If you're a job seeker, then you probably follow employment news pretty closely. You probably already know that the
economy added 192,000 jobs in February, and you've likely read
the surveys that suggest
hiring will pick up this year. What you might
not know, though, is where the heck all these job openings are.
We know that you're wondering this because, here at TheWorkBuzz we get asked, "Where are the jobs?" almost every day.
In the past, we've answered this question by analyzing data from sources like the BLS, CareerBuilder job postings and third-party surveys. And, as phenomenal as we'd like to think our manual analysis has always been, a high-tech tool will now help us more easily and accurately tell you where the jobs are.
CareerBuilder’s new Supply and Demand Portal will pull data from national employment resources such as CareerBuilder.com, Wanted Analytics and Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc., accessing more than 45 million jobs, 40 million résumés and 140 million worker profiles. Then, based on the number of available jobs and available candidates, the portal identifies occupations and corresponding markets with the greatest supply and under-supply of candidates. (We're good, but we're not
that good.)
The following is sample data from the Supply and Demand Portal, from industries where there is a growing gap in the number of workers needed to fill job openings.
1. Nurse practitioner — .23 active job seekers for every position
Baby boomers begin to turn 65 this year, which will have twofold implications on the health care industry. First, it means that a large part of the population will begin to retire at a faster rate, leaving jobs to fill in health care. At the same time, the country's aging population will have a greater need for health care services.
2.
Database administrator — .26 active job seekers for every position
Most companies long ago traded their file cabinets and paper trails for database systems, but the digital information just keeps piling up. Demand is high for workers who can not only manage this flood of data, but who can extract necessary information from it.
3. IT security — .59 active job seekers for every position
In the last year alone, companies like Google, AT&T and Gawker Media have fallen victim to hackers. Employers aren't taking any chances with their network security.
4. E-mail marketer — .69 active job seekers for every position
Right now, your e-mail inbox is probably clogged with newsletters, coupons and promotions from every company you've ever shopped with. Because you're inundated with dozens of these e-mail messages each day, there's high demand for e-mail marketers who can create eye-catching, engaging messages that make recipients actually want to click "open" instead of "delete."
5. Financial adviser — 1.2 active job seekers for every position
Post-recession, Americans have a new appreciation for the value of a dollar, and people are concerned with building their emergency funds and getting retirement accounts back on track. As baby boomers start to retire, the need for financial advisers will become that much more urgent.
6. Environmental engineer – 1.25 active job seekers for every position
You've heard of blue collar job and white collar jobs, but "green collar" jobs are currently one of the country's hottest employment areas. In addition to a national trend toward the environmentally and eco-friendly, a variety of government initiatives introduced last year — like the $2.3 billion clean energy program and the $2 billion in loans given to emerging solar power companies — have contributed to substantial job growth in the green jobs sector.
7. Sales engineer — 1.72 active job seekers for every position
Salespeople directly contribute to a company's bottom line, so is it any wonder that these roles are some of the first that rebounding companies are looking to fill? Sales engineers take the role one step further, managing more complex deals and partnerships, and providing customer service along the way.
8. Social media manager – 1.78 active job seekers for every position
According to a report by research firm eMarketer.com, 80 percent of U.S. businesses with more than 100 employees plan to make social media a part of their marketing campaigns this year. Social media managers monitor user engagement, create content and analyze metrics for platforms like corporate blogs, and Facebook and Twitter accounts.
9. Compliance analyst – 2.52 active job seekers for every position
Post-recession, companies are being held under greater scrutiny and must meet with more stringent local, federal and state regulations. Organizations — in particular health care and financial firms – need people who can understand relevant laws and help in establishing policies and training programs for employees.
10. Writer (technical and other) – 3.31 active job seekers for every position
As technology gets more complex, someone has to explain its nuances to users. Technical writers clarify new products, upgrades and features in user manuals, brochures and online help centers.
Thoughts on this new tool? Let us know in the comments section, below.
Or, perhaps a better question is: Who doesn't want to be the boss? In addition to higher pay, managers typically experience more power, prestige and freedom than their junior-level counterparts.
