Report Says No Respite for Employers and Employees Alike Due to Tough Job Market; EmploymentCrossing Tries to Renew Hope by Adding More Jobs

September 04, 2008   |    PDF version

Pasadena, CA — According to a survey conducted by International Communications Research in Media, PA, and a 2008 employment and growth report by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com, employees and employers are reporting equal challenges in the job market. The reports state that companies are having a hard time trying to recruit eligible employees, especially in the fields of technology and accounting, while job seekers are wary of losing their low-paying jobs in the tough market, even though they have to cope with rising inflation. EmploymentCrossing, the leading job board in the US, agrees that the current job market is not doing any favors for either employers or employees.

''Yes, it is true that the job market has plunged into dire straits and that all employers, recruiters, and job seekers are having a tough time making ends meet,'' says Harrison Barnes, the CEO of EmploymentCrossing. ''EmploymentCrossing is trying its best to increase its job count and has succeeded to some extent in the past few weeks. The need of the hour is to accelerate that growth even more.''

The study conducted by the two companies, which encompassed 500 recruiters and 500 workers, revealed that nearly 60 percent of hiring managers say the shortage of qualified workers is more acute, while six out of 10 employers reported that about 25 percent of applicants who are trying to land a job are unskilled in their field.

The other factor that is adding to the chaos is spiraling energy costs. 29 percent of managers said rising gas prices and commuting expenses have negatively affected their ability to attract skilled candidates, many of whom want to commute less to the office. At the same time, 63 percent of professionals are said to be more inclined to negotiate higher compensation levels than a year ago. Additionally, keeping older employees has become a concern for many employers. Some might be offered reduced work schedules as an alternative to retirement, others might be offered mediocre jobs, and the rest were likely to be offered consulting arrangements.

''The job market has definitely hit a new low this year, but there is a solution to every problem,'' says Barnes. ''EmploymentCrossing is focusing on several US states, especially the hard-hit ones, and believe it or not, has been successful in its endeavors. Over the week, the job site has managed to post more than 150,000 active new jobs in US itself. What’s most important for job seekers today is to search for jobs in the right places, as times have changed drastically.''

According to Barnes, the top job types out of the 2 million jobs listed on EmploymentCrossing’s websites are:

• Managerial jobs (204,522 jobs)
• Healthcare jobs (217,076 jobs)
• Information technology jobs (156,975 jobs)
• Engineering jobs (116,541 jobs)
• Accounting jobs (78,891 jobs)
  

''With a highly trained team of researchers who personally screen each and every job posted on EmploymentCrossing’s portals, EmploymentCrossing seeks out, edits, approves, and tracks an elite collection of jobs on an ongoing basis,'' Barnes says. ''EmploymentCrossing is not for everyone — we are exclusive and private, and only members have access to our job-opening research.''

Contact:
Mary Waldron, Editorial Coordinator
EmploymentScape
626-243-1821
maryw@employmentcrossing.com

About EmploymentCrossing

EmploymentCrossing is a powerful and comprehensive organization dedicated to helping professionals find jobs that will enhance their careers. EmploymentCrossing consists of 90+ industry-specific job boards which consolidate every job opening they can find in one convenient location. The website also offers a seven-day free trial to new members.