The national unemployment rate has dropped quickly following a massive rise in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, closing out 2021 at just 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But California’s unemployment rate has not followed suit, ending the year at 6.9%, the highest in the nation. Still, forecasters at both UCLA and the California Department of Finance expect the state to bounce back throughout 2022 and into 2023. So what does all this mean for California employers wanting to add new workers this year? Like so much else in the pandemic era, it’s complicated.

Which Jobs Are Missing?

Interestingly, a high unemployment rate is not making it easier for employers to find new hires. A huge part of the problem is the mismatch between unemployed workers and employers who are ready to hire. In California, as is true across the country, the leisure and hospitality industries took a massive hit during the pandemic. As we battle through new waves of the virus, they are also among the slowest to recover.

This means a lot of out-of-work servers, hotel employees, and others who are trying to transition into new positions. But without further education and training, they can’t become engineers. So high unemployment doesn’t necessarily make it easier for you to find top candidates for your engineering roles.

Effects of The Great Resignation

The Great Resignation started in early 2021 when low-wage workers started walking off the job in response to wage stagnation and poor protections during the pandemic. It quickly became a real movement, spreading to all sectors and wage bands. In November 2021 alone, a record-high 4.5 million workers nationwide voluntarily quit their jobs. The silver lining is that while some are leaving the workforce altogether, others are looking for new jobs. Prove you’re the best, and you can draw in engineers who are leaving other companies.

Attracting and Retaining Quality Engineers

In an era when high-quality candidates are in heavy demand, how can you stand out from the competition? Here are some ways to attract and retain top engineers.

• Boost company culture. People want to feel valued. Learn from your existing employees. What are you doing right, and what needs improvement? Find ways to improve diversity and engagement.
• Speak the language. Learn to carry on a conversation with engineers. You don’t need to know a lot of jargon, but even a few words can help.
• Be unique. What do you offer that other companies don’t? Figure out your unique selling points, and be ready to discuss them during interviews.
• Use an engineering staffing agency. Unless you’re an engineer yourself, you probably don’t know the best ways to find passive recruits or how best to make your company sound appealing to them. So take advantage of our expertise.

Build A Forward-Thinking Engineering Team With PEAK

If you are looking for talented engineering professionals who can help your organization achieve its goals, contact the experts at PEAK Technical Staffing today to learn how we can help you access cutting-edge talent.