Unfortunately, the hits keep coming. In August, it was reported that the U.S. added 818,000 fewer jobs than originally thought, and these new figures didn’t include job losses. Employment in professional and business services saw the biggest adjustment. This finding is juxtaposed with continuing calls for the Federal Reserve to cut rates.
Increased Wariness
With the unemployment rate at 4.3%, a post-pandemic high, ongoing economic instability and rising prices, many wonder if they will see a salary increase or raise this year. Many also have a growing fear of unexpected layoffs. An Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey found the fear of losing a job before finding a new job has risen. This sentiment also supports the belief that the job market is becoming more competitive.
Hard to Plan Long-term
Hardly a day goes by when the news cycles don’t show another large-scale layoff. A quick scroll down the LinkedIn feed shows that it doesn’t seem to matter what industry you’re working in, no one is immune from the impact of downsizing.
Posts within the LinkedIn feed also highlight how long it is taking candidates to find a new job with many remaining unemployed or underemployed for extended periods of time. Others (32%) are choosing to quit voluntarily because of a physical, mental or emotional health condition. 30% quit with the goal of finding a job with better or more pay.
Job versus Career
Another workplace disconnects highlights that more job seekers and employees no longer view employment as a career or a career path, and few employees see a benefit to their employment other than a paycheck. A job is simply defined as work performed to support one’s needs and wants. For example, Gen Z is more likely to describe their current employment as having a job versus having a career, even more so than their Millennial and Gen X counterparts.
But there are pockets of employment where hiring managers are actively seeking candidates. At present, large numbers of hiring managers (80%) in U.S. companies with 100-500 employees are looking for more verified temporary employees, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. hiring managers by Indeed Flex. 70% report difficulties finding the right temp workers. Temporary staff is often used to reduce labor costs, fill in for absentee employees and/or to find workers for roles with specific skills for permanent work.
The ability to have fulfillment in one’s work is important no matter if you wish to work in a temporary job position or to build a path toward a long-term career.
If either of these situations apply to you, Staffing Kansas City can help. Visit our job openings page to see the current employment positions we have available. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, check back often as our job openings are updated daily.
