Q1 2009 Job Trends Released

In Q1 of 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed an increase in the unemployment rate from 8.1 to 8.5 percent between January 1 and March 31, meaning more people vying for a limited number of positions.  Simply Hired investigated job trends by geography, industry and demand among job seekers to see what job seekers were looking for and where.

The Q1 job trends report found:

• Job searches are up in Chicago (job seekers up 15 percent), San Francisco and the Bay Area (job seekers up 15 percent), Boston (job seekers up 17 percent), Milwaukee and Washington D.C.
• The most competitive job listings are for positions related to project management, graphic design, financial analysis, staff accounting and business analysis.
• The least competitive jobs are for sales associates, sales representatives and dental assistants.

In addition, the top active job listings included keywords such as “part-time,” “sales,” “accounting” or “finance.” Available jobs in Washington D.C. were up by 14 percent, with a smaller, yet still positive five percent upswing of available jobs in Boston and San Diego.