NYC Jobs Coming Back?
Angie Kamath
The New York Post recently ran an interesting article “NYC Jobs Coming Back” (June 17, 2012) that spoke about the encouraging outlook on the NYC job market.
The article points out that “the rate of job creation in the five boroughs…is outpacing the rest of the nation.” At Workforce1, we also see strong indications of improving economic conditions that should give jobseekers more optimism.
However, it always feels like a contradiction to talk about the positive gains in job growth when the individual stories of job searching are often so difficult and stressful. And yet both sides of the story are true.
The NYC job market has literally over 100,000 openings currently which are advertised online – and at the same time finding the job match for a jobseeker is hard work.
Let me try to break down some of the bright spots that I currently see in the NYC labor market.
Hospitality: There are a record number of hotels that have opened and continue to open in the five boroughs. Jobs in hotels tend to have fantastic mobility opportunities in addition to worker benefits in terms of unionization. (See this interview we did with the hiring managers at Aloft.) Additionally, the opening of the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn is offering nearly 2,000 jobs that offer good pay with flexible hours in a variety of customer service, food service, security, and management positions. Recruitment for these positions will be taking place through Workforce1 the week of June 25 through the end of July.
Professional Services: This broad industrial sector includes everything from office administration, accounting, legal services, and IT. There are jobs in small firms and large firms alike. The hiring timelines tend to be longer in these positions and sometimes temp staffing agencies play a role in recruitment services. Workforce1 Expansion Centers specialize in these mid-level jobs that offer wages of $15 per hour or more. We find that to be successful in these roles, prior work experience in related areas is almost always a prerequisite to interview with a firm. (To receive emails with jobs paying over $15/hour, subscribe to the Workforce1 Career Bulletin or search jobs on the Workforce1 website.)
Healthcare: There is tremendous growth in healthcare but you must be mindful of where within the healthcare system you are searching. Hospitals are facing growing expense pressures and many are merging or facing closure. Large hospitals receive tens of thousands of resumes annually – and only hire about 5-10% of applicants. The good news is that the growth – both currently and in the future based on changes at the state and federal level – is in federally qualified health centers. As the move to keep patients out of emergency rooms, and into preventative care takes hold, clinics are expanding citywide and in leaps and bounds. Major employers in this space include the Institute for Family Health, Urban Health Plan, Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, and William Ryan Family Health Center. The Workforce1 Healthcare Career Center specializes in finding these types of positions available.
Retail: New York is a retail mecca covering every part of the spectrum from ultra high-end to mid-range to discount retailers. Supervisors and management positions account for 25-30% of the staff at medium to large retailers. The career mobility is fantastic and the wages are competitive depending on the type of business and the level of sophistication of the end product. Bloomingdale’s, Coach, Banana Republic, Gap and Marshall’s all utilize Workforce1 to recruit year-round.
Food Service: New York City is also a foodie’s heaven and the job market in food service reinforces this point. From high-end grocers and boutique chocolatiers to local supermarkets, there are plenty of growth opportunities in customer service at food retailers. Additionally, restaurant management is a huge growth area – from inventory skills, to purchasing, and management of front and back of the house staff – this aspect of food service continues to see double digit growth. Whole Foods, Fairway, Agata & Valentina, BR Guest Restaurant Group, and Shake Shack all recruit from Workforce1.
So yes – the jobs are coming back to NYC – and it takes some savvy-ness and “eyes-wide-open” to spot the opportunities and throw your hat in the ring. While I will not purport to say that job hunting is easy – having a targeted and systematic approach to looking for work is the number one strategy for success.
Angie Kamath, who oversees Workforce1 as the Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development at the NYC Department of Small Business Services, shares her perspective on Workforce1 and the New York City job market in her weekly Jobs in New York City column.
Have a response to Angie’s column? Drop her a note in the comment section below! And, if you found this helpful, please share it with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and email!
Yes there are jobs here in the five boroughs. But jobs that once only needed a High school diploma now need a BA or an AS. Also they want you to be recently employed. Worse of all it’s the apply on line and never hear from them again.
I am from the entertainment field live theater management/Administration twenty plus years. To find about those jobs you need to pay to be able get the link to apply, like at 4entertainmentjobs.com, Art search thirty dollars a month. There are others all requiring a fee to find out about an type of entertainment position. This too is a growing field in NYC. some thing I have a lot of experience in but due to my budget and length of time out of work and the postings at the NYC.gov page has nothing.
I find this disheartening and honestly quite defeating. But I trudge on.
