Austin American Statesman April 10, 2022 |EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK 2022| “Lots of jobs need to be filled, in Austin” “Recovery is best among major metro areas in US” By Bob Sechler
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With the onslaught of new companies coming to Austin and existing companies expanding in the area job growth is up. According to federal data analyzed by the Austin Chamber of Commerce “the number of people working in the region in February was up 6.3%-or by 71,500-compared with February 2020.” At the same time, despite the influx of 91,000 new residents the unemployment rate, at 3.3%, is close to the “pre-pandemic level” of 2.6%.
As a result, of the tight hiring market, “‘employers are really having to get creative.’” “Seeking to hire and retain workers…[employers]...have been more than willing to negotiate around issues such as salary, bonus, flexible scheduling and opportunities for training and career advancement.” The net effect is “reverberating throughout the local economy” as there is increased demand for housing and infrastructure.
The impact goes beyond Austin proper as suburban areas are participating as well.
The boom also creates opportunities for locals to acquire skills that will enable them “to obtain better-paying jobs that are more fulfilling and have more opportunities for advancement.” Tamara Atkinson, (CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area) urges “people to contact her agency” as they work with local companies, Austin Community College and “multiple nonprofit organizations to provide services such as skills training and access paid internship programs and scholarship money.”