Many retail grocery jobs and other positions in the retail industry are being supported by an increase in sales. Visit http://grocery.coloradojobs.com to find out more.

A recent report from the National Retail Federation found that sales in the retail industry increased by .2 percent between March and April, marking the 10th consecutive monthly increase and a growth of 4 percent from the previous year.

Although these gains are a positive sign for the nation's economy, they are modest increases compared to those seen in previous months. Experts think this means that consumers are beginning to account for the higher price of food and gas.

"Positive economic indicators such as increases in job openings and wage growth are certainly helping boost consumers' confidence, and support spending," NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a statement. "While there are reasons to be optimistic, plenty of other concerns exist which could very easily shift consumers' spending habits, including decreasing home prices, high unemployment levels and rising costs at the pump."

The U.S. Department of Commerce also released a report on retail sales, which accounts for non-general merchandise items - such as gas and food at restaurants - that the NRF report does not include.

That report found that retail sales increased by .5 percent between March and April and by 7.8 percent over the year.

Here's a look at how some retail sectors performed over the month and year during April:

Dallas hotel jobs (Click here) should become more widely available as the industry continues to recover.

The most recent Hospitality Vision report from Deloitte found that the nation's hotel industry saw a strong recovery last year. While Dallas is included in that recovery, the city's hotel industry is improving at a slower rate than many others.

After declining for three years in a row, hotel occupancy throughout the nation increased by 5.7 percent during the first 11 months of 2010 when compared to 2009. At the same time, revenue per available room grew by 5.4 percent, after dropping for two consecutive years.

The local hotel market, which supports many jobs in Dallas TX, also began to recover last year, which is great news, considering the industry saw double-digit declines in occupancy and revenue per available room during 2009.

During 2010, occupancy increased by 6.8 percent, while revenue per available room grew by 3.8 percent. One downside is that the latter increase is below the average for the nation's top 27 markets.

That slower recovery rate led to the foreclosure of 94 hotels in North Texas last year, which is an increase from 30 hotels during 2009. Fortunately, many significant investments are being made in the area that should boost hotel business, from the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington to a new opera house at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Either way, the hotel industry as a whole should continue to get better this year, as local and global economies continue to recover from the economic downturn.

"In particular, U.S. consumer spending during the important December holidays was stronger than many had expected just a few months earlier," the report notes. "Pent-up demand was thought to be influencing the consumer's desire to increase spending. The U.S. recession officially began in December 2007, and while it officially ended in June 2009, consumers have mostly remained cautious about spending. Instead of spending, they have been working at lowering their debt levels and increasing their savings."

One of the world's most popular and successful online stores is looking to fill sales rep jobs Phoenix. Visit http://jobs.drivetime.com to see other openings.

Amazon.com recently announced that the company is hiring new employees at its fulfillment centers in Phoenix and Goodyear. Positions are currently available in human resources, management, operations, sales, and technical support.

The company is looking for qualified candidates who are highly-motivated and want to provide customers with a first-class online shopping experience. Amazon has both part-time and full-time jobs available and offers employees a comprehensive health plan, 401(k) retirement plan, and stock-based awards.

Earlier this year, Fortune Magazine named Amazon as one of the most admired companies for people management, while consumers selected Amazon as the most reputable company in the nation through the Reputation Institute 2011 survey.

Seattle-based Amazon.com is a Fortune 500 company that provides online shopping services and currently offers the biggest selection of products in the world.

"Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices," the company stated in a press release.

Amazon and other sellers on its website offer everything from books and movies to electronics and toys to clothing and beauty supplies. The company also offers cloud-based web services to developers.

Those with registered nursing jobs Phoenix (http://nursingjob.abrazohealth.com), OT jobs phoenix (http://rehabjob.abrazohealth.com), and many other health professions at one local organization were recently recognized for their high performance.

Arrowhead Hospital was recently named among the top 15 hospitals in the Phoenix area by U.S. News & World Report. The facility, which supports many Glendale jobs, is owned and operated by Abrazo Health Care.

Arrowhead Hospital was ranked 12th on the list of the top hospitals in Phoenix and was particularly acknowledged for its high-performance in ear, nose, and throat care.

"It is an honor to be named as one of the best hospitals in the Phoenix metropolitan area by U.S. News & World Report, a national and very prestigious organization," Arrowhead Hospital CEO Jon Bartlett said in a press release. "This recognition is a testament to not only the high level of expertise and medical care we offer but to our overall quality and patient outcomes."

For the first time, U.S. News ranked the top hospitals in each of the nation's top 52 metropolitan areas this year. The rankings are meant to help patients find the best possible medical care available.

The hospitals that were named among the best in their respective metro areas have a strong record of high-performance in a number of medical specialties and were ranked according to certain standards.

Abrazo Health Care is the second-largest healthcare system in Arizona. The organization operates five acute care hospitals, a specialized cardiovascular hospital, and several school-based health centers. It also offers two health plans and operates the Abrazo Medical Group, which employs 70 physicians.

