Job Openings Up In Detroit, Mixed In GR
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- The job Web site Simply Hired last week reported a 9 percent increase in help wanted openings in early August compared to a year ago in Detroit, but a 5 percent decline from a year ago in Grand Rapids.
The number of openings in Detroit, the nation's 11th biggest market, was 56,656. The number of openings in Grand Rapids, market No. 46, was 17,026.
The Grand Rapids figure was up 9 percent from a month earlier, however. That was the top one-month increase in the country. The Detroit figure was up 3 percent from July.
Nationally, Simply Hired reported a 4.5 percent increase in job openings from July, and a 9.9 percent increase year over year.
Nationwide job competition remained at a ratio of three unemployed persons for every job openings. In both Detroit and Grand Rapids the figure is four-to-one.
For the full report, visit http://success.simplyhired.com/rs/simplyhired/images/SH_August_2012_US.pdf ort
"With nationwide job openings increasing for the third month in a row, we see an improved outlook for those who are unemployed," said Gautam Godhwani, co-founder and CEO of Simply Hired. "While there is uncertainty with the nation's slow growing economy and whether the Federal Reserve may stimulate it in the coming months, it's clear that companies across the U.S. are looking to hire in the meantime."
For the second month in a row, job openings increased in all 50 of the major metros. Grand Rapids (9 percent) and Cleveland-Akron and Salt Lake City (both 8 percent, respectively) experienced the largest increases. Metro area job competition also improved slightly for job seekers in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Houston.
Job openings increased in 14 of 18 industries in July, with hospitality (11 percent) and non-profit (9 percent) showing the largest amount of growth. Industries that decreased in job openings include retail (down 6 percent), construction, media and manufacturing (all down 2 percent).
Occupations experiencing the largest growth in job openings were law enforcement, fire and safety (15.8 percent) and engineers (excluding computer) (14.1 percent). The only occupation experiencing a decline month-over-month was educators (down 2 percent). In addition, the nation's top hiring companies continue to be healthcare-related, followed by technology and financial companies.
Simply Hired has more than 30 million unique visitors per month and provides job seekers free access to over eight million job openings from company career sites, newspapers and job boards.
