The bad news is that there do not seem to be any dramatic improvements in the jobs market in the near future, according to a Bloomberg BNA study. The good news, on the other hand, is it isn’t getting any worse.
According to the study, employment increases have been generated in what it call the “post-recession” period encompassing 2010 and early 2011, but the upward movement appears to have stalled at the moment.
Reports of layoffs and cutbacks are said to be at the lowest level since late 2007, a good thing.
During the past eight quarters, expansion plans for production/service workers has ranged between 21%-26%; for tech/professional employees it’s ranged between 28%-33%; and for office/clerical staff it’s ranged between 12%-19%.
Respondents reporting plans to cut back on staffing during Q4 2012 ranged from 6%-8% across all three categories.
In many cases, employers are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill certain positions; office/clerical is easiest, with 11% of openings falling into that category. It rises significantly for tech/professional (24%) and particularly for tech/professional (47%).
