Korean Job Discussion Forums

[madoka]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091009/ap_on_bi_ge/us_job_openings_1

WASHINGTON � The number of job seekers competing for each opening has reached the highest point since the recession began, according to government data released Friday.

The employment crisis is expected to worsen as companies stay reluctant to hire. Many economists expect a jobless recovery, putting pressure on President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats to stimulate job creation.

There are about 6.3 unemployed workers competing, on average, for each job opening, a Labor Department report shows. That's the most since the department began tracking job openings nine years ago, and up from only 1.7 workers when the recession began in December 2007.

The highest point after the 2001 recession was 2.8 workers per opening in July 2003, as the economy suffered through a jobless recovery.

Employers have cut a net total of 7.2 million jobs during the downturn. While layoffs are slowing, Friday's report shows the other critical piece of a labor market recovery � hiring � has yet to begin.

"Fewer people are facing job loss," said Heidi Shierholz, an economist at Economic Policy Institute in Washington, "but once you have lost your job, you are in serious trouble."

[madoka]

Just to add my experiences, this past month I opened my own office in California. Within 1 day of posting a job ad looking for a personal assistant, I got over 50 applicants!

Furthermore, professionals with MBAs were applying for what I would consider entry level positions (e.g., my personal assistant and administrative assistant positions).

[Summer Wine]

I was chatting to a bar tender who told me that he had just started the job recently and there was 150 applicants for the job that he had got.

[tefain]

[kinerry]

[Triban]

[madoka]

Less than 2 days since posing my job ad, I've gotten 115 applicants. I'm getting almost 3 applicants per hour!

In addition to the type of people I would expect for an entry level job, I'm surprised at the number of people with advanced degrees and college graduates from well-regarded schools. Looking over the resumes, there is often a void of work experience from the last couple of years. That's a pretty graphic reminder of the currect economic recession.

[DrugstoreCowgirl]

Before I came here, I was applying to 50-75 jobs a week. I got 1 interview for a receptionist job and he said that they had over 250 people apply for the job in one week. Of course, I didn't get the job because I was just out of college and didn't have enough experience, even though I had been a receptionist for over a year at my uni.

My friend is an accountant and the receptionist they have has her MBA and she is answering phones part time for $10 an hour.

The economy is so scary.