August 2009 Vermont JobReport

(THE FOLLOWING IS COPY FROM A NEW PILOT FOR A MONTHLY JOB REPORT PRODUCED BY VERMONTTV.NET FOR JOBSINVT.COM)

The July job numbers showed positive signs that the worst of the economic downturn may be behind us. Let's start by looking at the statewide job posting numbers.

In July, the total number of openings posted on JobsInVT grew to 970, which is up nearly 12% over June. Year over year, however, job openings posted in July decreased by 36%.

161 Vermont Employers advertised job openings on JobsInVT in July, the same as in June, but up nearly 60% from January which had the lowest number for the year.

As you would expect, the number of job seeker visits to the website continues to be on the rise, increasing from 170,000 unique visits in June to 175,000 in July.

Now let's take a closer look at the job specific data. As usual, the largest number of job openings in July were in Chittenden County, which posted just over ONE THIRD of all job listings. Of interest, though is the sharp rise in jobs in Windham County, where nearly 25% of all job opportunities on JobsInVT.com were located. The steepest decline was seen in Lamoille County, which has dropped by nearly TWO THIRDS since May.

Strangely, both Salaried and Hourly positions saw slight declines in July, offset by an increase in Commission and Salary plus Commission openings increased nearly 40%. FULL TIME job openings continue to be strong, representing more than 55% of all postings, though down slightly from July. Part Time and Per Diem positions are on the rise, showing significant growth, doubling from June to July. These data points indicate that Vermont employers remain cautious.

The question on most peoples' minds, of course, is what jobs are out there? The trend over the past few months has continued, as job openings in Non Profits, Education, and Social Service sectors lead the pack. As Vermont businesses work to break out of the recession, it appears they are also investing into customer facing positiong as well, with many opportunities being posted in sales and customer service fields. On the decline in July, were Hospitality and Retail openings, down from their primary hiring season in the Spring.

A positive trend for July is the increase in Professional Services, Insurance, and finance postings. These are perhaps the strongest indicators that the tide may be turning, as they represent higher paying jobs that are dependent upon confidence in the market.

That's your JobsInVT.com JobReport for August 2009, I'm Jason Blais saying thanks for tuning in, and reminding everyone that while you're working for the things you want, to be grateful for the things you have.