It’s been just over a year since the pandemic flipped the job market (and our lives) upside down. Some industries navigated these challenging times better than others, and some are still on the road to recovery. However, as of March 2021, a dozen different industries are hiring above pre-COVID levels, according to LinkedIn. Here are the areas prospering during the post-pandemic job market and locations where job creation is blossoming.
Industries with the largest year-over-year hiring growth
Hiring in the U.S. was up 15.2% last month from March 2020, a strong indication that we are well on the path to recovery. In the March 2021 Jobs Report, the BLS reported that the U.S. economy added an impressive 916,000 jobs last month as the unemployment rate fell to 6%. This growth is excellent news as we are only a million jobs below pre-pandemic hiring levels.
Here are the industries with the most significant year-over-year hiring growth:
- Healthcare +20.1%
- Wellness & Fitness +29.5%
- Transportation & Logistics +28.4%
- Consumer Goods +19.9%
- Education +18.4%
- Software & IT Services +16.4%
- Recreational & Travel +26.2%
Locations on a hiring spree
Last month, there were only two metro areas at or above pre-COVID hiring levels. The month before that, there were zero metro areas. However, as of this month, seven different metro areas are at or above their pre-pandemic hiring levels, according to LinkedIn’s Workforce Report. These cities include Atlanta (3.3%), Austin (6.0%), Boston (0.5%), Denver (1.5%), Miami (1.7%), Nashville (1.3%), Phoenix (1.4%).
Those are just some of the significant metro areas that LinkedIn regularly tracks for hiring figures. But which states have a strong job market? Several notable states have more confidence in job availability than the number of active job seekers. These states are South Carolina, Idaho, New Hampshire, Alabama, and Iowa. The five states above all have more jobs available than people actively searching for new roles.
States with more competitive job markets
As some states have a surplus of job opportunities instead of active job seekers, other states are much more competitive. The states with the most challenging job markets (based on the same metrics above) are Maryland, Washington, New York, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
As a result of these more competitive job markets, people are starting to flock to states and metro markets with more opportunities (and fewer restrictions). Austin, Nashville, Tampa-St Petersburg, Charlotte, and Denver have the highest population gain, according to LinkedIn. So, even as we near the light at the end of the tunnel, workers are still migrating to chase better opportunities, more favorable work-life balances, and fewer COVID restrictions.
Need help navigating the post-pandemic job market?
We are so close to overcoming this virus that flipped our world upside down. Whether you are ready to get back to work or looking to make a career transition, we are here to help. JSG has hundreds of opportunities across North America with clients looking to hire great candidates like you. If you need help tackling the post-pandemic job market, reach out today. Or, if you are more passively searching for a new role, take a look at our job board!
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