The grass is looking green for job seekers these days. After being pummeled by the recession, Americans are finally seeing the winds start to change as unemployment rates continue to fall and wages rise. Couple these shifts with the ever-expanding role of technology and a massive millennial workforce, and 2016 promises to be a year of interesting changes. Here are three trends to keep your eye on.
1. Job seekers can be a little pickier.
Unemployment has hit an eight-year low (4.9%), according to the U.S. Labor Department. Many people are back to work and in addition, a good number of employers are planning to grow their workforce. In fact, 36% plan to bring on full-time permanent employees this year and 47% plan to hire temp or contract workers (from CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast). More jobs means more choices for the few unemployed and those already in jobs, meaning employers have to hustle to hire and retain the best.
What are some of the hottest areas for hiring? Check out this quick list of booming fields for job seekers:
· Customer service
· IT
· Sales
· Production
· Administrative
· Marketing
· Business Development
· HR
· Accounting/Finance
· Engineering
2. Technology continues to change the game.
From video-based hiring and onboarding to artificial intelligence, technology continues to drastically reshape the employment landscape. It’s more important than ever for employees to hone their skills and comfort level with tech. And when it comes to actually working in this industry, IT unemployment rates are all at an all-time low. Some of the most in-demand tech skills right now include IT architecture, programming/application development, project management, big data, and business intelligence/analytics (Computerworld’s 2016 Tech Forecast).
3. Workplaces adjust as millennials step in.
A major shift will continue as more and more baby boomers retire. Before long, most of workforce will be led by Gen Xers and millennials. In fact, two out of three jobs available to college grads through 2020 will be a direct result of retirement, according to Georgetown University’s Job Growth and Education Requirements report. Millennials are known for their desires for connectedness, social meaning, flexibility, transparency, and collaboration—markedly different characteristics than their predecessors. Organizations will have to become more fluid and adjust to this rapidly changing workplace.
We stay on top of these trends so you don’t have to! Want to make an employment change this month? Reach out and we’ll see what we can do to help.
