Workforce Management, April 2013, p. 22-24 Subscribe Now!
Hot List 2013: Health Insurers
Hot List 2013: Recruitment Process Outsourcing Providers
Workforce Management, February 2013, p. 20 Subscribe Now!
Data Bank Focus: A Deficit of Good Jobs or a Deficit of Good Candidates?
The National Employment Law Project recently reported an imbalance in employment growth following the recent recession. Its detailed analysis of data from the U.S. Current Population Survey, produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau, shows the news is good for those in higher-wage occupations.
The drop in employment for these jobs during the recession equals the rise in employment during the recovery. It’s the recovery for mid- and lower-wage occupations that tells an interesting story. It appears that lower-wage occupations have regained a disproportionate share of employment, stealing a significant share from midwage occupations. Socalled “good jobs” have been outstripped by “poor jobs.”
Yet, while these statistics tell a tale of good jobs lost, a report from ManpowerGroup reveals a twist. Its global survey of more than 38,000 employers shows that even as the world economy struggles through the recovery, a third of employers find it difficult to fill empty positions. The U.S. figure is even higher than this global average—almost half of U.S. employers say they cannot find the talent they need for the open jobs they have. And the jobs that appear to be most difficult to fill are those in midwage occupations, with skilled trade workers, engineers and information technology staff at the top of the list.
Workforce Management, October 2012, p. 16 Subscribe Now!
Data Bank Focus: Unemployment – Not all bad news
While the national unemployment rate remained unchanged from July through September at 9.1 percent, the picture is rosier in some states and decidedly less so in others. The oil boom in North Dakota has helped keep the state’s unemployment at an unusually low 3.5 percent. Nevada unemployment, while down from 14.9 percent a year ago, has risen for the third straight month as tourism along with new construction remains sluggish.
Unfortunately, the states with low unemployment don’t make much of a dent in the nation’s overall rate because they tend to be small. For example, in North Dakota 96.5 percent of the workforce is employed, but this represents just 360,000 employed and 13,000 unemployed workers. In California, where unemployment is at 12.1 percent, close to 2.2 million workers are idle.
Data Bank Focus: Time Management
The American Time Use Survey shows a number of disparities between how women and men with children and full-time jobs spend their time on an average day. Women devote a combined three hours and 18 minutes to household activities and care for others; men spend an hour less, at 2 hours and 18 minutes. On the other hand, men work 48 minutes a day longer than women—but also enjoy an extra 48 minutes spent in leisure and sports activities. While people work more hours on weekdays, the average person puts in 5.6 hours a day on weekends and holidays, too.