An economic slowdown appears to have affected job-fillers as much as job-seekers.
About 59 percent of hiring managers said “a shortage of qualified workers” was their primary recruiting challenge, up from about 52 percent in 2007, according to an annual employment study by staffing firm Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com.
Meanwhile, more than half of job-seekers surveyed said it’s “challenging” to find a job today.
“It’s kind of a dual hiring market taking shape,” said Joe Gonzales, vice president of Robert Half’s Baltimore region. “There are job opportunities out there for highly skilled folks, but for others the environment is a little more challenging.”
The Maryland unemployment rate in July increased to 4.6 percent from 4.2 percent in June, according to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. It’s the state’s highest rate since February 2005, when it was 4.7 percent.
There remain many openings for accounting and technology positions in the Baltimore area, Gonzales said. In the second quarter of the year, the unemployment rate for financial professionals was 1 percent, while it was 1.9 percent for software engineers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Employers have become more cautious in their hiring, looking for potential employees who have both technical and interpersonal skills, Gonzales said.
“Turnover can be a huge negative for any employer,” Gonzales said. “They’re looking for someone who can advance within the company.”
Finding those employees isn’t easy. About 60 percent of employers estimated at least 25 percent of applicants are not qualified for the job opening, according to the study. Additionally, employers said it’s taking anywhere from four to 14 weeks to fill open positions.
“With the economy being weak, a lot of really good employees are valuing job stability over greener pastures,” Gonzales said.
Lower U.S. staffing employment is another sign that employers have slowed their hiring pace and are leaving vacant jobs unfilled.
Normally, staffing employment grows during the course of the year, but from April to June of this year, temporary and contract employment was down 6.5 percent from last year, according to the American Staffing Association. It was the third consecutive quarter of year-to-year employment declines.
Though employee retention would seem to be less of a concern for employers during a shaky economy, many employers have taken measures in the past year to prevent good workers from leaving their organizations.
Employers have allowed flexible work schedules, provided funding for additional job training or certification, increased salaries and allowed telecommuting options, according to the survey.
“Businesses are operating on leaner resources and are competing to secure the intellectual capital that will drive productivity and new revenue streams,” said Matt Ferguson, chief executive officer of CareerBuilder.com. “Companies are also replacing lower-performing employees to strengthen their talent bench to prepare for a time when the economy shifts into higher gear.”
EMPLOYEE SEARCH
Average time it takes to fill the following positions:
• Senior management (CEO, CFO, CIO, VP): 14 weeks
• Director, manager, supervisor: 9.2 weeks
• Professional or technical staff member: 8.1 weeks
• Administrative, clerical staff member: 4.5 weeks
Source: Robert Half International, CareerBuilder.com
