There are several other factors that contribute to the current state of the workforce and the high unemployment rate. These include elements such as extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a reshuffle of the workforce, childcare and school disruptions, and foreign workers’ inability to come to the U.S. for jobs.
State-provided unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) were used to support those in need throughout the pandemic. The rate of $300 per week for 46 weeks made it easy for Americans to continue making roughly $17.50 an hour for almost an entire year from the comfort of their home. Because of this, there was little motivation for prospective employees to job hunt.
The recent significant changes in the workforce have been labeled as the “Great Resignation” as we’ve seen millions of Americans quit their jobs. Since the Great Resignation, many people have decided to change job or career paths and have jumped back into re-education. College enrollments across the U.S. increased for the Fall 2021 semester and people are looking to switch into new fields and careers.
Many individuals who left their customer service jobs at the beginning of COVID-19 chose to leave service for good in order to pursue employment in warehouse and distribution facilities, for example. Customer service jobs are in high demand as a result of this.
Another factor that significantly affected the current state of our workforce was parents’ ability to provide adequate childcare for their children who were no longer able to attend school in person. Most states kept public and private schools shut until the Fall of 2021. Due to this, many parents were required to be home with their children. Parents turned into teachers and more than 1.8 million women left the workforce entirely.
Foreign workers account for a large amount of job retention in the United States, but they were, unfortunately, unable to transfer into the states due to COVID health mandates. This left several industries including farming, hospitality, and ski resorts to be understaffed and at a disadvantage.
Given the current unemployment rate and the factors involved in what makes up today’s labor force, it’s evident that the state of our workforce is taking a major turn. Employers everywhere are having difficulties hiring and retaining quality employees which are putting several industries and businesses at risk of failing.
There are, however, resources at an organization’s disposal to help. An experienced PEO or staffing and recruiting company can help business owners and hiring managers find valuable candidates to fill their unoccupied job roles.
Working with a professional workforce administration company, like The Applied Companies, can help set your company up for success. TAC has been part of the Reno community since 2002 and prides itself on thoughtful solutions and authentic relationships.
Our Reno staffing solutions help employers in need of a professional, reliable, and ambitious workforce. We work to provide you with quality candidates to help you grow your business and decrease turnover to save you time and money. Connect with us today for help growing your team.
As many American business owners and employers are aware, the state of our workforce has changed rapidly since the start of the pandemic. Unfortunately, many people were forced out of their positions to limit the spread of COVID-19, putting several industries out of work for some time. Occupations involving face-to-face customer service became obsolete for a majority of the quarantine lockdown, causing millions to file for unemployment.
Today, these job positions are coming back into demand, but our workforce has significantly changed post-lockdown, leaving most of these job openings unfulfilled. To fully understand the current state of the workforce, we need to analyze the Nevada unemployment rate and assess some of the obstacles faced by employees and employers.
With that in mind, the TAC team wanted to take a deeper look at what is affecting the changes in the workforce and what your company can do to better understand and be prepared for these changes. We will first be analyzing the state of Nevada unemployment rate versus that national data and then dive deeper into what your company can do to stay ahead of the game.
In April 2020, the national unemployment rate skyrocketed to over 14 percent, the highest its been since the Great Depression. The current state of the workforce has improved some over the last year and a half, but the numbers are still relatively high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate was at 4.8 percent in September 2021.
In comparison, Nevada’s unemployment rate was and continues to be recorded as the highest in the nation. In April 2020, Nevada’s unemployment rate was a staggering 28.2 percent, which was double the national average. Since then, the rate has dropped significantly, but Nevada’s current unemployment rate remains above 7 percent. We should acknowledge these rates are driven largely by Southern NV. The unemployment rate as of September in Reno is 3.5% which is back to pre-pandemic levels.
With the numbers continuing to decline, we are seeing some improvements in the workforce. However, these statistics aren’t the only aspect of the workforce that has changed.
To understand what this all means for your organization, working with a professional workforce administration company, like The Applied Companies, can help set your company up for success. TAC has been part of the Reno community since 2002 and prides itself on thoughtful solutions and authentic relationships.
