Here’s a piece of good news about the struggling U.S. job market: In March, nationwide job openings increased in all but one of the 50 top metro areas — compared to 30 cities in February. That finding, along with several other employment statistics, was released today in the April 2012 Employment Outlook published by SimplyHired.com, a job search engine. Grand Rapids, Mich., was the only city on the list with a decline in job openings.
“This year, we’re seeing real stability in the job market, and the increases across industries and metros are promising,” said SimplyHired CEO Gautam Godhwani, in a statement. “With increasing employer confidence in the economy, job seekers should see steady opportunities in the coming months,” Godhwani said.
According to the report, nationwide job openings increased 5% in March compared to February, and 4.3% year-over-year. Although job openings rose, nationwide employment competition remained at a ratio of three unemployed persons for every one job opening. Metro areas with the largest job growth include Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M. (8.7%), Minneapolis (7.5%), West Palm Beach, Fla. (7.4%) and Philadelphia (7.1%).
The military showed an 18% increase in job openings. Other industries experiencing double-digit month-over-month growth include media (11.6%), construction (11.3%) and travel (10.9%).
The top five hiring companies nationwide are:
You can read the complete report at SimplyHired.
If you’re on the job market and want to find a gig that will keep you smiling, CareerBliss.com recently released its list of the “Happiest Jobs in America.” No. 1 on the list might surprise you. . .software quality assurance engineer.
