If you are looking for construction jobs, the one thing you need from a recruitment agency is a genuine commitment to get you lined up for real opportunities at whatever level you are aiming at and qualified for.
This is true at any time, but even more so when the number of jobs is falling. That may be the prospect in the US over the coming months as the latest official data has revealed an unexpected rise in the unemployment rate.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed a 0.3 per cent rise in the unemployment rate in August to 3.8 per cent, with the construction sector one of several where the employment situation was declining.
However, there are nuances beneath the headline rate. One is the fact that 187,000 new jobs were created in the month, while labor force participation was actually up 0.2 per cent, to 62.8 per cent, a rise of 736,000. It might be suggested that the rise in unemployment is simply down to the fact that not all have managed to land jobs just yet.
Nonetheless, the news may have wider implications for the economy. Part of that may impact the next interest rate decision of the Federal Reserve (September 20th), which could see it hold back from the kind of tighter monetary policy trajectory that can end up trading off inflation against economic growth.
Hitting the right balance could give the economy the recession-free ‘soft landing’ the Fed hopes for as inflation continues to ease.
Whether the rise in joblessness is a blip or the start of an upward trend may depend on economic policy and various other factors, but the key point to note is that even at the worst of times in a recession there will be jobs available. Somebody will be getting recruited and looking forward to their first paycheck in a while.
However, it makes sense to be working with the most dedicated recruitment agency when times are harder, because this is not about simply failing to get you the job you want when opportunities are plentiful, but giving you the best chance when they are fewer and competition is tough.
Official figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealing that residential construction jobs rose by 2.2 per cent in March compared to the same time a year ago.
It is factors such as the growth of home working that is leading to the daytime populations of downtown areas shrinking.
According to Commerce Department figures, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 1.631 million in May 2023.