Summer is here (almost). It arrives officially this coming Sunday, which, coincidentally, is Father's Day.  Although I'm a proud dad, Father's Day to me is just another one of those "Hallmark Holidays" (Note to kids: iTunes gift card? Please?).

But whether you're a dad or not, summer's impending arrival leads to thoughts of vacations and long weekends.

Now, here are some happy work-related thoughts for your Monday to help boost your job search:

Job market continues to show signs of reawakening. The number of initial unemployment claims dropped yet again last week to 601,000, beating analysts' expectations. Meanwhile, the federal government reported increases in job openings from March to April in three notable industry sectors: professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and government.

Green light for green jobs. Looking for a growing sector of the economy that could keep you employed for quite a few years? There's a noticeable boom in "green collar" workers, essentially anyone in and around efforts to conserve energy, recycle, generate new energy sources, and develop and market environmentally friendly products. According to a study from the non-profit Pew Charitable Trusts, the "clean-energy economy" grew 9.1 percent between 1998 and 2007 to 777,000 jobs, and is poised to continue growing significantly with financial support from the public and private sectors.

Solar shines on Saginaw. If you live in Saginaw, Michigan, a city that's been battered by the downturn in the U.S. auto industry, this is great news. According to this report from CNN.com, Saginaw has a rising bright spot that will add as many as 400 jobs at a plant that already employs 1,600. Hemlock Semiconductor, historically a maker of silicon wafers for computer chips, has been making silicon for solar panels since 2000. Their solar product line has been overtaking the company's sales to the computer industry and accounting for nearly all of its growth plans.

Happy Monday!

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