US News

US jobs openings reach 14-year high

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US jobs

U.S. job openings

US Jobs – As the unemployment rate steadily declined in the U.S. over the past 12 months, the number of job openings in the country jumped to a 14-year high.

According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were almost 5 million jobs available in the country on the last day of November 2014. This represented a nearly 3 percent increase over October’s rate and is the highest number of open positions the U.S. has seen since January 2001. The Associated Press noted that between November 2013 and November 2014, the amount of U.S. job openings grew by 21 percent.

The Los Angeles Times reported that much of this increase is due to a shift in employers’ attitudes. Not only are they motivated by an increasingly stable economy, but they are also anticipating increased demand in 2015. Additionally, as the nation’s large baby boomer population moves toward retirement, a number of jobs are being vacated. Many of the recent openings were in the construction, manufacturing and professional and business services industries.

While there was little wage growth this year, the Los Angeles Times reported that compensation rates will likely improve as more job openings appear. About 17 percent of companies surveyed by the National Federation of Independent Business reported that they have plans to increase pay in the near future.

Hospitality & Tourism, Southeast US

Coweta County, Georgia, sees spike in tourism industry

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Tourism Industry

Tourism Industry

Coweta County, Georgia, has been seeing significant growth in its film, tourism and hospitality sectors. The picturesque Southern region is the filming location for popular zombie-themed television series “The Walking Dead,” and people from across the nation – and the world – have been making a pilgrimage to see it.

According to the Times-Herald, Coweta County welcomed 9,000 domestic tourists and 167 international visitors during 2014. The source reported that the area is part of Georgia’s Camera Ready Community Program, which started five years ago to promote and sustain the state’s film and entertainment sectors. The initiative connects local government resources to production companies, making it easy and convenient for these organizations to base their projects out of the area. Other notable projects that have used Coweta as a backdrop include the films “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Fried Green Tomatoes,” which often draw visitors as well.

The source explained that the film industry has brought significant economic expansion to the county in addition to a number of tourists. This past year alone, Coweta gave out 80 commercial building permits totaling $12 million and 11 industrial building permits totaling $20 million.

Central US, Contract Staffing, Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Midwest US, North America, Northeast US, Pacific US, Southeast US, Southwest US, US News

More Good Economic News

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December 2014 was another good month.  US unemployment figures edged down in December from 5.8% to 5.6%, and US Manufacturing ended the year strong with an increase in activity.  With continued growth in consumer sales and production demands along with an increase of backlogged orders, companies are in need of superior talent in order to meet their customers’ needs.  The labor department reported that US manufacturers added 17,000 jobs in December and averaged an increase of 16,000 jobs per month in 2014, which represents significant increase in employment from 2013.  As we move closer to the employment numbers that the government considers “full employment”, we are going to see salaries increase in 2015.  It’s going to take more for companies to attract and maintain the talent they need to be successful.

 

Bruce Peacock
Vice President of Business Development              
The Richmond Group USA

Accounting, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Monthly BLS Report, US News

Are You the Best, Above the Rest?

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As predicted, we are officially seeing the impact of hiring challenges in this very competitive hiring climate.  Especially, in the accounting and finance world, the current demand for top talent far exceeds the supply of qualified applicants available. Hiring authorities must adapt to the times in several different ways to identify, attract and hire the very best performers for their organizations.  How is this task accomplished?  Companies must ramp up efforts to increase visibility and sell their opportunity!

When partnering with a company to hire the right person, recruiters often ask the question, “Why would a person quit their job and leave their company to accept your opportunity?” Now, that question goes even deeper because candidates have more options. “And, what makes your opportunity better than what the three other companies are offering this same professional?”

In order to improve success and tackle these challenges, companies must have a succinct and efficient hiring process.  Candidates lose faith in the pursuant company when the process to meet and hire an individual is dragged out over a long period of time.  The longer the process, the more risk an organization assumes to lose this sought after performer to a competitor.

Obviously, the most critical maneuver an organization must do is SELL the company, the opportunity and what makes it better than anyone else.  Use social media, be visible and make the application process easier for professionals. Why would a passive candidate want to complete a 15 page application, when they don’t need to?

Banking, Financial Services, Lending Services, Placement Annoucements

Jon Burkhart & TRG Commercial Banking Complete Successful Search

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(Richmond, VA) January 7, 2015 –  Jon Burkhart and the Commercial Banking Team of The Richmond Group USA (TRG) are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of Senior Commercial Real Estate Lending Team search in Houston, TX for a well-known and established Texas-based community bank.

Our best client-company reached out to us in the fourth quarter of 2014 to help them find two Senior Commercial Real Estate Lenders as they move into the Houston marketplace.  Because they use TRG exclusively, they reached out to us as soon as they knew they wanted to move into the market.  They needed a team of two very seasoned lenders with an extensive commercial real estate background.  It was also imperative that the lenders have strong credit and business development skills. 

Due to the specific qualifications this role required, a comprehensive search was conducted to uncover and attract a pool of qualified candidates in Houston and its surrounding suburbs and communities.  Because of our deep, already-existing relationships in Houston, we were able to identify, qualify and attract the right candidates in a matter of weeks. 

With this new exciting opportunity, the senior commercial lenders have the ability to take control of a new market for the bank, using the bank’s full suite of lending capabilities to allow them to become a major player in Houston.  The bank now has two senior commercial lenders with sizeable relationships, a vast network of contacts in Houston, and a significant pipeline to help provide a strong start to 2015.

As your business continues to grow, so does your need for talented individuals. What are you doing today to secure the future talent needs?

Should you desire additional information about this successful search or about our firm please contact Jon Burkhart and the Commercial Banking division at 804-285-2071 or email Jon at jonb@richgroupusa.com

Internet & E-commerce, US News

Demand for big data jobs expected to grow in 2015

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Big Data Jobs

Bid Data Jobs Growth

According to Forbes magazine, professionals that fit the description of working in “big data jobs” will see a drastic increase in demand during 2015.

In the past year alone, this aspect of the technology sector has grown by a significant amount. The need for computer systems analysts with knowledge of big data rose by nearly 90 percent over the past 12 months. Computer research information scientists with similar expertise saw an increase in demand of over 85 percent. There was about a 97 percent growth in terms of the need for professionals who have experience with Python programming, noted the source.

WANTED Analytics published a report detailing where the majority of these big data positions will be. Over 27 percent of these jobs are expected to appear in the professional, scientific and technical services sector, while nearly 19 percent of positions will be in the information field. Other industries that will increase their hiring for these professionals include manufacturing, retail trade, sustainability, waste management and remediation services, as well as finance and insurance.

The report noted that these positions are often high in salary as well, with the median compensation for one of these jobs resting at $103,000. The need for these professionals is national, though there is demand is highly concentrated on both coasts.