Jobless? These 10 intriguing offers could help.

More Americans filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week than at any time since mid-May.

From a low of 605,000 at the beginning of June, the total jobless claims now stands at 627,000, the US Department of Labor reported Thursday. But the numbers are volatile, which is why economists pay more attention to the four-week moving average, which did tick up, but only very slightly.

In our attempt to help, Monitor staffers every week comb the job listings in search of interesting places to work. The most intriguing openings we found this week are in Avondale, La.; Exeter, R.I.; Mobile, Ala.; Minneapolis; Doylestown, Pa.; Sacramento, Calif.; Red Bank, N.J.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Fort Myers, Fla.; and Stockton, Calif.

Among them: the perfect job to handle all those gas-guzzling clunkers that are likely to pile up at car dealerships this summer. Here's the list:

1. Shipfitter
Employer: Northrop Grumman Corporation
Wages/salary: Not listed
Details: Use tools to fabricate and assemble metal parts for the construction of modular units utilized in the various stages of building a marine vessel. (For more information click here.)
Location: Avondale, La. (pop. 5,441; median family income $37,250) is home to the Northrop Grumman shipyard, which is Louisiana’s largest manufacturing employer with over 6,000 employees.

2. Vehicle condition report writer
Employer: Ocean State Auto Auction
Wages/salary: Not listed
Details: Identify damage, missing parts, and mechanical problems by inspecting all customer vehicles at time of receipt (interior, exterior, odometer reading, tire condition, etc.). Also prepare selected vehicles for Internet postings by taking digital pictures and writing condition reports. (For more information click here.)
Location: Exeter, R.I. (pop. 6,045; median family income $74,157) is located in the southern rural part of the Ocean State, where one of the little known attractions is the Yawgoo Valley Ski Area. Despite a very modest elevation, locals say it’s the number of runs you make, not their length, that counts.

3. Bridge tender
Employer: CSX Corporation
Wages/salary: $18.53 to $21.93 and hour
Details: Operate and maintain bridges to ensure the safe passage of water traffic and trains for a Fortune 500 freight transportation company. (For more information click here.)
Location: Mobile, Ala. (pop. 198,915; median family income $39,752) boasts of being the home of America's newest cruise terminal and the future home of the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf.

4. Feed ingredient trader
Employer: Agro Quality Search, Inc.
Wages/salary: Not listed
Details: Trade feed ingredient products with feed, food, and pet companies for a well established Midwest agricultural trading company. (For more information click here.)
Location: Minneapolis (pop. 382,618; median family income $48,602) has more golfers per capita than any city in the country, according to 50states.com.

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