2017 Central Florida Employment Outlook
Employers in Central Florida Confirm Job Growth is "Vibrant" and Hiring
Challenges Loom in the 2017 Central Florida Employment Outlook Survey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2017 – Orlando, FL – The 9th Annual OrlandoJobs.com Employment Survey, in which phone interviews were conducted of 135 companies representing 19 sectors and 227,000 employees, finds good news in hiring across all employment sectors. In particular, the professional services sector and the construction industry hit or neared milestones that bode well for the region.
The professional services jobs sector hit an all-time high, growing to more than 210,000 workers, a direct result of our region’s commitment to attracting and retaining employers with higher paying jobs. Construction gained 8,000 jobs last year in the Orlando MSA for a total gain of 71,000 jobs. This industry is finally reaching near pre-recession levels, and if the trend continues will hit that milestone next year.
“The Central Florida Employment Outlook is great!” states Roger Lear, author of the survey and President/CEO of OrlandoJobs.com. “Orlando is a vibrant city, and with the predicted 24,000 jobs employers predicted adding in 2017, we are truly on the brink of showing the world we are leaders in technology, healthcare, medical/military simulation and health sciences, along with our world-renowned reputation as the best in tourism and hospitality.”
Additional key findings from the 2017 Central Florida Employment Outlook Survey:
- A total of 13,323 jobs currently open within the 135 surveyed companies, with another 24,300 jobs predicted to open in the last three quarters of 2017
- 39% of surveyed companies indicate that hiring will be better this year than last
- 96% of companies plan on hiring at least one person in 2017
- 83% of companies currently have open jobs
- 32% of companies surveyed will be hiring 50 or more employees in 2017
- Top industries hiring in Central Florida are healthcare, skill trades, technology, sales, construction and education
“The positives of our growth do not come without some challenges, however,” cautions Lear. “These survey results show Orlando has a shortage of workers in fields that are key to the region’s continued success, including healthcare, technology, skilled trades, bus drivers, housekeepers and customer service professionals.”
Additionally, frustration on the part of job seekers who don’t get officially turned down after sending an application is growing. “The number one complaint we hear from job seekers is that they never hear back from an employer after they apply to an open position, and so we included a survey question about the job seeker experience.”
Companies shared their best practices for communicating with applicants, all of which are listed on page 10 of the survey report. The bottom line, according to Lear, is that employers must realize that their applicant pool is important group: “If you can reach out and update them on their status, this will go a very long way in establishing your employer brand and set yourself apart from many companies.”
The entire report (and past reports) can be downloaded at www.OrlandoJobs.com/jobreport (no cost).
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OrlandoJobs.com, part of the Great Job Spot Network, is the powerful, pre-eminent career platform in Central Florida, and the only digital job board optimized for mobile, on-the-go usage by jobseekers. With more than 100,000 visitors per month, and over 2,400 employers, there is no better place to find a job. The site was founded in 2005 by Roger Lear and Scott Kotroba, and is the official employment website of the Great Orlando Society of Human Resources (www.GoSHRM.com). OrlandoJobs.com’s sister company, the GreatInsuranceJobs.com Network, is the leading insurance employment network in the nation. The OrlandoJobs.com and Great Job Spot Network proudly partner with and power the career centers on OrlandoWeekly.com, GOSHRM and WKMG Local 6 ClickOrlando.com.