Where are the Available Jobs in Pittsburgh?
TRWIB Analysis demystifies unfilled jobs in region. Data offers insights on trends in online job postings over a 5 year period.
Pittsburgh, PA (Vocus) December 7, 2010
Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (TRWIB) today unveiled the first phase of a supply-demand study that analyzed online job postings and provides information about tens of thousands of unfilled jobs available in the Pittsburgh region.
“Our goal with this analysis is to demystify the tens of thousands of unfilled jobs that are known to exist in Pittsburgh,” said Stefani Pashman, Chief Executive Officer of TRWIB. “This analysis provides a compelling overview of the jobs that are currently advertized, including information about education required and wages offered. It also explains what kinds of companies are hiring and where the jobs are located. The good news is that real, well paid jobs exist in our region. However, it appears that a significant mismatch between the skills in demand and the available talent is holding our region back. TRWIB’s ultimate goal is to achieve a balance between the people looking for work and the available job opportunities.”
The analysis offers insights and unveils trends about jobs that were posted online between May of 2005 and July of 2010. The data analyzed came from The PA Department of Labor and Industry - Center for Workforce Information and Analysis (CWIA), Wanted Analytics – Help Wanted Online and The Bureau of Labor Statistics and consists of point-in-time tallies of unduplicated online job ads.
To complete the workforce supply-demand analysis, the organization plans to connect directly with employers, job seekers, workforce professionals, and economic developers to complement the findings of the online job posting analysis. Ultimately, the full supply-demand study will lead to strategies that will match available talent directly to open jobs.
Analysis highlights and findings include:
The majority of the jobs that were posted online offer wages that are significantly above the recommended family sustaining wage level ($28,500). Filling these jobs would have a direct and positive impact on our region’s economy. In terms of the skills that are needed to fill these jobs, the analysis shows that over 60% of the posted jobs required more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree. Almost 50% of the job postings are concentrated in the top 5 clusters which include management occupations, computer and mathematical occupations, sales and related occupations, office and administrative support occupations, and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations. The top five occupations, representing 35% of all 2010 online job postings for the Pittsburgh region are: nursing aides and orderlies, retail salespersons, registered nurses, customer service representatives, and supervisors of retail sales workers. Most of the skills that are in demand are occupation specific but are not industry specific. These jobs reflect transferable skills that are applicable across several industry sectors. As a result, jobseekers have broader opportunities available and should explore and enhance their skills in different settings, rather than focus on just one industry. Between the years 2005 and 2010, the number of online job postings oscillated between 19,956 (July of 2005) and 46,819 (June of 2010). Between 2005 and 2010, the number of unemployed people in the Pittsburgh MSA always surpassed the number of online job postings. The average ratio was two unemployed people to one job posting. A true imbalance exists between the jobs that are available and the people who are unemployed. If all of the posted jobs that are currently available were filled, the unemployment rate would be 4.7%. The role of staffing agencies that fill temporary employment positions has increased dramatically, with 40% of the online postings reflecting temporary work. In June of 2010, the number of unemployed people surpassed the number of online job postings by 58,500. The smallest gap of 1,190 occurred in April of 2007. “The analysis released today offers valuable insights that will help connect workers with jobs,” said David Malone, chairman of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board and President and CEO of Gateway Financial. “TRWIB’s plans to connect directly with employers, placement agencies, unemployed and underemployed people is a critical step for our region as we work to break down the barriers that are keeping us from filling these jobs.“
The analysis assessed monthly statistics between 2005 and 2010 in the Pittsburgh MSA and evaluated point in time tallies of unduplicated online job ads. A full report is available at: http://www. trwib. org/documents/Demystifying_the_30000_Unfilled_Jobs-Part_1.pdf
ABOUT THREE RIVERS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD
The Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (TRWIB) informs decision-making on regional development to ensure that current and future market needs of businesses and job seekers are met. Additional information is available at http://www. trwib. org.
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