Good News for Job Hunters: Where to Look for Employment Opportunities

Guest post by Alexis Bonari

It can be difficult and disheartening for job seekers to sift through statistics in hopes of finding positive numbers. The 2008-2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics projections are optimistic, but it’s tough to believe that things will be looking up in eight years and it’s even harder to take specific predictions seriously. What may be surprising is that there’s a different place to look for current employment trends and opportunities: job search engines. Many of them keep track of which industries post the most job listings, and it’s also relatively easy to keep an eye on which job openings are filled. Simply Hired has a blog with frequent posts about job trends that can keep you updated on which employment sectors, metro areas, and companies are doing the most hiring.

Top Hiring Industries and Companies for July

The retail industry was up 36% for July, with companies like GNC and Staples topping the list for consistent hiring. In New York, Macy’s was on the top ten hiring list for July and Lowe’s was a major hiring force in Dallas-Fort Worth. Banks, specifically Wells Fargo and Bank of America, as well as IBM did some extensive hiring.  Industries with many job openings and few applicants tended to be in physical and occupational therapy, with physical therapist assistants and physical therapists needed in metro areas like Boston, Dallas, Miami, and Seattle. The hospitality industry is growing quickly and is relatively uncompetitive, so jobs like hotel, motel, and resort clerks were ready to be filled and should continue to present opportunities. By keyword, office positions ranked highly in July’s job postings, so openings for administrative assistants, human retargets professionals, receptionists, customer service representatives, and general office-related jobs were relatively abundant. For the fall months like September, youth pastors and youth counselors will continue to be in demand with the start of the school year. 

Best and Worst Metro Areas for Employment Opportunities

The majority of the top five metro areas for employment have remained static since May, suggesting that these areas will continue to hire consistently. Burlington (VT) and Plattsburgh (NY) topped the list, followed by El Paso, Paducah (KY), Cape Girardeau (MO), Harrisburg (IL), D.C., Des Moines, and Ames (IA). The areas with the bleakest employment outlooks were Fresno, Visalia (CA), Harlingen, Weslaco, Brownsville, McAllen (TX), Youngstown (OH), Las Vegas, and Detroit. To stay current on employment trends, check back with us and keep an eye on job search sites for updates.

About the Author:
Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She often can be found blogging about education and scholarships for college. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.