Online job postings in southeast Michigan grew 112 percent last quarter when compared to the year before, says Workforce Intelligence Network of Southeast Michigan, which tracks job postings in nine counties.
“To see the extent of the growth was exciting for us,” says Lisa Katz, executive director of the organization. “It’s indicative of a move toward economic recovery. There’s been a steady steam (of online listings) over the past year, and we expect to see more growth moving into the next quarter.”
For the fourth quarter, demand for jobs — based on online postings — more than doubled from 53,306 in 2012 to 112,940 in 2013. Wayne County led the way with 46,038 listings, up from 20,907 in 2012, followed by Oakland County, with 32,761 postings, up from 16,682 the year before.
WIN has found that there is nearly one hire for every two listings, Katz says. “This shows us that there are actual jobs out there, although we know from talking with employers that some of them actually have more jobs than they’re posting for. And then there are other who post more jobs than they hire.”
The top occupational offerings for last quarter were:
- Retail and Hospitality (28,591 postings, up 198 percent from 2012)
- Information Technology (12,498 postings, up 46 percent from 2012)
- Health care (12,427 postings, up 109 percent from 2012)
- Engineers and designers (7,014 postings, up 37 percent from 2012)
- Skilled trades and technicians (2,726 postings, up 32 percent from 2012)
Other trends that Katz has noticed include a rapidly growing IT sector and a recovering auto industry. “Generally speaking, I think all signs are pointing to a positive year,” she says.
The full report, which includes Genesee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties, can be viewed here.
WIN is a collaborative effort between eight community colleges and seven Michigan Works Agencies, in partnership with numerous other organizations, to create a comprehensive and cohesive workforce development system in Southeast Michigan that provides employers with the talent they need for success.
