Online Demand in Accommodation and Food Services Shows Largest Monthly Increase in April
Online demand in the accommodation and food services industry registered the largest increase in April, reflecting the approaching summer hiring season for hospitality workers, as well as the increase in foreign tourists to the U.S. resulting from the weak dollar. Arts, entertainment and recreation also jumped in April, while the finance and insurance industry saw a slight increase, demonstrating a degree of stabilization in the broader financial sector, despite highly publicized layoffs in the banking industry. Online job recruitment activity also turned sharply higher in the management of companies and enterprises industry, following a slight decrease in March.
In contrast, both the utilities; and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction industries registered declines last month, while agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting held steady.
On a year-over-year basis, four industries categories tracked by the Index are showing greater online job availability compared to a year ago. Public administration; and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting remain the Index's top annual growth industries, having held those positions for five consecutive months. Year-over-year growth turned positive for the information industry in April, as online job postings surged at the onset of the traditional recruitment season for the technology industry. Meanwhile, the utilities and educational services industries both saw historical declines and remain down year-over-year.
Demand for Food Preparation and Serving Occupations Shows Largest Increase in April, while Architecture and Engineering Edged Slightly Downward
Online demand for food preparation and serving occupations registered the largest monthly increase in April, a customary trend for this time of year as hiring activity typically picks up ahead of the busy summer season. The rise may point to optimism among food service employers that consumer spending patterns will remain somewhat steady over the coming months. Among white-collar occupational categories that showed low activity in March, legal occupations saw the largest upswing in demand last month. Opportunities in business and financial operations occupations also expanded sharply, rebounding from a notably weak first quarter.
In contrast, online job availability edged slightly downward for architecture and engineering occupations in April, contrary to the normal steady build up in recruiting activity usually seen at the start of the spring.
On a year-over-year basis, five occupational categories are showing higher demand compared to a year ago. Healthcare support has edged out farming, fishing, and forestry as the top growth occupation over the year, with healthcare practitioners and technical occupations rounding out the top three. Installation, maintenance, and repair saw its annual growth rate turn positive in April, indicating a return of heightened demand for assorted manual and technical service professionals. Despite recent month-to-month growth, the legal category continues to show one of the most pronounced annual declines in the Index.
Online Job Availability Rises in All Nine U.S. Census Bureau Regions in April
During April, online job availability increased in all nine U.S. Census Bureau regions, with the East South Central region showing the strongest gain, followed by the Mid-Atlantic and West South Central regions. Overall, online demand in regions located in the southern area of the U.S. showed the sharpest increases in opportunities, as business expansion proceeded at a higher pace there than in other parts of the country. Year-over-year, eight of the nine regions are showing lower online job availability than a year ago, with only the West South Central region registering an increase over the year.
At the state level, online job demand rose in 46 of the 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia between March and April.
Online Job Availability Rises in All of the Top 28 Major U.S. Metro Markets
During April, online recruitment activity rose in all of the 28 U.S. metro areas monitored by the Index, with Orlando registering the largest gain, driven by strong demand for healthcare and blue-collar workers. Other metro markets in Florida, including Miami and Tampa, also demonstrated above-average growth during the month. Philadelphia was the second strongest market, followed by Kansas City, Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Phoenix, Sacramento and Seattle had the smallest gains, with below average increases in online recruitment activity for legal and white-collar occupations.
On an annual basis, seven of the 28 monitored markets are showing more online job opportunities than a year ago, with Pittsburgh again ranking as the Index's top growth market year-over-year, a position it has held for three consecutive months. Houston and Dallas again remained among the top five amid continued high demand for healthcare, education and production occupations. In contrast, Los Angeles, followed closely by Baltimore, noted the largest annual decline among all markets tracked by the Index. Both markets have seen substantial reductions in online recruitment activity for healthcare, construction and transportation over the past 12 months.
