A research firm in Vegas is expanding and looking to hire for research jobs in Vegas.

Precision Opinion, an independent research firm, is expanding and hiring for hundreds of jobs, 200 to be exact.

The jobs will center around call center research.

Earlier this year the company doubled its staff by adding hundreds of jobs in Las Vegas. Now the firm has an immediate need to fill an additional 200 positions.

It now says it is one of the largest private employers in Vegas.

Precision Opinion says that for the jobs no prior experience is necessary, and the company will train all new employees so that they can live up to Precision Opinion’s high standards of excellence.

Applications are being accepted in person Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the company’s headquarters, located at 101 Convention Center Drive, Plaza 124.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our business operations in Las Vegas again. We started the year with approximately 400 employees, and this new wave of hiring will bring us close to 600. We are proud to keep and expand our business in Las Vegas, adding good jobs to the Las Vegas economy,” said Precision Opinion President Jim Medick.

Kronos has reported in a new survey that fewer people are looking for retail jobs in Vegas, among other locations across the United States.

The Kronos Retail Labor Index is a family of metrics and indices that characterize the current state of the demand and supply sides of the labor market within the U.S. retail sector.

The labor index edged up to 4.2 percent in June from a reading of 4.1 percent in May.

The retailers in the index recorded the lowest reading since October 2011. While the June reading was down, the level in May was revised up nearly 11 percent, leaving the trend over the first half of the year still solid as firms hired slightly more than 35,000 workers per month, roughly 5 percent above the average number of hires made all of last year and about 10 percent above the average level in 2010.

“The Kronos Retail Labor Index edged up one-tenth to 4.2 percent in June, reflecting sharp declines in both hires and applications from levels in May that were revised up substantially. The Retail Labor Index has averaged 4.1 percent so far this year, six-tenths above its level last year, suggesting more favorable hiring conditions for those seeking employment opportunities in the retail sector. This reflects not only reduced competition as the level of applications has fallen significantly over the last year but also some firming in hiring. Even with the drop in June, hiring remains solid compared to last year, up 7.7 percent year-to-date. Overall, we view the recent readings on hires and applications in the Kronos sample as consistent with other labor market data, which point to a still gradual recovery in the retail labor market,” said Chris Varvares, senior managing director and co-founder, Macroeconomic Advisers.

Vegas food service jobs have grown in number, according to a recent report from Simply Hired.com.

Simply Hired has reported that in June Pennsylvania jobs increased 16 percent. This is the most of all of the 50 metro areas tracked in Simply Hired’s July 2012 Employment Outlook.

Vegas jobs also increased, albeit incrementally.

The July 2012 Employment Outlook highlights the job industry and employer trends in national and regional U.S. markets.

The Outlook reports a 9.2 percent increase in nationwide job openings month-over-month and a 13.3 percent increase year-over-year. Job competition held steady at a nationwide ratio of three unemployed persons for every one job opening.

In Pittsburgh the job market also 16 percent. In Salt Lake City jobs increased 15 percent. While nationwide job competition held steady, regional competition eased up slightly. Job seekers in a number of metro areas are facing improved conditions, including those in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle & Tacoma, Tampa & St. Petersburg, Denver, Sacramento, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Raleigh & Durham, Greenville (SC), and Las Vegas.

With regards to industries, agriculture (31.6%) and non-profit (18.2%) showed the largest amount of growth. Financial services (11.5%) and real estate (11.5%) also saw noticeable increases.

Office and administrative workers (15.3%) and food workers (8.7%) saw the largest increases. Occupations experiencing the largest declines month-over-month included financial specialists and accountants (-23.2%) and military personnel (-9.1%).

“For the second month in a row we’re seeing positive growth in job openings nationwide,” said Gautam Godhwani, Co-founder and CEO of Simply Hired. “This steady increase is reflected across all the major metro areas, showing that employers have a confidence in today’s economy, which is very encouraging as we head towards the fall hiring season.”

In North Las Vegas the city jail is closing, which amounts to law enforcement jobs in Vegas being lost.

The whole jail will be closed down, according to news reports.

Prisoners are already being transferred – approximately 300 of them were already being located.

“We don’t for see any negative impact on public safety because of the fact that that was our primary focus,” Sgt. Tim Bedwell, with the North Las Vegas Police Department, told KTNV.com.

The police say budget cuts will not affect officers on the streets.

So if a criminal gets arrested in North Law Vegas, they will now go three miles farther down the road to another jail.

Now the Las Vegas jail is renting beds for the criminals that would have gone to North Las Vegas jail.

Still Las Vegas law enforcement jobs may come back, because the facility will remain as it is until better times come back.

There is no loss of face in this. We can stand up and say we’re doing the best thing for the community,” Sgt. Bedwell told the news organization. “We’re saving money, we’re keeping police officers on the streets, we’re keeping our core services and I think that’s what people want and we’ve done it.”

About 100 people will lose their jobs at the facility.

In addition, the budget crisis in North Las Vegas is affecting other sectors. The new fiscal year starts July 1, and the layoff axe will fall in other parts.

Parks and city maintenance workers could lose their jobs. People who work at the library and community centers may lose hours.