In January 2009, the job market experienced a slight rebound in the number of jobs posted compared to the previous month. Jobs for candidates with 1-5 years of experience, and 10-15 years of experience increased significantly in January. However, this is not necessarily an indication that the job market is improving, since many employers usually put their hiring efforts on hold during the holidays and typically resume their recruitment program in the New Year.
Of course, not all jobs felt an increase due to the affects of this hiring trend. The total number of jobs posted to Beyond.com in January 2009 declined slightly by 0.07% over the previous month, however this is still a vast improvement from the 18.79% decrease in jobs in December 2008. Jobs for candidates with less than one year of experience and candidates with 15-20 years of experience, both reported a decline in the number of jobs posted in January 2009.
The January 2009 Milgram Report also indicated a dramatic increase in the number of professionals currently looking for a job. The number of resumes posted to Beyond.com in January 2009 increased by 55.47% when compared to the number of resumes posted in December 2008. Candidates with 5-10 years of experience demonstrated the largest percentage increase in the number of resumes posted in January with 49.73%.
Another interesting trend in January 2009 was that candidates of almost every experience level indicated an increase in salary expectations, except for new grads with less than one year of experience. These professionals (with less than one of experience) indicated a 0.25% decrease in salary expectations when compared to the median salary expectations in Q4 2008. Candidates with 10-15 years of experience reported the highest increase in salary expectations with 4.47% increase in January 2009.
To view the full January 2009 Milgram report, please visit: http://www.beyond.com/Media/Job-Stats.pdf
