Welcome to 2016, where the job market is stronger than it has been in years and the unemployment rate is the lowest in almost a decade.
“There are nearly 10 percent more job listings today than last year at this time, which translates into 4.49 million jobs available for anyone looking to make a change,” says James Beriker, president and CEO of job search engine Simply Hired.
But where are said jobs? We looked at reports from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, simplyhired.com and the New York City Economic Development Corp. to pinpoint the growing fields in and around the Big Apple. Time to freshen up that resume!
Digital marketing
Marketing managers are in high demand, especially those with expertise in the digital realm. Workers in these roles aren’t hard-core coders, per se, but they are tech savvy. Typical job requirements call for marketing basics plus insight on blogging platforms, Google Analytics and the like. LinkedIn shows almost 9,000 job listings at companies that range from LG Electronics to Tory Burch.
“There’s a constant call for these hybrid professionals,” says Jake Schwartz, CEO of General Assembly, a tech school that offers sprint-style courses to help workers “skill up” for the modern economy.
Management consulting
For those with experience in business, engineering and technology, management-consulting firms are looking for you. Top firm Deloitte has almost 1,000 jobs listed in this category in the New York metro area alone. They’re seeking candidates with strong analytic abilities and problem-solving skills.
Ernst & Young also has 17,000 openings nationwide. While the vast majority are business related, workers who have expertise in cloud storage and cybersecurity are especially in demand, says Dan Black, who heads up US recruiting at the company. “We’re hiring them just as quickly as we can find them,” he says.
Hotels and hospitality
It’s difficult to fathom how large the tourism industry is until you consider that NYC has over 103,000 hotel rooms, most of which are continuously filled. More than 11 percent of the city’s workers provide services to meet visitors’ needs, and that number continues to grow.
While some open jobs are at the nonexecutive level, plenty of others aren’t — and they pay well. General managers at a few of the city’s largest hotels earn salaries over $400,000.
Headhunter Frank Speranza, who owns Hospitality Talent Scouts, says it’s a job-seeker’s market. “There’s a talent war going on in this industry,” he says.
Heads up: There are more than 108 new hotels in the pipeline in NYC, including the 641-room Riu in Times Square and the reopening of the 685-room InterContinental New York Barclay on 48th Street.
Silicon Alley
Startup and tech companies remain one of the city’s most rapidly hiring arenas. Digital.NYC, a hub for New York City’s startup and tech sector, lists more than 18,000 vacant positions. Slinging code isn’t a must for opportunities like art director, microbiologist or online moderator.
ZocDoc, a Web site that helps patients find doctor appointments on demand, lists jobs where the primary requirements include “top-notch customer-service skills.” That being said, many of these employers also seek systems engineers, app developers and data scientists.
Health care
Health care enters 2016 as a dominant hiring industry in both the nation and New York, according to Beriker. There’s a huge demand not only for registered nurses, but also for pharmacy and operating-room technicians and speech pathologists. NYU Langone Medical Center lists more than 700 positions on job search engine indeed.com, ranging from nurse practitioners to “chefs de partie” for special events.