Good news – employers are adding more jobs. Bad news – expect more lay offs. Confusing news – unemployment numbers are flat. What does this all mean? No wonder job seekers heads are spinning. Here are some insights that should help make sense of it all.
Employers are adding jobs. This is encouraging news which indicates increased employer confidence. However hiring will continue to be slow as employers figure out what skills they need moving forward while keeping a close eye on market conditions . Any role which contributes to top line growth will likely come back first, others will have to continue to be patient and diligently work the process.
More lay offs coming. One would wonder who is left to lay off? Well as companies and organizations are looking towards recovery they realize they need a different skill set in place and if the current emloyee pool cannot transfer their skills into other roles, companies will have to let them go and hire someone else.
Unemployment numbers are flat. The calculation to count the number of people who are unemployed is complex and confusing. Often the number is driven by the number of people collecting unemployment benefits which isn’t necessarily accurately indicative of the number of people out of work because not all unemployed people collect or are eligible for benefits.
Don’t let the rise and fall of these number dampen your spirits. Stay focused on what you can control every day in your search efforts.