TACOMA, Wash.—May 9, 2022—The labor shortage brought on by Covid-19 has extended well into 2022, leaving many employers scrambling to fill open positions. Hospitality and retail — two sectors that have been hit especially hard during the pandemic — both saw over 1 million new job postings during the first quarter of 2022, according to a new report from staffing giant PeopleReady.
PeopleReady’s U.S. Workforce Trends Quarterly Report explores the latest job and wage growth trends throughout the U.S., with timely data that provides valuable insight about employment in several major industries. The report also features recommendations on how today’s employers can overcome their recruitment challenges.
Demand for workers, based on job postings, remains high in virtually every sector. The number of job postings for select sectors during Q1 2022, according to the PeopleReady report:
- Hospitality: 1,619,000 job postings
- Retail: 1,061,000
- Manufacturing: 802,000
- Construction: 364,000
- Building and grounds cleaning/maintenance: 275,000
- Utilities: 40,000
With 5 million more job openings in the U.S. than the number of available workers, employers are increasing wages to attract and retain new hires. The U.S. median hourly wage for Q1 2022 was $31.76, a 5.5% increase year over year, the report notes.
“Even with the economy hovering just above full employment, job growth continues at a rapid pace. In response to the labor shortage, employers across the country are looking to remain competitive and explore new ways to grow their pool of potential candidates,” said Taryn Owen, president and COO of PeopleReady and PeopleScout. “With so many jobs unfilled across so many major industries, PeopleReady is committed to connecting employers with job seekers in their local communities.”
PeopleReady helps companies navigate the challenging labor market by putting a Workforce Within Reach™ 24/7. The staffing giant’s award-winning app, JobStack, provides employers with immediate access to a vast and expanding network of temporary workers.
About PeopleReady
PeopleReady, a TrueBlue company (NYSE: TBI), specializes in quick and reliable on-demand labor and highly skilled workers. PeopleReady supports a wide range of blue-collar industries, including construction, manufacturing and logistics, waste and recycling, and hospitality. Leveraging its game-changing JobStack platform and 600-plus branch offices across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, PeopleReady served approximately 94,000 businesses and put approximately 220,000 people to work in 2021. Learn more at www.peopleready.com.
