U.S. employers added 80,000 jobs in June, continuing along a lukewarm pace in the second quarter of 2012. Employment gains have averaged just 75,000 a month in the second quarter, after growing three times as fast in the first three months of the year. The latest U.S. Talent Market Monthly by workforce solution provider Kelly Services is reporting that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2% in June. Although well below the 9.1% rate seen in June 2011, the unemployment rate has not shown any significant improvement thus far in the first half of 2012.
Other highlights of the report include:
- Continued modest employment gains and a stubbornly high unemployment rate suggest that the U.S. labor market has hit a soft patch.
- Although demand for workers has been increasing steadily and the pace of layoffs has slowed since the end of the recession, actual hiring numbers have yet to reflect these positive trends.
- Employers remain cautious about adding full-time employees in the midst of the uncertain economic and political climate; temporary workers have accounted for a large part of the job gains in the second quarter.
However, despite still-high unemployment rates, companies across the U.S. still have plenty of help wanted signs out. And even though keeping these positions unfilled is taking a toll on employees’ morale and firms’ finances, many employers don’t have programs in place that can prepare workers to help bridge the talent gap.
According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 38% of employers say they currently have open positions for which they cannot find qualified candidates. These ongoing job vacancies are affecting current workers’ attitudes and performances, and the companies’ bottom lines. More than one-third of employers report that job vacancies have led to overworked employees, resulting in a reduced quality of work and lower morale, and nearly one-fourth cite a loss in revenue due to the inability to fill open positions.
More on the latest U.S. labor market data in the already report here.
