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Few would deny that our nation’s economy has picked up.

The housing market has gained traction, gasoline prices are falling and more people are landing jobs, although work is still hard to come by for some.

But if you’re willing to think a little outside the box, employment opportunities are out there, according to a recent article in Kiplinger. And we’re not talking about a Realtor who suddenly gets the urge to sell insurance.

No, we’re going further afield than that.

How about a professional sleeper? Yep, you heard that right. There are actually people who get paid to sleep. But before you get too excited, I should warn you that there are plenty of others clamoring for that same job, so the competition might be fierce. How fierce? In one case, a single applicant was chosen out of 7,800 people who applied for the same position. READ MORE AT SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States overall, but a new report finds that cancer remains the number one killer of U.S. Hispanics.

Hispanics now make up over 17 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In a new report, the American Cancer Society predicts that nearly 126,000 new cancers will be diagnosed among Hispanics this year and an estimated 38,000 will die from the disease.

Although overall cancer rates are 20 percent lower among Hispanics compared with whites and cancer death rates are 30 percent lower, cancer is still the biggest killer among Hispanics, said cancer society epidemiologist Kim Miller, one of the authors of the report. READ MORE AT WEBMD

When NxStage Medical Inc. realized Spanish-speaking people made up 15 percent of the market for its home kidney dialysis equipment, the company created a website and brochures printed in Spanish.

NxStage, which started its marketing campaign to Hispanics a year ago, has also increased its staff of Spanish-speaking customer service agents.

"If we're doing our job in the community, 15 to 20 percent of our growth would come from the Hispanic population," says Jeff Burbank, CEO of the Lawrence, Massachusetts-based company.

There are about 55 million Hispanics in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau, which reported Hispanics accounted for more than half the U.S. population growth from 2000-10. By 2060, it's expected there will be 119 million Hispanics, making up nearly 29 percent of the population. READ MORE AT ABCNEWS

Networking is one of those things we all know we need to do, but never get around to because we’re too busy doing other things. Too busy building our customer base, enhancing our brand, winning more business … but the funny thing is, networking is the route to all of these things. So we don’t put it off because we’re too busy to network, but because we’re nervous.

Walking into a room full of people and making conversation with strangers is always difficult, so of course you’re going to feel a little uncomfortable. In fact, you’ll probably wish the ground would swallow you up with the number of awkward silences you’ll encounter at first. But the thing to remember is it’ll get easier the more you do it. Nobody is a born networker and everyone gets nervous when approaching strangers in a room. READ MORE AT THE GUARDIAN

While small business loan applications submitted by Latino entrepreneurs grew 18% in the past year, Latino business owners face significant hurdles in securing financing. They still lag behind in the necessary factors needed to secure financing such as annual revenue, credit scores, age of business and operating expenses.

A study released today by Biz2Credit that analyzed the financial performance of more than 1,000 Latino-owned businesses with less than 250 employees and less than $10 million in annual revenues, found that the:

• Average annual revenue for Latino-owned businesses was $68,540, trailing slightly behind the figure of $70,641 for non-Latino-owned businesses (although an improvement from the previous year) READ MORE AT FORBES

In May, the first national study on Hispanics and their health was released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The surprising results showed that Hispanics are generally healthier and have a longer life expectancy than non-Hispanic whites, though we do have some areas to grow in.

"Although Hispanics have lower overall drinking rates compared with white non-Hispanics, when they do drink, on average they have higher rates of binge drinking," says Dr. Ken Dominguez, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC and lead author of the report. More surprising news? The study revealed that Hispanics are affected specifically by certain conditions, with high rates of obesity and diabetes contributing to the two leading causes of death: cancer and heart disease. READ MORE AT USATODAY

Chicago, IL — The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is inviting families across Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana and Southern Wisconsin to register for Scouting on September 17th at an elementary school near them and receive a free model rocket they’ll get to launch at events throughout the region a few weeks later.

The “Blast into Scouting” campaign is aimed at introducing families to the BSA’s positive and fun-focused program called Cub Scouts, which is open to boys in first through fifth grade. In Cub Scouts, boys learn leadership and life skills while participating in adventures ranging from building pinewood derby cars and assembling robots to enjoying the great outdoors and helping others through its strong focus on community service.

“I commend the Boy Scouts of America on its character and its drive to make this valuable program available to every boy. I encourage people to take advantage of this opportunity to join Scouting, as this program is an important asset in improving our communities,” said La Shawn K. Ford, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and local vice president of membership for the BSA.

Now in its second century of serving youth and families, the BSA is building off its first hundred years by incorporating more science, engineering, and technology-based programs to reach even more young people. Presenting new members with their own rockets and a platform to launch them is just one of many examples of Scouting’s forward- thinking programs.

