This industry saw a 112% rise in job openings since the pandemic — and it’s not leisure and hospitality – Market Watch
When the economy shut down last year to curb the spread of coronavirus the leisure and hospitality industry, which includes hotels, restaurants and bars, took a gut-wrenching hit.
Some 8.2 million people who worked in the sector were laid off or furloughed between February and April 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Now that most pandemic restrictions have been lifted, Americans are back to dining out and booking vacations — and business owners are looking to fill nearly 1.6 million openings, a 68% increase in openings compared to February 2020.
Contrast that narrative with the manufacturing industry.
Some 1.4 million people were laid off or furloughed from February to April 2020. But as of last month business owners are hiring for 851,000 positions — a record high for the industry and a 112% increase in openings since last February.
Manufacturing firms “are desperate for workers and they would take anybody in off the street and help them learn what they need to know to start,” Carolyn Lee, who is in charge of workforce development for the National Association of Manufacturers, a trade association, told MarketWatch.