- Workers Taking on Second Jobs, Going Back to School and Postponing Job Changes -
CHICAGO, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- As the U.S. works toward stabilizing its
financial markets after unprecedented events on Wall Street, the ripple
effects of a cooler business climate in 2008 continue to infiltrate nationwide
employment. Employers expect current hiring trends to hold steady through the
end of the year, according to CareerBuilder.com and USA TODAY's 'Q4 2008 Job
Forecast.'* The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) between August 21
and September 9, 2008, included more than 3,000 hiring managers and HR
professionals and over 6,100 workers in private sector companies nationwide.
'Employers are maintaining a conservative approach to recruitment as they
maneuver through a weaker economy that has produced its share of casualties,'
said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.com. 'Certain sectors such as IT and
Healthcare are still showing solid job growth while others struggle with
reorganization, cost containment and other measures to stay afloat.
Consistent with last quarter's findings, there is a slight decrease in the
number of employers planning to add new workers in the next three months.'
Emerging Trends for Workers
Of those workers who found a new job in 2008, one-in-five (21 percent)
reported their job search took them four months or longer.
1) Workers are taking on second jobs -- Five percent of employers said
their companies have required employees to take an unpaid leave of absence in
the past six months as a cost-saving measure. In the wake of rising prices
around energy, food and healthcare, nearly one-in-ten workers (9 percent) have
taken on a second job in 2008 to help make ends meet. Twenty-four percent are
considering it.
2) Workers are postponing active job search -- As workers await an upswing
in economic performance and job creation, they are proceeding with caution.
While the majority of workers said they would be open to a new job opportunity
if they came across the right one, they are not actively pursuing a change in
employment. Thirty-eight percent expect they will likely stay at their
current jobs for at least one year while 41 percent plan to stay with their
present employers until retirement. This could pose additional challenges for
the 34 percent of employers who reported they are having a hard time finding
qualified candidates, especially in highly-skilled areas.
3) Workers are taking measures to improve prospects down the line -- To
make themselves more marketable inside and outside of their companies, 26
percent of workers plan to go back to school to obtain a degree, certification
or other training.
