Online Jobs Postings Highest in 4 Years

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jobs posted online through OhioMeansJobs.com increased by 7,778 in May to the highest level of openings seen in the past four years.

A total 339,393 job openings were posted between April 14 and May 14, says a report released Friday. That was an increase of 88,388 from a year ago.

There are more postings than unemployed job seekers. In May, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services listed its unemployment rate at 3.9%, the lowest level in at least two years. The state’s total labor force was 5.79 million strong with only 226,300 unemployed.

Locally, the unemployment rate in Columbiana County was 3.8%, followed by Mahoning at 4% and Trumbull at 4.1%.

Across the state, 52.2% of job openings are for upper-middle income ($50,000 to $79,000) and middle income ($30,000 to $49,000) jobs. Opportunities listing upper-middle income came in at 26.2%, followed by middle income at 26%, six figure jobs at 22%, entry level (less than $30,000) at 14.8% and high-income jobs ($80,000 to $99,000) at 11%.

Registered nurse (16,042) continues to lead the occupations with the most Ohio job ads, followed by heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (13,422), first-line supervisors of retail sales workers (11,785) and software developers (10,873).

Statewide, the majority of job openings seeking a baccalaureate at 42.2%, followed closely by GED/high school education at 39.6%. In northeastern Ohio, the plurality of jobs, 43.7%, seek a GED/high school diploma with 37.7% requiring a baccalaureate. Ads in the region requested 13.4% have an associate degree, 2.6% a master’s degree and 2.5% a doctorate, all very similar to statewide figures.

Northeastern Ohio, the 18-county region including Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties, had 110,592 job openings posted during the same time frame, an increase of 1,208 from a month ago and 25,862 from a year ago.

In this region, employers seek registered nurses (6,414), first-line supervisors of retail sales workers (4,669), heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (4,193) and retail salespeople (3,245).

Salary ranges in this area are 28.7% middle income, 27.5% upper-middle income, 16.9% entry level, 16.8% six-figure and 10.1% high income.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.