Monday October 12, 2009

The number of job seekers competing for every job opening is at the highest since the recession began, but it’s worse than you think in many areas. The Labor Department reported 6.3 unemployed workers for every job opening. The number was 1.7 in December 2007.

It’s just an average. It’s better in some locations, and a lot worse in others. Indeed’s Unemployed Per Job Posting graph shows the average number of jobs per unemployed worker for fifty U.S. cities. If you’re in Washington, DC there is 1 job for every applicant. In Tampa there are 6 unemployed workers for every open job. Detriot is at the bottom of the list at 14 to 1.

With the “good” job cities, keep in mind that even those rankings are a bit misleading, because you have to be qualified for the job to get hired and, in some industries, there are many qualified applications for each job opening.

Indeed has other tools you can use to get the bigger picture for workers in your industry. Use Indeed’s Job Trends graph to see which industries are losing jobs and which are gaining. For September, there is only one in the plus column – Education is up 21%. Construction jobs are down 38% and Media/Newspaper and Transportation tie for second place, with job postings down 36%.

To see what’s happening with the types of jobs you’re looking for enter the keyword terms that you are using to job search to get a picture of the job market in your industry or career field.

Numbers, when it comes right down to it, are only numbers. But, what’s important about them is, first, how they impact your personal job market (what is available for you to apply to) and, secondly, how they impact the hiring process. The New York Times reported recently on how candidates are being interviewed multiples times for every job they are being considered for and how it can take months to get a job offer, if you’re lucky enough to get one.

If I can give a word of advice to those who are job seeking in these challenging times, it’s to make sure you are covering all the bases when you job search and to make sure all your communications are perfect – from the job search email you send to the image you present at a job interview.

By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide to Job Searching since 1998

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Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes
800.967.3846
http://Executiveresumewriter.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/resumepro