With a ‘good riddance’ to 2020 and a hopeful eye toward 2021, Connecticuters are forging ahead. While the road back to a pre-pandemic economy promises to be challenging, predictors see great strides being made by the end of 2021.
Pete Gioia, economic advisor to the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, states, “The data points to Connecticut recovering all jobs lost during the pandemic by the end of the first quarter of 2021, barring a return to a hard lockdown.”
He cites low inflation at 1.4% (1.2% in New England), a strong housing market with starts up 71%, and a recovering export market as indicators Connecticut is headed in the right direction.
So, where are the jobs?
Many folks whose livelihood took a hit when the virus shuttered businesses across the country have gratefully returned to their previous employment. Unfortunately, in December, the seasonally adjusted number of unemployed in the United States stood at about 10.74 million persons. Down considerably from the 23.08 million recorded in April, but a sharp uptick from the 5.79 million noted in February of 2020.
Across the country, industries are recovering at an uneven pace. As one would expect, the travel, tourism, hospitality, and restaurant sectors, as well as the entertainment and leisure industries, have recorded recovery stats that lag sharply behind other sectors.
On the flip side, everything healthcare-related, on-line meeting platforms, and e-learning have seen boon-worthy growth. Many avenues within the world of technology, including cybersecurity, cloud computing, and e-commerce, are predicted to continue their upward trend as the world adjusts to a post-pandemic reality.
Pummeled by closed factories and massive supply chain issues, the manufacturing sector ranked as one of the economy’s hardest-hit segments. A complex scenario involving a host of global players and a radical shift in the puzzle of our network of distribution channels has thrown manufacturing for a mega-sized loop. On the sales side of the coin, a mixed bag of results continues to find home furnishing and computer sales up exponentially while apparel sales struggle to recover from a big hit.
With the promise of widespread vaccine availability, many industries are hopeful, expecting a shot in the arm (pun intended!) to their recovery. As the return to near-normal economic times and exponential growth occurs in other sectors, more businesses will be posting a “NOW HIRING” shingle.
What skills will these companies be looking for in employees?
Zety surveyed over 200 recruiters and hiring managers to determine what skills companies will seek in 2021. Their study reveals the most in-demand hard and soft skills throughout the job market. In both cases, respondents chose the five skills they considered to be most important.
Hard skills—
- 53% Analytical skills
- 49% High-level IT skills
- 47% Basic computer knowledge
- 44% Customer service skills
- 43% Presentation skills
- 42% Team management
Soft skills—
- 57% Teamwork
- 55% Communication
- 46% Time management
- 45% Problem-solving
- 44% Creativity
- 40% Leadership
As Connecticut forges ahead toward a full economic recovery, A.R. Mazzotta is taking the challenge to deepen our candidate pool in the areas our client companies have the greatest need for employees seriously, including the following positions—
- Virtual Assistant / Remote office job orders
- Customer Service
- Administrative Assistant
- Executive Assistant
- Call Center
- Human Resources Generalist and/or HR positions
- Manufacturing
- Production: assembly, machine operator, warehouse
- AutoCAD
- CNC Machinist
- Warehouse Manager
- Production Manager
- Production Technician
- Plastic Mold Operator
- Solderer
- Test Technician
For employment solutions that work for you, call or text A.R. Mazzotta today to connect with a real person at 860-347-1626 or apply on-line.