Adapted from a real OPS Staffing article originally posted by Mitchell Riley (Dec 2015).
December 2015 concluded with strong employment growth, as “jobs increased by 292,000, well above the projected 210,000.” The unemployment rate stayed steady at 5%.
Over a 70-month period, U.S. businesses added 14.1 million positions, making 2015 the second-best growth year since 2000.
Industries showing the strongest expansion included:
– Transportation and warehousing (+23,000)
– Information services (+16,000)
– Construction (+45,000)
However, wage growth lagged behind employment gains. Average hourly earnings declined slightly to $25.24 in December from the previous month.
The article emphasizes an important reality for recruiters: “your talent pool is not desperate to find work, and in fact, might currently be employed with a competitor.” As competition intensified for skilled workers, organizations needed compelling employment packages to attract top talent.