In order to effectively control the spread of HIV in the United States, prevention efforts need to target individuals already living with HIV (Baskin, Braithwaite, Eldred, & Glassman, 2005). This is consistent with the emphasis placed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on the need to prevent new infections by working with people already diagnosed with HIV (CDC, 2003). This is important because some HIV-positive individuals continue to engage in behaviors that could transmit HIV infection. (Gordon, Forsyth, Stall, & Cheever, 2005).

There is reason to believe that religiosity may promote safer sex practices. The limited literature on this topic provides support for the inclusion in prevention programs of what have been described as "other-sensitive" motivators for practicing safe sex (Nimmons & Folkman, 1999). In a qualitative study of sexually active gay men, a large majority of both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals reported engaging in safer sexual practices because of their desire to protect others based on their own personal ethical or moral beliefs (Nimmons & Folkman, 1999). For many in the sample, their prosocial values were directly related to a reported spiritual commitment in their lives. Moreover, the importance of concern for others' welfare is stressed by virtually all of the world's major religions (Koenig, McCullough, & Larson, 2001), providing a basis for an association between religiosity and prosocial behaviors like protecting one's sexual partners from HIV infection.

Studies examining the relationship between religiosity and sexual behaviors more generally (i.e., outside the HIV-risk context) have found that individuals who attend religious services more often are less likely to be sexually active, and if active, have fewer sexual partners and less frequent sexual intercourse (Lefkowitz, Gillen, Shearer, & Boone, 2004). Other studies that use different measures of religiosity have found similar results. For example, individuals who report having a religious affiliation have fewer sexual partners than those with no affiliation (Rowatt & Schmitt, 2003). These results suggest that religiosity may deter individuals from engaging in behaviors that could transmit HIV infection.

Religion is a dominant force in the lives of people in the United States (Fuller, 2001), including populations at risk for HIV. For example, data from the 1991-2000 General Social Surveys indicate that gay men (a major group affected by HIV in the United States) report a similar frequency of church attendance as male heterosexuals (3.21 and 3.28, respectively, with 0 signifying never and 8 signifying almost every day). Attendance among female heterosexuals was higher (3.90). In addition, gay men do not differ in their frequency of prayer from female heterosexuals (the most devout group; 4.76 and 4.80, respectively, with 1 signifying never and 6 signifying several times a day), whereas male heterosexuals (4.48) do not differ from gay males but have lower rates than female heterosexuals (Sherkat, 2002).

Among African Americans, a population disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS (CDC, 2005), high levels of both church attendance and prayer are reported. Data from the National Survey of Black Americans found that, among the more than 90% of African Americans who report attending religious services as an adult (in addition to weddings and funerals), about 70% state that they attend services at least a few times a month (Taylor, Chatters, & Levin, 2004). Several national surveys have also consistently found that overall 80% of African Americans report praying several times a week (Taylor et al., 2004). Similarly, among Latinos religion plays an important role, although the level of religious involvement (such as church attendance or membership in church groups) by Latinos does vary, depending on their specific denominational affiliation (Hunt, 2000).

Given the role that religion plays in the lives of so many people, including major subgroups infected with HIV, and religion's potential in motivating prosocial behavior, it is important to examine how religiosity is related to HIV risk behaviors. Moderate to high levels of religiosity among people with HIV, together with an association between religiosity and risk, would suggest largely untapped methods of promoting safer sexual behavior among people with HIV. Possibilities include linking such behavior to religious values or promoting sexual safety through churches.

In addition to examining religiosity's relation to HIV-related risk behaviors, it is also important to examine how these behaviors may be associated with particular religious denominational affiliations. Religiosity and denominational affiliation need to be examined separately because they measure different constructs. An individual's denominational affiliation usually provides limited information about that person's religiosity because denominations include people with markedly different levels of devotion (Koenig et al., 2001).

