Las Vegas (NV) - Recruiting Nevada (“RN”) collected the data presented in this press release during the 1st quarter of 2009 from job seekers who visited the www.recruitingnevada.com website. Recruiting Nevada publishes Nevada’s largest network of employment Web sites, thus attracting the largest audience of local and relocating job seekers. Restrepo Consulting Group LLC (“RCG”) analyzed the trends that the data reflect.
The two firms work together to analyze and report on employment trends in Southern Nevada. The work that RN performs is critical to understanding the types of jobs being marketed, the job seekers that are interested in those jobs and our community, what job skills they might be bringing and where they are coming from. RCG’s role is to assess and interpret what the data means for the future economic sustainability of Southern Nevada.
RN collected 2,616 responses during the period. The data contained herein represent selfreported information. Job seekers’ intentions might vary significantly from their actual behavior. The data being analyzed are based on responses to job openings that have been marketed by RN for its clients, not basic inquiries.
Analysis
- There were 2, 616 survey job seekers during the 1st quarter of 2009 vs. 2,729 during Q4. 68.1% or 1,782 of Q1 respondents came from 10 states. Nevada (28.6%), California (12.7%) and Arizona (4.1 %) were the Top 3 states for survey job seekers during the quarter. In Q4, the Top 3 states were Nevada, California and Texas (dropped to the #6 spot in Q1.
- Over 75% of all the respondents from the Top 10 states were from Southwestern states (Nevada, California, Texas, Arizona and Utah), compared to slightly over 72% last quarter. Three of these states, Nevada, California and Arizona, remain at the center of the housing market collapse. Of particular concern is Nevada, because its percent of job seekers data is indicative of large job losses. Nevada had an unemployment rate of 10.4% in March 2009, almost 2 percentage points above the national average of 8.5% that month.
Analysis
- The Top 5 employment categories most heavily marketed, and the ones that job seekers were most interested in included:
1. Nursing – 38% vs. 32% in Q4, 2008
2. Construction Trades – 22% vs. 14% in Q4
3. Mining Trade – 16% vs. 24% in Q4
4. Instruction – 16% vs. 8% in Q4.
5. Construction Management – 8% vs. 22% in Q4 - Again, the good news is that the largest segment of job seekers was looking for nursing jobs, a profession that is in very short supply in Nevada. The bad news is that there was drop of 6 points from Q4’s estimate to 30% of the job seekers coming from the Construction (Trades and Management) sector, a very clear indicator of the collapse of development activity in Southern Nevada in Q1.
- Please note that RN is able to define the audience of readers/users by its Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Therefore, the data on employment categories skew towards nursing, because that is where the largest portion of RN’s marketing budget is invested. No dollars, however, were spent marketing construction-related jobs. These are “active” jobseekers who found the www.recruitingnevada.com website.
Analysis
- The data appear to indicate that there was a relatively good supply of well-educated job seekers looking for work in Nevada during Q1, 2009. Added together, job seekers with Bachelors, Master and PhD. degrees comprised 47.6% (vs. 29.4% in Q4) of the persons looking for new employment, in-state and out-of-state. This speaks to weak employment conditions in other states, and the possible view that Nevada has a better upside potential than some other states. What we don’t know is how many are currently employed, underemployed or unemployed in the state.
- 20% (vs. 28% in Q4) of respondents had in Q1 a high school diploma. About 19% had an Associates degree and 9% had a trade school diploma.
Analysis
- Senior level and senior management employees, again, represented the largest share of job seekers at 45%. This group accounted for 42.3% of respondents in Q4, 2008. Mid Level employees and Mid Level Management accounted for 19.4% versus 18.4% in Q4, the second largest group.
- On a positive note, its good for Nevada that mid and senior level employees are interested in possibly relocating to the state. On the down side, the relatively large percentage of Senior and Mid Level job seekers is the result of the continued shedding of jobs around the country, because of job losses that continue around the country.
Analysis
- When asked about their interest level, 52% (54% - Q4, 2008) of all the job seekers in Q1 said that they would move to Nevada if they could find a job here. Clearly, most respondents do not want to move to Nevada without a job already in hand, because of the severity of the economy in the state.
- Nearly 25% of job seekers indicated that they currently live in Nevada. The share in Q4 was 23%.
Analysis
- The majority of respondents in the Q1 survey, not currently living in Nevada (47%, vs. 49% in Q4), indicated that they would prefer to rent if they move to Nevada, at least initially. Additionally, 34% (Q4 - 40%) said that they would rent first and then buy a home once they move to Nevada. 19% claimed that they would like to buy a house upon relocating to the state. This was 2 points above Q4’s numbers.
- The weak economy is clearly causing job seekers to be very conservative in making longterm and large-scale financial commitments like home purchases. This also continues to be function of the weakness of the economy and housing market in Nevada, and in the job seekers’ state of origin.
- Out of those job seekers who expressed an interest in buying a house once they move to Nevada, 48% (52% in Q4) were senior level or Senior Management employees with over 4 years of experience.
Analysis
- The data show that, regardless of the education level, more than half of all job seekers plan to ultimately buy a home (51% - blue and yellow bars).
- Of the respondents who stated that they intended to buy a home in Nevada if they to the state, over 47% (Q4 - 39%) had a bachelor’s degree or better. Of those who plan to rent if they move here, almost 42% (Q4 - 51%) had a high school diploma, a trade school diploma or no degree.
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