Why is it so hard to get a job right now 2022?

As we work our way through the disruptive constraints associated to Covid-19, we are now faced with additional employment hurdles. Many businesses are having trouble filling positions despite the fact that there is a record number of jobs available and a vast pool of competent individuals who are willing to accept employment offers or who should be keen to do so. Why?

AN UNPRECEDENTED U.S. LABOR MARKET

The level of demand for workers is at an all-time high. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the United States stated that there were 11.3 million job opportunities in the United States in January 2022, which is a minor decrease from the record 11.5 million job openings that were recorded in December 2021. In the month of February, a staggering 678,000 new employment were generated.

To far, the economy has regained 18.8 million of the 22.4 million jobs that were lost during the early days of the epidemic. At that time, employers were compelled to lay off or furlough millions of employees as a result of temporary closures and orders to remain at home due to the pandemic. The service sectors, which were the most impacted at the beginning of the epidemic, such as retail, hotels, restaurants, healthcare, and professional services, have reported the highest improvements. These industries have also been the ones to post the most gains.

The end consequence is an extremely competitive labor market in which the quantity of available jobs is greater than the number of people looking for work. There were just 60 jobless individuals available for every 100 job vacancies in January, which is a considerable decrease from the 84 unemployed people available for every 100 job openings in 2019. In April 2020, during the beginning of the epidemic, there were 490 persons looking for work for every 100 jobs that were available.

Despite the fact that extended government unemployment benefits ended on September 6, there has been no significant increase in the number of people entering the workforce. Concerns over COVID-19, difficulties in finding childcare (even after schools reopened), and larger-than-usual financial buffers have combined to limit enthusiasm among job seekers. In addition, salaries are increasing, but not by enough to counteract inflation or attract those who are not actively seeking work.

There will be six of the most difficult hiring challenges in 2022.

Employers are seeing some additional difficulties in the employment process as they work to restore the capacity that was lost as a result of the pandemic lockdowns.

1. THE IMPORTANT RESULT OF THE RESIGNATION

The Great Resignation, a trend that began in 2020 and persisted throughout 2021, is still in full swing, with 4.3 million individuals resigning their employment in January 2022, according to statistics from the BLS. The Great Resignation began in 2020 and lasted throughout 2021. An annual record of about 48 million employees resigned from their positions in the previous year. Since the rate of hiring is larger than the rate of quitting, this indicates that the majority of employees are not leaving the labor force but rather looking for new employment opportunities.

2. A GROWING DIVIDE

Employers continue to prefer applicants with many years of experience, as well as those who are available to work odd hours and are prepared to work on-site, despite the fact that the number of job postings has reached a record high and there is a lack of employees.

On the other side, workers are looking for greater compensation, more flexibility (including the possibility to work remotely and on flexible schedules), and safer working conditions. Concerns about workplace safety and the need to care for children or other members of the family motivate around fifty-five percent of job searchers on ZipRecruiter to look for employment that can be done from home.

Because of this imbalance in priority, the post-Covid employment process has become much more difficult. Employers are unable to fill their available positions, while job seekers are unable to get employment despite submitting applications to a large number of online vacancies.

Although the unemployment rate has gradually decreased to 3.8 percent in February 2022 from a 72-year high of 14.8 percent in April 2020, the number of long-term unemployed people (people who have been without work for more than six months) stands at approximately 2 million, according to a report by the BLS.

3. Gigantic Upheavals Accompanied by Gigantic Expectations

Since the period before the pandemic, there have been significant changes in both the responsibilities of some positions and the techniques used in particular businesses. For instance, in order to compensate for a lack of available personnel, several pubs and nightclubs have begun pre-mixing drinks in large quantities in order to save time. This tendency is detrimental to bartenders with years of expertise.

It is ironic that regardless of how desperately employers need workers, many of them are unwilling to change their ways or their expectations. For example, they refuse to raise wages to levels that are competitive with those of other employers, and they place additional demands on employees, such as new on-call schedules.

Nonetheless, the roles have reversed themselves. Before the transition in the labor market, businesses would often inquire of prospective employees, "What makes you a good match for our company?" Now the conversation goes the other way around: "Allow me to explain why working with our firm would be beneficial for you."

4. ROBOTS SNUB PROMISING CANDIDATES

Despite the fact that the current labor market is favorable for job seekers, a significant number of hopefuls are unable to get employment. Put the blame on the machines.

In an effort to speed the application process for available jobs, an increasing number of firms are turning to automated screening systems. These systems exclude individuals who do not seem to be an almost perfect match "on paper." According to a survey conducted by the Harvard Business School, over half of companies report that they immediately reject job applicants who have not worked in more than six months, regardless of the reasons behind their unemployment.

Job searchers submit their applications and resumes to open positions with the expectation that a real person would review their materials. These days, that scenario almost never plays out. According to research conducted by the Harvard Business School, more than ninety percent of big companies already use automated screening technologies to handle job applications.

These systems make use of algorithms that are able to separate qualified applicants from those who are not qualified. A prospective applicant might be disqualified for as little as using the incorrect term or failing to use the precise right ones. As a consequence of this, many individuals are being rejected within hours of submitting their online job applications, despite the fact that they have college degrees and decades of experience working in areas that are ideal for them.

5. RETAINING TOP PERFORMERS

Employers need to place a little more of an emphasis on finding ways to keep their best workers at a time when finding new talent is so challenging. This entails analyzing their corporate culture, salary packages, incentives, and business regulations from the viewpoint of keeping people, as opposed to merely acquiring them in the first place.

The use of exit interviews, sometimes known as "stay" interviews, is a common tactic for companies that want to keep their top employees from leaving the company. Informal check-in talks are held every few months with the purpose of discussing anything that may stand in the way of workers succeeding in their work environment.

6. LOW WAGES TURN OFF JOB SEEKERS

According to the findings of a study of more than 3,000 hourly employees that was carried out by the employer payment platform Branch, the primary reason why companies are unable to fill available positions is because salaries are too low. Fear of being exposed to Covid-19 while doing one's job came in second place, with 46% of the vote.

Sixty-eight percent of the employees questioned were in agreement with the statement that individuals may make more money through unemployment benefits and stimulus checks than they can by working at the merchants, hotels, and restaurants that are clamoring for workers.