Be Prepared for a Little More Competition

College seniors over the past several years have been greeted by healthy labor markets. It took several years after the college labor market crashed in January 2001 to regain its health. However, the last two years were witness to expanding opportunities between 12 percent and 16 percent. Many have anticipated a strong market for the class graduating in 2006 and 2007. The college career fairs are packed with employers, employers are requesting more on-campus interview schedules, and Internet job services boast of record numbers of listings. With expectations running high, many observers were surprised when the results from Michigan State University's annual recruiting survey indicated that overall employment opportunities would expand by only 5 percent this year.

What's the story?

This article reviews the findings from Recruiting Trends 2006-2007 recently released by MSU. Readers will encounter an interesting situation, something statisticians call a bimodal distribution, in which we have two groups of employers behaving very differently in the market. One group (42 percent of the sample) is increasing hiring at a significant pace while another equal-sized group is decreasing hiring at a significant pace. Fortunately, those employers who will be hiring will do so at a greater rate than employers are decreasing their hiring from last year.

Labor Market Outlook

Optimism about the strength of the college labor market reached the highest level since 1999 and 2000, based on ratings provided by employers. The following graph shows that the 2006-07 average of 3.29 (good to very good) compared favorably to the robust labor markets of the late 1990s. This optimism was shared by numerous economic sectors, including retail, health services, construction, and finance and insurance. The manufacturing, information and arts respondents were not quite as positive.

Various factors were shaping the labor market this year, including the fall elections, as well as the upcoming 2008 presidential election, the cost of doing business, and economic shifts in the economy. Uncertainty slows and may even stop employers from hiring, and the fall elections interjected plenty of uncertainty. Employers were concerned about political action in areas such as immigration, taxes, and trade that may impact their ability to remain competitive. Costs related to doing business have risen, especially health care, cost of living adjustments, and costs for supplies and materials. Fortunately, inflation has remained manageable and energy prices have abated, allowing employers to consider hiring. The biggest concerns center on the slowdown in housing and retail. The housing sector, including mortgage refinancing and construction, has driven much of the economic growth during the past five years. The contraction in this sector is expected to ripple to other sectors that supply inputs (windows, insulation, and equipment) to housing. Retail, a driving force in the expansion of opportunities over the past three years, is pulling back. Consumer spending has been cautious in recent months, a trend that has retailers anticipating less growth in the next year.

Two factors caught our attention. First, employers reported the availability of experienced labor in the market that was more appealing than inexperienced college graduates. The second factor is the attitude of new college graduates.

Regarding the labor supply, there are three contributing sources: (1) dislocated labor from manufacturing and other businesses that have been downsizing or outsourcing production; (2) recent graduates who entered the workforce when the availability of opportunities was limited and who are looking for new positions; (3) and new retirees who really do not want to leave the workforce.

Employers find these individuals attractive because they are easier to train, can quickly contribute to the company's bottom line, and are more committed to working.

This connects to the second factor - the attitude of new college graduates. As one respondent said, "Culturally, this generation feels a sense of entitlement, and we are seeing a trend in lack of dependability and effort to strive for excellence in every task, not just those that are important."

Hiring Intentions

More than 50 percent of respondents indicated that they had definite plans to hire college graduates this year. Another 20 percent had made preliminary plans to hire college graduates this year. About 23 percent were still uncertain about their hiring at this time due to uncertainty in the economy.

The real question is whether the hiring indicated by employers will increase, remain at the same level, or decrease from last year. By comparing this year's hiring levels with the actual levels from last year, we can identify the number of firms and organizations that will increase or decrease hiring. It is this calculation that produced a bimodal grouping of employers. The number of employers increasing their hires is offset by an equal number who are decreasing hiring, with only a few firms remaining at the same level as last year. Approximately 42 percent will cut the number of positions they will attempt to fill compared to last year. The level of cuts will range from 1 to 450. Forty-two percent will add more positions compared to last year. The number of positions to be added range from 1 to 2,525.