(This report comes from Robert Half International, the professional staffing services company headquartered in Menlo Park. Tips for professional job seekers in Alameda County are included. For more information consult the Robert Half website.)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on Friday that the economy added 96,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate dipped down 0.2 percentage points to 8.1 percent.
Since the beginning of the year, employment growth has averaged 139,000 jobs per month. In August, employment growth was recorded in food services and drinking places, professional and technical services, as well as in health care.
Despite the mixed numbers, we’re seeing two dual job markets emerge.
There is the general unemployment rate which currently sits at 8.1 percent, and there’s the unemployment rate for college-degreed workers which held in August at 4.1 percent. The labor market for this segment of the workforce remains vital. T
his is particularly true in high-demand fields that require both a college degree and specialized training, such as information technology (IT), law, accounting and finance, social media, marketing and healthcare.
Although 12.5 million Americans were unemployed in August, many employers continue to struggle with finding qualified workers.
In fact, according to our recently released Q4 2012 Robert Half Professional Employment Report, more than 60 percent of California executives cited challenges in recruiting skilled talent for the positions they’re looking to fill – particularly in technology and finance.
In Alameda County specifically, we’re seeing strong demand for:
- Staff Accountants
- Billing and Credit Analysts
- Data Base Analysts, and
- Java Developers in HealthCare, Consumer Goods and Professional Services.
As the economy continues to regain its foothold, we anticipate an uptick in hiring as more companies look at ways to market themselves to attract new candidates and retain key members of their team as they position their organization for growth in the coming months.
