Social Workers and Human Resource Managers in High
Demand as Weak Economy Hits Home for Many
Findings of Report, Jobfox Most Wanted U.S. Job Candidates: June 2008
McLean, Va. (June 11, 2008) - It's a sign of difficult times for many. Social workers and counselors are now among some of the nation's most in-demand professionals, according to new findings in the Jobfox Top 25 Most Wanted U.S. Job Candidates: June 2008 rankings, released today.
Social workers and counselors ranked as the seventh most wanted professionals, according to the June report from Jobfox, a free online service that uses precision matching to help qualified candidates link up with compatible job opportunities. The Counseling/Social Work profession cracked the Top 25 for the first time since Jobfox began tracking job trends in March 2008.
"For about a year now, there's been a steady increase in the demand for social workers and counselors, said Debbie Sikes, the clinical director for the National Counseling Group Inc., a private group of therapists and counselors providing community-based and outpatient services to individuals and families throughout Virginia. Her organization uses Jobfox services to help find qualified mental health professionals.
"With increases in gas and food prices, we are seeing more stress and more demand for outreach services - especially among low-income families, Sikes said. "Money and job pressures are often the triggers to higher levels of anxiety and emotional problems.
Demand for Human Resource Executives also on the Rise
The Jobfox rankings also indicate increased hiring activity for human resource executives - perhaps more signs of what's well, what's not so well and what remains a challenge for U.S. businesses in the current economic climate.
Human resource executives are now the 25th most wanted, according to the Jobfox rankings report for June. Recruiting/Staffing professionals also ranked 24th - the second-consecutive month that recruiters have held this position.
"There are still many bright spots, even in the face of an uncertain economy, said Rob McGovern, CEO of Jobfox (www.jobfox.com). "Most companies continue to place a premium on the recruitment and retention of qualified professionals. There will be layoffs, but most companies are depending on human resource managers to keep talent losses to a minimum. And many companies continue to aggressively seek new sources of talent from their recruiters.
Many professions remain in high demand, according to the Jobfox Top 25 Most Wanted U.S. Job Candidates: June 2008 rankings. The most wanted professions include Software Design/Development, Sales Representative/Business Development, Accounting/Finance Executive, Accounting and Nursing.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Networking/System Administration, Counseling/Social Work, Business Analysis - Research, Business Analysis - Software Implementation and Mechanical Engineering.
Mental health care organizations throughout the nation say they are not surprised by the appearance of social workers and counselors in the Top 10.
"We're certainly seeing more demand for mental health services, said Richard Jennings, the director of human resources for Momentum for Mental Health, Santa Clara County's largest private, nonprofit agency providing mental health services to adults and transition-aged youths. "Agencies like ours that primarily serve the indigent and disadvantaged find that our clients are having a tougher time than ever coping with rising costs for essentials such as food and shelter.
"Social workers and their services are needed now more than ever, added Deborah Brackens, director of case management at Inova Alexandria Hospital in Virginia. "The acuity of patients, coupled with the demands of society, contribute to a very compressed time frame to assess and meet patients' needs. Medical social workers have the skills and capabilities to alleviate the stress that patients and their families often experience.
About the rankings
The Jobfox Top 25 Most Wanted U.S. Job Candidates: June 2008 rankings were derived from a stratified random sample of more than 4,000 U.S. job openings from the Jobfox database during a 120-day period ending March 24, 2008. In total, Jobfox identified more than 150 distinct professions for which employers were seeking candidates during the period. Also captured in the rankings are the professions most desired by candidates, based on a stratified random sample of more than 100,000 Jobfox candidate profiles.
About Jobfox
Jobfox gives job candidates and organizations complete control to connect with each other - in real time - by providing intelligent skills matching and popular communication tools such as instant messaging and mobile text message alerts. Jobfox provides free Web pages for professionals to showcase their unique skills, talents, work-styles, career desires and job-change receptivity. Visit www.jobfox.com today.
About Rob McGovern
Jobfox is the inspiration of CEO Rob McGovern, one of the nation's leading career experts. McGovern is the founder and former CEO of CareerBuilder and the author of "Bring Your 'A'Game: The 10 Career Secrets of the High Achiever.
Jobfox is a trademark of the company. All other company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies.