Regional Scouting Executive Fred Wallace said, “We are thrilled with the support we’ve received from so many schools and educators and are truly indebted to our campaign partners and sponsors; Trails-End Popcorn-a division of Weaver popcorn, and the University of Illinois Chicago, which both recognize the importance of instilling fundamental principles in young people.”

Thousands of BSA volunteers will be in local elementary schools from 7-8 p.m. on September 17th to answer questions, register new members and hand out free model rockets and an invitation to launch them. It costs $32 to join Scouting but all boys can become Scouts regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

Interested families should visit BlastIntoScouting.org to find a local participating school or to register for Scouting online. Those who sign up online by September 17th will also receive a free model rocket.

*Media is invited to the launch parties. Please view the attached flyer for a list of launch times and locations. Contact Marketing and Public Relations Director Kate Jacobs at Kate.Jacobs@Scouting.org if you plan to attend.

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness.

For over a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes — and, through over a century of experience, knows — that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society.

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A Hispanic entrepreneur with humble beginnings has taken the helm as CEO of United Airlines after the head of the airline company was forced to resign on Tuesday.

Oscar Muñoz, a railroad executive and head of United's audit committee, is a trailblazing executive who has twice been named as "100 Most Influential Hispanics" by Hispanic Business magazine.

The California native is the oldest of nine children and has said that he pushed for all siblings to attend and graduate college. Muñoz graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in business administration, and he received a master's in business administration from Pepperdine University. READ MORE ON FOX NEWS LATINO

In 2011, I stressed that mobile was a must for reaching U.S. Hispanics. Back then, few brands were proactively targeting U.S. Hispanics on their mobile devices despite the growing evidence that Hispanics were becoming mobile first consumers.

Today, a mobile strategy is an essential component of any marketing plan striving to connect with the 55 million Hispanics in the U.S. that spend over $1.5 trillion per year.

Here’s why:

1. U.S. Hispanics are mobile dominant

Relative to the general market, U.S. Hispanics have embraced mobile technology at higher rates. It won’t be long before the majority of U.S. Hispanics favor using their smartphones to go online. READ MORE ON MEDIAPOST

Now's the time to focus your efforts.

Recruiting picks up in the fall. Employers are back from vacation mode. They see their end-of-year targets and if they are behind, they have to hire now to hit goal. They have three quarters’ worth of budget data, and if there is salary money still to be allocated, they have to hire now or possibly lose the headcount in the next year. So there are multiple reasons why the fall is a great time to prioritize your job search activity if you’ve slacked off or gotten discouraged during the summer. Here are 4 tips to jump start your job search for the fall season:

Savor the summer

Yes, as people come back to the busy fall they pine for their summer. Use the after-summer glow to engender good feelings... READ MORE AT TIME

White or Asian men are the typical employees in major US technology firms, and this has changed little since the first wave of "diversity reporting" last year.

Workforce data provided by companies was global regarding gender and limited to the United States regarding ethnicity.
GOOGLE was overall 70 percent male in January 2015, a make-up unchanged from the previous year. When it came to purely technology jobs, the percentage of men rose to 82.

Some 60 percent of Google employees were white, while about 31 percent were said to be Asian.
The Internet giant stepped up recruitment of blacks and Hispanics last year, but their share of the workforce remained unchanged at two and three percent respectively. Google said that it has ramped up university recruitment and is devoting $150 million this year to improving diversity.

APPLE increased last year's hiring of women, blacks and Hispanics by more than 50 percent, adding a total of 15,900 positions in a new record for the world's biggest technology company, according to chief executive Tim Cook, who maintained that there was "a lot more work to be done." READ MORE AT PHYS.ORG

Women, blacks, Asians and Hispanics have built up substantial positions as business owners in several sectors of the U.S. economy. But based on revenue, those businesses are on average considerably smaller than white- or male-owned firms, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Overall, men owned more than half of the nation’s 27.6 million firms in 2012, according to preliminary results from the Survey of Business Owners, and women owned more than 9.9 million businesses, about 36% of the total. The remaining 10% of firms were either jointly owned by men and women or could not be categorized by gender because they were publicly traded companies or have... READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Have you put your job search on hold for the summer? As kids return to school and hiring managers end their vacations, it's time to get your hunt into high gear. Here are six things you should be doing, especially at this time of year:

1. Treat every day as a new opportunity for a fresh start. If you are looking backward with a tinge of guilt for sitting at the beach when you know you could have been working more productively to advance your career, give yourself permission to let it go. Recognize that every day presents new opportunities, and resolve to put in maximum effort from today onward.

