Job Market Trends to Watch Next Year

December 27, 2017 Staff Advice for Job Seekers 0

According to a new report by employer review site Glassdoor, the job market had a tremendous year. There were 1.9 million new jobs added in 11 months and the unemployment rate is at a 17 year low. A talent war is brewing and other trends such as flat wages and automation in the workplace remain challenges for workers.

Five Jobs Trends to Watch for 2018:

  • AI is Changing the Future of Work: AI and automation are poised to impact nearly every facet of the workforce in some way, but two industries that are ripe for big changes in 2018: human resources and finance. Revolutionary new AI tools are complementing people’s skills in both HR and finance, upending many established and easy-to-automate roles.
  • Modernization of Mobile Job Applications: Most of existing applicant tracking systems were built in a bygone era, making applying for a job from a mobile device cumbersome. Mobile apply is ripe for overhaul in 2018, but has a long way to go.
  • Job Growth in Health Care, Tech, Labor-Intensive Roles: Job creation in 2018 is being driven not only by innovations in tech, which will continue to expand within traditionally non-tech industries, but by significant demographic shifts such as an aging population. Many traditional jobs like restaurant waiters and truck drivers that cannot be automated easily in the near term will continue to grow and be a core source for jobs.
  • Increased Transparency in the Application and Interview Process: While workplaces have increased their transparency in recent years, the online application process remains notoriously opaque. In 2018, job seekers can expect more visibility into both the application process and the status of job applications in real time.
  • Encouraging Employee Passions Through Role Experimentation: More companies are creating ways to support employee aspirations outside the common vertical trajectory within a company through role experimentation. By establishing clearer pathways for internal lateral job moves, companies can tap into the changing skills and passions of their workforce, help reduce turnover, and do a better job of matching proven talent with their most productive role inside an organization.

Click here to read the full report.