Economic indicators are one thing, but a job in your field is something else. And so on this Labor Day, members of the 495 Networking Support Group, a referral organization for technology and IT professionals, carry on their campaigns for new jobs.A lot has happened since CIO magazine first reported on the group, which meets weekly at a synagogue in Westboro, Mass., to trade job-hunting tips and encouragement (see Trendlines: “IT Workers of the World Unite!” in May 1, 2003, at www.cio.com/printlinks). The nation’s jobless rate ticked upward since our article to 6.4 percent in June. (Massachusetts hovered at 5.6 percent.) The 495 group, meanwhile, now a nonprofit organization, rents office space in a former mill building in Maynard, Mass., that once was home to Digital Equipment. (There, members can get training, access the Internet, print r¿m¿and offer their services as contractors.) The group’s relaunched website (495nsg.org) sports an enhanced database retrieval system for searching help-wanted ads and its 1,400 member profiles.Peter Kite, a laid-off product marketing manager who recently became the 495 group’s volunteer president, says these moves better position the organization to achieve its goal of helping laid-off IT workers. “People have received jobs,” he says. “They’re not thick and fast, but they’re happening. We feel positive that the work we’re doing is bearing fruit.” More on this topic | CIOs are voicing concerns about the political ramifications of IT jobs moving overseas. See “Backlash” on Page 44. Related content brandpost Sponsored by NTT DATA Transform your technology and accelerate business outcomes with NTT DATA’s Technology Solutions By Miriam Murphy, Chief Executive Officer at NTT, Europe Dec 06, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by SAP How the cloud and AI will help more companies become future proof In a world where macroeconomic uncertainty has become the new normal, being future-proof is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s a must have. By Scott Russell, Customer Success at SAP Dec 06, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership feature 6 generative AI hazards IT leaders should avoid The opportunities to use generative AI will greatly vary for each organization, but the ways it can go wrong are turning out to be fairly universal. By Mary Branscombe Dec 06, 2023 11 mins CIO Application Performance Management Generative AI interview Delivering value through IT at Village Roadshow During a recent CIO Leadership Live session, Michael Fagan, chief transformation officer of Australian cinema and theme park company Village Roadshow, spoke with CIO’s editor in chief for APAC Cathy O'Sullivan about delivering value, colla By CIO staff Dec 06, 2023 8 mins CIO CIO Leadership Live Change Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe