In the aftermath of COVID-19 and the “great reshuffle,” there have been many changes in the workforce.
In a new report, LinkedIn used data from its site to identify the fastest-growing and most in-demand jobs right now.
Service Industry Seeing Highest Growth
As companies began reopening their doors to in-person business in the last months of 2021, the demand for service professionals of all types has been on the rise.
Hospitality was particularly hard hit by the pandemic. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s State of the Hotel Industry 2021 report, it lost 670,000 operations jobs and almost 4 million hospitality jobs in 2020.
As the industry works to rebound, the demand for housekeepers (which also includes home and hospital cleaning professionals) more than tripled from quarter three (July – September) to quarter four (October – December) in 2021.
The top five jobs with the fastest-growing demand over this period according to job posts were:
- Housekeeper – 320% growth
- Food specialist – 260% growth
- Pharmacy specialist – 250% growth
- Tax consultant – 240% growth
- Python developer – 230% growth
Most In-demand Jobs Overall Remain Consistent
Changes in the workforce have left many industries facing labor shortages, but the jobs in the highest demand prior to COVID still rank highly.
The jobs with the most overall demand in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to LinkedIn posts were:
- Software engineer
- JavaScript developer
- Salesperson
- Registered nurse
- Java Software Engineer
Of these, only nursing was new to the list during the pandemic.
Of the top 10, the only job that entered the list in quarter four was driver, which came in at ninth most in-demand. As the fourth quarter is the holiday season, shopping and e-commerce likely contributed to the heightened demand for drivers.
High Quit Rates Lead To Changing Worker Priorities
The number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs remained elevated after reaching an all-time high of 4.51 million in November 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This was led by people-facing industries like accommodation, retail, and food service, which all experience high turnover under ordinary circumstances.
As labor shortages give more bargaining power to workers, they have new priorities when choosing an employer.
According to a 2021 LinkedIn survey— flexible work arrangements, inclusive workplaces, and work-life balance have all become increasingly more important to job candidates.
Employers Rethinking How They Attract Candidates
With no end in sight for the labor crunch, and burnout at an all-time high, many companies are reconsidering their hiring processes, with streamlined application and interview processes.
Some companies are increasing their compensation in bids to retain and attract top talent, with 44% planning to offer raises of more than 3%, according to Payscale’s 2022 Compensation Best Practices Report.
However, with inflation nearing 8%, this is not enough to offset the rising cost of living and may leave some employees dissatisfied.
Source: LinkedIn
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