U.S. Employment Outlook, Simply Hired

• Nationwide job openings dip. For the first time in four months, nationwide job openings decreased in August, with a 1.7% decline from July. However, year-over-year job openings remain positive with a 2.5 percent increase. Job competition remained the same at a nationwide ratio of 3:1. “After three continuous months of job opening growth, nationwide job openings decreased slightly in August yet still held positive compared to this time last year,” said Gautam Godhwani, Co-founder and CEO of Simply Hired. “A bright spot in this month’s job openings is retail, as companies across the nation begin to ramp up for the holiday buying season and get seasonal hiring underway.”
• Hiring slows in majority of major metros. Job openings decreased in more than 60 percent of major metro areas (31 out of 50) in August, with Memphis (-7.0%) and Tampa & St. Petersburg (-6.1%) showing the largest declines. Both cities continue to remain positive year-over-year. Minneapolis (3.5%) and Detroit (3.4%) had the largest monthly gains. Metro area job competition increased slightly for job seekers in 20 percent of major metros, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Boston.
• Job openings decrease in more than half of all industries. Job openings in 11 of 18 industries decreased in August, with non-profit (-19.1%) and agriculture (-15.4%) showing the biggest declines. However, coinciding with seasonal hiring, the retail industry (11.6%) increased. Year-over-year, more than 75% of industries continue to show job opening growth. Occupations experiencing job opening growth included personal care and services (18.2%), journalists and media workers (12.3%) and retail salespersons (10.3%). Top hiring companies nationwide continue to be healthcare-related.

Via U.S. Employment Outlook September 2012