Job-placement market stays strong, firms say

Although there are jobs available, they may not be positions applicants want, according to a local job-placement firm owner.

Nikki Sells, co-owner of Express Personnel Services, said she has noticed a trend of people "who are pretty much willing to work below their capabilities." She said these people may be new to the area and need to find work quickly, or what they were formerly doing may no longer be available.

"If they are embarking on a different career, it is not necessarily by choice," said Sells.

There is a steady supply of local jobs and workers to fill them, according to placement firms that specialize in matching applicants with available positions.

The jobs available are temporary, direct hire and temporary-to-hire, and exist in a variety of industries.

Temporary-to-hire is the most common type of position. The firms may also offer other services, such as consultation and training of workers.

There are many different kinds of applicants who seek help finding a job through a job placement firm. They pretty much run the gambit from unskilled to professional, according to Sharon Walker, regional manager with Manpower. The majority of applicants at Manpower are divided between production, manufacturing and clerical, said Walker.

Travis Atchley, sales manager for Willstaff Worldwide, also sees a variety of applicants including many general labor applicants. Willstaff is searching for specialized workers, such as welders, diesel mechanics and nurses.

Atchley said his company has had more applicants since some recent layoffs, but he also is seeing an increase in companies using temporary services.

Sells said there are a lot of generic and some manufacturing positions available.

Walker, however, said her company has seen "no real trends" resulting from recent layoffs. The demand for workers is "probably equally distributed among manufacturing, distribution and administrative support," Walker said.

Once applicants come in, the challenge for job-placement agencies is to match applicants with existing jobs. There are plenty of applicants, but the problem is the employer market, according to Atchley. When an applicant is not specialized, it is hard to get interviews for them, said Atchley. For those who are specialized, there are more openings available, he said.

Job-placement firms are always the first to feel a downturn and the first to feel an upturn in the local economy, said Sells.

Given that business is strong for local job placements firms, Sells believes it indicates the region can expect a good local economy in the upcoming months.