There are some important classes you should make sure you take if you're preparing for Arizona pharmacy jobs.

Pharmacy technicians work under the direction of a pharmacist to deal with customers and prepare prescription medications. Depending on where they work, pharmacy technicians may sometimes perform administrative duties as well.

There are typically no specific educational requirements in order to become a pharmacy technician, but most employers prefer to hire those with some formal education. Although employees will learn the majority of what they need to know through on-the-job training, there are some training and certification courses available.

According to Education-Portal.com, some common classes you can expect to take while training to become a pharmacy technician include:

• Introduction to pharmacy - Learn what basic skills and responsibilities are required to become a pharmacy technician, including familiarity with computers, prescription interpretation, medication dispensing, ethics, legal standards, and drug control policies.
• Pharmacy calculations - Learn the basic math concepts required to measure and calculate pharmaceuticals, including apothecary, metric and household measuring methods, prescription language definitions, and appropriate dosage calculations.
• Pharmacology - Learn about medication and drug classifications, common side effects of drugs, drug interactions, and drug addictions.
• Principles of dispensing medications - Learn the proper techniques for storing and dispensing medications, including compounding and diluting, safe storage methods, packaging and label standards, and inventory control systems.
• Pharmacy technology - Learn how to use pharmacy-related computer applications for record keeping, insurance billing, researching medications, and maintaining drug inventory databases.

Hundreds of Denver manufacturing jobs could be created if a leading energy company decides to locate its new plant in Colorado. Visit http://denver.jobing.com/jobs/manufacturing to see current openings.

Several local officials are joining together in an effort to bring General Electric's new solar panel manufacturing plant to Colorado.

After recently acquiring PrimeStar Solar Inc., a local company that manufactures thin-film solar panels, GE announced its plans to build a new solar panel manufacturing plant that will eventually employ about 400 people.

However, the company has yet to choose a location for the new facility. According to an article by the Denver Business Journal, GE is currently considering 10 states for the plant.

In an attempt to persuade GE to build the new solar panel manufacturing plant in Colorado, many local officials wrote a joint letter to the company, stating their support for renewable energy.

The letter was signed by:

• Gov. John Hickenlooper
• Sen. Michael Bennet
• Sen. Mark Udall
• Rep. Diana DeGette
Rep. Ed Perlmutter
• Rep. Jared Polis
• Rep. Scott Tipton
• Rep. Cory Gardner
• Rep. Doug Lamborn
• Rep. Mike Coffman
• Bruce Benson, president of the University of Colorado
• Joe Blake, chancellor of Colorado State University
• Bill Scoggins, president of the Colorado School of Mines

"Colorado is on the leading edge of clean energy economic development and we can't think of a better place to site such a facility," the letter notes. Our state is a demonstrated leader in clean energy research, innovation and manufacturing.

"As state and federal collaboration can facilitate innovative economic opportunities such as GE's proposal, we stand ready to provide any additional help to attract this facility to Colorado," the letter adds.

What does it take to be a great physical therapist assistant? That's an important question for anyone considering physical therapy jobs Arizona (http://rehabjob.abrazohealth.com) or anywhere else for that matter.

The American Physical Therapy Association recently held a National Student Conclave. During that meeting, Rebecca Horton, PTA, and a member of the New Jersey PTA Caucus, presented "10 Steps of Being a Great PTA."

Here are those 10 steps, which are based on the American Physical Therapy Association's code of ethics for PTAs, as reported by TodayinPT.com:

1. Respect the rights and dignity of all individuals - You must respect all patients, regardless of their health condition, disability, age, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or economic or social status.
2. Be compassionate and trustworthy - Show the patient that you are acting in their best interest by explaining exactly what you're doing and how it will benefit them.
3. Collaborate with the PT - Make sure you talk to the physical therapist about any changes in to the patient's care or in the patient's health condition.
4. Demonstrate integrity - Always provide accurate information to patients and co-workers and don't engage in any behavior that would jeopardize your career.
5. Fulfill legal and ethical obligations - Make sure you always follow local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
6. Enhance competence - Update your skills and abilities by taking part in continuing education and other learning opportunities.
7. Support organizational behaviors and business practices - Act in a manner that promotes ethical and accountable decision-making in the workplace.
8. Participate in efforts to meet others' health needs - This can be done by participating in community activities, supporting local PT-related organizations, and educating the public about PT.
9. Get involved - Attend local, state, and national meetings with PT organizations that you support.
10. Be the best PTA you can - Remember why you chose to become a PTA in the first place and remain true to yourself.

Those with IT jobs Phoenix are being recognized for their hard work with one local company. Visit http://jobs.insight.com/it-computer-services-and-support+Jobs for more information.

Insight Enterprises recently received four Cisco Partner Summit awards in recognition of the company's local performance. The awards are presented on a regional, theater, and global basis.

