The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (EDC) forecast for positive job growth this year doesn’t surprise our hiring team here at Experience Factor. In fact, for the past several months, we’ve been noticing one sure sign that companies are planning to fill more positions: some of the hottest jobs right now are in Human Resources (HR)!
Experience Factor just had four of its busiest months ever and if you are an HR professional, our clients want to see YOUR resume. Currently, we are assisting companies in telecom, healthcare, food service, manufacturing, oil and gas, and construction to expand their HR departments. In some cases, these companies are growing quickly enough that they are hiring in-house recruiters. In fact, many candidates are getting multiple offers.
According to the EDC report, job creation in Metro Denver increased 2.5% in 2012 over 2011, far outpacing the national job growth rate of 1.4%. Positive economic indicators mentioned in the report include strong home sales, the improving commercial real estate market, retail sales growth and the busiest year ever at Denver International Airport. Job growth is expected to continue this year. The following hires were reported last year in the Denver area:
• Professional and business services added 8,300 jobs
• Education and health services added 7,200 jobs
• Wholesale and retail added 6,800 jobs
It’s not all good news. Declines were reported in information jobs (-1,200 jobs) and government jobs (-800 jobs).
The unemployment rate dropped slightly in the seven-county region in 2012 and was 7.7% in Denver. Boulder County had the lowest unemployment rate, at 6% followed by Douglas County at 6.2%.
Since we fill a range of positions in every industry sector, we have a special vantage point at Experience Factor. During the recession, HR staff were sending out pink slips and discovering their own jobs were precarious. Now the trend is reversing, and it goes without saying, that’s good news for ALL job candidates.