Nashville Job Search Brings Tough Competition
According to a new survey, anyone on a Nashville job search can expect to encounter plenty of competition.
Indeed.com recently reported that in Nashville, there were five unemployed job seekers for every open position during August, which is an increase from July, when there were four job seekers for every position.
Among the top 50 metropolitan areas, Nashville ranked 33rd for its ratio of unemployed workers to jobs. Washington, D.C. and Baltimore had the least amount of competition for jobs, while Detroit and Miami had the most competition.
The number of online job postings for most major industries in Nashville decreased by about one-third when compared to last year. The construction industry, which has been hit hard by the recession, saw a 13 percent over-the-year decrease in Nashville and a 22 percent over-the-year decrease throughout Tennessee.
Job postings for opportunities in healthcare and real estate saw less of a decrease than most other industries. Postings for education jobs, on the other hand, increased when compared to last year.
On a slightly more promising note for job seekers, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development recently announced that the state's unemployment rate decreased from 10.7 percent to 10.5 percent during September.
"Tennessee's unemployment rate continues to show stabilization with no significant change over the last five months," Labor Commissioner James Neeley said.
Despite the decline in unemployment, Tennessee still lost some jobs on a month-to-month and yearly basis. The state had a total non-farm employment of 2,649,000 workers during September, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 2,649,800 workers during August and a 4.2 percent decrease from last year.
The Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin area, however, managed to add some jobs on a monthly basis. The area had a total non-farm employment of 728,300 workers during September, which is up from 727,700 workers during August, but a 4.2 percent decrease from last year. The unemployment rate for the area has not yet been released.