Dive Brief:
- The October LinkedIn Workforce Report shows that hiring remained strong last month: 24.1% higher than October of 2016. Seasonally adjusted hiring rose 0.3% as well.
- The Wall Street Journal reports that 8,400 jobs were added in transportation and warehousing from September to October. Courier and messenger firms added over 5,500 jobs last month and UPS and FedEx have ramped up their seasonal hiring. In warehousing and fulfillment, 3,100 jobs were added in October.
- The LinkedIn report also notes a rise in hiring candidates with political skills. Many large cities are seeing the spike as employers in the tech industry and others look to match politically savvy employees with community and social services, business development and educational functions.
Dive Insight:
The Consumer Confidence Board reports that American consumers are the most confident they’ve been in nearly 17 years. The consumer confidence index hit 125.9 in October, the highest reading since December 2000 – good news for retailers in advance of the holiday buying season.
Hiring for e-commerce rose across all sectors in anticipation of the season. Amazon, for example, plans to add 120,000 seasonal workers in more than 30 states to meet demand. (Brick and mortar retailers, however, dropped jobs last month.)
In states where unemployment rates remain lower than the national average, employers may find filling vacancies a challenge. Some have turned to flexible arrangements, while others are betting on higher pay.