Fortune-ately For Us
Fortune 500 companies are adding more employees in 2013. Economists are studying the business plans of these companies in an attempt to determine what these companies have that create an environment for continuous hiring in a sluggish environment.
Wal-Mart Stores, which is the number one company on the Fortune 500 list currently, has at least 1,000 openings for jobs at all levels throughout the corporation, from store workers to global sourcing and financial strategists. This comes as part of an initiative announced last year to add 500,000 jobs globally by 2015. The monster retailer has struggled with increasing share values over the last decade or so, and today’s prices are back to the same levels as 1999. However, Wal-Mart has taken several steps to break out of its rut. First, the company announced the renewal of a $15 billion share buyback plan in an attempt to boost stock prices. Additionally, the current job openings represent just a drop in the bucket of Wal-Mart’s long-term expansion plan, with most growth being seen abroad. Adding half a million workers by 2015 would increase the size of its workforce by nearly 25%. Finally, Wal-Mart will be experimenting with a new chain of 15 smaller “Express” stores in several states this year, and the poor employment environment should enable the company to pick up workers at a discount.
When it comes to business, let’s be real, it is all about profit. Some Fortune 500 companies have found a way to grow business and profit and as a result, they help bring the unemployment numbers down. For instance, AECOM is a global Fortune 500 company that provides technical and management support services to a broad range of industries that include architecture, building engineering, construction services, design, and planning. Their hiring numbers have grown exponentially.
The first thing to note is that Fortune uses revenues as its key benchmark to rank these companies. While revenues are an important metric, most shareholders are mainly concerned with overall profitability. Microsoft has consistently earned solid profits on fairly modest revenues, which explains why it quickly rose to the most valuable company in the world. And although it has been dethroned, it still racks up healthy earnings.
Aetna is a Hartford, Connecticut based company. Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving members with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions. Amazon is a global e-commerce website with a reputation as the world’s leader in e-commerce. Although Amazon’s corporate headquarters is in Seattle, Washington, the company has fulfillment centers in nine states. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Amerigroup is a managed care group that provides cost effective solutions for keeping health care costs down and to maximize the benefits of health insurance for
Apple is a world-leading computer engineering and software company, and its products include the MacBook, iPhone, iPad, and iMac. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple has operations across the United States and have been a big factor in employing the masses.
Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems.
Landing a job with a Fortune 500 company is a goal for many. There are many perks that accompany being hired by the big boys -the experience, the training, the benefits, and the notoriety. Profitability is up with these companies and with profit comes jobs.
Source: Best Companies to Work for 2013.” www.CNNMoney.com Cable News Network, Web. 04 July 2013.