DATE: Wednesday, October 22, 1997           TAG: 9710220701

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MICHAEL CLARK, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   29 lines

DOWNSIZING IS ON DECLINE NEW POSITIONS RECRUITMENTS ARE ALSO DEVELOPING AT HAMPTON ROADS BUSINESSES.

While retail and service remain the fastest growing job categories in Hampton Roads, people with technical skills and knowledge are in demand by some of Hampton Roads' largest employers.

``In the management ranks, more than half of our hirings this year have been in the information technology and accounting areas,'' said Rick Harris, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern.

The railroad giant's needs in information technology have expanded significantly, Harris said.

``We're seeing a trend in that area as well as a trend in financial planning and resource allocation expertise,'' he said.

Most of the positions filled this year were new positions, Harris said.

Newport News Shipbuilding is recruiting candidates for 500 to 700 engineering and engineering-related jobs, spokeswoman Jerri Dickseski said.

``Most of these are newly created positions, but some are replacements,'' Dickseski said.

Old Dominion University economics professor Gilbert Yochum said the trend is also evident for college graduates in technical fields.

``You can see it here in the college labor market,'' Yochum said.

``It's as good as it's been in a long time.''

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