Learning about job availability is important, whether you are looking for the ideal job or a temporary job.
How many job vacancies are there?
- According to the most recent Minnesota Job Vacancies Survey (April-August 2008), jobseekers are competing for fewer employment opportunities compared to last year. Job vacancies in the state are down by 17.3 percent from one year ago, for a total of 51,700 vacancies.
- About 59 percent of all job vacancies (30,500) are located in the Twin Cities Seven County Metro Area, while the remaining 21,300 are in Greater Minnesota. For more information about job vacancies in a specific Economic Development Region explore the
regional findings.
- The average job vacancy rate across all occupations is 2 percent, or 2 job vacancies for every 100 filled positions in the state. During the same period there were 2.9 unemployed people for each vacancy statewide. One year ago, there were about 2.1 unemployed people for each vacancy. This increase in the number of unemployed compared to the number of vacancies indicates that the labor market is the least favorable for job seekers than any other period during the history of the job vacancy series dating back to fourth quarter 2000.
Where is the greatest need for workers?
The following table summarizes which occupational groups show evidence of being most in demand and which ones offer fewer opportunities to job seekers at the moment. Each occupational group is a link to ISEEK pages where you can find useful career information by job title.
When comparing occupations, career seekers should also take into account job quality. Some aspects to consider include:
- Wage: Low wage occupations are more likely to be affected by high turnover and therefore appear to have a lot of openings, such as Food Preparation and Serving. Research the average wage for jobs you are considering.
- Work status: Some openings are predominantly part-time and temporary. If your dream is to become musician or actor, and you see lots of openings in Arts, Design, Entertainment and Media, consider that some professions hire freelance or temporary employees to help with specific projects or events and rarely hire new employees for long-term, permanent positions.
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How much do the available jobs pay?
When we talk about wages in this context we refer to those offered to fill a vacancy. Starting wages might be negotiable depending on the individual employee's education and experience. The following table shows the median (50th percentile) starting wage offers for full- and part-time vacancies in Minnesota.
| Type of Vacancy |
Median Hourly Wage |
All Vacancies |
$10.58 |
Full-time |
$13.46 |
Part-time |
$8.00 |
Source:
Minnesota
Job Vacancy Survey
, 2nd Quarter 2008,
Minnesota Department
of Employment and Economic Development
.
It is important to keep in mind that part-time job vacancies are less likely to offer benefits. For example, only 31 percent offer health insurance as compared to 83 percent for full-time vacancies.
View Job Vacancy Survey by Occupation to find wage offers for each occupation.
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What kind of education and experience do new jobs require?
This is particularly valuable to identify employer training needs.
- Thirty-nine percent of job vacancies require post-secondary education—a vocational degree or certificate, a two-year degree, a bachelor's degree, or an advanced degree. The remaining jobs require a high school diploma or less.
- Thirty-three percent of jobs call for experience specifically related to the position.
- As education and experience requirements increase, so do the wage rates offered on average.
View Job Vacancy Survey by Occupation to find education and experience requirements for each occupation.
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Future career prospects
Job vacancies reflect short-term market conditions, not future prospects of an occupation. To find out whether the job you are searching or training for will still be in demand over the next years, visit Careers in demand.
Page last updated in September 2008.
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