The year of the Great Resignation has also led to the “war for talent” as employers struggle to update their benefits to attract new talent.
During 2021, trends emerged that defined job availability: postings for roles that were damaged by the pandemic came back.
Simultaneously, demand for jobs that have experienced pandemic-related shifts also skyrocketed. For instance, postings for truck drivers saw a 761% increase from the end of 2020 to late 2021 according to data from ManpowerGroup.
“It’s a reflection not just in a shift in transportation and logistics but in our culture in general,” said Raleen Gagnon, vice president of market intelligence for ManpowerGroup, which ran the data. “It’s a societal thing.”
Professional, technology, and white-collar jobs typically see stronger demand during the first two quarters of the year, which explains why many open roles at the moment include hourly waged and lower skilled positions are.
However, this also indicates how the Great Resignation is impacting these positions, as more and more people seek a better employee experience.
“As you see demand coming back and as you see the big gap between workers, this is where it sits. This is where the pain is felt in the economy every single day,” said Stull.
Additionally, software engineering saw a 49% increase in postings over the past year, which makes sense as the workforce has become increasingly digital.
Demand for finance, data, and business analysts has also seen 107% growth, which indicates that companies may be preparing for uncertainty as they adjust to new trends and needs for the future of work.