Insight provides hardware, software, and service solutions to business and government clients throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The company currently employs about 5,100 people worldwide, including many jobs in Tempe (Click here).

The company received awards for:

• National Technology Excellence Partner of the Year - Advanced Technologies
• Public Sector Higher Education Partner of the Year
• Collaboration Partner of the Year - South
• Cisco Capital Partner of the Year - West

"We are very proud to be recognized as a leader in the delivery of unified communication, collaboration, data center and security solutions that comprise the Advanced Technologies award category," Brian Davis, senior vice president of product marketing for Insight, said in a statement. "Demand for innovative solutions such as Business Video and Contact Center continues to grow.

"Combining Cisco's leading technology with Insight's deep technical capabilities and services enables us to deliver solutions that meet our clients' evolving goals," he continued. "The Public Sector Higher Education Partner of the Year award is another significant honor that recognizes the value Insight adds in delivering solutions to the higher education sector across the country."

A popular insurance company is expanding its presence throughout Florida, creating many Fort Lauderdale sales jobs (Click here) and other positions throughout the state.

Allstate recently announced its plans to open about 50 new offices throughout Florida and create as many as 130 new jobs throughout the state. The company is expanding in order to keep up with increasing demands as the economy continues to recover.

Allstate's plans to expand in Florida are welcome news after the company decreased its presence throughout the state in 2005 because of the severe hurricane season.

A large number of the new offices will be located in northern Florida, although some will be spread throughout the state, creating many new Fort Lauderdale jobs and plenty of positions elsewhere.

"North Florida has shown incredible growth for our agencies," Bob Jackson, regional sales leader for Allstate, told the Insurance Journal. "In order to meet the demands of our current and future customers, we've made a decision to expand."

Employees at the new offices will sell all of the products offered by Allstate, including automobile, motorcycle, boat, recreational vehicle, property, and life insurance. The company is planning to host information sessions about becoming an Allstate agent in Jacksonville, Orlando, St. Petersburg, and other cities.

Illinois-based Allstate currently operates about 1,000 offices throughout Florida, where the company operates as Castle Key Insurance Company and Castle Key Indemnity Company.

In addition to the company's expansion plans in Florida, Allstate also is planning to open another 120 offices in California and 140 offices in Texas.

Florida's loss could soon be California's gain, as the state plans to compete for unwanted high-speed rail funding, which if received would create many new Los Angeles government jobs and other positions throughout the state.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is planning to apply for all of the $2.43 billion in federal funding that was recently turned down by the State of Florida and offer a 20 percent state match.

California has already received $5.5 billion in federal funding to use on high-speed rail, which will create more than 100,000 jobs. If the state receives the funding that Florida declined, it could create an additional 64,000 jobs.

That funding would be used to complete the framework of a statewide high-speed rail system that would stretch from Merced to Bakersfield. It also would give the state the option of building further north toward the Bay Area or further south to the Tehachapi Mountains.

"California has proven that it can and will lead the nation with a vision of true high-speed rail," Curt Pringle, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors, said in a statement. "Every mile of track laid in the Central Valley represents another step toward realizing a statewide system to connect north and south, which will bring private investment, job creation, and economic strength to California."

Members of the Merced and Bakersfield communities, senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and Gov. Jerry Brown have all come out in support of the state's move to apply for the extra funding.

When the entire project is complete, California hopes to have an 800-mile high-speed rail system that will travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour. The system will connect all of the major urban areas throughout the state, including the Bay Area, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

The first part of that project, which will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim, will cost about $43 billion. Construction on that project is expected to begin in 2012.

Even though the local economy is recovering, younger people will have a harder time finding Phoenix sales jobs (Click here) and other temporary positions this summer.

The most recent Teen Summer Employment Outlook from Challenger Gray & Christmas found that there will be fewer employment opportunities for teenagers looking for work this summer.

In fact, the report predicts that summer hiring will see very little improvement over last year, when teenage job seekers faced the worst job market in decades. Between the summer of 2009 and the summer of 2010, employment among 16 to 19-year olds decreased by 17.5 percent.

This year's negative outlook is mainly due to the budget deficits that many local, state, and federal government agencies are facing.

"Any teen hiring gains achieved in the slowly improving private sector could be offset by losses in the public sector, where teenagers often find summer employment as camp counselors, lifeguards, office assistants, laborers and clerks," CEO John A. Challenger said in a statement.

"If gasoline prices continue to rise, typical private-sector teen employers, such as amusement parks, hotels and resorts, landscapers and other businesses that suffer when energy costs increase, could also cut back seasonal hiring plans," he added.

However, there is still some hope for teenage summer job seekers, as many employers will still need extra help. The key to finding a position this year will be starting your job search early.

That's because competition for any available job will tough, as teenagers not only compete with their peers for positions, but in some cases with older workers as well.