a couple of years ago — and it marks the first time that a majority of Fortune 100 companies are only offering DC plans.

The study also found that an increasing number of Fortune 100 employers are offering hybrid pension plans — account-based cash balance plans, etc. — instead of traditional DB plans.

Adecco, one of North America’s biggest placement and outsourcing firms, released its analysis of the labor market, which included the cities where you’ll have a hard time filling positions:

• First of all, if you’re in the areas of Boston, Washington, DC, or Milwaukee, don’t expect a tide of unemployed workers to come knocking on your door. The unemployment rates in those areas are well below the latest national average of 7.2%.
• In contrast, you can expect lots of out-of-work applicants if you’re in or around Detroit, Las Vegas or Los Angeles. All three of those have unemployment rates well above the national average.
• Looking for college grads? The unemployment rate for those with a four-year degree is only 3.9%.  If you have low-skill jobs to fill, however, the field is wide and deep: Unemployment among workers who haven’t finished high school is 10.9%.

All HR managers should mark mid-February on their calendars. That’s when President-elect Obama hopes to pass his $800-billion stimulus plan that’s aimed at opening up millions of public-works jobs. If that plan passes, expect the labor market to tighten up a bit.

Tell us about your favorite by leaving a comment below. We’ll highlight them in an upcoming marketplace column.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) figures showed we’ve lost almost two million jobs this year, and the unemployment rate is creeping toward 7%. Still, if you look in the right places, jobs are available.

Health services. The job market in health care is healthy. Consider:

• In the last 12 months, the industry has added 369,000 jobs.
• In November alone — a real down period for the overall job market — employment in the health field expanded by 34,000 full-time positions.  
• The placement firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas said it has an abundance of openings in health-services firms, such as pharmaceutical makers.
• Nursing schools are gearing up for the surge, too. The Columbia University School of Nursing reports that applications are up 50% from last year, as students get wind of the openings and opportunities in the field.

Education. Learning is hot. As the job market tightens, more and more people — to increase their marketability — head back to school to sharpen their skills or learn new ones. And education providers are anticipating that Washington will loosen up on grants and other types of funding to workers who are trapped in failing industries.

The numbers: While not quite as robust as health care, the figures for education hiring still are strong. DOL’s figures show the sector added 9,800 jobs in November — many of which were in nonteaching, support roles.

The weak spots
A lot of sectors suffered in November, but the DOL’s figures show which industries took the biggest job hits:

• Manufacturing jobs were down 85,000 for the month and 604,000 since the beginning of the year.
• Openings in construction dropped by 82,000 for the month; the industry has seen a total drop of 780,000 since the peak employment period of September 2006.
• As people whittle down their budgets to the essentials, fewer take vacations: Employment in the leisure and hospitality field fell by 76,000 jobs in November. Especially hard hit were restaurants and other food-service providers.

Solution Providers: Would you like to be added to the list? Email me.

AIRS
Buy One Training Get One Free. Offer Expires December 31, 2008.
Also – 30% savings on one SourcePoint license + Recruiter Academy Membership.

BioIQ – At Home Biometric Screening
Register now and receive a 5% discount.

Job.com
Buy any job posting and resume searching monthly package and get a second month of service free. Packages starting at $199.

Staff Files® HR Software
Free Trial

Standout Jobs
Offering Pro version for SMB pricing (per Twitter message from @Standout_jobs); free 45-day trial

Ceridian LifeWorks – free public access to financial and stress information on www.lifeworks.com through Dec. 31. (Public User ID: Ceridian, Password: financial)

Ascentis HR & Payroll
Free Trial

BillQuick Time & Expense Tracking
Free 30-day trial

Halogen Software Performance and Talent Management
Free Trial

Taleo Recruiting Solution
Free 30-day trial

ASR HR Software
Free Downloads

Simply Personnel
Free Download

Web Timesheet Time & Attendance
Free Trial

Compare HRIS
Free HRIS Buyers Guide

Apex HRIS
Free Trial

EffortlessHR
Free 30-day Trial

Umantis Human Resource Solutions
Free 30-day trial

Have one to add? Leave a comment below or drop me an email.

Dan Karleen is Marketing Director at PBP Media, parent of HRMorning.com. He frequently publishes marketplace updates of interest to both practicing HR pros and HR suppliers alike. Contact him at dkarleen@pbp.com or find him on Twitter.