10 Least Competitive Job Markets

You’re probably familiar with the applicant-to-job-opening ratio most often cited in the media today – about 4.5 workers vying for each open position. While that number is ostensibly true, it nonetheless is also somewhat misleading. Actually, the number of job seekers versus the number of job openings, at least potentially, is closer to 40 to one! Yes, you read that correctly, 40 to one. Let me explain.

At the end of each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes a report called the Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). This report shows how many positions were filled during the previous month, i.e., “hires,” and how many positions went unfilled. For example, in December 2010, 4.1 million positions were filled in the U.S., while over 3 million positions remained unfilled at the end of the month. (Most people are not aware that these numbers are as high as they are.)

http://www.harbourfx.com of CT 5:09PM August 27, 2011