SO, HOW IS TODAY’S JOB MARKET?

​For many, not so great. For others, it’s terrific – they still have their job, got promoted, or landed a new one!
 
There is no question that if you follow the federal government’s, monthly ‘unemployment rate,’ the percentages have dropped to (supposedly) the lowest point in recorded history. Presently, 3.6% of Americans are unemployed through May 2019. Really? There are several different formulas the government could use, however generally the one provided to the media, etc. is the lowest percentage of those truly unemployed and those actively looking for work. I have greater trust in other formulas at their disposal.

​I do not believe that percentage is as accurate as it could be since, for instance, it does not include the large group that have simply given-up their career search campaign for now. That said, comparing this month, quarter, and year to last month’s, quarter’s, and year’s percentage one can see either an upward, downward, or stagnant trend. That, I believe, is the way to best analyze those numbers / percentages.
 
In November of 2008, the ‘unemployment rate’ was 6.1%, the highest in 14 years. The ‘underemployment rate’ was 11.8%, the highest in 14 years. At the end of May 2019, the unemployment rate was 3.6% with ~25 million more added to the American population since 2008. What does this mean to you as you look for a new position? We’ve gone from, what most would consider, a lousy job market into a very tight job market. It’s estimated that there are about 1.5 million more job openings than people on unemployment insurance! Amazing!! But as a job seeker, nothing has changed. It is still very difficult to land that Job Offer...same church, different pew.
 
Let’s get back to the basics which have proven, over time, to always work. First, a great resume and cover letter (email, these days) to gain interviews. Great interviewing to gain Job Offers. Then, how fair is the Job Offer? Statistically, less than 15% of all possible positions are posted, leaving ~85% invisible, yet the average, American job seeker spends 100% of their job seeking time on those online job boards. What’s the definition of ‘insanity?’
 
The resumes I see today could have been written in 1950...terrible. Interviewing? Those haven’t changed in centuries – they are still boring interrogations that neither party really enjoys, nor gets the best information they all need to make a good decision. Insanity?
 
Find an experienced, certified professional that has been that hiring authority and not in a former position that could only screen, or deny you moving forward in the process. There are not many out there, but you can find them if you ask the right questions. People need help. Even professional athletes have coaches, so why not you, and your future and that of your family depends upon your success!