Hi, Your frustration is understandable. It sounds like you are familiar with these websites that charge a fee, but a fee is often a red flag for a scam. Upwardly Global recently wrote a blog post on this. Without knowing more about your background – and your goals – it’s hard to offer very specific advice. But, it may be worth taking a step back and considering if there are ways to use your current skills in new ways – that you would enjoy and that are in demand by employers. Workforce1 may be able to help you think through some of these job search issues. If you haven’t already done so, register with Workforce1 and you may be able to make an appointment with a Career Advisor (see “career advisement” under the listed services on the website.)
I am registered with Workforce1 and when I signed up I was told I had a very impressive resume…and even discussed how I went to the Resorts World Job fair the group handling the center said I would hear from them and have yet to hear from them I even followed up with a thank you note and a call and email to no avail. The NYC.gov that lists theater jobs is even pointless to go to.
I have also been applying for Administrative Assistant positions but again as I said Most now a days companies are looking for a degree of some sort.
You all should really look into how the Entertainment business is a very closed door business as for job hunting. It has been this way for decades.
I have a wide skill set, from contract negotiating, contract writing , ticket sales for live theater events specifically high volume, advertising, flyer design, theater management, theater administration, theater compliance laws, fire safety, data base, office machinery maintenance, Security and on and on.
The business of entertainment is and has always been either a paid to find out about jobs or word of mouth.
Ms. Theresa I Have to say I agree with you 100%. Its very discouraging. Ive been out of work for three years now. Worked on my job for twelve years. However, I wish you the best.
The same to you …Much luck to you as well. We all need it rowing this jobless boat.
I have been unemployed for almost 2 years now. In those 2 years I have gotten 5, count em, 5 callbacks/ interviews. I even saw that some employers have the stones to want cashiers to have ba’s. Really.. In my mind there seems to be a disconnect between whats going on and reality. I had someone ask me what I have been doing for this time unemployed, had someone ask if I was looking for a job? which is ridiculousness, I have a child and I have other things to take care of ie bills. I had to stop working because I had personal/childcare issues and my employers couldn’t work with a change of schedule.
I’m stressed, angry and I have experience. I met a woman at a Workforce screening and she has a ba and gotten 3 interviews in 2 years. I don’t know what to do. I’m tired of this and I’m wondering when all this is going to end. I don’t think some people realize that the economy is struggling, I know employers want quality people but some of the screening process is out of control. I have personally been to plenty of places where the caliber of people working is so low. I’m always thinking I can do that job and better.
So frustrated…
Your comment is articulate and powerful – I’m sure it will resonate with many readers who share your frustration. Thank you for sharing on this blog. As you point out there is a lot going on with the economy and employers. But, I’m wondering if there are also some things to do to enhance your resume and increase the number of interviews you are getting. Have you attended a resume workshop? It is a very tough economy and you want to do all you can to market yourself!
Resume workshop is not always the solution. I sympathize with everyone, because I am also unemployed now for thirteen months. A lot of companies are hiring from within. There are other elements involved right now such as hiring friends and family. It’s who you know at this point. The job sites are screening out the unemployed. It doesn’t matter how much experience or whether or not you have a degree, they are still discriminating against the unemployed. If employers have enough sense they would look at who they currently have working in their organization and making it better with qualified people instead of discriminating. I worked with incompetent people all the time and wonder how they got the position.
Hi Paula, You make a really good point – employers do often (but not always) hire people they know. BUT the good news is that through networking, you can greatly expand the number of employers you “know” and who will be more likely to hire you. Networking can seem daunting, but as you point out, knowing people is a very powerful way to connect to a job. You can check out networking advice on this blog, like this post on Networking for Everyone. We’d love to hear any specific questions you have!
I think the online system is horrible. when you walk in a business and ask if they are hiring, they say yes “GO ONLINE” I believe this a way of chasing away applicants.
Businesses like online applications because the computers do a lot of the work – but for applicants that means that they are talking to a computer. The applicant doesn’t get personal feedback and the applicant also doesn’t have a chance to “make the case” for why he/she’d be a great hire despite not meeting the hard and fast requirements (and the computer will stick to the requirements!) So, if the only way to apply is online, make sure that all your information is spelled and punctuated correctly, you don’t have any typos, and that you answer the questions. (Don’t abbrevieate or take short cuts. The computer will not cut you any slack.) And, try to network so that you can get a warm referral and can bypass the online system – or at least get the manager to search for you within the system.
Well the computerized system is a fail in may ways. One you have no way to know what key words the company is looking for. Then not even getting a conformation that the paperwork was received and that includes sending your resume to an email address from Craig’s List. Two then there are the background checks and Credit checks. You never hear back whether or not you passed those checks for jobs at place like CVS and the like. While it is good and a time saver, companies should also be polite and say thanks but no thank at least. When I was Hiring always responded politely with a thank you for applying and will keep you on file. That is the problem with businesses now there is no etiquette any more.