Employers now hold the upper hand in today’s struggling U.S. labor market, leaving job seekers with far less leverage, a new report suggests. The market slump has pushed some candidates to become less selective in considering new roles.
Marcus Rush, the CEO of AQC Traffic Control in Atlanta, told Bloomberg that interest in the company’s jobs has surged over the past two years.
“When my office phone rings, my ears perk up because I wonder if it’s a new customer,” Rush said. “Now, every time I hear a phone ring, it’s someone calling in to check on a job application. That never used to happen.”
The company hires workers to direct traffic near construction sites. The shifts, which can last up to 12 hours, require employees to stand outside in Atlanta’s hot, humid summers and cold winter weather. Rush says that two years ago, he averaged 10 applications a week, but now he receives as many as 80.
Staffing agencies and employers are seeing an increase in applicants for jobs often turned down because of low wages, irregular hours, or poor working conditions.
Rick Hermanns is the CEO of HireQuest Inc., a staffing company that specializes in recruiting workers for construction, light industrial, and manufacturing roles. He said the company has recently seen increased interest in positions that were “darn near impossible” to fill in 2022.
Employed Americans surveyed in a recent Harris Poll said it would take them more than four months to find a similar job if they lost their jobs today. This gives the upper hand to employers, who previously struggled to fill roles.
The corrections industry, which has historically experienced high turnover, is seeing the same trend. The Georgia Department of Corrections reported receiving more than 1,000 applications in each of the past three months across all roles, including correctional officer positions — up 40% from last year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data, the overall jobless rate remained at only 4.3%bin August; however, those out of work are staying unemployed longer. Nearly 26% of unemployed workers had been out of work for more than six months.
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