Our Reno staffing solutions help employers in need of a professional, reliable, and ambitious workforce. We work to provide you with quality candidates to help you grow your business and decrease turnover to save you time and money. Connect with us today for help growing your team.
Too often candidates and employers make the hiring process much more complicated than it should be. The principle that more job seekers and hiring authorities should adopt is Occam’s razor, which advocates for simple assumptions to be used in the hiring process. Not only will this principle simplify the entire recruitment process, but it can also help employers find better candidates, and helps candidates better prepare for interviews. However, if you need further assistance in the hiring process, utilize our human resource consulting services which help candidates and employers find the best option for employment. Or, take a look below to learn more about how you can simplify the hiring process for yourself by not making complex assumptions.
William of Ockham created the problem-solving principle known as Occam’s razor, a theory that expresses a simplified way of coming to a more beneficial conclusion. His theory states that when considering the best possibility, the one with the fewest, or most simple, assumptions should be chosen. Today, this principle can be effectively used in the hiring process because it acts as a model for both candidates and employers to follow. For example, if more people made fewer assumptions during an interview, they would be able to get to key details more quickly and with less frustration. Not only would the recruitment process and interviewing be much more simple for both parties, but it would also provide better results.
Both the applicant and the hiring authority can benefit from making simple assumptions during the hiring process. Here’s how:
Typically candidates make too many assumptions about their resume. These commonly incorrect presumptions are that their resume will be read, the person reading the resume will already know what to look for, and lastly that the reader will understand the message they are trying to convey. However, using Occam’s razor will allow candidates to better prepare their resume for what employers are actually looking for. Candidates should write their resume with the simple assertion that “I am a good employee and this is why.” This uncomplicated assumption will make their resume more clear and garner them more interview opportunities.
And when it comes to the interview process, applicants should remember to also keep things simple. Your main goal as a candidate is to sell yourself to your potential boss. By straightforwardly explaining “here’s what I’ve accomplished and done for others and here’s what I can do for you,” you’ll easily get the attention of your interviewer and have a better probability of being considered for the job.
Using the simple assumption theory also helps interviewers, or hiring authorities, make uncomplicated assumptions that alleviate the stress of recruiting a new employee. Employers should consider these four simple assumptions:
These questions are uncomplicated and direct which allows hiring authorities to make better decisions in a shorter amount of time. This simplifies the entire process and typically provides better end results as well.
Another crucial way to find the best candidate for an open position is to test their critical thinking skills. To do this, start by giving your prospective candidate a business-related problem that would pertain to your company. Then ask them to solve the problem and analyze their results. When doing this you want to look for two key things - what their answer is (if it’s right or wrong) and how they came to this solution. The most important thing to figure out is how they think, so look for creative and surprising responses that you think will be a good asset to bring to your company.
Also, don’t be afraid of politely pushing back during an interview. A critical thinker will defend their answer and give reasons to back up that defense. This shows the type of personality that is beneficial to have on your team and displays whether or not the candidate is confident in their own abilities.
If the hiring process leaves you feeling overwhelmed, then connect with the experts at The Applied Companies. Our human resource consulting services are designed to help candidates and employers alike throughout the recruitment process. We help candidates find their ideal job and assist businesses in hiring appropriate employees. Whether you’re looking for a career or searching for the right candidate, we’re here for you.
How do the rates of pay you offer employees stack up with those paid by competing businesses? If you aren’t aware of what the going pay rates are, and the pay is low, it can hurt your business.
In addition, many businesses, especially small and midsize ones, may decide to offer somewhat low pay rates, feeling they want to achieve greater cash flow and profits before raising salaries. That’s not a good idea in the long run, either.s
If you outsourced your human resources (HR) functions, what could you do with the time saved? The short answer: a lot!
A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can perform HR functions, from hiring and screening to administering benefits to keeping up with applicable laws and regulations. The primary role of business is, after all, to stay in business. To do that, small businesses need to focus on their bottom line. They need to ensure that revenue is flowing in and profits are maintained and increased over time.
To do all that, small business leaders need to focus on their most important business tasks. As important as HR is, there might be multiple areas of business whose revenue potential requires your time more urgently than HR.
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