Hiring trends for the first half of 2014

Key Corporate Services is a major executive recruiting firm with national and international reach. For this reason, we constantly keep our finger on the pulse of the job market. Here are some recent observations.

For bachelor’s degree graduates, the top hiring industries have not changed recently. The National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) January 2014 salary survey (pdf) revealed that educational services; professional, scientific, and technical services; healthcare and social assistance; and federal, state, and local government are the top-hiring industries for Class of 2013 grads. Other top hiring industries include manufacturing, information management, finance, insurance and wholesale trade.

According to U.S. News 100 Best Jobs of 2014, some jobs have risen to the top of the heap by offering the right combination of employment opportunity, good salary, manageable work-life balance, and job security. For the first time at the top of U.S. News’ lists is a technology job.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) ranking of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. show the number 1 occupation as “Industrial-Organizational Psychologist.” The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology describes its members as versatile scientists “specializing in human behavior in the workplace.” Employers hire them—either in-house or as consultants—because their expertise results in better hires, increased productivity, reduced turnover, and lower labor costs. According to the BLS (via ABC News), they “apply psychology to the workplace by using psychological principles and research methods to solve problems and improve the quality of work life. They study issues such as workplace productivity, management or employee working styles and employee morale. They also work with management on matters such as policy planning, employee screening or training and organizational development.”

Matt
The Key Corporate Services Blog Team
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