2. Get support from your family. As schedules move into fall mode, this is a good time for a family conversation about your own needs for time to concentrate on getting a job. READ MORE AT U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Networking is a critical and noteworthy skill that is overlooked by many professionals until they are seeking another job. ButWaiting until you want to change jobs or have been laid off is often too late, and many of your contacts, whether they are ones you met in person or online through LinkedIn or Facebook, might take offense.

Viewing networking as a reciprocal relationship is paramount, because individuals need to offer insight or provide contacts in their network to others instead of relying on making a request, said Robin Marks, associate director for the counseling and programming team at the University of Delaware in Newark.

Networking relationships should be cultivated “all the time,” because even if you are not searching actively for a job, as you develop relationships you also find mentors and people who are familiar with your industry, trends and professional organizations, she said. READ MORE AT THE STREET

If the U.S. Hispanic market were its own country, the nation would rank as the 13th largest global economy, said Emmanuel Laroche, vice-president of marketing and consumer insights, North America, for Symrise, Inc., Teterboro, N.J.

Mr. Laroche served as the leadoff presenter at the 2015 “Sabor in America,” a symposium sponsored by Symrise to offer insights into the Latino influence in food and beverage markets. The event was held in July to coincide with the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting and food exposition in Chicago. In his talk, Mr. Laroche melded data about Hispanics with insights and questions about how food and beverage companies should think about the changing demographic environment. READ MORE AT FOOD BUSINESS NEWS

If you're a recent graduate or returning to the workforce, you should consider brushing up on your networking skills.

At networking events, remember that you're all in the same boat. Everyone is there specifically to network. They all have the same goals as you: to find people with whom they can potentially craft win-win partnerships. Use this concept to boost your confidence.

Dress for success. When you RSVP for an event, inquire about the dress code if that information has not been provided. Make sure to wear professional-looking clothing.

Talk to the man or woman in the mirror. Before you attend a networking event, practice introducing yourself in front of a mirror. Enunciate your name loudly and slowly enough that people can hear it clearly. Smile as you speak. Before you enter the event space, do a final check of your appearance. READ MORE AT TribLIVE

Earning a college degree is supposed to be a pathway to higher wages, greater wealth and protection from economic shocks. But for millions of African American and Hispanic graduates, higher education has failed to serve as a buffer against financial crises.

A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that while college-educated African Americans and Hispanics had more assets than those without degrees, grads typically fared worse in the face of financial turmoil.

College graduation and home ownership rates among both of those minority groups have soared during the past two decades, delivering more African American and Hispanic families into the middle class. Yet a crippling economic recession erased much of those gains for many families, who remain mired in debt and struggling to reverse the devastation. READ MORE AT WASHINGTON POST

Businesses owned by women in Texas are growing at more than twice the rate of all firms nationwide. While visiting the Big Apple last month, I was proud to note that Texas already beats New York — not only in the number of women-owned businesses, but also in the revenue and jobs they create.

Realtor Monica McNabb of San Marcos knew she needed additional capital to reach the next level, but finding a lender willing to lend to a young startup was a challenge.

Now a successful real estate broker and owner of McNabb & Co., recognized as an Emerging Business of the Year by the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, Monica is celebrating six years in business along with her team of 14 agents. A mother of two girls, Monica also teaches entrepreneurship and real estate finance at the McCoy College of Business Administration at Texas State University, hoping to inspire more young women to join the 825,400 women business owners in Texas. READ MORE AT SETEXASRECORD

Whether you're just starting out in your career or you're looking to move on from your current position, finding the right job isn't always easy.

If you're fortunate enough to have multiple job offers to choose from, it can be challenging and stressful to decide which one is the right fit, especially with all the different factors that go into each job offer. From salary and benefits to company culture and career advancement possibilities, there's a lot to consider.

So, how do you choose the right job without worrying if you've made the wrong decision? READ MORE AT BUSINESS NEWS DAILY

Amazing news on this year's Women's Equality Day: The number of companies owned by Latinas has soared in the past several years, despite the fact that the overall growth rate of new businesses has stalled.

The number of companies owned by Latinas rose 87 percent between 2007 and 2012 to 1.48 million, WSJ reports. Business owned by African-American women increased by 68 percent during the same period, and Asian women saw a 44 percent growth.

Overall, the total number of U.S. companies increased by two percent, and the number of women-owned businesses rose 27 percent during the same period.

Some believe that the numbers increased so dramatically because women of color had a bigger necessity to start their own businesses because of job losses during the recession. READ MORE AT LATINA